Health Tips: Blue Cross and Blue Shield Health Insurance Plan

There are a lot of things in life which you can never put a price tag on. Among these are personal security and good health.

Having a healthy lifestyle is a must, but you can never tell what medical emergency might come up with you or an immediate family member. Thus, it is important for you to take steps to insure that you have a reliable health insurance plan.

With health insurance premiums soaring through the roof these days, it is important to get a health insurance plan that will give you your money's worth, while insuring that you and your dependents have an ample coverage.

There are several government-sponsored health insurance premiums that you can take advantage of like Medicare and Medicaid. For private health insurance plans, you can use the one provided by your employer or health plans from certified health care providers that you can get for your self.

'Blue Cross and Blue Shield Health Insurance Plan'

This health insurance plan is provided by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Their familiar blue cross and blue shield logo is the result of the merging of the National Association of Blue Shield Plans with the Blue Cross Association in the early 1980's.

Since the emergence of the two separate companies more than 70 years ago, it has become a trusted name in American health care.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is comprised of independent health insurance companies in the country. Now, there are some states where the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are considered separate entities, while in many other states these two have been combined, resulting to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Members of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Health Insurance Plans can take advantage of health care available for US citizens within the country, outside of the US and for those who are working abroad or the retirees living outside of the country.

Here are some of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance plans currently available:

1. HMO's or Health Maintenance Organization

This is a type of Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance plan which provides coverage for health care establishments with which the HMO has a contract.

HMO health care plans are used by students, families and travelers who work out of their originating state.

2. Health Care Plans for Blue Cross and Blue Shield Card Holders

Blue Card and Blue Shield card holders can present their Blue Cards to the nearest hospital in case of an emergency. Check with the establishment who issued your Blue Card for you to have an idea of the extent of the coverage of your health insurance plan.

When you are away from home, you can also use the Blue Shield and Blue Cross health insurance plans to receive the health benefits that you are entitled to.

Just visit your local Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance company so that you would know about the benefits that you will receive and use the health plans that they offer to provide you with a better health which would lead to a better life.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in Insurance. For more information regarding Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance Plan please drop by at http://www.bestinsuranceworld.com/

Blue Cross Blue Shield

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is the national trade organization that associates 38 independent regional health insurance companies in the United States and Canada. It was formed in the 1982 fusion of the Blue Cross Association and the National Association of Blue Shield Plans that are founded basically in Chicago, Illinois. Both organizations trace their histories to health plans that were created around the same time in two different parts of the U.S. The progression of managed health care in the United States is closely linked to the designs of Blue Cross-Blue Shield.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans are presenting Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans in local markets across the country. Blue Cross and Blue Cross of California are being scrutinized by California regulators after 10 lawsuits were filed against Blue Cross in March 2006 claiming that the company had not acted in a good loyalty to thwart fraud and it also had a special department specifically set up to methodically look for any justification to reject coverage for large claims.

When the company issues a medical insurance policy, the person insured thinks he or she has medical coverage and relies on it and the person can find out other coverage if the company has a legitimate reason for denying coverage and tells the person at the time of the insurance application. If the insurance company doesn’t review applications until claims are filed and then retroactively cancels the policies, the people insured by the company find themselves without insurance and prone for all the medical expenses they thought were covered by their medical insurance. This is a very serious injury caused by the insurance company’s bad faith failure to assess the application in a timely manner.

Blue Cross offers the Healthy Families Programme in all 58 California counties, as a Health Management Organization (HMO) product in 11 counties and as an Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) product in the remainder of counties. Blue Cross of California is the largest health coverage provider with more than 125.000 members, nearly 40 percent of the total programme membership and it has approximately 323.000 children contributing in the Healthy Families Programme statewide.

Blue Cross of California, with 5.4 million medical members, is the California operating auxiliary of Well Point Health Networks Inc. Well Point serves the health care needs of more than 7.6 million medical and approximately 34 million specialty members nationally. Well Point offers a broad spectrum of quality network-based health products including open access PPO, POS and hybrid products, and HMO and specialty products. Specialty products include dental, vision, mental health, life and disability insurance, long term care insurance, pharmacy benefit management, utilization management, flexible spending accounts, COBRA administration, and Medicare supplements.

Tamilselvi is a SEO copywriter for forhealthplans.com. She has written many articles in various topics. For more information visit http://www.forhealthplans.com She can be reached at tamil@searchenginegenie.com

How to protect your life insurance policy while going through a divorce

Expert advice on protecting your assets in difficult times

Life insurance, more than most things you buy, relates to the circumstances of your life. You buy life insurance to protect your family from financial loss stemming from your death. You tie the amount of your life insurance to the money your family will need to provide an income, pay off debts, put children through college and cover financial commitments.

But what happens to life insurance when youre about to dissolve your marriage? How do you deal fairly with a soon-to-be ex-spouse, yet still make sure you have coverage for the future? Is there a way to provide for adult children of a previous marriage without going broke -- especially if you have children through a second or third marriage?

Here are a number of considerations you should be aware of:

- Dont assume that your insurance agent or company knows about your circumstances. If you dont change your beneficiary, your former spouse may receive the proceeds of your policy upon your death. If the designation simply reads, husband of the insured or wife of the insured, and there is no new spouse, the secondary beneficiary receives the proceeds.

- You may be able to transfer ownership rights of the policy as part of a property settlement or to ensure continuation of alimony payments. Your ex-spouse may not press as hard for more support or a greater slice of an ongoing pension if he or she remains the designated beneficiary on a permanent life insurance policy. Of course, you need to ensure that your policy remains a valuable asset by keeping up premium payments.

However, transferring an existing cash value policy (as opposed to a term policy, may carry with it the burden of federal gift tax, unless you transfer the policy prior to divorce. Be sure to discuss this option prior to the finalization of your divorce.

- Dont overlook the possibilities life insurance may provide for dealing fairly with children from your previous marriage. If youre paying alimony to your previous spouse and have a second family with your new spouse, adult children from your first marriage may sue your estate after youre gone if they arent dealt with at least as fairly as the children from your subsequent marriage(s).

A permanent life insurance policy can be an immediate "estate replacer" to children from your first marriage -- it helps you replicate accumulated assets that you wish to pass on to the children of your first family -- but cant afford to without neglecting the needs of your new family. Essentially, you purchase a permanent life insurance policy on yourself and designate your adult children as beneficiaries. When you die, proceeds bypass the probate process and pass directly to your adult children. Your immediate spouse and any children from that marriage are left with your accumulated property and assets -- so youve provided for both families.

If youre contemplating divorce, dont forget the options you may have with respect to your life insurance coverage. Divorce is tough enough -- dont overlook the flexibility and security this valuable asset can provide.

Matt McWilliams is one of the co-founders of HometownQuotes.Com, an online insurance quotes web site. He is originally from Pinebluff, NC and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2002. He is considered an expert in the field of online insurance shopping and finding new ways to help consumers save money on their insurance. For more information visit http://www.hometownquotes.com.