New crash tests: Small Cars Improve and the Top Performers Are Fuel Sippers

Six of 13 small cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earn the Top Safety Pick award, and none earns a poor rating in any of 4 tests. This is a turnaround from a few years ago when small cars struggled to earn top safety ratings. The new tests include hybrids and gasoline-only models that are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the U.S. market.

Top Safety Pick Winners:

2012 Ford Focus

2012 Honda Civic

2011 Hyundai Elantra

2011 Lexus CT 200h hybrid

2011 Nissan Juke

2011 Toyota Prius hybrid

 "The list of cars with the best fuel economy now includes those with the highest crash test ratings in their class, too," says David Zuby, the Institute's chief research officer. "At a time of high gasoline prices, consumers have never had a bigger selection of small cars that earn Top Safety Pick."  Still, Zuby points out that small, lightweight cars "don't protect their occupants as well as bigger, heavier ones. Even though fuel prices sometimes defy gravity, the laws of physics always are in effect for cars. That's why it's important that the crash-worthiness designs of smaller cars be as good as possible. The new ratings demonstrate that small cars are much safer than they used to be."

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Health Insurance Tips For College Grads

New college graduates in 2011 will enjoy improved prospects in the job market. According to a recent survey sponsored by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies nationwide intend to hire 13.5% more grads in 2011 than they did last year¹. However, grads may be shocked when they see how much is taken from their first paycheck to help cover employer-sponsored health insurance premiums. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, employees who get individual coverage through employers contribute $85 per month on average towards their monthly premiums for HMO-style coverage, while also shouldering an increasing share of their overall health care costs in the form of higher copayments and deductibles².                                            

 

Health Insurance Tips for 2011 College Grads:

 

Know your options before graduation –2011 college grads may be able to choose from among the following coverage options:

• Employer-based health insurance – This is how most Americans get their health insurance, but be sure you understand how your benefits work and how much you’ll be required to contribute towards the cost of your coverage and medical care.
• Individually-purchased health insurance – If you’re young and relatively healthy, individual health insurance coverage can be an affordable option. eHealthInsurance represents over 180 health insurance companies offering thousands of individual health insurance plans nationwide.
• Your parents’ health insurance plan – Health care reform allows adult children to retain coverage under their parents’ health insurance policy until age 26.
• Short-term health insurance – Consider short-term coverage if you expect to have employer-based health insurance within six months and only want basic protection for emergencies.
• Government high-risk pools – This may be an option if you’re declined for coverage on your own due to a pre-existing medical condition.
• Going uninsured – Not really an option: don’t put your financial future on the line by going without coverage!

Check your calculations before staying on Mom and Dad’s plan – One of the most tempting options for many grads is to stick with their parents’ health insurance policy until age 26. Before you do that, however, break out the calculator. Find out how much it costs your parents to keep you on their policy and compare that with quotes from leading health insurance companies in your area to see if it makes more sense to buy coverage on your own.

 

Newfound independence means a new budget – Your new independent life may require you to juggle a lot of new, unfamiliar expenses. It’s a good idea to plan out weekly and monthly budgets for yourself. When you do, be sure to save some space for health insurance. Since costs can vary depending on where you live and what kind of benefits you value most, work with a licensed agent like eHealthInsurance.com to get free quotes for plans in your area. Healthy young adults in many states may be able to find coverage from brand-name insurers for as low as $70 a month³.

 

Understand that the cost of a plan is about more than just monthly premiums – When reviewing quotes from different plans, keep in mind that the real-life cost of any health insurance plan is about more than the premiums you pay each month to maintain coverage. Pay special attention to the annual deductible you’ll be required to meet before your coverage really kicks in, plus copayments and coinsurance. ‘Coinsurance,’ for example, is when you pay a percentage of the bill and the insurer picks up the rest. Some people don’t realize it, but in many cases you’ll still have to pay coinsurance even after your deductible is met.

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¹SOURCE: N.A.C.E, Job Outlook 2011 Fall Preview:

² SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation survey of employer health benefits, published September 2010

³ Based on sample quotes generated at eHealthInsurance.com for plans from a selection of carriers and states on December 17, 2010 for 25-year-old males and females. This does not constitute a guarantee of coverage. Actual, final premiums may vary based on a number of factors including state, ZIP code, sex, smoking status, health history, etc.

A More Cost-Effective Means of Healthcare for Americans

According to a recent ABC news release, an estimated 550,000 Americans travelled abroad last year to take care of their medical needs. That number is projected to grow rapidly in the coming years.  New Jersey-based Ilan Pillai benefited from the medical tourism concept during a recent family vacation in Bangalore, India. "In spite of being fully insured, I was able to save over 70% in out-of-pocket expenses on dental procedures for me and my wife. I was very surprised to learn that the dentist had studied and practiced in the United States before she moved back to her hometown five years ago. The quality of care was comparable to the best dental facilities I had been to in the US," says Ilan.

Upon his return, Ilan interviewed a number of patients across the US who had benefited from similar medical travel. He found a consistent theme regarding the trouble and time it took for them to find information on healthcare providers abroad. There was a lack of reliable sources of information for these people to compare the quality and cost of care amongst various competing providers. 

Dental Savings Program - Save up to 70% On Dental Procedures In Your Neighborhood

The 2011 Mazda3 Is Top Safety Pick

The 2011 Mazda3 was today recognized as a "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Mazda3 received the organization's highest possible crash safety rating of "Good" in all four tests conducted.

New poll shows tax credits, insurance exchanges in year-old Affordable Care Act attractive to California employers not currently offering health benefits, however most small firms don't know the provisions exist

More workers employed by California small businesses would have health insurance if their employers knew about key provisions in the national healthcare law, according to a new poll by Pacific Community Ventures.

One year after the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 43 percent of small businesses not offering insurance said they would be more likely to do so once they learned about small business healthcare tax credits, a key provision in the law, according to the survey of 804 California small employers with fewer than 20 workers. However, 48 percent of small employers in the state are unaware of provisions in the law that benefit small businesses, the survey found.

Specifically, the poll found that 57 percent of small businesses are unfamiliar with the small business tax credits they can claim this year to offset healthcare costs, and 62 percent have not heard of health insurance exchanges, which the state is establishing to drive down insurance costs.  When provided with basic information about the exchanges, 55 percent said they would be likely to participate, and 32 percent of businesses not providing coverage said they would be more likely to offer it because of the exchanges.
"This survey shows the tremendous opportunity to further inform small business owners about the healthcare act's core benefits available to help them offer insurance," noted Beth Sirull, Executive Director of Pacific Community Ventures, a nonprofit organization committed to creating jobs in low-income communities. "Armed with this information, small businesses will play a vital role in covering great numbers of uninsured workers to buoy our economy with a healthy, productive workforce."

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law March 23, 2010 and included two key provisions critical for small business. The small business tax credits allow businesses with fewer than 25 employees that have average annual wages under $50,000 to get a tax credit of up to 35 percent of their health insurance costs beginning in tax year 2010. Insurance exchanges, which go into effect in 2014, are online marketplaces where small businesses and individuals can band together to purchase insurance.

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