Friday, November 6, 2009

How To Protect Your Business And Reduce Insurance Costs



No matter how large your organization security needs to be taken very seriously, a good quality security system can not only prevent an unauthorized act but can also help to reduce insurance payments and protect the workforce. Even if you run a small business it is possible to install and monitor security cameras at a very reasonable price. Many small businesses are now turning to the wireless camera networks for monitoring the inside and outside of the premises. Since new Wireless technology has evolved over the years and has become more accessible and cheaper for everyone. It is now possible to have a state of the art complete monitoring system in place and running within 10 minutes.

What do you need to have a good installation that will protect you? The first and most important part will be the actual cameras, you can get small cameras that will send crystal clear footage to the camera receiver, if you do not want to buy an external viewing monitor then it is possible to display everything on a standard television. Installation could not be more simple, mounting the cameras is a very simple process and can involve as little as two screws, plug it into the standard mains output and the job is near done. All that then remains is to plug the video receiver into the television output and the system is installed. This eliminates any unwanted cabling and the expense involved in running it, the cameras are so good that they can even transmit through doors, floors, ceilings and walls. The cameras can be very small as well which can be useful if you need to monitor staff or if you are monitoring open access areas. The camera systems can even be more sophisticated and offer the ability to have motion detection and infra red should this be needed.

There are so many benefits to having security cameras for small business installed of which some are the theft prevention aspects, insurance benefits, peace or mind and the simplicity of installation. Any small business can benefit from an installation from Restaurants, small shops, professional offices and small warehouses. In terms of the business impact of having security cameras installed this can range from avoiding law suites, ensuring customer and employee safety, preventing theft, evaluating the staffs performance and monitoring the building while you are away. There are so many uses and cases for having a system installed that it could potentially be saving you money and time in the long run. As sated earlier in the article with the simplicity of the monitoring systems and the ease of use virtually every small business should be able to budget for a good quality low cost security system to install in their premises. Whether you choose to install a wireless one or a wired solution, cheap or expensive, the options will be able to provide you with the added security that is need when running a small business and help to prevent loss and safe money.

Over A Million Travelling Without Insurance



Many of us dream about that perfect holiday or that quick getaway and when the time finally arrives to pack everything up and fly off, many want their paradise vacation to run as smoothly as the cocktail in their hand.
However, it has been revealed by a travel insurance company that many of these holiday goers do not purchase travel cover, therefore quickly turning that well planed holiday into an expensive nightmare.

The survey showed that nearly 1.3 million Brits with pre-existing medical conditions travelled abroad without telling their travel insurers about their health conditions. This is a dangerous move, as it could not only endanger a traveller’s finances, but could also jeopardise any future claims.

“Withholding key information such as any medical conditions could, however, mean your cover may be invalidated and in the worst of cases, this could mean facing large hospital bills or arranging your own repatriation,” said Sam Marrs, a travel insurance manager.

Insurance as important as the suitcase
The insurance company revealed that over the past year, an estimated 206,000 individuals concealed the fact that they had respiratory problems, 149,000 cancer sufferers also hid their health issues and 267,000 people with heart problems travelled without telling their travel insurance firm about their condition.

Marrs pointed out that honesty is always the best policy: “It's important to be honest with your insurer and provide all the information they ask for. It's simply not worth taking the risk and travelling with potentially invalid cover or no cover at all.”

Another alarming figure displayed that 500,000 people with medical problems went overseas in the past year with no travel insurance cover at all.

The factors influencing medical concealment
The study found that 19% of holiday makers said they left out information on their travel policies because they believed they would get the cover cheaper, compared to if they were honest.
Therefore, it was found that fear and cost were the two main factors as to why people did not tell their insurer about their medical issues.

A further 15% said they were worried that they would be refused cover altogether if they had told the truth and noted their health problems.
Marrs pointed out that whilst a travel insurer will set a slightly higher premium once they have found out a client’s health history, they still provide cover for most medical conditions.

Why travel cover was so vital: “The purpose of travel insurance is to ensure that if a disaster does strike, you'll receive the necessary care and support.”

Marrs furthered: “It's a fiercely competitive market so if you have a common medical condition there's a good chance you'll find an insurer to cover you for a fair and competitive premium.”

The insurers have reminded the public that travel cover should be top of the holiday check list, as it provides financial compensation for delays, picks up the cost if a holidaymaker needs an emergency flight home, covers medical costs and lastly, could pay for damages caused to a property.

The Advantages and Disadvantages

The Advantages and Disadvantages Of Individual Health Insurance.

In a country like the United States, if you do not want to be buried in debt; you need a good health insurance for yourself and your family. Whether you are an employee or self-employed, it is necessary that you have a good health insurance coverage to cover your medical bills. However, there is no unique health insurance plan good for every one; benefits and costs vary from an individual to another (due to age, medical condition, etc.). To make a good choice, you need to know what benefits you are looking for, and examine each plan to find the one that best responses to your needs.

Though you have many options in choosing your health insurance, finding the right plan can be difficult. In general, individual health insurance is a form of contract between you and an insurer (insurance company )to repay all or almost all of your medical bills, which may includes hospitalization, medications, dental care, seeing a specialist, and certain therapies (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, etc.). Whatever your needs, you will most likely have to choose one of these plans, Fee-for-service, HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations), or (PPOs) participating provider organization.

Fee-for-service - also known as indemnity plans, is a type of insurance plan where you, patient, have to pay all medical expenses out of your own pockets, and then request a reimbursement from your insurance company. These types of plans have their advantages and disadvantages.

The Advantages:
They offer more flexibility in choosing your own doctor. You can decide the time to see your health care provider, and what type of treatment you want; as long as you remain in the limit that your insurer will repay.

The Disadvantages:
In indemnity plans, most doctors require upfront payment, so you have to submit claim forms to the insurance company to receive a reimbursement. That requires paper work, and sometimes many phone calls. Fee-for-service plans offer limited benefits; they do not cover annual physical exam and educational programs.

HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations)- Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are managed care plans that offer health care coverage to their members through hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers that are in their network. That is, having their service, you are limited to members of their network.

Advantages:
Unlike Fee-for-service plans, you do not have to pay up front; although some of them require a copayment. You do not need to submit forms after forms to receive reimbursement.

Disadvantages:
You can use only health care providers who are associated with the organization. Most HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) tend to disapprove certain treatments. Although some HMOs accept their members to see physician or specialists who are not in their network, they often charge you additional costs.

The (PPOs) participating provider organization - also known as Preferred Provider Organizations, is a form of managed care organization of physicians , hospitals, clinics and other health care providers that sign a contract with an insurer to provide health services to its member at reduced rates . Usually, PPOs cost more than traditional HMOs, but offer more options to their members.

Advantages:
Preferred Provider Organizations provide more flexibility to their members; they have a bigger network of doctors and hospitals. You can take service from health care providers that are not part of their networks (certain charges often apply). You pay Lower copayments for care from primary care physicians. In addition, you do not need a referral to see a specialist.

Disadvantages:
PPOs cost more than traditional HMOs. You will more likely to make co-payments (usually from $10 to $30) when you visit a health specialist.

What Do Most Health Insurance Policies Cater For


Making a financial arrangement for when you may have you're sick that stops you from living a normal life or is life threatening is not the simplest thing in the world but critical illness insurance covers this very real contingency. Providing monetary peace of mind for your family by taking out critical illness protection, for a mere few bucks each week should something occur to you, does not to seem as important to most of us as having that extra, luxury cup of coffee each day during luncheon.

The most health insurance policies now cater for many of the more standard sicknesses and because figures show that there is a good chance you will suffer one of these at some stage in your life, it is a worthwhile plan to have. Recent studies have shown that one in five males will, unfortunately contract a life-threatening illness before they reach retirement age. That same study also shows that women are only slightly less likely with a one in six chance, to be impacted by a critical condition prior to retirement.

Specialists are of the opinion that the main reason for individuals failing to start a health program is an ignorance of the risks of being impacted by it. Protection of mortgage payments is listed as the number one reason why individuals decide to have critical illness cover cover. Today, critical illness security and life insurance can be linked directly with mortgage repayments.

More and more individuals are starting to employ the facilities provided by the Internet to study and purchase insurance plans, including critical illness protection. Regrettably, being a relatively new facility, there are new problems that occur as more companies start offering services over the Internet for the first time. The reason for this lies in the fact that most critical illness cover providers call for their applicants to undergo an independent medical exam prior to the program being issued in an effort to stop any possible fraudulent claims in the future. If you're in the awkward position of having to make a claim on your insurance , the last thing you want is callous hassle or apparent non-cooperation from your insurer.

The One thing to study though if decide to apply for a health policy is if you are a smoker, and that includes anyone who has smoked within the last twelve months, because you are viewed as a higher risk applicant. It is now thoroughly acknowledged that smoking is dangerous for you and as a consequence your monthly insurance installment will cost more. For the most part though, when you apply for any type of health insurance, the company will look at your age, health, workplace, environment, activities and so forth. A typical insurance will cover you if your medical prognoses are terminal or life-threatening, as well as cover you if you require certain surgery - the insurance will also] address your permanent job loss due to sickness. There can be no argument about the peace of mind that having a critical illness cover policy in place can bring to somebody who has a close family and monetary obligations.