Auto Insurance Online Quote with statefarm.com

See Why Drivers Trust Us Most For Auto Insurance

Get an Auto Quote — It's Fast and Easy

Choosing the right auto insurance can be tough. State Farm® makes it easier with a fast online quote that helps you get car insurance discounts as you go. You can compare options and customize coverage to fit your needs. After you choose State Farm, we're there anytime, anywhere you need us, with helpful advice and award-winning service. That's why more drivers trust us than any other auto insurer. Get your auto insurance quote now, and get to a better State®.

Coverage : Get the protection you need at a price you can afford. When you get an auto insurance quote today, we'll help you get all the discounts you deserve and three different package options to choose from — or you can customize coverage for a perfect fit. We even offer specialized car insurance for your antique or classic car. As you select coverage, remember that your premium will reflect the coverages and coverage amounts that you select. For example, if you select lower coverage amounts, you may pay a lower premium but may need to pay more out of pocket in an accident.

For Detailed Information Please Visit Official Website : StateFarm

Article Credit : State Farm

car insurance online quote with geico.com

What is Auto Insurance?

It is an agreement between you and your insurer in which you pay the insurance company a certain amount of money and, in return, the company will help protect you from major financial losses due to an accident for a given period of time.

Have you ever compared insurance rates with a friend or a family member only to discover your premiums are different? Check out this video on how auto insurance rates are determined.

Why Do You Need Auto Insurance?

Auto accidents can happen – even to the best drivers. Insurance can help cover repairs to your vehicle and medical costs. Insurance is your firewall against economic disaster should you cause an accident and there is property damage or injuries to other people.

What is Auto Insurance Coverage?

An auto insurance policy is a package of several primary coverages. The coverages may vary depending on the state where you live. Your premium payment is the total of these separate coverages for a given period of time.

What are the coverages?

• Bodily injury liability coverage – pays for bodily injury or death resulting from an accident for which you are at fault and in most cases provides you with a legal defense.
• Property damage liability coverage – provides you with protection if your car accidentally damages another person's property and in most cases provides you with a legal defense.
• Medical payments, no-fault or personal injury coverage – usually pays for the medical expenses of the driver and passengers in your car incurred as a result of a covered accident regardless of fault.
• Uninsured motorist coverage – pays for your injuries and, in some circumstances, certain property damage caused by an uninsured or a hit-and-run driver. In some cases, underinsured motorist coverage is also included. This is for cases in which the at-fault driver has insufficient insurance.
• Comprehensive physical damage coverage – pays for damage to your car from theft, vandalism, flood, fire, and other covered perils.
• Collision coverage – pays for damage to your car when it hits or is hit by another object.

For More Information Please Visit Official Website : GEICO

Image and Article Credit : GEICO

Beware of Scams When Buying Health Insurance

Consumers shopping for health insurance should be cautious about how and where they share personal information, the Better Business Bureau warns. Scammers may pose as an authority from the federal government and request your personal information for a variety of reasons and in several different ways: by phone, email, or even in person at your door. They may tell you that you are an initial recipient of an Affordable Care Act insurance card (there is no such thing), for example, or insist that you pay a fine for not having insurance, or want to advise you about keeping your existing health insurance or Medicare. Scammers may then ask for your personal information, including your full name, social security number, email addresses, date of birth, and mailing address.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Never give out any of your personal information over the phone.
The government does not typically call, text or e-mail citizens. Communication is usually by regular mail.
Do not trust your caller ID as scammers may be able to disguise the phone number from which they are calling, tricking you into thinking that the call is from a reputable organization. If you think a scammer is calling you, hang up the phone and do not call them back.
If you have a Medicare policy, scammers may try to lure you into applying for additional insurance or for a new Medicare card. The Affordable Care Act is not affiliated with Medicare and will not have any effect on the current status of your Medicare card.
Websites that are not affiliated with state-based marketplaces, but have similar names, will try to obtain your email address, username, and password information. Before logging on to any health insurance website or online portal, make sure to check out the official homepage of your state's marketplace.
There is more at stake than just your health insurance; identity theft could affect your finances and other aspects of your life as well. If you think you have been scammed, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357 or file a complaint online. You should also notify the national credit bureaus by calling their fraud hotlines (Equifax, 1-888-766-0008; Experian, 1-888-397-3742; and TransUnion, 1-800-680-7289) and change the passwords on your online accounts if you are concerned that a scammer has accessed them. If you gave out any financial information, notify your bank as well as your credit card company as well.

Image and Article Credit : USA News

Young Adults and Low-Cost Health Insurance

Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law in 2010, more than 3 million young adults age 19 to 26 have been able to stay on their parents' health insurance policies, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. But an estimated 16 million to 19 million others are still uninsured.

[READ: Why Do You Need Health Insurance?]

"Young adults are disproportionately more likely to be un- or underemployed and those that are able to find employment often earn lower wages, all of which limits their ability to access affordable job-based insurance coverage," says Kathleen Stoll, deputy director and health policy director of Families USA. "Because young adults are over-represented among uninsured and lower-wage workers, they will benefit the most from access to financial help for coverage under the Affordable Care Act."

[READ: Should I Pay the Obamacare Tax Penalty?]

Studies and polls show that young people would sign up for insurance if it were affordable. Few are opting out of the system because they feel invincible and consider insurance unnecessary. "Contrary to common wisdom, studies have shown that most young adults understand the importance of health insurance. They just haven't been able to afford it in the past," says Justin Nisly, spokesperson for Enroll America.

While a Kaiser Family Foundation poll in June showed that 77 percent of young adults consider having health insurance to be "very important," an August survey by the Commonwealth Fund found that just 27 percent of them know that they'll be able to purchase their own insurance in the state-run marketplaces opening for business Oct. 1.

The ACA, also called Obamacare, provides tax credits to help make insurance more affordable to those with incomes that are lower than 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($45,960 per person in 2013); people who earn up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level ($28,725 for individuals) can get subsidies to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses like co-payments. "It is very important that a young uninsured adult make that determination [about whether they qualify for tax credits] because so many will and can use it buy more comprehensive coverage," says Jen Mishory, deputy director of Young Invincibles, a research organization focused on young adults. "They would likely be missing out on a benefit if they do not explore whether they qualify."

The ACA also calls for the expansion of Medicaid to cover childless adults earning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (about $15,000 per person), but not all states have agreed to this provision, making access more difficult for low-income residents.

In the state-run health insurance marketplaces, the plans are divided into five tiers: platinum, gold, silver, bronze, and catastrophic. Analysts expect young adults to gravitate towards the bronze and catastrophic plans, which are the lowest-cost options.

Bronze plans will pay for 60 percent of health care costs; the consumer is responsible for the remaining 40 percent. Catastrophic plans are intended to function as a safety net, offering bare-bones protection that should help consumers avoid financial ruin. They're available to people under age 30, and offer very low monthly premiums and very high out-of-pocket costs. Low-income people who'd otherwise have to spend more than 8 percent of their earnings are also eligible to buy catastrophic plans.

Both the bronze and the catastrophic plans cover basic preventative health services including cholesterol tests, immunizations and screenings for depression and alcoholism. Both also cover, to varying degrees, all 10 categories of "essential health services," including hospitalizations, some maternity care, outpatient care, pediatric care, and vision and dental care for children. For those seeking routine care for the lowest cost, the bronze plans may prove a better value because consumers who are eligible for tax credits or subsidies can use them to offset the price. The subsidies and tax credits may not be used to pay for catastrophic plans.

While both catastrophic and bronze plans have a high deductible, bronze plans cover 60 percent of costs even before the deductible has been met while catastrophic plans cover just three primary care visits annually (in addition to basic preventative services). Policyholders with a catastrophic plan must pay out of pocket in full for other services until they have reached the plan's deductible.

The low monthly price of a catastrophic plan may initially be attractive to young adults, but Mishory urges caution.

Consumers should ask themselves, "How high should my deductible be? Do I only expect to use preventive care? Can I afford some of the out-of-pocket costs of a catastrophic plan if I do need unexpected medical services?" says Mishory.


Image and Article Credit : USA News

The Hidden Costs of ‘Affordable’ Health Insurance Plans

The Affordable Care Act promises to expand access to health care by providing affordable coverage to millions of Americans. But finding a policy that meets your health care needs and your budget requirements can be daunting.

Now the good news: Shopping for health insurance is about to get easier.

[READ: How to Find the Best Health Insurance Plan for You]

For starters, the new state-based health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act provide consumers with a "one-stop shopping experience to easily compare the costs and benefits of plans," says Kevin Lucia, senior research fellow at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms. These marketplaces will offer tax credits and subsidies to people with low and moderate incomes.

[READ: Why Do You Need Health Insurance?]

To ease the shopping experience, insurers must now provide a summary of benefits and coverage along with a standardized glossary of medical terms. "When comparing plans, think about the health care services you use or anticipate using and the financial ramifications of not having access to the services and providers you want," said Lucia.

Among the factors to keep in mind when shopping for an affordable plan:

Consider "cost sharing" expenses

Many consumers focus on premiums, but out-of-pocket expenses (also know as "cost sharing") can turn what at first appears to be an affordable plan into a financial burden. While cost sharing charges vary from plan to plan, the Affordable Care Act caps out-of-pocket costs at $6,350 for individuals and $12,700 for a family in 2014. (Out-of-pocket maximums for some employer-based health insurance plans won't start until 2015.)

Determining your potential out-of-pocket expenses can be tricky because "the language of cost sharing - deductible, copayment, coinsurance - can be confusing," said Susan Pisano, spokesperson for America's Health Insurance Plans. "But taking the time to calculate these costs is worthwhile."

The deductible is the sum you must pay up front for health care services before your policy's coverage kicks in. For example, a $1,000 deductible means you'll need to spend $1,000 before the plan starts paying for covered services. You are entitled to preventive care – such as annual checkups, immunizations, mammograms, colonoscopy and blood pressure screenings - at no additional cost whether or not you have met the deductible .

Ellen Pryga, director of policy at the American Hospital Association, advises consumers to consider their money management style when deciding between a plan that has a low premium (but high deductible) or a slightly higher premium (but lower deductible). "Some people have no trouble establishing a savings account to cover the deductible. For other people, savings is more difficult. They may be better off paying the slightly higher premium so they aren't tempted to touch that savings account for other reasons."

The copayment is the flat fee ($20, for example) you pay each time you access care, such as visiting the doctor. "Those little things can add up depending on how you use services," said Pisano. For instance, copayments can multiply quickly if you take several medications prescribed by various specialists who all require a visit to the doctor's office to renew a prescription.

Coinsurance refers to the percentage of the cost of a covered health care service that you must pay. Let's say your plan comes with a 20 percent coinsurance. An office visit that costs $100 leaves you with a 20 percent coinsurance payment of $20. These costs can add up quickly, too, when you consider that 20 percent of an emergency department visit or a lengthy hospital stay can lead to thousands of dollars in coinsurance payments . For example, the average cost for non-complicated pregnancy and newborn care can total more than $32,000.

Look beyond the cost of premiums

Avoid the temptation to automatically select the policy with the lowest premium because you may pay more for your health care in the long run. Premiums refer to the annual cost of an insurance plan (usually paid in monthly installments), regardless of whether you access health care services. Plans with low premiums usually have high out-of-pocket expenses to cover deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, so you may be saddled with bills you weren't expecting.

People under age 30 and some people with limited incomes can purchase catastrophic health plans that cover worst case scenarios. While these plans generally have lower premiums than comprehensive plans, they come with high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs so you'll need to be prepared to handle these expenses. These plans will cover certain preventive measures with no out-of-pocket costs to consumers.

Get the coverage you need

Make sure the plan covers the medical care you need, especially if you have a chronic illness (like diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis, arthritis) that requires ongoing care. "If you buy coverage just because it's cheap and it doesn't offer the services you need, then you have thrown your premium dollars down the drain," said Pryga.

The same holds true for prescription drugs. Insures must cover at least one drug in every category and class of medications. But your particular medication might not be on the list, leaving you with higher out-of-pocket expenses. "Look at the cost of your medications across various plans to determine which are reimbursed at a higher rate," said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy for Families USA.

Carefully examine the provider network

Find out if the plan's network of doctors and hospitals include your primary care physicians and specialists or you might get stuck with the bill. Going outside your plan's network of providers can lead to a hidden cost known as "balanced billing," said Lucia. "Non-network providers will bill for charges that exceed the amount that your plan reimburses for a covered service." Some plans also require a referral to see a specialist and insurer authorization before undergoing an expensive procedure.

Read the fine print

The Affordable Care Act sets a minimum standard of care, known as essential health benefits, for 10 categories. But insurers have leeway in the type and number of services offered in each category. For example, insurers must cover mental health services, but plans will vary on the number of therapy visits allowed per year. "There are going to be scads of exclusions in policies, even with the essential health benefits," said Pryga.

You are not alone

If you're still feeling overwhelmed about shopping for health insurance, take heart. Help is available online at HealthCare.gov (or CuidadoDeSalud.gov for Spanish-speaking consumers), by phone at 800-318-2596 round-the-clock, and in person.

"The Affordable Care Act sets up a system of 'navigators' who will be available on a one-to-one basis to educate consumers about their health insurance options and walk them through the enrollment process," said Vicki Breitbart, director of the Health Advocacy Program at Sarah Lawrence College. "You don't have to venture into the morass alone."


Image and Article Credit : USA News