Health Insurance Medical Resources & Information

Rising unemployment rates and the exorbitant cost of gas have left hundreds struggling to come up with the fund they need to keep their car properly insured. That’s why over 15% of drivers on the highways today are driving uninsured, 3 million plus in California alone. In an effort to stem the rising tide of uninsured drivers California has implemented an insurance program designed especially for low income drivers known as the California Low Cost Auto Insurance Program.

Unlike regular insurance programs, which are designed to work on a fixed rate premium depending on your circumstances, the California Low Cost Auto Insurance Program (CLCA) works on a sliding scale determined by your income. Drivers that meet the definition of financial need established by the governing authority can aply to be admitted into the program and enjoy the benefits of a low cost insurance policy designed especially to meet their needs.

This isn’t one of those low cost insurance programs designed to persecute the middle class just because they happen to make enough money to keep food on the table and pay their rent on a semi-regular basis. Instead, the program is designed to accommodate the bottom edge of the middle class, with a family of four being permitted to have a combined income of up to $50,000-considerably higher than the state poverty level.

With an income level this high the hope is that every driver will take the initiative and apply for the California Low Cost Auto Insurance Program rather than choosing to continue to drive uninsured.

Because California has a mandatory liability requirement for its drivers the CLCA only offers liability coverage as part of its low cost insurance plan. Included in the plan is:

• $10,000 Bodily Injury Liability per person.
• $20,000 Bodily Injury per accident.
• $3,000 Property Damage per accident.

As you’ve probably already noticed, this is significantly less than California’s minimum liability requirements for drivers. State officials are willing to make a trade off in exchange for dramatically reducing the number of drivers they have out there driving uninsured. Auto insurance companies have no choice about offering this low cost insurance to their clientele, but they reserve the right to keep their coverage levels low to encourage drivers that can afford it to seek regular coverage.

Collision and comprehensive are not included as part of the California Low Cost Auto Insurance Program. You can, however, purchase them separately from your insurance carrier without affecting your eligibility for the program. Most companies do offer you the chance to purchase additional medical coverage and uninsured motorist at a low cost through the program to protect yourself from the people out there who weren’t as quick to pick up on this great deal as you were.

The California Low Cost Auto Insurance Program is an ideal solution for low income drivers who don’t want to have to sacrifice their auto insurance coverage to keep dinner on the table. If you’re struggling to pay your premiums but don’t want to join the ranks of the uninsured contact the CLCA as soon as possible.

Product Description
This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by Thomson Gale on November 5, 2007. The length of the article is 816 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Federal bills would exte… More >>

Federal bills would extend medical coverage for mental health: required coverage in California limited to nine conditions.: An article from: San Diego Business Journal

Short term health insurance, as the name applies is for a short period of time. It offers coverage from nearly 30 to 180 days. If you are very young, it would be better if you buy a short term health insurance when compared to extensive health insurance plan. If you take a standard plan you have to pay nearly hundreds of dollars, but in case of short term health insurance plans, you pay somewhere $30 and $60 US dollars monthly. But major disadvantage of this plan is you cannot avail many benefits that you would have otherwise received on a standard plan. A person has to pay full fees for all non-emergency doctor’s visits and surgical procedures. Certain costs like prescription drugs and ob-gyn visits, maternity and delivery are not covered by short term health plans. In case of emergency, your insurance provider will compensate you not less than $100,000 USD-after you have paid the deductible, which can range from $1000 to $10,000 USD or more. If your deductible is low, higher will your monthly premium be.

One of the major California health insurance plans i.e. short term health insurance plans are for six months or one year. But once your period has expired, you can sign up with a different insurance provider. You can find various California health insurance companies who sell this type of plan on the internet. If you have serious medical problems, it would be better you go in for standard health insurance as it will cover all your expensive prescription drugs which a short term health insurance cannot do. However, if you do not have access to health insurance through a job and are looking for a reasonably priced option that will ensure that you are covered in case of serious emergency, short term health insurance may be the best way to go.

This type of plan covers emergency medicine, intensive care expenses, ambulance needs, drug costs etc. once the first premium payment is made along with the submission of applications, insurance will be sanctioned without further delay. Physical examination is seldom needed. This type of plan gives you the option of choosing your doctor and will have a deductible to meet. One more benefit is that of co-insurance. Anyone who is under 65 years of age can apply for short term health insurance.

One more option like COBRA otherwise known as Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reduction Act enacted in 1985 which allows employees to continue with their coverage for a particular time at their own expense. Short term insurance makes a better choice when the period of COBRA coverage is over and you have not enclosed under any health insurance policy.

Today, there are many options for California individual health insurance available that will match every possile need. The choices for health insurance in CA are just as initially overwhelming as the premiums. Remember that choosing the wrong health plan will cost you a lot on unnecessary fees. Do not make this mistake. Make sure that you do your homework and select the plan that will best suit your needs. How do you know which health insurance coverage is perfect for you?

Contrary to what usually happens, the first thing you need to do when looking for a health care policy is to forget about the cost and the premiums. You have to begin by finding out what your idea of a California health insurance plan is, and what kind of health care you exactly need. You should keep in mind that health insurance policies do not cover all forms of medical needs. If it does, it would surely cost an arm and a leg. Health insurance in CA also has the same imposed limits. There will be a list of hospitals and medical practitioners covered, maximum limit for hospital stays, maximum coverage for procedures. Some insurance plans involve co-pay where some medical care are not covered at all. This might surprise you at first, but all California individual health insurance plans are operated in this way.

There are three types of California individual health insurance plans available. The traditional form, known as the indemnity or fee-for-service plan, is not designed to pay for everyda medical health costs but provides for unexpected illnesses  and accidents. Although this type has been around the longest, it is not as popular today as it had been.

Then there is the managed care plan, which includes the popular HMOs (Health Maintenance Organization). HMO health insurance in CA aims to reduce your overall medical expenses by paying attention to everyday medical care and maintenance. It provides coverage such as routine medical care and checkups, which can spot potential illnesses at an earlier stage – hence, more treatable – avoiding high treatment costs for serious untreated health problems. Even more popular today are PPO California individual health insurance which essentially is the amalgamation of the two aforementioned health coverage types. Under PPO, medical care will be provided as in the HMO plan but you get more freedom over the medical practitioners  you see and when to see them.

Which of these California individual health insurance do you need? It is mainly a matter of personal choice depending on your needs. For example, if you are single, fit and living a health lifestyle, an idemnity plan may be a good option. However, if you have dependents and a famly history of serious medical conditions, everday medical care may be a better choice. Choosing from the three types of available health insurance in CA is a decision that only you can decide on best. Whatever circumstance you are in, you should look beyond the cost of health coverage but concentrate more on getting the type of coverage you need.