911 Public Health

Health Insurance – Avoid Disaster Painlessly

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:45 +0000

You don’t want to end up being one of those people who upon getting ill finds that he can’t afford to pay the medical bills. And you don’t ever want to be the person who first looks for coverage after an illness. Even if you can manage to get adequate treatment, the expenses are all yours and the illness may well, from that point on, be regarded as a preexisting condition, rendering it, and possibly you as uninsurable.

Uninsured and under-insured people are at risk of losing everything. It doesn’t have to be so. With a little research and a bit of discipline, insurance can be affordable.

Stop wasting your hard earned money on ‘stuff’ and invest in something that really matters. There’s nothing better than knowing you’ve invested in security for you and your family. It’s not hard, and it doesn’t have to be expensive.

One of the first things you want to do, before even talking to an insurance agent, is go online. You can actually get company premium quotes right online. They’ll simply ask you some basic questions followed by an instant quote.

Make sure you research and get quotes from as many companies as you can, and also make sure you’re getting quotes that are for the same coverage and plan you need.

Answer the questions honestly and be aware that online quotes are generally based on “preferred “rates. Your agent, once you speak with him, can tell you into which category you and your health falls.

After you find the plan most consistent with your needs and budget go ahead and call the agent associated with that quoting engine.. He can point out the specifics of each plan and provide information far beyond that which you can see in an online quote.

If you are in a real financial crunch – as many of us are these days – at least think about getting some form of basic emergency coverage. Most health insurance companies offer inexpensive insurance, with very low premiums and payments that offer you flexibility. Plans with very high deductibles, with no bells and whistles, but with catastrophic coverage can at least protect you and your family from total financial ruin should a medical emergency come your way.

Staying healthy and not smoking is also a big plus when looking for health insurance coverage. Carriers know that people living an unhealthy way of life will need much more medical care than someone who is healthy. They adjust rates accordingly. The healthier you are, and the statistically less likely you are to need the coverage, the lower your premiums.

Health Insurance

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:24 +0000

For many people, seeking health insurance is a daunting prospect with a number of companies to choose from each offering a range of policies which can be both complex and difficult to decipher. For this reason it is often wise to employ the services of a broker to match your needs to the right health insurance company and policy.

Having chosen a broker it is a simple matter of giving him your medical details, including details of such things as any pre-existing conditions from which you are suffering and medications you are currently taking, and a list of the things that would wish to see covered in your policy. The broker then looks at a variety of companies and different policies and comes back to you with his recommendations. Once you have had a chance to study these, and to ask any questions that you might have, the broker will then work with you to get your health insurance contract signed and your policy issued.

It is important to understand that a health insurance broker works independently and is not employed by any particular health insurance company. His job is to study the health insurance market and to acquaint himself with the full range of cover available, as well as with how each insurance company operates including such things as its reputation, the frequency with which it increases premiums and the manner in which it handles claims.

Although the broker is independent it is also important to understand that he makes his money by way of a commission each time a contract is completed and that his commission will vary from one insurance company to the next. You may well feel therefore that it is in his interest to recommend a policy to you which earns him the highest commission. If this is something that concerns you then you should discuss this with the broker. If he is a sound and reputable broker he will have no difficulty in discussing this openly with you.

Despite the fact that the broker will be earning commission from the sale of your policy, which effectively comes from your premiums, it does not necessarily follow that a policy purchased through a broker will be more expensive and you will usually find that the same policy purchased directly from the company will cost you exactly the same amount as money as you will end up paying in buying through a broker.

In addition, a broker will often be able to find you a deal which you are unlikely to uncover on your own simply as a result of his knowledge of the marketplace.

Surprisingly, perhaps because the rules on health insurance are constantly changing, health insurance brokers are fairly thin on the ground. In addition, most states require health insurance brokers to be licensed and the licensing requirements vary from state to state.

If you feel confident about seeking out your own health insurance policy and are happy that you can understand the technicalities of a health insurance contract and the details of the small print then all well and good. But, if this is not the case, then a health insurance broker could turn out to be your best friend.

California Catering Truck Insurance

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:06 +0000

Catering truck insurance

Not many agents/brokers write catering truck insurance as they don’t have a contract with companies that will write that type of coverage. There’s a certain type of knowledge needed to write the risk with catering truck insurance properly. There are basically (2) categories of operators:

They are, hot trucks and Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles (MFPV), which allow food to be prepared as customers order, and cold trucks, Industrial Catering Vehicles (ICV), which sell only prepackaged foods.

The hot trucks have at least a driver, (which is usually the taxpayer), and a cook, who may be a family member. The cold trucks in most instances, only need a driver since it is a self-service vehicle, however, they are not limited to just the driver.

The average cost of the trucks is approximately between $50,000 – $100,000. The trucks may be owned by one individual, serving as the owner/operator, or several individuals may own a fleet of trucks and lease them to various individuals to operate; or they can be individually owned and then leased to another individual to operate.

The drivers/owners of food trucks are linked to specific commissaries stocking and storing their trucks overnight. The commissary is a wholesale supermarket where the drivers are able to buy food and supplies in bulk. The trucks are assigned to a commissary and are required to park their vehicles there overnight for washing, unloading, and morning loading of food.

The drivers purchase their goods for sale at the commissary, although you may discover that outside purchases were also made. The Department of Health Services have very strict requirements with regards to the purchase of food for sale. Food must be obtained from an approved vendor, approved facility, or approved commissary.

The owners and operators of the vehicles have to meet certain requirements for various governmental agencies. The owners are required to register their vehicles with the Health Department. All vehicles must have a valid County Health Permit.

Vehicles are usually inspected annually in order to renew their license by the Health Department. The license, showing the name of the owner, must be on display in the vehicle or on the persons of the driver.

Selling any goods, wares, or merchandise on public streets and sidewalks on foot or using a pack, stand, or push cart is illegal without the approval of the Department of Building and Safety.

There are also stringent health codes that must be followed and enforced to operate safely and within the guidlines of the dept of health in order to be able to operate the food business. State laws also require catering truck insurance.