There is an excessive amount of traffic coming from your Region.

#EANF#

Taming the Cost of Health Care – How the Health Insurance Industry Fights High Costs

For many families, finding affordable health insurance is a task akin to the search for the Holy Grail. Depending on where in the country you live, a family health insurance plan can cost as much as $800-$1000 per month. Even when you split that cost between employee and employer, that’s a major chunk of nearly anyone’s monthly budget. And while it’s popular to swear under your breath at the greed of the health insurance industry, a look at the cost of medical care is an eye-opening shock for many people. The expenses associated with a broken arm, for instance, can easily mount into several thousands of dollars.The Health Industry has a stake in keeping people healthy.The high cost of health insurance is the direct result of the high cost of medical care. It’s a simple matter of economics. The more it costs to take care of each subscriber, the more the insurance companies have to charge all their subscribers. This cost/expense ratio is what has made most insurance companies embrace the idea of providing preventive care to their subscribers. It’s a simple matter of business sense – healthy people don’t cost the insurance companies a lot of money.Accidents may be the first type of medical need that springs to mind when people consider buying health insurance, the major insurance companies all agree that accidents aren’t the major cost drain on medical resources. That place is reserved for chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure. Because of this, it makes good business sense for major players in the insurance industry to encourage their subscribers to adopt preventive health strategies. That pays off in special benefits for health conscious consumers. Preventive Health Benefits Help Keep Costs LowAmong the benefits that have become commonplace for major health insurance providers are routine physicals, medical screenings for all subscribers, discounts on health club and gym memberships, payment of dues for weight loss groups and lowered subscription fees for non-smokers.Some health insurance companies and HMO’s go even further in their preventive efforts. Because of the high risk of serious injury or fatality for infants in automobile accidents, Fallon Community Health Plan of Massachusetts has for years teamed with local organizations to provide free infant car seats to families with newborns. In the same spirit of prevention, many HMOs offer free stress management and stress reduction workshops to all subscribers because stress has been identified as a leading risk factor in nearly every major illness. Seeking a CureThe quest for affordable health care has also prompted health insurers and HMOs to help fun research and health initiatives all over the country. The industry underwrites millions of dollars of medical research annually in an effort to lower the costs of health care. Their dollars fund grants to enroll low income and other hard to insure populations, and to offer eye, dental and health care to inner city and poor rural populations. They estimate that routine preventive eye and dental care, as well as routine medical screenings and physicals can identify illnesses at early stages and prevent conditions and costs from escalating out of reach. Get the Most from Your Health InsuranceYou pay for it – you should certainly get the most possible benefit from your health plan. Here are some suggestions for ways that you can make your insurance plan work for you:
Join a gym.
Check the benefits that your HMO or health insurer offers. Chances are good that one of them is a discount good on membership at a local gym or health club. Get fit – it saves THEM money… but it saves YOUR life.

Lose weight.
Take advantage of nutritional counseling and memberships in weight loss support groups to get down to your ideal weight. Added bonus? Many insurance plans offer a lower tier cost for subscribers who are at healthy weights.

Quit smoking.
Non-smokers are another group that often enjoy lower insurance premiums. Many HMOs and health providers offer free smoking cessation programs to help you get smoke free and healthy.

Attend medical screenings and health fairs.
Many insurance providers sponsor ‘wellness fairs’ where you can have your blood pressure tested, get free medical screenings and learn about alternative medical techniques like massage therapy, acupuncture and yoga. Take advantage of special events to learn more and get healthy.
It may be popular to demonize the insurance industry, but today more than ever, these companies have a stake in keeping you healthy. Find out what your inusrance company has to offer you by visiting their web site, or calling customer service.

Small Business Loan Calculator Features and Benefits

The small business loan calculator has proven to be one of the most useful devices when it comes to calculating a number of commercial real estate investments. Mortgage calculators can be especially important tools of the trade in a few different areas; whether figuring out interest payments only or going with the ebb and flow of adjustable rate contracts, keeping an eye on these figures throughout the duration of most any given property transaction can be beneficial in many ways.Those who’ve used SBA loans in the past have been able to rely on small business loan calculator settings to carry them through each phase of the commercial loans process. No matter the case, having access to a number of online mortgage calculators can make life much easier when dealing with a variety of lending scenarios.Even when dealing with small loans, the price of doing business can eventually work to the advantage of the borrower. The same principle applies to those who qualify for unsecured loans and the like, when payment schedules may include higher rates. Because of the fact that some small business loan calculator setups have a few additional features to offer, the unexpected can often be handled; with commercial loans especially, unforeseen circumstances may change the game in a hurry.Forecast Early Payoff With Your Small Business Loan CalculatorDepending upon which lending institution is handling the loan in question, the idea of paying off the loan early can become a reality. Prospective borrowers may want to make sure that an early pay-off clause is included in their SBA loans without having prepayment penalties; for example, those who qualify for unsecured loans can save thousands of dollars by paying off the balance a little faster than anticipated.A small business loan calculator with this extra added feature can factor in additional amounts to be paid and apply them towards the total balance. In the past, commercial loans without this feature have ended up costing borrowers a bundle.Not all mortgage calculators come with this feature. In addition to entering the standard information pertaining to small loans, such as the balance, interest, and monthly installments, entering in the extra payment amount will display how much loan recipients can save by paying their commercial loans off earlier than expected. Even though these small business loan calculator functions are becoming more commonplace, it’s vitally important to find out which lenders are offering this additional service.Use Your Small Business Loan Calculator To Determine Best Financing OptionsThose who are ready to refinance their first-lien mortgages may be able to take advantage of their SBA loans by seeing whether or not this early payoff condition applies, sans the penalties. Successful business owners should have a certain amount of clout as it stands, meaning that this type of leverage can be used to switch mortgage companies, if necessary.Contacting other lenders isn’t a crime, and some may have this particular small business loan calculator function already in place. Having this type of leverage can put business owners in the driver’s seat while searching for the best available deals concerning their commercial loans.In effect, renegotiating a second mortgage while saving thousands of dollars is more than possible; in fact, paying lower interest rates and monthly payments on a number of refinanced small loans just isn’t enough, especially when mortgage calculators with multiple features will be able to clearly indicate how much additional money can be saved in both the short-term and the long-run. A small business loan calculator with all the bells and whistles may be worth looking into.