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Do You Need A College Health Insurance Plan?

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Do You Need A College Health Insurance Plan?

When you are finally done with your high school education, there is no doubt that you'll be enrolling into a college. Many times when a child reaches the age of 20, they are no longer covered by their parents' insurance and this can lead to a troubling situation if they are not working and just strictly going to college. However, many colleges offer health insurance plans. Whether one of these insurance plans are right for you or not takes a lot of deliberation.

College health insurance benefits are going to vary from campus to campus. Although many people think that they are free, this is not true. While there is usually no charge for an office visit and routine checkups, the student will have to pay for lab work and other specialist type of visits. Benefits will usually pay completely for only types of covered services at the campus health center. In the event that you have to see an outside doctor then the student's coverage can drop up to 70% and run the risk of being required to pay a high deductible.

If you have a pre-existing condition, then you may have a problem with getting treatment at the college health center. Having a pre-existing illness or disability does not mean that you will be disqualified for obtaining a college health insurance plan, but you may not be able to get treatment for that pre-existing illness. This can lead to a number of problems if a new problem arises and is a product of a pre-existing illness.

All plans are different, so be sure you find out everything you can about your college's plan. Be sure to check if you or your child will be covered during summer break when students are not taking classes. This is important because you don't want to have an accident and find out that the insurance becomes inactive when they are not in class. Many colleges have coverage during summer break, but some do not.

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Make sure you understand the plan. Is it an HMO, or can the member use any provider they want? This is just as important because you want to know where you can go in the event of an emergency, and there is nothing worse than finding out after the fact that you will be stuck with paying the full amount for a medical bill.

There really is no definitive answer as to whether you should or shouldn't commit to getting college health insurance. Be sure that you understand your plan fully so that no problems can arise in the event of an emergency. While it is not free insurance, it surely will save you money in the event of an accident or illness.

Title:

How To Get Affordable Health Insurance In South Carolina Word Count:

638 Summary:

Health insurance is probably one of the most-contested political issues facing this country right now, and it's possible that someday something will be done to make health care insurance more affordable for more people. But in the meantime it is going to be up to each and every one of us to do the best we can and to find ways to lower the cost of our health insurance on our own. But there is a lot more we can all do to find lower-cost health care insurance.

Start by dev...

Keywords:

Article Body:

Health insurance is probably one of the most-contested political issues facing this country right now, and it's possible that someday something will be done to make health care insurance more affordable for more people. But in the meantime it is going to be up to each and every one of us to do the best we can and to find ways to lower the cost of our health insurance on our own. But there is a lot more we can all do to find lower-cost health care insurance.

Start by developing a healthier lifestyle. This includes quitting smoking and using all tobacco products. As difficult as this is for most people the fact is that people who do not smoke and who do not use chew or other tobacco products pay a lot less for their health insurance. If you really want affordable health insurance then you'll bite the bullet and quit smoking.

Unfortunately the same goes for being overweight. Your BMI (Body Mass Index) helps to determine your cost of health insurance. However, even if you can just lose a few pounds you can sometimes drop down a notch on the insurance company's BMI index and if that happens you can potentially save hundreds of dollars a year in health care costs.

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Don't engage in extreme sports or dangerous hobbies. And sell that sleek and fast sports car if you are truly serious about affordable health insurance.

If you have a home based business or if you are self employed there may be ways for your agent to qualify you for group rates. But even if you can't qualify for group rates your health insurance premiums may be tax deductible and once your tax-break is figured into the equation you may find that your health insurance is not so expensive after all.

An HMO or a PPO may be part of the answer. Health Maintenance Organizations are less expensive than individual health insurance but they require that you only see plan doctors - if your current doctor is not a plan member then you may have to switch doctors.

Do you belong to any clubs, organizations or associations? You'd be surprised how often groups that you would never think of offer their members discount group health insurance. Ask if your friends belong to any groups, clubs or organizations that offer group health - and if so, join them. Even some religious organizations are now offering group health insurance, so ask around.

Obviously the larger of a deductible you can afford the lower your monthly premium cost for health insurance. Be honest with yourself when it comes to your deductible since you will have to find this money yourself to pay for your own health care before your insurance company begins picking up the tab.

If you're still having trouble affording health insurance but you have a home, a savings account or other assets that you really need to protect, consider purchasing a super-high-deductible policy, a health insurance policy with a deductible of $2,000 or even more. These

comparatively cheap policies are not designed to help with normal doctor's visits or even most out-patient procedures. The purpose of these policies is to cover your medical expenses if you should have a catastrophic accident or suffer a major illness.

Now take the tips you have gathered from this article and then find at least 3 websites that allow you to compare the cost of medical insurance from different insurance companies. Fill out the forms on all 3 websites exactly the same, so you are comparing the same policy on all 3 sites. Now your job is simple. All you need to do is to pick the company with the lowest price. This is the way to get affordable health insurance in South Carolina...you do your homework, you compare prices and you pick the winner!

Title:

The Hidden Health Hazards of Grilling And Barbecuing Word Count:

679 Summary:

Natural health expert Frank Mangano outlines the dangers of barbecuing meats and provides useful tips to make for a healthy barbecue.

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Keywords:

barbecuing, barbecue tip, carcinogenic, cancer, prostate cancer, PhIP

Article Body:

Copyright 2006 Frank Mangano

Many people enjoy a tender grilled chicken breast, sirloin steak, or filet of fish, and nothing says summer quite like a good old fashioned barbecue. But if you aren抰 careful, a summer of enjoying barbecued cuisine can prove deadly to your health.

It has been well documented that undercooking meat can cause a variety of food borne diseases. But it抯 now apparent that overcooking can be just as bad, if not worse, as studies reveal that it can cause cancer.

The true culprit is charred meat, the portion of the meat that抯 essentially turned into charcoal due to overheating. Scientists found that charred meat produces a compound called PhIP, which has been shown to cause various types of cancers in rats.

The findings were revealed at a conference for the American Association for Cancer Research in April, wherein they showed that when PhIP was mixed in with rats?food, their spleens, prostates and intestines underwent cancerous genetic mutations after four weeks.

If this isn抰 bad enough, other evidence suggests that PhIP isn抰 the only malignant compound that抯 produced when meat is charred. Another compound called heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, can increase the risk of various cancers in humans, including prostate, colon, stomach and breast cancer.

Yet another compound worthy of concern is called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. PAHs form when fats from chicken, steak and types of fish are re-deposited onto the barbecued slab, due to the high heat and smoke brewing from the hibachi, after the fatty oils have dripped on the hot coals below.

So, do findings like this mean you should swear off barbecuing forever? Certainly not. And even if it did, it抯 not likely that the thousands of Americans who barbecue regularly even would. However, caution can and should be taken when eating and preparing for a barbecue: Get the Grill Goin挆If you haven抰 used the grill for awhile, its best to give it a good clean by turning up the heat to high and closing the lid for about 10 minutes. This will remove the caked oil and grease from past grilling

Cut the Fat桸ot only does trimming the fat off meat reduce saturated fat content, it also greatly reduces the likelihood of PAH compounds forming

Remove Charred Meat Portions from the Meat Before Serving or Eating

Marinade Meat桵arinating does mean extra preparation, but scientists believe that the ingredients in marinades act as a sort of shield for the meat, reducing the chances of

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carcinogenic compounds forming significantly

Wash Your Hands桾his is common sense, but cleaning your hands thoroughly梖or at least 20 seconds梚s essential when handling raw meat

Avoid Cross Contamination桾he easiest way to avoid this is to use two different plates when handling food: One plate for raw meat, another plate for cooked meats. The same standard should apply for cutting raw and cooked meat products (i.e. different utensils and cutting boards)

Pre-cook Meats桞oiling chicken wings or heating up pieces of swordfish or steak in the oven prior to grilling is a great way to ensure it抯 fully cooked

Flip Frequently桹nce you抳e made it to the grill, don抰 just leave it alone only to flip the burger once or twice. Research indicates that flipping frequently at a low heat hastens the time it takes to get the barbecued fare from the grill to the dinner table.

Exercise Portion Control桾he thicker the meat, the longer it takes to cook thoroughly. Keeping the cuts small will fix this

Keep a Thermometer Handy桱udging whether or not meat is cooked thoroughly enough shouldn抰 be done just by examining its inner color. The U.S. Department of Health advises that chicken should be cooked to at least 165 degrees, hamburger to 160 degrees, pork to 150 degrees and hot dogs to at least 140 degrees. Steak should be cooked to 145 degrees for medium rare and 160 degrees for medium

Following these 10 tips will help provide you with yet another fun, safe and delicious season of barbecue bonanza.

References

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