learn: health insurance articles

These articles, prepared by the writers and editors of the healthinsurance.org, will help you better understand health care and medical insurance issues.

How to buy health insurance

How to buy health insurance

Buying health insurance can be complicated, but like a lot of things, it’s easier if you break the job into smaller tasks and work your way through them.

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Healthier living through pet ownership?

It is easy to feel the modern-day joys our pets bring us, but researchers are also in agreement that there is compelling evidence these emotional connections actually translate to positive physical health benefits for us as well.

10 essential benefits of health reform

Health reform’s 10 essential benefits

The ACA specifies ten benefits be included in all health insurance plans sold on state exchanges. Any new plan sold to individuals or small groups must cover the essential benefits as of Jan. 1, 2014, even if the plan is not offered through an exchange.

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How to keep your health insurance
when you move to another state

What happens to individual health insurance coverage when a policyholder moves to a new state? The answer depends on the carrier, and on each state.

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Health insurance consolidation on the rise

This year, the AMA warned that health carrier market dominance is a threat to consumer choice, allowing plans “to give patients take-it-or-leave-it pricing.”

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Reform promises end to deadly rescissions

Industry practices that result in health policy cancellations may soon come to an end, thanks to health reform regulations that prohibit rescissions except in clear cases of fraud.

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Maternity health coverage long overdue

A 2009 study of individual health plans in the U.S. found nearly 90 percent of them don’t cover maternity care. For the millions who need the coverage, reform is long overdue.

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Self-employed health insurance deduction

It’s important for the self-employed to know all the ways they can save a few dollars here and there. One obvious place to look is on their tax forms, but one look isn’t enough: federal deductions for health insurance change regularly, so keep up with code changes.

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Women and health insurance

In years past – and until health reform’s provisions take effect in 2014 – women’s lack of access to affordable health insurance has been disappointing and sometimes, deadly.

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Dental insurance vs. dental discount plans

Dental patients have two distinct coverage options: dental insurance and discount dental plans. Folks who’ve chosen either option tend to get more treatment and keep more teeth.

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How a health savings account (hsa) works

A health savings account is a tax-advantaged savings account combined with a high-deductible health insurance policy to provide an investment and health coverage.

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Health insurance and the lgbt community

Advocates have long sought legislative action to remove barriers to health insurance coverage for LGBT populations. And, in recent years, there have been signs of progress.

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Health care and health coverage abroad

Looking for affordable medical care, by highly skilled physicians, and maybe a vacation to boot? Here’s an option to consider.

phone your legislator

Support health reform

President Obama succeeding in passing an aggressive package of health insurance reforms that will make it easier for you to buy and keep health insurance.

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Health care reform

The ACA’s reforms take huge steps toward removing obstacles to quality, low-cost health insurance for millions of Americans.

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Self-employed health insurance

The self-employed face a set of unique challenges in finding and keeping health insurance. We’ve provided answers for a few of the most commonly asked questions.

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Lower your health care costs

“Why are my health insurance costs going up at a rate that is so much higher than inflation?” Experts say there are no easy answers, but there are straightforward explanations.

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Private health insurance

Private health insurance continues to dominate the U.S. health care landscape. The majority of Americans under 65 continue to get their health care from private insurers.

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Health insurance companies

Before you start seeking health insurance quotes, it’s prudent to take a look at the health insurance companies and their potential service to you as a consumer.

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Health insurance scams

The recently passed health reform law was created to protect consumers, but ironically, scam artists are using confusion about the law to prey on consumers.

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Reducing the number of uninsured

For many Americans, getting off the rolls of the uninsured is a simple matter of getting information about coverage that’s already available to them.

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Individual health insurance

If you are self employed, or if your employer does not offer health insurance, you’ll likely turn to the private market to purchase an individual health insurance plan.

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Group health insurance

Of Americans who have health coverage, the vast majority secure that coverage through group health insurance, and then, typically, through an employer-sponsored health plan.

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Student health insurance

Before college starts, students and their families need to ensure that their health coverage will continue uninterrupted – and that it will earn more than a passing grade.

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Short term health insurance

Short-term health insurance policies provide coverage for consumers who need one to six months of coverage as a safety net.

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Cobra health insurance

COBRA allows the newly unemployed to extend the health coverage they had with their employer while they seek new coverage, but COBRA may not be right for everyone.

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Term life insurance

Term life insurance covers you for a “term” as short as a year or as long as 30 years and serves one purpose: to provide a death benefit if you die during that time period.

health insurance in your state

Plans, carriers and consumer resources near you.

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health care reform blog

'44' devotes 44 words to health reformstate of the union health reform

Some will be disappointed that President Obama barely mentioned health care reform in his State of the Union address. In a speech that focused on the military, manufacturing, education, and energy, health care received very few mentions.
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