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Health Insurance

    Health Insurance Editor's Picks

    • What Is Health Insurance?

      Health insurance coverage is an important for individuals to have regardless of how healthy or unhealthy they are. Medical bills can really add up, and even a single trip to the emergency room can cost a few thousand dollars. The inability to pay these bills can result in harassment by a collection agency or even a lawsuit. If you... more »

    • About Health Insurance

      Health insurance was almost non-existent at one time. In the 1920's, most of the surgery procedures took place in the home not in the hospital. The biggest expense at that time was loss of income. Which created the need for "sickness insurance" later called disability income. Insurance companies didn't see a demand for it at... more »

    • Becoming a Health Insurance Agent

      Though there are no hard-and-fast rules on what, if any, degree an agent should possess, many health insurance firms prefer that their employees have a bachelor's degree. This degree can put a candidate in favor with health insurance employers, especially if it is in an business- or sales-related field, such as accounting, business... more »

    • Health Insurance for Adopted Children

      Many potential adoptive parents wonder whether their health insurance policy covers adopted children. While health insurance coverage is specific to your policy, there are some common answers to questions about health insurance for adopted children. more »

    • Health Insurance Laws in Kansas

      The state of Kansas has established health insurance laws to help its 2.7 million residents stay healthy year-round. In addition to minimum requirements for health insurance coverage, Kansas has created several programs to deal with the problem of underinsured residents. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, the average... more »

    Health Insurance Quick Guides

    • Health Insurance Guide

      With the increasing sophistication and quality of health care, there has been a dramatic rise...

    • Group Insurance Basics

      Whether you work in human resources at a large corporation or own a small business, your...

    • Business Insurance 101

      While insurance isn't always required in order to run a business, you should consider getting...

    • A Personal Finance Toolbox

      Personal budgeting and financial planning are important elements of personal finance. Follow...

    Health Insurance Articles

    Wikipedia

    Health insurance

    Health insurance is insurance that pays for medical expenses. It is sometimes used more broadly to include insurance covering disability or long-term nursing or custodial care needs. It may be provided through a government-sponsored social insurance program, or from private insurance companies. It may be purchased on a group basis (e.g., by a firm to cover its employees) or purchased by individual consumers. In each case, the covered groups or individuals pay premiums or taxes to help protect themselves from high or unexpected healthcare expenses. Similar benefits paying for medical expenses may also be provided through social welfare programs funded by the government.

    By estimating the overall risk of healthcare expenses, a routine finance structure (such as a monthly premium or annual tax) can be developed, ensuring that money is available to pay for the healthcare benefits specified in the insurance agreement. The benefit is administered by a central organization such as a government agency, private business, or not-for-profit entity. by Gary Claxton, Institution for Health Care Research and Policy, Georgetown University, on behalf of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

    History and evolution

    The concept of health insurance was proposed in 1694 by Hugh the Elder Chamberlen from the Peter Chamberlen family. In the late 19th century, "accident insurance" began to be available, which operated much like modern disability insurance.. This payment model continued until the start of the 20th century in some jurisdictions (like California), where all laws regulating health insurance actually referred to disability insurance.See California Insurance Code Section 106 (defining disability insurance). http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/ins/100-124.5.html In 2001, the California Legislature added subdivision (b), which defines "health insurance" as "an individual or group disability insurance policy that provides coverage for hospital, medical, or su read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health+insurance

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