Health Insurance

Costco sells everything from toilet tissue in bulk to diamond engagement rings to caskets, and now individual health insurance plans are being added to the inventory. Let Insurance.com help you find affordable health insurance now. Aetna is partnering with Costco -- known for selling 1 billion rolls of toilet tissue a year, enough to wrap around the world 1,200 times, according to CNBC -- to offer health insurance for individuals. The Costco Personal Health Insurance program features five Aetna health plans with major medical benefits and dental coverage. The program is available in: Arizona Connecticut Georgia Illinois Michigan Nevada Pennsylvania Texas Virginia It will be offered in more states later this year, says Barbara DeMaio, head of individual business for Aetna. Costco-Aetna's affordable health insurance is a click away DeMaio says you won't be able to sign-up for Costco Personal Health Insurance in the warehouses -- you'll have to go onlin...

As insurers hike premiums and make it harder to qualify for long-term care insurance, an alternative is gaining steam: short-term care insurance. Like long-term care insurance, short-term policies typically cover home care, assisted living and nursing homes when you can't take care of yourself. But instead of paying for years of care, short-term care insurance, also known as recovery care, typically provides benefits for 12 months or less. Typically, short-term care insurance is used to cover gaps in Medicare coverage, or as an alternative option to long-term care insurance. Why buy short-term care health insurance? Among the biggest selling points of this limited coverage: price. Here are typical premium costs, according to the National Advisory Center for Short-term Care Information, a trade group: At age 65 -- $105 monthly At age 70 -- $141 monthly Short-term care also pays in addition to Medicare, while long-term care insurance doesn’t. Simplicity could be anothe...

Thanks to COBRA – the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act – you can continue to receive health insurance coverage at group rates after losing a job. Let Insurance.com help you find affordable health insurance now. But all good things must come to an end. If you are a former employee on COBRA, the end is probably at 18 months. Don't wait until the last minute to find a replacement for COBRA, says Martin Rosen, cofounder of Health Advocate, a Plymouth Meeting, Pa.-based company that helps individuals and businesses navigate the health care system. In fact, Rosen recommends considering alternatives as soon as you're eligible for COBRA. For many people, the three best options are: Buy an individual health insurance policy Find a job that offers group health coverage Go on a spouse's group plan But if these options do not work for you, don't fret – here are seven other creative options to weigh. 1. Pre-existing condition? Look for a guaranteed...

Long-term care insurance pays for services that aren't covered by Medicare or traditional health insurance, but are important when you can't fully take care of yourself. These include help with activities of daily living, such as dressing, getting to the bathroom, bathing and eating. Let Insurance.com help you find affordable health insurance now. Policies vary widely in cost and coverage levels. The premium is based on the type and amount of services you want covered, your age and health condition when you buy the policy and optional benefits, such as inflation protection. Long-term care insurance policies include limits on coverage. There might be a cap on how much the policy will pay out over your lifetime and how much it will pay per day or per month for care. Some policies also limit the number of years they pay for long-term care. Typical time periods are two, three, four and five years. How long-term care insurance has changed Policies issued a generation ago...

The paper-pushing method of paying medical bills, which has long been fairly resistant to the electronic age, is about to be challenged as new payment options like health savings accounts and prepaid medical cards gain wider acceptance in the workplace. Beyond their practical aspects, these products -- and health savings accounts in particular -- represent a philosophical shift toward consumer-directed health care, with people taking a more active role in supervising their medical treatments and benefits. Health savings accounts, created in late 2003 as part of Medicare legislation, allow users to funnel pretax earnings to a bank account that can be used exclusively for medical expenses, including doctors' visits, medications and insurance premiums on long-term care. Only people who sign up for health insurance plans with high deductibles -- $1,000 or more for an individual in 2005, or $2,000 or more for family coverage -- are eligible. Both employers and workers can depos...

Research shows that people without dental benefits are less likely to get preventive dental care and more likely to need expensive extractions, dentures and emergency room treatment. But even people with insurance often find dental treatments to be extremely costly, especially for more advanced care like crowns or implants. Here are 6 things you should know about dental insurance, and ways that you can save on care. 1. Dental insurance differs from medical benefits. Dental insurance is designed to encourage preventive treatment. That’s why most dental plans pay 100% for preventive services, such as cleanings, X-rays and check-ups. When it comes to basic restorative services such as fillings and periodontal cleanings, most plans cover 80% of the cost. You’ll commonly get just 50% reimbursement for procedures such as implants and crowns. Also, dental policies tend to come with low annual maximums of $ 1,000 to $ 1,500 caps on what the plan will pay toward care. 2. Braces ...