Individual Health Insurance: Health Insurance Exchanges

The Missouri House started to put through one of the challenging parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by voting to begin setting up an exchange program that strives to make individual health insurance easier to access with cheaper rates. They also aim to make health insurance for small businesses more attainable as well.

The article “Missouri House Begins Work on Health Insurance Exchanges” by Robert Joiner from STLBeacon.org says that some groups are unhappy with the Show-Me Health Insurance Act but despite this, the bill received an unanimous vote in the Health Insurance Committee. The new bill would allow individuals to compare health insurance rates and benefits in hopes of getting cheaper and higher quality health insurance out there.

The Committee’s chairman, state Rep. Chris Molendorp stated that the legislation plans to create more affordable health insurance for as many as 1 million individuals in Missouri by 2014 once the system is fully in place. Legislators may be rushed to get this done and could end up missing the deadline if they don't stay focused.

The ACA requires that states set up the health insurance exchanges by January of 2013, so they may be cutting it close to achieve this. They not only have to pass the bill by then, but they are also expected to design, test, and implement a federally approved internet program which would educate Missouri residents on the benefits of these health insurance exchanges. Hopefully through this ongoing education, health care reform can achieve what it has set out to.

Do You Need Used Car Insurance?

It is required by law to carry auto insurance on any type of automobile whether it be new or used. Some people think some used cars are so old and cheap that they do not need to get it replaced if it's in an accident. But it's important to understand that auto insurance is not only to protect replacing the damaged car. It's also required to help cover health costs from injuries and to ensure you can fix the other person's car if the accident is deemed your fault.

The minimum amount of coverage a driver must carry varies from state to state and is known as the "Financial Responsibility Limit" for your particular state. This isn't necessarily the best way to gauge how much coverage you need, but it's helpful to know what the minimum amount is in case that's all you can afford. All states require that you have a certain level of liability insurance to pay for bodily injuries to yourself and other victims of the accident.

The good news is that used car insurance is often less expensive than car insurance for a newer car. Used cars are generally less expensive to repair and replace so this can translate to lower car insurance quotes from various insurers. If the car is too old though it can have the opposite effect if the car is deemed unsafe. As always, shop around to ensure you are getting the best deal on your used car insurance policy.

Seattle Auto Insurance Company Finds New Trend

The Seattle auto insurance company, PEMCO, completed a recent poll with surprising results about how Washington state drivers are following laws. Most drivers in Washington describe themselves as law-abiding, but about 1/4 of the same drivers admit to breaking the law by using high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes even when they are not carrying the correct number of passengers in their car.

The article "Washington Drivers Confused About HOV Lanes, Admit to Abusing Lane Privileges" found on PRNewsWire.com summarizes the poll and talks about why more drivers are abusing these carpool lanes. Jon Osterberg, a spokesperson for PEMCO, says people may be abusing the HOV lanes because they are confused about when they have to follow the HOV lane rules. About 75% of respondents said they didn't know that the HOV on a particular highway was off-limits to solo drivers all the time.

Most of the time cars carrying 2 people qualify for the HOV lanes but there are even some exceptions to this where some areas require you have 3 people in your car. Failure to comply with the HOV lane rules is a moving violation and drivers face a $124 fine. The pool indicates that 61% have seen solo drivers use the HOV lanes when they were not supposed to. This can encourage more people to disobey the HOV lane laws.

Carpool lanes are used across the nation to encourage people driving together to work for less traffic on the road and over time, less emissions used in the city overall. This is especially important for high traffic cities such as Los Angeles. Los Angeles auto insurance can be higher as well because of the traffic conditions so carpool lanes hope to make driving safer and could affect rates over time.

Connecticut Health Insurance for Children

Many are aware of Connecticut's affordable Charter Oak Health Plan for residents, but not everyone knows about their special plan for children called Healthcare for Uninsured Kids and Youth (HUSKY).

Connecticut's HUSKY plan offers a full health insurance plan option for youth up to age 19 regardless of their family's income. HUSKY pays for physician visits, drug prescriptions, vision, dental care and much more. The HUSKY Plus plan has additional services for kids with special needs and the Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership offers mental health and substance abuse treatment.

If you enroll your child in HUSKY, you'll be able to choose your physician, and other participating medical providers. For many families HUSKY is very low cost and often times free. Even families with high incomes can get HUSKY health care at group rates.

HUSKY serves over 241,000 children and they work hard to serve deserving families. They provide health coverage for parents, relative caregivers, and pregnant women as well. They pride themselves on very friendly customer service and are available to answer any questions you may have. More states should have a plan as comprehensive as this for resident children.