Capstone Insurors

What is whole life insurance?

Unlike term insurance, which only pays a death benefit if the insured dies within a specified time frame, whole life insurance is designed to pay a death benefit no matter how long the insured lives. Although premiums are higher than for a comparable death benefit, many workers prefer to have a portion of their life insurance in a whole life plan, because eventual payout is a certainty, if the policy is kept in force. This is contrasted with term life insurance policies – only a very small percentage of which, thankfully, ever pay a death benefit.

My grandmother once told me that she would save her allowance all month to walk three miles to the soda fountain for a single milkshake. From ready-made foods at the market, to the fast-food drive by, to diet pills purporting instant and effortless weight loss, our culture today is all about instant gratification and results. The basic fact that not everything is obtained without an effort and/or wait seems to be a lost concept.

If you ask any employer what their most important asset is…they will probably respond that it's their employees. Encouraging fitness with their employees is one of the most beneficial choices an employer can make in the workplace for so many reasons!  

Since the medical costs for diabetes reach into the billions each year, taking a chunk out of the cumulative cost of this disease would be beneficial in many ways. As most people know, the goal of disease management programs is to reduce the costs incurred by diabetes. To do this, these programs attempt to teach patients to control the disease. They learn the importance of monitoring cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Individuals with diabetes face similar challenges, treatment choices and the possibility of serious complications. This means that anyone who has diabetes can benefit from the offerings of a disease management program.

Although high unemployment rates may be advantageous to employers, there is one important issue that may hamper their abilities to obtain the best employees. That issue is health benefits. Look at any company offering astounding benefits, and compare their turnover rates to those of companies with mediocre benefits. The results show a consistent advantage for employers with good benefits.

One of the first pieces of legislation to help people gain adequate access to mental health care was passed in 1996. This was when the Mental Health Parity Act was formed. It did not require a lifetime limit or annual dollar limit for mental health care benefits that were lower than medical benefits. However, insurers were allowed to choose maximum numbers for provider visits or limitations for the lengths of hospital stays. Legislation was passed several years ago to outlaw dollar limits. In addition to this, deductibles and copay amounts could not be more restrictive than those included in regular medical benefits.

PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization. This type of insurance has “preferred providers” with whom they have contracted to provide care to plan members at a reduced cost to the insurance company. “Out-of-network” providers are all other providers not associated with the organization. Plan members may choose to see out-of network providers, but most likely will end up paying more money, either in the form of a higher co-pay or as a result of higher initial costs. . With PPOs, however, you may see any doctor you wish. You don't need a referral to see a specialist.