Do
I Really Need Health and Life Insurance?

You may ask yourself: do I really need
health and life insurance? The simple answer is yes, you do. Everyone needs to
protect themselves and their families by having adequate insurance protection.
How much and what type of health and life insurance you should have is not so easy
to answer. There are many choices when it comes to insurance. You may be
limited by what your employer offers or you may take out a policy on your own.
Either way, knowing the different types of insurance available can help you
make an informed decision.

Health
Insurance Options

Health insurance can be confusing. HMOs,
PPOs, discount cards, and co-pays can all be a bit hard to comprehend. Each
state has different laws and governing entities that set forth guidelines
companies must follow. In simple terms, health insurance is either group or
individual. Group policies are usually groups of individuals who work for a
company and receive lower rates because the collective risk is spread out to
all members. Your employer may offer an HMO (Health Management Organization).
HMOs pay almost all of your expenses and you may have a small co-pay at the
doctor or pharmacy. You usually have your choice of doctors from a list of
providers and a drug plan with an HMO.

PPOs (Preferred Provider Organization) use
preferred providers for your health services. You must go to a doctor, hospital
or other health care provider that is in the network of your PPO for you to
receive your full benefits. PPOs generally pay 80% of major medical expenses,
include drug plans, and you will have a co-pay when you go to your doctor.
Individual health insurance plans are expensive, and unless you are in near-perfect
health, hard to get. Group plans usually have no medical exam required in order
to be enrolled, while individual plans require a complete medical exam.

Life
Insurance Options

Life insurance protects your family and
loved ones in the event of your death. Death is something many people don’t
want to think about, but it is important to be realistic and realize the
unexpected can happen. You can take out a term life or whole life policy. Term life insurance is cheaper than whole life and
offers you only a set amount of money to your survivors. Whole life offers you
not only a death benefit, but a savings component as well. Part of your premium
is invested in various stocks, bonds and other funds to build up a cash value.
The cash value increases as your policy matures and whole life is usually taken
out for your lifetime or up to 30 years. Term life policies vary from 10 to 20
years and once the policy expires, there is no cash payout.

Conclusion

This is just an overview of health and life insurance policies. There
are many options (including discount cards) that aren’t really insurance, but
offer substantial discounts on medicines and general health care items. Both
types of policies protect you and your loved ones from the high cost of living
and medical expenses. Be sure to explore your options and then decide what type
of health and life insurance you need.