TexasLifeHealth.com

That can sometimes be a tough question to answer.  Some individual plans will work better than others just based on the benefits that are included under the plan.  The higher the premium, more than likely, the better the plan.  That, of course, is not true across all health insurance companies.  Some companies will have a large network of doctors that accept the plan, where other health insurance companies will have a smaller network.  This can also help you determine which plan is better.   

Most of the major health insurance carriers have multiple plans with different options to choose from.  If you want a plan without office visit copays, your premiums can be reduced.  The premium can also be based on the deductible that you choose.   The higher you go with the deductible, the lower your premium will go.  There are many factors in determining which plan is best for you.  Go to www.texaslifehealth.com for additional information on health plans and options available in Texas.

Usually it is a good idea to participate in your employers’ group life insurance plan if they offer one.  Typically you do not have to go through a physical to get the coverage and you would be elligible no matter your health condition.   You will also be able to receive life insurance at a lower, group price. 

When you consider buying additional life insurance beyond your group coverage, there are several things to consider.  You have to look at whether or not you can take your group life coverage with you if you leave employment.  More than likely, it would be more expensive than a policy you could get on your own.  You will also need to consider if your current group life policy gives you enough coverage.   If you feel that it does not give you enough life coverage, then you may want to look at buying an individual policy.  However, will your current age and health status allow you to buy an individual life policy that you can afford?  These are all things that you should look at when deciding on one or both types of life insurance.  Visit www.texaslifehealth.com for further information on individual life insurance. 

If you couldn’t comfortably live without an income for the rest of your life, then the answer is YES.  One third of all Americans between the ages of 35 and 65 will become disabled for more than 90 days, according to the American Council of Life Insurers.  One in seven workers will be disabled for more than 5 years.  The majority of long-term disabilities are due to illnesses, such as cancer or other disease.  And the loss of income is usually so devastating that it forces most people to foreclose on their home or even declare bankruptcy.  Buying individual disability insurance will help protect you and your family if you cannot work and earn an income.  If you are employed and have group disability insurance, check your benefits - you may need to supplement them with an individual disability policy.  If you are self-employed, obtaining disability insurance is as important as having life insurance. 

Because disability insurance can be difficult to understand, we can help you through the entire process.  Just visit our website and contact us: www.texaslifehealth.com.

Recently, there has been talk from President Obama regarding universal health care.  Is this the right way to go about solving the ever increasing cost of health care in the United States?  I would say, who knows?  However, something needs to be done about the rising cost of health care in this country.  Many people cannot afford a basic health insurance policy today and, therefore, they opt not to purchase it.  If you choose to go this route, which many do, you run the risk of getting a serious illness or disease and then not have money to pay for the treatments.  If this is a concern you have for you or your family, I would suggest looking into a basic health plan, if anything.  This will at least give you some peace of mind.  In Texas, the rates of those that are uninsured are sky high.  If you would like to review your options, or to just shop rates across several companies at once, just visit texaslifehealth.com.

You may think that going through a Texas health insurance agent will cost you more money than if you went directly to the company.  The real truth is, it will cost you the same no matter who you decide to go through since the rates are regulated by the State of Texas.   

The big advantage to using a licensed independent insurance agent, when looking for health insurance, is that they will be able to shop all the markets for you and find you the best rates available.    That will free you up from having to do all of the shopping for the best and most affordable plan.   The agent will also be able to educate you on all of the plans available as well as explain the pros and cons of each plan so you can make a good decision.  Not only that, but the agent will be able to assist you with the application process and be able to track your application as it goes through underwriting. 

 So, when looking for a individual health insurance plan in Texas, it pays to speak with a knowledgeable independent insurance agent so they can help you find and choose the best plan for your needs.  If you would like information or if you want to learn more, please visit www.texaslifehealth.com.

In most cases the answer would be YES.  Why?   You may feel as if you never get sick or never go to the doctor.   This may be the case, but it only takes one accident or illness to financially ruin you if you do not have coverage.  It could be a heart attack, cancer, or any type of accident where you have to go to a hospital.   You would be looking at bills in the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in the event of a major event.  You may not realize you can get health insurance that does not cost much per month in the grand scheme of things.   Besides, you get the negotiated rates between the doctor and the health insurance company which are much lower than if you were paying straight out of your own pocket to the doctor or hospital.   If you would like to look at your options, please visit TexasLifeHealth.com.

Health insurance rates in Texas, and many other states, are increasing at an alarming rate.  With the increasing cost of healthcare, there may be no end in sight.   There are several ways to lower your monthly cost on health insurance.  One of those ways is to increase your deductible on your current plan.  Another way to decrease your monthly cost is to go with a saver type plan that does not have office visit copays.  These are two of the biggest things that can affect health insurance premiums….not to mention your personal health.   If you only use your health insurance once or twice a year, it may be worth switching to a plan that has a higher deductible an no copays.  Another route to take, in order to reduce health insurance costs, would be to choose a HSA qualified plan.   Want to find out more about HSA’s and ways to reduce your cost on health insurance?  Talk to a licensed, Texas independent insurance agent that can help you save time and money shopping for health insurance.  If you want more information, visit http://TexasLifeHealth.com.

When it comes to life insurance, there are two basic types: term and whole life (permanent).  Term life policies offer protection for a stipulated time period (10, 20, or 30 years). If you die within the time period, the policy will pay a death benefit to your beneficiaries. After the end of the term, the policy ends and no benefit is provided unless you convert the policy to a permanent form of life insurance before the end of the term. Level term policy premiums remain the same throughout the life of the contract and are the lowest cost.
Whole life policies offer permanent protection by combining life coverage with an investment component, known as the cash value. The cash value grows tax-deferred and is often available for loans or emergency use. The premium remains the same throughout the life of the contract, but whole life policies are more expensive than term policies. 
Which one is best?  One school of thought says to “buy term and invest the rest,” the rest being the premium savings resulting from buying term instead of whole life. This is a great idea if you’re disciplined enough to “invest the rest.” Those that buy term usually have a plan that within 20 or 30 years, they probably won’t need life insurance because they will be financially “self-insured.” The other school of thought holds that a whole life policy makes more sense for those who need protection for longer than 30 years or who are not likely to invest the premium savings. In some instances, it might even be wise to buy both forms of coverage based on your unique circumstances.
How Much Does it Cost?  A $500,000, 30 year Term policy for a 30 year old healthy male in Texas is approx. $46/month.  A $500,000, 30 year Term policy for a 30 year old healthy female in Texas is approx. $37/month.  Whole life policies will generally run two, three, or four times the cost of term.
For quotes, visit TexasLifeHealth.com.

Most people have heard about Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s) but have no idea what they are or how they work.  In short, HSA’s allow you to potentially keep more money in your pocket rather than sending it all to the insurance company AND you save money on taxes too.  How?  First, you must purchase a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) from an insurance company.  Second, you open up an HSA with any institution qualified to handle and manage HSA’s.  The HDHP differs from traditional health insurance plans in that it does not have copays for doctor office visits or prescriptions drugs, which makes the HDHP premiums considerably less.  When you open up your HSA, money that you put in is tax-deductible and grows tax free.  If you use the money in your HSA to pay for qualified medical expenses (e.g. the doctor office visit, prescription drugs, etc.), you don’t pay tax on it then either.  For people who are healthy and rarely visit the doctor other than for annual physicals, the HSA option usually makes a lot of sense.  For 2009, the IRS limits HSA contributions to $3,000 for those with individual coverage and $5,950 for those with family coverage. For more information, please visit TexasLifeHealth.com.