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Another 20 percent said their employees were covered under different plans, and 9 percent of respondents each cited high work-force turnover and the perception that employees would rather have more pay than health coverage as reasons for not offering coverage.
The employers were also asked, if they were to offer a health plan, how much they would be willing to contribute per employee per month. For 59 percent, that amount ranges from $0 to no more than $50.
Only 10 percent said they would pay at least $200.
“If you look at it in upstate New York, the majority of employers that offer health plans pay far in excess of those two numbers,” says Thomas Flynn, a principal with Mercer, who is based in Rochester and serves the entire upstate region.
It’s common for employers with fewer than 500 employees in Syracuse, Rochester, Binghamton, and Albany to spend over $200 for single coverage as their share, and possibly over $600 for their share of family coverage, says Flynn.
Even lower-cost, higher-deductible plans involving health savings accounts don’t appear to be an option for most small-business owners, according to Mercer.
“In most states, $50 is less than a third of the cost of the high-deductible health plans,” says Flynn.
Additionally in the health-care reform survey, 50 percent of respondents oppose “play or pay” laws, which require employers to either offer health coverage or pay into a government fund to cover the uninsured. Of the remaining respondents, 31 percent support the idea, while 19 percent neither approve nor disapprove.
Of those businesses opposing “play or pay” laws, wholesalers/retailers (68 percent) and manufacturers (56 percent) were most likely to disapprove, according to the Mercer survey.
With employers more inclined to disapprove than approve of the reforms, the results demonstrate the difficulties of trying to achieve consensus around health-care system changes, Mercer said.
Only two of the reform ideas addressed in the survey have the support of the majority or near majority of employers - requiring individual health cover-age and federal stop-loss protection for employers.
About 53 percent support requiring people to have health coverage if they can afford it, either through their employer or buying it on their own.
Neither presidential candidate’s platform included such an individual-mandate proposal, but the plan of President-elect Barack Obama (D-Ill.) comes closest, requiring that all children have coverage, Mercer said.
The survey also found that about 46 percent of respondents support the federal government providing stop-loss protection to cover an employer’s catastrophic expenses.
Employers who are self-insured use stop-loss protection in case an unexpectedly large number of employees become seriously ill and the treatments become too costly to handle. Stop-loss insurance pays the employee medical bills after the business owner has paid a certain pre-determined amount
“From this standpoint, employers would like to see federal protection instead of private protection that would limit the employer’s expenses,” says Flynn.
The Mercer survey is based on responses to as many. as 10,000 requests nationwide for participation, says Flynn. The normal response rate is between 3,000 and 3,500 surveys. The respondents include both Mercer clients and non-clients. The company’s database includes more than 80 percent of all U.S. employers, Flynn says.
The survey used a probability sample and the margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.
Copyright Central New York Business Journal Nov 14, 2008
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

There are many benefits to group health insurance, the first being that normally it is much less expensive than an individual plan, which may cause you $400 a month. This is a huge benefit for families who may not have a ton of money to spend on insurance. Also, you are more likely to be insured through a group health insurance company than with an individual health insurance company because when you apply for an individual health insurance policy you have to go through a doctor’s exam. For many people the medical exam could be the deciding factor as to whether or not they become insured, for people who are suffering from preexisting medical conditions it may be very hard for them to get insurance under and individual policy. With affordable group health insurance policies it is very unlikely that there will be a doctor’s exam. This is because with group health insurance the number of people who are sick and the number of people who are healthy tends to balance out and create an equilibrium for the insurance company.

If you are between jobs and you had health coverage provided in part by your employer you might want to learn more about COBRA and the many options they offer in order to extend your coverage while you are not employed. Getting in touch with this agency is crucial if you don’t want to get caught uninsured at a crucial moment.

If you work for an employer who offers group health insurance you pretty much have to accept their terms if you want to get the benefits of a lower payment, on the other hand personal health insurance can be tailored to your unique needs which will fit your budget. It is very common for personal health insurance to be more expensive than group health insurance because you are no longer sharing the costs with your employer, however there are many benefits you will get by using a personal health insurance such as:

- Extended health insurance which will cover you when you are between jobs, this is a very important benefit that you get with personal health insurance which is not offered by group policies because once you stop working for your employer the health coverage stops.
- If your current plan doesn’t offer certain treatments or doesn’t offer all the benefits you want, you can use personal coverage in order to cover the gaps left by your current provider.
- You can also have a customized long-term health insurance policy which will benefit your entire family, not just you.

If you opt for the personal coverage option you will want to shop around in order to get the best rates possible which will cover each of your requirements. Having house insurance can sometimes be of great help because such companies also offer packages where you can get yourself medically insured at a discount rate so make sure to ask these companies. Remember that the healthier you are the lower the costs will be so try to quit any bad habit you may have and set your deductible as high as possible, this will lower your monthly payments but be careful to set it at an amount you can afford.

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The first step in deciding which policy that is right for you is to figure out what your health care needs are. If you have a family, you need to take their needs into consideration also.

Personal health insurance coverage varies with every plan. It is important that you compare the coverage very carefully. You need to find the coverage that is adequate for your families needs but you also need to be able to afford the coverage that you choose.

If your employer does not offer health insurance, and you do not have coverage for yourself or family, finding the right insurance package may be difficult, however it is needed to maintain the health care needs of your family.

There are many different plans in the California health insurance industry. The bare minimum coverage does not give you a choice of which health care professional you are seen by.

This type of plan has the lowest premiums however the services that are covered are extremely limited. California health insurance offer coverage offers many different types of insurance. An HMO allows you to be treated at an HMO hospital. It is a less flexible plan.

Another deciding factor in choosing the California health insurance that is right for your family is the number of services that it covers. Dental and prescription coverage are as important as the medical coverage.

Researching your options is very important. You will find that there options like which type of prescription coverage you want. You have the option of choosing generic or brand names medication. If you decide to choose the brand name option, or a family member has a pre-existing condition, it is important that you realize that your premiums will be higher.

Another reason for researching our options when considering your California health insurance is that you need to compare rates. There are thousands of different companies that offer insurance. By doing your research, you can find the best rates. When you use the resources of the Internet, you will be able to compare a lot of California health insurance company rates with a click of your mouse.

There are many different types of California health insurance plans; even if you are a temporary employee there is a plan available to you. You can even find a policy if you are vacationing or a student. The options are endless.

Summary:

California health insurance has plans for every type of situation. Whether it is the most basic plan or the plan with extensive options, you will find a plan that is perfect for you and family. Of course you want to have as many options available for your health coverage; however there are times when it is just not possible. Although the very basic plan offers very little, you will at least have the option to seek out medical help when you need it.

St. Pete Beach, FL (PRWEB) February 14, 2007 — Insurance industry leader Squaremouth Inc. (http://www.squaremouth.com) has added health insurance to its lineup of insurance products.

The company announced today that it now offers health insurance through Aetna, AMS, Celtic, Golden Rule, Humana, Time/Fortis and many other carriers.

Every insurance company listing its products on the Squaremouth engine adheres to that policy. We are the only travel insurance agency to offer this type of guarantee. Our customers do not have to worry about getting second-rate service from any Squaremouth insurer.

To help customers decide which health insurance company best meets their needs, Squaremouth also unveiled its new health insurance quote and comparison engine (http://www.squaremouth.com/health-insurance).

“Our customers always ask us if we offer other products besides travel insurance,” said Chris Harvey, Squaremouth founder and CEO. “We didn't want to introduce health insurance unless we could offer the unrivaled service and unbiased advice our customers have come to expect. After thorough research and development, we are pleased to introduce a health insurance quote system backed by the Squaremouth service guarantee.”

The new health insurance system provides comparative health insurance quotes from major insurers across all 50 states for at-a-glance comparison shopping. Consumers can use Squaremouth's unique filter and selection tools to locate the products that fit their requirements and budgets and make applications online.

Consumers in Florida have another reason to work with Squaremouth: The company now has 17 fully licensed insurance agents in the Tampa Bay area, thanks to a partnership with Accurate Health of Tampa.

“Partnering with Accurate Health allows us to offer our local customers a combination of online convenience and offline service,” said Harvey. “We can work with customers at our office in St Pete Beach, over the phone or, for maximum convenience, in their homes or offices.”

Along with its new health insurance comparison engine, Squaremouth offers travel insurance and visitors insurance comparison engines. And today, Squaremouth's travel insurance quote system compares insurance benefits from more carriers than ever before. New insurers include AccessAmerica, USA-Assist, Global Underwriters, Seven Corners and Travelers Liberty in the U.S.; and JS Insurance, Essential Travel, Click4Quote, Columbus, Club Direct and Select in the U.K.

“Even with new products and multiple new carriers, we still stand by our zero-complaint guarantee,” Harvey added. “Every insurance company listing its products on the Squaremouth engine adheres to that policy. We are the only travel insurance agency to offer this type of guarantee. Our customers do not have to worry about getting second-rate service from any Squaremouth insurer.”

About Squaremouth, Inc.
Founded in 2001, Squaremouth is an independent insurance agency that helps consumers easily and instantly compare all the major travel, visitors' and health insurance plans. To ensure customer satisfaction, only companies that meet Squaremouth's strict requirements make it into the system. Along with its unique research capabilities, the site provides instant quotes and coverage and immediate purchase confirmation. To learn more, visit http://www.squaremouth.com.

Contact:
Chris Harvey
Squaremouth Inc.
Toll-free: 800-240-0369
Direct: 727-490-5802
charvey @ squaremouth.com

Health Insurance squaremouth.com/health-insurance
Travel Insurance squaremouth.com
UK Travel Insurance squaremouth.co.uk

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Whether it is a very expensive surgery or just an office visit it pays to have this insurance. A personal health insurance plan is a policy that covers you health-wise in the event you need it. You pay personally for this instead of getting help from an employer. There is a range of plans to choose from.

Some of you think you cannot afford a personal health insurance plan. But with all the options available today you just may be surprised. Depending on whether it is a HMO or PPO and the deductible amounts, you will see that at least one plan will fit your budget. The truth is that you cannot afford NOT to have personal health insurance, especially considering the sky-high cost of medical care these days.

HMOs are the cheapest of the personal health insurance. The drawback to these is the fact that you have to go to the doctor the insurance company says. Also the types of diagnostic tests may be tightly controlled. Some of you may need more flexibility than these plans.

PPO plans allow you to choose your own doctors. They are more liberal on what diagnostic tests are given. This makes them more desirable if you can afford their prices, since a personal health insurance PPO plan is more expensive than its HMO equivalent. PPO plans are popular with people who have had their doctor for years and would rather not change.

Now you can choose your coverage to a certain extent. If you are going to need maternity coverage, make sure that is included, since it may not be included by default. Vision and dental insurance can be added on, but they are pricey on personal plans. Some plans pay some towards office visits to where you only have to pay $10 to $40 to go to the doctor. Usually the personal health insurance plans pay for 70% to 100% on emergency rooms care. In-office procedures sometimes you have to have your deductible paid if you have one before the insurance will pay.

You can decrease the costs and monthly premiums of both HMO and PPO personal health insurance by having a deductible. Usually deductibles start at $250 and go up to at least $10,000 a year. The more you have to pay out on a deductible, the lower the premiums on the plans are. This deductible has to be met before the insurance will pay 70% to 100% for the remainder of the years expenses as laid out in your plan.

Be sure to check into personal health insurance today and see what plan you can afford or fit into your budget. You cannot assume you will always be healthy, and a major illness could wipe you out if you do not have health insurance to cover the majority of the cost.

So when a small business owner goes to the voting booth on November 4, who will he or she choose? Well, here’s where your candidates stand on small business health insurance (so far). Arizona Senator John McCain, soon-to-be the official Republican nominee, wants to actually move away from the employer-based system - offering tax credits to individuals to purchase their own individual health insurance plan. Senator McCain’s idea of helping small businesses is giving employees more options, such as purchase a health plan across state lines.

Illinois Senator, Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. He wants to require all employees to contribute something for health insurance for their workers. He also wants all companies to offer their employees coverage or help in their payment for individual plans. He says small businesses will be exempt. This is not helping to convince small business owners, as he hasn’t yet specified the guidelines to qualifying as a small business. One independent business lobbyist is quoted,”We’d like to see more specificity on almost everything. A lack of specificity breeds worries.”

The Wall Street Journal reports Obama’s economic policy director, Jason Furman, as saying, “We would work with the Treasury to design the appropriate threshold for defining a small business.” Obama has a few specific pertaining to small businesses- such as offering a 50% tax refund if they provide the health insurance coverage for their employees. As stated by Obama, “I’m announcing my plan to provide real relief for small business owners crushed by rising costs, an idea championed by my friend Hillary Clinton, who’s been leading the way in our battle to insure every American.”

We are not sure whether we agree with the Wall Street Journal when they say that McCain has the edge with small business health insurance.