Finding low cost health insurance in the Commonwealth of Virginia does not mean you have to be eligible for a group health insurance plan through your employer, nor does it mean you have to qualify for Medicaid or state-sponsored health care services. Virginia residents in search of affordable health care can purchase individual health insurance plans.

Because individual health insurance plans can be expensive – which isn’t exactly the equivalent of “low cost” – you want to make sure you are getting exactly your money’s worth. Take these tips into consideration when shopping for an individual health insurance plan in the Commonwealth of Virginia:

o Make sure the health carriers and insurance agents selling individual health insurance policies are licensed to sell health insurance in Virginia – if you purchase health insurance from a company or agent not licensed to do business in Virginia, you will find it difficult to obtain protection against fraud.

o Don’t lie and don’t risk it. If you know a particular health insurance company won’t insure you because of a pre-existing medical condition, don’t lie about that condition in order to get low cost health insurance. You’ll only be cheating yourself, because you still won’t have coverage for the health issue. Wouldn’t you rather feel safe in knowing you’re covered should complications arise?

o Don’t give up. If one health insurance company denies you medical coverage, move on to the next company. Each individual health insurance company follows different standards and criteria for offering health insurance – whatever the price. Just because you are not eligible for one company’s policy does not mean you will not be eligible for another company’s policy.

Many people cringe when they think about purchasing an individual health insurance policy; however, by shopping around and being honest with several different health carriers and insurance agents in the Commonwealth of Virginia, you will find the low cost health insurance plan that is right for you.

By: Elizabeth Newberry

The health savings account is a relatively new tax-savings vehicle, but it’s one that makes a whole lot of sense. Learning to navigate this new option and understanding its benefits really can help people save a ton of money when unexpected medical expenses arrive.

Health savings account plans tend to come in two basic forms – employer sponsored and self-purchased. Since the rules for employer-sponsored plans might differ from business to business, we’ll focus in on ones people who buy their own individual health insurance policies might benefit from.

In a nutshell, these savings plans allow people to save money on a tax-free basis for qualified medial expenses and future retirement medical expenses. To qualify, people must be on High Deductible Health Plans, which means they pay at least $1,000 in deductible for self-only coverage. Most insurance companies will now let customers know when a plan they choose makes this option available to them.

The benefits of the health savings account are many. They include:

* Money in a health savings account is owned by the person who opens it. How to spend that money is entirely up to the person, but if it goes on non-qualified medical expenses, the tax benefit will be lost.

* The money “rolls over.” Whereas some employer-sponsored and supported health savings account set ups don’t allow for roll over from year to year, a self-opened account does. The money put into the account is income tax-free unless it is used for ineligible expenses.

* Helps people save up for expenses faster. Since income tax won’t come into play with these accounts, the money saved can help add up to a better accumulation of cash if and when it’s really needed.

* Easy to open. Most banks, credit unions, insurance companies with high deductible plans and so on will help people set up their own health savings account plans. The only requirement is the right kind of medical insurance policy. It should cost nothing to open one of these plans.

* Easy to use. Most HSAs come with a debit type card that can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses.

These plans are a little tricky to understand as far as all the minute details of what is an allowable expense and what isn’t. The federal government offers highly detailed information on qualified expenses, but there are some generalizations that can be made. The types of things typically included in the qualified list are:

* Insurance premiums. This is allowed for the payment of COBRA insurance and for those who are unemployed.

* Co-payments. Some times co-payment amounts can be charged to the health savings account.

* Prescription medications. These are generally considered eligible expenses as are over-the-counter medications and medical supplies.

* Dental and vision care. In most cases, expenses associated with non-cosmetic dental and vision care are considered fair game.

A health savings account can be a great way to bank up money to pay for medical expenses without having to feel the bite of income tax. As long as the money used in these accounts is spent on qualified medical expenses, the savings extends after use, as well.

By: M. Xavier

Once you’re done comparing health insurance quotes and plans and you’ve settled on employer-based health insurance, it’s good to keep in mind the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) administers a number of laws that cover these health insurance plans.

Here is a list of some of the laws affecting health insurance :

1) The Employee Retirement Income Security Act – This law protects people in retirement, health and other benefit plans through private employers by providing rights to information and a grievance and appeals process for private employer health insurance participants.

2) The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act – This law only applies to special instances, but if you qualify as a former employee, retiree, spouse or dependent child you can purchase a temporary continuation of health insurance at group rates.

3) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – This law applies to working Americans and families with preexisting medical conditions. Through this act there is a guarantee of individual health insurance policies for eligible people and it prohibits discrimination in health care coverage.

4) The Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act – Just as it sounds, this law offers rules on minimum health insurance coverage on how long the mother and child can stay in the hospital after childbirth.

5) Mental Health Parity Act – This law ensures mental health is given as much emphasis as physical health by requiring annual, or lifetime, limits on mental health benefits to be no lower than limits for medical and surgical benefits provided by a group health insurance plan.

6) Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act – Breast cancer is a frightening diagnosis and treatment runs a wide range of intensity and invasiveness. This law protects breast cancer patients who want to have a breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.

When you are part of an employer – based health insurance plan the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration is a great source of information on subjects such as your rights to information on how your plan works, how to quality benefits available in your plan and how to make claims on your health insurance plan.

Remember EBSA administers these laws that help protect your health insurance when you lose coverage, change jobs or if you suffer from certain special medical conditions. Also remember when choosing employer-based plans to carefully compare your health insurance options to make sure your plan works best for you and your family’s medical needs.

Find out more about EBSA on the web at -www.dol.gov/ebsa.

By: Barclay Win