Tuesday, October 13, 2009

AXA PPP six week plan for corporates

AXA PPP healthcare has introduced a new lower cost six week private medical insurance (PMI) option for companies, modelled on Corporate Health Plan, its product for larger sized employers.

Corporate Health Plan 6 provides immediate access to private outpatient treatment, including specialist consultations and scans. It also provides immediate access to private treatment provided the NHS cannot provide the treatment the patient needs within six weeks.

AXA PPP, which trialled the product in a soft launch in August, said the arrangement could help to reduce premiums by up to 15%.

AXA PPP was the first provider to launch a six week wait PMI plan, back in 1979.

Look out for an in depth analysis of the large corporate market in the November issue of Health Insurance.

This article is from www.hi-mag.com

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

BestHealthcareRates.com Advises Consumers to Request MIB File Before Medical Insurance Reforms Take Effect

BestHealthcareRates.com urges consumers to obtain copies of their MIB file in wake of the changes to the medical insurance market that sweeping government healthcare reform could pose.

With so much uncertainty swirling around the prospect of government-run healthcare, BestHealthcareRates.com believes consumers should exercise control over their medical insurance options to the greatest extent possible.

One way to do that is to ensure that inaccurate information is not preventing them from obtaining the medical insurance for which they rightly qualify. A consumer can only know if the information being used by insurance companies is accurate if they request their file from the MIB Group.

The MIB Group is a membership-owned corporation that maintains information files on many Americans who have applied for individual medical insurance, family medical insurance or a life insurance policy. Health insurance companies in deciding whether to extend coverage to an individual use information contained in that file.

The type of information, which the MIB collects and distributes, includes medical conditions, results of tests, unhealthy lifestyle choices, potentially hazardous occupations or hobbies and driving histories, such as traffic tickets.

“Choice” is the rallying cry of both sides of the debate over healthcare reform. Citizens and politicians alike have voiced concerns over whether individuals will still be able to retain their current medical insurance coverage if new government-run healthcare options were to emerge. BestHealthcareRates.com suggests that consumers retain their right to choice by first protecting their choice. If false negative information is contained in your MIB file, then your choice has already been limited.

Approximately 470 insurance companies belong to the MIB, which means any information the MIB has about you and your health will affect whether or not any of those 470 companies will insure you. The good news is that the MIB is subject to the US Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, which means individuals, have a right to a copy of their MIB file.

Cost is another hot button issue in the healthcare reform debate. The cost of medical insurance plans is also an issue in which BestHealthcareRates.com has a deeply vested interest. The company is committed to connecting consumers with the most affordable medical insurance options available to them. In furtherance of this commitment, BestHealthcareRates.com wants consumers to know that what’s in their MIB file could be costing them.

A person’s overall health affects the amount of money they pay for their medical coverage. If an MIB file paints an inaccurate picture of your health, says BestHealthcareRates.com, you could be paying more for your medical insurance plan than you would otherwise have to. That is yet another reason why BestHealthcareRates.com encourages consumers to call the MIB’s toll-free number (866-692-6901) to request a copy of their file, if one exists.

BestHealthcareRates.com has been empowering consumers since 2001 by enabling them to find the best private medical insurance for their insurance budget. As one of the largest medical insurance databases on the web, BestHealthcareRates.com has helped thousands of individuals; families and businesses find the lowest prices for affordable medical insurance.

Source: www.businesswire.com

Aviva offers premium discount incentive for private medical insurance

Aviva has launched MyHealthCounts, a health management service that encourages you to take pro-active steps to improve your lifestyle.

The scheme rewards you with up to 15% Wellness Discount for any positive impact your efforts have on your health. The Wellness Discount is awarded off your next private health insurance renewal premium.

MyHealthCounts contains a health assessment tool, nutritional information and an online coach offering personalised advice on the steps you can take to improve your health and help reduce the risk of developing serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.

You can also buy a range of discounted health and lifestyle products including gym membership, kinetic activity monitors and blood pressure monitors.

To discover how healthy you are compared to 100 other people in your demographic peer group, you can complete a short online health and lifestyle questionnaire to generate a "Q Score."

The personalised result and recommendations are based on your health information including BMI, resting heart rate, cholesterol level, blood pressure and lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking and exercise. Aviva has also arranged preferential rates for pharmacy health checks at over 600 pharmacists across the UK.

Once the "Q Score" is calculated, the online coach suggests ways to maintain and improve your health.

Neal Archbold at Aviva UK Health says: "People often associate medical insurance wellness discounts with going to the gym but we recognise that everyone is different.
"MyHealthCounts rewards people for taking steps to improve their health and wellbeing, however they choose to do it." 

Source: privatehealth.co.uk