Cancer

Spring Maintenance Tips to Protect Your Home

A home is one of life’s most important investments. Keeping it properly maintained can help reduce the risk of a loss and help ensure the safety and well being of friends and family. Just in time for spring, Paul Fisher Insurance Services and Travelers, a leading provider of auto and homeowners insurance, offer these maintenance tips to prepare your home for warmer weather and to keep it safe year-round:

• Inspect your smoke detectors. Make sure that there is one on each floor of your home. Test them and change the batteries at least every six months, when you change your clocks.
• Check the light bulbs in all your fixtures to be sure that they are the correct wattage as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Replace lamps that use high-producing bulbs (such as halogen) with those that use fluorescent bulbs and operate at much cooler temperatures.
• Check your electrical outlets for potential fire hazards such as frayed wires or loose-fitting plugs. Be sure not to overload electrical outlets, fuse boxes, extension cords or any other power service.
• Keep a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible that is filled and ready for operation.
• Have your air conditioning system inspected by a professional as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Check for damage to your roof, and clean gutters and downspouts to keep debris from accumulating.
• Check your water heater for leaks and corrosion, and keep surrounding area clear.
• Clean and/or replace your furnace filter.
• Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and space under the dryer. Remove all lint, dust, and pieces of material or cloth.
• Inspect washing machine hoses and replace hoses that show signs of wear or leakage with stronger reinforced hoses. Turn off the water when not in use to prevent water damage if a hose breaks.
• In your yard, remove all dead trees and keep healthy trees and bushes trimmed and away from utility wires. Do not attempt to remove tree limbs from power lines yourself. Instead, call your power company to request assistance.
• Safely store oil and gas for lawn equipment and tools in a vented, secured area.
• Repair driveway and walkways that are cracked, broken or uneven to provide a level walking surface.

Established in 1983, Paul Fisher Insurance Services is an independent insurance agency offering a full range of insurance products including Auto, Home, Life, Equipment Leasing, Business Owners Insurance, Wedding Protection, Special Occasion Protection, and much more!

For information and quotes on insurance coverage, please visit
Paul Fisher Insurance Services at 3967 William Penn Highway Suite 3, Murrysville, PA 15668 or call (724)519-7503.

About Travelers
Travelers understands that life and business are inherently dynamic and that the best way to serve agents and policyholders is to deliver insurance that evolves to stay in-synch with life and business as they change. For more information on being in-synch, visit www.travelers.com.
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading property casualty insurer selling primarily through independent agents and brokers. The company’s diverse business lines offer its global customers a wide range of coverage in both the personal and commercial settings, including automobile, homeowners, construction, small business, oil and gas, ocean marine, surety and management liability, global technology and public sector services. Travelers is a Fortune 100 company, with 2007 revenues of $26 billion and total assets of $115 billion. The company has approximately 33,000 employees.

Critical Illness Insurance In The USA

Critical illness insurance did not exist in the USA long ago. There was a type of insurance known as the cancer insurance. It covered some types of cancers, alike critical illness which covers certain critical illnesses. Cancer insurance had been in the USA for many years. It was during the year 1989 that a critical illness product was firstly launched in the USA by Jackson National Life. The critical illness policy lacked benefits, as it was the case when firstly introduced in the UK. It covered only around 5 critical illness conditions with about 25 percent acceleration of the life benefit. The product sold well during the first two to three months but then came to a slowdown.

The slowdown could have arisen as Jackson National Life sold the critical illness policy in the broker market. The broker market at that time had the tendency to be guided by whatever was new. Therefore, when a new product came into the market, critical illness policy was left behind. The policy may still exist and could be sold in the USA but under a different form. (Source: Health Care Conference, 2000)

Moreover, then came the American Physicians Life�s policy (APL). This type of critical illness policy may still be sold in the USA. But sales may have been considerably low. There may be three reasons that could explain the poor sales of this critical illness policy. Firstly, APL was only licensed in 8 states and could be seen as a niche provider. Secondly, the policy was based upon the critical illness policy in the UK and thus turned out to be ineffective for the US market at that time. Finally, the APL had been sold to a finance group which owned the American Founders Life (AFL). AFL also had a critical illness contract but sales had as well been meager.

The attempts to sell an effective critical illness policy over the US market did not stop here. Bankers Life & Casualty came with the only standalone critical illness policy. The US market did not respond positively to change. Again, sales had been relatively low. However certain problems may explain the lack of growth of critical illness cover in the USA. There are many states in the USA. Thus, each state has its own law which also regulates insurance separately. Therefore, if critical illness policy issued by a company is recognized in only a few states, many people may be left unaware as it may not reach them easily. The success of critical illness insurance in the UK may explain everything as laws and regulations may have been set only by one authority as compared to the USA.

Furthermore, critical illness insurance may have been considered as another form of cancer insurance in the USA. Cancer insurance had not been successful in the USA as it did not offer cover for all types of cancers. As a matter of fact, its benefits may also have been slight.

Looking at critical illness insurance in the USA, we can see that this product had not been as successful in the UK. The direct sales forces in the UK may have led critical illness insurance to the status it now holds in the market.

via Critical Illness Insurance In The USA.

Choosing Critical Illness Insurance

Surveys tell that most people are more likely to become critically ill than to die before they reach the age of 65. Critical illness affects a lot of people in UK as well as all over the world. Consequently, life insurance companies found a solution. They came across the idea of bringing out a new policy called critical illness cover. To date, this type of policy has kept its name. As time passed by, critical illness gained popularity as it was sought by many people. How do we choose critical illness insurance? Let us find out the answer.

First of all if you are worried about the safety of the family or want to set everything right for the future, you are probably wondering about taking a critical illness insurance. Fine idea as it is, to get the best critical illness insurance you must start looking around. In an initial step you have to make a list of what life insurance companies you have to visit or phone. Now, not all life insurance companies offer the critical illness cover. To get round this, you will probably have to make some phone calls. Once done, you now have a list of all life insurance companies which offer the critical illness insurance.

Therefore, start by calling the most prominent critical illness insurance companies. You will have to compare different quotes and check out prices to find on the critical illness policy that suits you. Tiresome and tricky as it is you may find yourself in a dilemma. You could end up having so much paperwork in your hands that it becomes difficult to make a choice. Remember that you have to take all the factors included within the policy into consideration. Do not always opt for cheap critical illness insurance policies. Most of them might not be as effective.

Probably the best way to search for a critical illness insurance or any other life insurance is to surf the internet. You could just sit down on your comfortable chair at home and avoid visiting the insurance companies one by one. You open Google for example and write critical illness insurance. The results would show you a list of all insurance companies that offer critical illness insurance. You have immediately thousands of insurance companies to visit and request a quote online.

To get a quote online is in most cases easy. You can specify which type of critical illness cover you want. You can also mention for how much time you need the cover for and are sometimes asked how much cover you need. Thus, the bigger the cover you want, the higher the premium will be.You are also asked if you want a joint or single critical illness insurance account. Besides, you will be able to compare the quotes from various companies at a time. Hence you have a broad vision of the types of critical illness insurance company that exist and the advantages they are giving. As said before, do not get attracted by cheap prices. Anyway if you still want the support of an agent, you could easily get a contact. Most of the time you would be explained things clearly.

As a matter of fact, contacting online brokers for critical illness insurance is very often an easier task compared to visiting one company after the other. So take advantage of the internet and unlock the appropriate critical illness insurance you have always dreamt of.

via Choosing Critical Illness Insurance.

Health Insurance and Survivors of Cancer

If you have a history of cancer you’ll find it hard to be enrolled in any kind of medical care policy. However this is also a difficult time for them to look for a decent job. Employers are of course wary about hiring applicants with cancer because this will drive up their medical expense.

Low-cost health insurance can also be a hassle. The cancer survivor is usually hit with very high premiums, the obvious exclusion because of a pre-existing condition, and the uncertainty that the health insurance provider really does not want to insure the individual.

The unfortunate catch-22 situation that a cancer survivor is placed makes them wonder what the point is of having health insurance of any kind. Often they are categorized under the high risk pool. This is the reason why their premiums are high. You will need to pay a medical policy even though you won’t have coverage for eighteen months because you used to have cancer.

Most plans specialize in managed preventive care instead of catastrophic benefits that a lot of people will need some time in their lives. This puts the survivors in high-risk pools that will give them a problem of paying the costly premiums.

Most patients will try their best to pay their premiums but it will come to a point when they can no longer pay. This leads them to hold on to whatever they have so they could keep paying their premiums and keep their policy.

The opportunity to find a different carrier with an offering of a lower cost health insurance policy is very slim. For some individuals, they feel that getting an individual paying policy is less adequate than going through an employer-sponsored insurance.

The new health insurance provider may require and elimination of the rider for the cancer treatment you so desperately needed simply because they can. Sad to say, there are insurance providers who will not give you coverage until five years after. But it defeats the purpose of applying for health insurance. Because of financial challenge, some patients just turn to their state government for health coverage,

via Health Insurance and Survivors of Cancer.

A Health Insurance Guide for Cancer Patients

Even though you have already recovered from cancer, you still have to face another problem – finding an affordable medical insurance. The common health insurance policy is set up to cover necessary medical expenses and non-medical expenses. Your non-medical costs cover your loss income when you lose your employment.

Other familiar features include the in-home health care, ambulatory transportation and when it becomes necessary, childcare expenses for those individuals who still have young children residing in the home. Included under medical costs are co-pays, medical tests, extended hospital stay and other medical emergencies.

Cancer survivors need to consider a few important facts before they begin to proceed with caution.

1. Cancer diagnosed before the application of the health insurance policy

2. Cancer that began before the application of the health insurance policy even if the individual was not aware

3.Cancer related illnesses such as common infections, pneumonia, and diabetes

4.Outpatient treatment coverage just in case the cancer occurs again

Individuals who are susceptible to cancer needs a complete medical coverage compared to those who are not susceptible to it. I know this is not easy to decipher but it helps for you to trace your family medical history.

Most health insurance providers will cover hospitalization for up to ninety days in an annual cycle, though the majority of patients remain in the hospital for about twelve to fourteen days at a time. It’s already difficult as it is if you have been diagnosed with cancer. The last thing you would want to worry about is looking for a goodhealth care .

Patients who recovered from cancer who are lucky enough to go back to their jobs will more easily be able to keep their health insurance. If you get your plan through a group insurance, then it will be better for you since it will mean getting lower premium rates.

It is vital for cancer survivors to know that having a health insurance is extremely important for their care because anytime cancer might come back. Even a temporary long-term health insurance policy is far better than no health insurance policy. Catastrophic health insurance is another option for the cancer survivor.

via A Health Insurance Guide for Cancer Patients.

An Overview of Cancer Insurance

A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming enough before you even start to consider the financial ramifications. Cancer insurance policies were created fairly recently in response to rising cancer rates. These policies are designed specifically to help curtail the expenses related to cancer care.

What is Cancer Insurance?

Cancer insurance is a supplemental insurance policy, meaning it does not take the place of an entire health insurance policy. It is used to cover the costs of cancer treatment that are not included as part of a standard policy. Cancer insurance can be a great help to cancer patients, allowing them to focus on their recovery rather than worry about mounting medical bills. However, it is not available to everyone.

Cancer Insurance Eligibility

To qualify for a cancer insurance plan, you must be totally free of any pre-existing cancerous conditions. This is all the more incentive to plan for the future by purchasing a cancer insurance plan before it is needed. In most cases, you will also not be eligible for coverage if you have been successfully treated for cancer in the past.

Cancer Insurance Coverage

Although plans vary from policy to policy, most cancer insurance plans allow for coverage of medical and non-medical expenses. The medical expenses include such things as hospital stays, medications, and cancer-specific treatments. The non-medical coverage extends to other costs that have been accrued as a direct result of a cancer diagnosis. This includes things like the loss of an income, the costs of home childcare, and special dietary needs. Loss of income coverage can be especially helpful when a cancer patient is unable to work due to their illness. Non-medical can also cover things like transportation, such as the ambulance or helicopters used to bring patients to the hospital.

Choosing a Cancer Insurance Plan

Because policies can differ greatly, it is always important that you take the time to fully understand and compare each cancer insurance plan before you make a decision. One quick way to get the most efficient pricing on a plan is to compare it to your health plan. This can help you discover any overlap in coverage between the two policies and allow you to make the most cost-efficient choice. After all, you don’t want to pay for any kinds of coverage in your cancer insurance plan that you are already paying for in your health plan.

Disease-specific insurance policies are currently a topic of considerable debate. While some argue that the general benefits of cancer insurance could be met by a traditional health insurance plan, others have found cancer insurance to be an invaluable complement to their health plan. While this can change from person to person and plan to plan, there are a few things you can think about to help you decide if you should purchase a cancer insurance plan. Does your family have a significant history of cancer? Does your career or lifestyle put you in a higher risk group for cancer? Is your current health plan equipped to handle any medical and non-medical costs that could arise if you were diagnosed with cancer? Answering “yes” to any of these questions is a good indication that you should look into a cancer insurance policy.

For people at a low-to-average risk for cancer, it might be a more financially sound move to update their current health insurance plan with coverage aimed at cancer-related costs. This could cost less than the addition of a whole new disease-specific policy. However, it’s important to realize that this could mean giving up the non-medical expenses offered by a cancer-specific policy, including loss of income.

Finally, keep in mind that cancer insurance is not a replacement for a standard health insurance plan. It is meant as a supplement and not designed to stand on its own. A solid cancer insurance policy will work with your health plan to make sure all your bases are covered in the event you’re diagnosed with cancer. Everything should be covered, such as chemotherapy, experimental treatments, transportation to and from the hospital, loss of income, child care, medication, and more. With three out of seven Americans contracting cancer in their lifetimes, this might be the right time to give yourself the peace of mind that comes from full coverage.For consumers looking for insurance online and where to get the best insurance quote possible, look no further than 2insure4less.com. Whether it is auto insurance, home insurance, health insurance, life insurance, cancer insurance, disability insurance, business insurance or burial insurance, 2insure4less has helped countless consumers find insurance online.

via An Overview of Cancer Insurance.

Tips to ensure your claim is processed in a timely manor

There are a couple of key factors that will help process your claim within a timely manor:

1. Be sure to fill out all of your personal information on each claim form. Sometimes the company will ask for the information several times on each page, it is necessary for you to complete the information each time. It seems redundant, but it is necessary.

2. Make sure to give your physician the claim forms to fill out. You can provide your physician with our fax number (724)519-7484 and ask them to complete it and fax it directly to our office. You do not have to wait for them to fax the information. You can send us your completed portion as soon as it is finished.

3. Make sure to give your employer the claim forms to fill out. You can provide your physician with our fax number (724)519-7484 and ask them to complete it and fax it directly to our office. You do not have to wait for them to fax the information. You can send us your completed portion as soon as it is finished.

4. We will also need a copy of your Operative Report faxed to our office.

5.  We will need ANY copies of itemized statements, chiropractor visits, or any doctors visits.

6. Claims should be filed within 14 days of the accident or sickness. The sooner we receive your completed paperwork, the sooner the claim is filed and processed.

7. You can check on the status of your claim 24 hours a day by visiting the Insurer’s direct website or by contacting our office.

Life and Critical Illness Insurance – never withhold information as it will invalidate a claim.

Withholding information is the single most common cause of a life or critical illness insurance claim being rejected by the insurer. We have a true story to tell you that will effectively highlight this issue, but to preserve the identity of the policyholder, we have changed the name and a few other details.

Mrs C had surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes from her groin; while recovering from the operation, she fell ill with a secondary infection. At this difficult time, she received some extra bad news. Her claim under her critical illness insurance policy had been rejected, and she could not expect to receive the $200,000 payout. To understand why her claim was rejected, we need to look at the background to these events.

In June 2001, Mrs C discovered a patch of flaky skin on her back, and she went to the doctor thinking it was eczema. Her GP wasn’t sure and referred her to a specialist dermatologist for an expert opinion. However, Mrs C cancelled the appointment with the dermatologist because the flaky skin cleared up before the date of the appointment. Mrs C thought no more about it, especially as the GP did not communicate any particular urgency to her about the matter.

In August 2001, nine weeks after the GP appointment, Mrs C received a routine sales visit from her life insurance company, Standard Life. The sales representative reviewed her situation due to the fact she now had a young family, and recommended she purchase a $200,000 Critical Illness policy. Mrs C signed up to the new policy without hesitation.

The sales representative went through the application form with Mrs C, filling in the answers for her as they progressed through the questions. When asked to provide details of incidences when she had been referred to a specialist for tests or treatments, Mrs C asked the sales representative what Standard Life meant by that. Mrs C alleges that the representative stated that only referrals relating to serious conditions needed to be mentioned. Since Mrs C’s referral related to what she thought was eczema, she didn’t believe it to be a serious condition, so she did not mention it and it did not go on the form. They completed the form together and Mrs C signed the form believing that she had provided all the information that Standard Life had asked for.

Several days later Mrs C’s application was successful and she was issued with a Critical Illness Insurance policy for $200,000.

Two years down the line, Mrs C was diagnosed with skin cancer. She had to undergo major surgery to try and remove the cancer. Mrs C made a claim on her critical illness insurance policy believing that she had a valid claim.

Mrs C’s claim was rejected, Standard Life cited reckless non-disclosure as the cause  the insurer’s way of saying that Mrs C purposely withheld information about her referral to a dermatologist.

How did this happen?

It is clear by now that Mrs C should have mentioned the fact that she had been referred to a dermatologist – so why didn’t she?

Two events brought about this unfortunate situation:

1. When Mrs C asked what kind of referrals needed to go on the form, the Standard Life sales representative told her that she only needed to mention serious conditions. This was completely wrong  the application form question stated all occasions her GP had referred her for tests or treatments. The key words here are ALL OCCASIONS. ALL means ALL and there is no flexibility for an applicant to consider if the referral is worth mentioning or not. The sales representative provided Mrs C with the wrong advice.

2. Mrs C was not made aware by the GP that the flaky skin was potentially a serious matter. The GP later admitted that this was the case. If Mrs C did not realize that the referral was a potentially serious matter, then surely she cannot be said to have been withholding information when completing the application form. Remember, the sales representative told her that only serious conditions need to be mentioned.

It is our opinion that Mrs C should not be held accountable for what was a genuine mistake. The Standard Life representative provided incorrect advice at a crucial moment, and Mrs C followed it. We think that Standard Life should take these events into account, and validate the claim.

How to avoid the same happening to you

When you are filling out a life or critical illness insurance application form, read each question very carefully and provide an accurate and full answer. Do not consider withholding any information, because if you fail to disclose something that later comes to light, you will be held accountable as withholding that information on purpose. You may think that withholding that information could result in lower premiums, but it’s not a risk worth taking.

We’ve got our fingers crossed that Standard Life will relent and pay out on Mrs C’s policy. She was unfortunate in receiving poor advice, and did not willfully mislead the insurer.

However, people that do withhold information on purpose can expect everything they get on making a claim  nothing .

NB : 5% of critical illness claims are rejected by Standard due to non-disclosure. They’re not the highest: Friends Provident rejects 15% of claims for the same reason, and Legal & General rejects 16%. The insurance industry is addressing this situation at the moment by improving the way they obtain the information from applicants, any by providing clear information about the penalties for non-disclosure.

via Life and Critical Illness Insurance – never withhold information as it will invalidate a claim..

The Use Of Critical Illness Insurance

Critical illness insurance made its first apparition in South Africa in 1983 and was known as dread disease insurance. Before 1983, policies having the name cancer policy may have been sold in the USA providing cover for certain types of cancer. These cancer policies may be considered as the foundation of critical illness insurance. Gradually, critical illness insurance went worldwide and nowadays plays an important role in markets such as UK, Canada, East Asia, Israel, etc.

Critical illness insurance may award a tax free lump sum if the insured person is diagnosed with one of the critical illness conditions defined by the policy. Almost all critical illness policies offer cover for cancer, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and coronary artery bypass surgery. While some insurance companies may cover only seven or eight critical illness conditions, others may offer cover for up to 35 diseases. Critical illness insurance may help someone cope with the financial imbalance especially after diagnosis of a life threatening illness. The financial support may as a matter of fact help to manage a changed lifestyle.

Critical illness insurance was called dread disease insurance long ago in South Africa. The term being too strong and unsuitable for many markets as well as marketing purposes, made many companies refrain from applying its usage. However, critical illness insurance may be preferably referred as crisis cover, trauma cover or living insurance. The rules which stipulate that critical illness cover must cover only severe conditions may no longer apply. It may also be used as a means for financial security against numerous critical illness conditions. Insurers therefore tend to provide a wider choice of critical illnesses covered under their critical illness plans. By doing so, they hope to target a wider audience and also to compete effectively in the insurance market.

Moreover, critical illness insurance may be useful to people who have social insurance that does not pay big to cater for a serious illness. A critical illness can imply high costs for treatment purposes. As a matter of fact, critical illness cover may be mostly wanted in countries where the state social security systems are inadequate. Even if a good health security system exists many people may still want critical illness insurance. The reason may be because everyone wants to get the best medical care and treatments. Thus, critical illness insurance payout will allow them to do that either in a renowned clinic or overseas.

Furthermore, the additional benefits in the form of critical illness insurance may not necessarily mean paying for medical charges. The aftermath of a critical illness may sometimes be considerable. The house or living environment may have to be altered to accommodate the life a disabled person. A car can also become an important factor as a mean for facilitating mobility needs. Also, after enduring a critical illness, in most of the cases a person becomes unable to attend work. Critical illness insurance payout can once more stabilize financial pressure by settling debts or mortgage.

Critical illness insurance policy may be presented in a professional manner to the client providing him with every information that he needs. By doing so, a much friendly approach may be created while confidence over the product may arise. This may therefore lead to many critical illness cover sales.

via The Use Of Critical Illness Insurance.

Term Life Insurance | Term Life Insurance Can Help Your Loved Ones In Future

There are many rules and regulations in life insurance policy, people just do not have the time to read about the policy and they just sign on the dotted line and accept the policy, however if you can give some time to read the policy properly and take complete knowledge about the policy, you can save make the right choice and save a good amount of money for you. Term life insurance is a confusing policy at first. There are many companies that offer term life insurance. If you simply believe in your agent and book your policy then my suggestion to you is that you are doing a mistake. That’s because you may not be getting the best deal for your term life insurance coverage. Insurance agents generally stick to their favorite companies, that’s because they get their commission from that particular companies. And because of this reason you do not get the best prices that you can get. And above all if you have health related issues then it is advisable for you to take complete knowledge about the market and to compare prices and to see what companies are less aggressive with quotes. Once you have found the company that offers you the best prices then you can decide onto what type of insurance coverage you want.

Generally a term life insurance is taken to take care of any debts or any other financial burden that your family might have to bear in case you pass away. Term life insurance is basically a type of security cover that you provide to your loved ones whom you leave behind. It is practically for this reason that people generally are not sure as to what exactly is the time frame that they should apply for the policy. I would suggest a few things here, if you have a huge retirement fund coming your way, then it is ok to apply for a short time cover, because you may not need as much as far as life insurance is concerned. But that is not the case with all of us, and due to this they do not understand how much is needed and they undercut their insurance and wind up with a life insurance plan that cannot cover everything in the event of an untoward happening.

I remember when one of my friends had spoke to me about this issue and I had recommended him to go for a large plan, but he said that the large plan would cost him more and that he would just go with a small plan. Then one day he met with an accident and he died due to that. Later on his family suffered because he had lots of credit card debt and also his home is mortgage. His wife was not able to support the family properly and they had to leave their home simply because they were not able to pay the monthly payments of their home. His children were removed from the school and were admitted to a local community school because his wife was not able to pay the school fees. If only my friend had taken a large cover for his term life insurance, this kind of situation would have been avoided. So my advice to all is to always try to pay more for your insurance because that is an important matter when it comes to the safety of you and your loved ones for their future.

via Term Life Insurance | Term Life Insurance Can Help Your Loved Ones In Future.

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