These days insurance have been swarming the four corners of the United States. Whether we like it or not, insurance is a need. Why? There is no denying the fact that one disaster can have a devastating effect on a firm, a family and an individual. It can be damage, bankruptcy and death to name a few. What are the factors that we should consider and how can we know the insurance that we need.

CAR/AUTO INSURANCE

One has to consider the purpose of owning it whether for personal use, for public transport use like a private taxi, or use for transportation of goods and industrial materials. Age is also a major consideration. Old vehicles pay a higher premium than new ones. The type and model of the vehicle has a major role also. When buying car/auto insurance online, there are sites that provide automated tools. They’re using an auto coverage analyzer where you have to answer a few question about your financial standing, automobile condition, etc. From this information it will generate what category of coverage you need.

BUSINESS INSURANCE

There are insurance companies which have policies that combine protection for all major property and liability risks in one package. But you could also go with a separate coverage which is called a business owner’s policy (BOP). For protection against flood damage, find out if your office is in the flood zone-area. And if so, you must go for a policy that provides coverage against flood. Special Earthquake Insurance Policy or Commercial Property Earthquake Endorsement can cover you if you live in an earthquake-prone area. However, its policies have different deductibles. Meanwhile, Business Interruption insurance, reimburses you for the lost income during a shutdown only applies to damage covered under this policy. On the other hand, Terrorism Risk Insurance Act 2002 covers loss due to any terrorism only for those businesses that have this coverage. Injuries and deaths due to acts of terrorism are exceptions in worker’s compensation.

HEALTH INSURANCE

With health insurance, you protect yourself and your family in case you need medical care that could be very expensive. If you have insurance, many of your costs are covered by a third-party payer (insurance company/employer), not by you.

KINDS OF HEALTH INSURANCE

Group Insurance

Most Americans get health insurance through their jobs or are covered because a family member has insurance at work. Group insurance is generally the least expensive kind. In many cases, the employer pays part or all of the cost. Some employers offer only one health insurance plan. Some employers offer a choice of plans. These are:

a) Fee-for-Service Insurance companies pay fees for the services provided to the insured people covered by the policy. This type of health insurance offers the most choices of doctors and hospitals. You can choose any doctor you wish and change doctors any time. You can go to any hospital in any part of the country. The insurer only pays for part of your doctor and hospital bills.

b) Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) Health maintenance organizations are prepaid health plans. As an HMO member, you pay a monthly premium. In exchange, the HMO provides comprehensive care for you and your family, including doctors’ visits, hospital stays, emergency care, surgery, lab tests, x-rays, and therapy.

c) Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) The preferred provider organization is a combination of traditional fee-for-service and an HMO. Like an HMO, there are a limited number of doctors and hospitals to choose from. When you use those providers (sometimes called “preferred” providers, other times called “network” providers), most of your medical bills are covered.

Individual Insurance

If your employer does not offer group insurance, or if the insurance offered is very limited, you can buy an individual policy. You can get fee-for-service, HMO, or PPO protection. But you should compare your options and shop carefully because coverage and costs vary from company to company. Individual plans may not offer benefits as broad as those in group plans.

Tips when shopping for individual insurance:

* Shop carefully. Policies differ widely in coverage and cost. Contact different insurance companies, or ask your agent to show you policies from several insurers so you can compare them.

* Make sure the policy protects you from large medical costs.

* Read and understand the policy. Make sure it provides the kind of coverage that’s right for you. You don’t want unpleasant surprises when you’re sick or in the hospital.

* Check to see that the policy states: the date that the policy will begin paying (some have a waiting period before coverage begins), and what is covered or excluded from coverage.

* Make sure there is a “free look” clause. Most companies give you at least 10 days to look over your policy after you receive it. If you decide it is not for you, you can return it and have your premium refunded.

* Beware of single disease insurance policies. There are some polices that offer protection for only one disease, such as cancer. If you already have health insurance, your regular plan probably already provides all the coverage you need. Check to see what protection you have before buying any more insurance.

About the Author

Author “Auto Insurance, Business Insurance, Health Insurance” Nova - The Miracle of Life Each minute, all over the world, a baby is born. An everyday occurrence, yet each birth is the culmination of one of nature’s most complex, mysterious, and seemingly miraculous processes. A dramatic breakthrough in science and cinematography, the Peabody award-winning The Miracle of Life takes you on an incredible voyage through the human body as a new life begins. World-renowned Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson presents a spectacular look at a microscopic world.
Customer Review: Still an awesome educational journey
I saw this 15 years ago in my biology class and now that I’m 6 months pregnant, I was curious to see it again. Absolutely fascinating and rich in detail. I do wish they’d spent more time showing the fetus at the various ages–it stops at 18 weeks–but overall a highly educational and captivating journey.
Customer Review: An incredible journey on video
[I wrote the following review for the second edition "Life's Greatest Miracle," but in the review I compare both editions, so I think you'll find my review helpful.]

“Life’s Greatest Miracle” is a one-hour PBS program on how the human life starts in the womb. Produced circa 2001, it was an updated edition of the ~1983 ground-breaking “The Miracle of Life,” also aired in the U.S. under the auspice of the Nova series.

I’ve watched both DVDs and I’ll compare the two. If you are debating which version to watch, I say it depends on your interest: if you want to see more microscopy photography, get the original “The Miracle of Life.” If you want a better viewing experience, get this one, “Life’s Greatest Miracle.” I give both DVDs 3 stars.

While not as ground-breaking as the original, “Life’s Greatest Miracle” sports higher-definition, more colorful microscopic video images, which are simply amazing. Of course, everyone who’s never seen a large number of sperm swimming around will simply be mesmerized. I couldn’t tell whether the all the video footage of the wiggling sperm was the same as in the original edition, but it seemed to me that here either the sperm were stained more (with chemicals so they stand out against the background, as is done all the time in biology), or the producers somehow increased the contrast. To the viewer, the action (no pun intended!) is more captivating. (In the old edition, images are coarser and less colorful.)

The biggest difference between this edition and the original program is the emphasis of the content. The original edition emphasizes the science part, and there are long sequences of cells dividing and inside looks of the vagina and uterus. This edition focuses on the entire process more, and speeds up and cuts out some of the long microscopic video scenes from the original edition. The story in this edition is weaved better and seems less like a science class as “The Miracle of Life.”

Also, the present edition features updated information as well as some additional video (but not much). Also, there’s more animation to help the viewer understand. The original program tends to get boring and confusing, but things are much more easily understood in this updated volume.

But I only give “Life’s Greatest Miracle” 3 stars because, like the first one, it just doesn’t have enough interesting stuff. Actual microscopic footage occupies perhaps just 1/3 of the total running time, and there’s this unnecessary story of a pregnant couple. What’s more, I couldn’t tell whether some of the “inside the womb” scenes were microscopic photography or computer-rendered graphics, and this troubles me. I prefer “real” images, even if it means staining cells in order to make them look more vivid. Computer-generated stuff is fake, and it’s worst when someone tries to pass it off as real.

In short, “Life’s Greatest Miracle” is an informative and enjoyable program to watch — and you are treated to the commercials that precede PBS’s Nova airing! (Luckily you can forward-skip them.) Whether you are expecting or not, I recommend this, so everyone can appreciate human life more.

If you want a more science-oriented view with more microscopic footage, get the original “The Miracle of Life.” The presentation is drier but you get to see more images that demonstrate how miraculous life is.