Posts Tagged ‘Insurance’

Symptoms to Look for Early Identification of Diseases

July 4th, 2011

ust because you or your family has acquired health insurance coverage from dependable medical insurance companies, does not mean that you have protected yourself or your family against diseases as well. In the unfortunate event of hospitalization, don’t be surprised that your body has been giving several indications and symptoms but you were being completely ignorant not to take them seriously.

In cases of serious ailments, nothing happens overnight. Body goes through minor gradual changes and also exhibits symptoms as an indication of internal changes. It’s necessary to take those symptoms seriously and act before time before it’s too late.

Here, we have listed a few warning signs that you must keep a watch on to quickly identify serious diseases:

1. Sudden or Unexplained Weight Loss
Losing weight without even trying to do so could be a sign of serious health related problems. In case of aged people, sudden or unexplained weight loss could account for major related problems such as heart diseases, cancer, malnutrition, dementia, depression or Alzheimer (a fatal brain disease that gets worse with aging).

2. Mood Swings
Ordinarily, everyone perceives mood swings; however their persistence over a longer period of time indicates major health warnings. It could be sign of depression or other mental problems.

3. Crease in earlobe
Creases appear when skin looses its strength. While common creasing could result from skin degradation incurring due to aging, creases in earlobe indicate increased risk of heart attacks.

4. Loss of smell
Though routine nasal congestion or blockage could reduce sense of smell, loss of smell also occurs as a result of aging. In some cases, loss of smell also indicates early signs of Parkinson’s disease.

5. Skinny Calves
Indicates increased risk of stroke

6. Difficulty in Cooking & Doing Routine Things
Inability to handle routine chores such as difficulty in remembering steps to prepare a meal or place a telephonic call or play a game could be related to dementia or other neurological disorders.

7. Difficulty in Movement & Getting Around
It is quite normal to observe older people not moving around much and remaining confined to just one place. Though routinely this could arise due to muscle weakness, and problems with joints, such signs could implicate due to serious health problems.

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Top 10 Benefits of a Healthier Lifestyle

May 23rd, 2011

If you are like millions of Americans, your new year probably starts with goal-setting. For many of us, adopting a healthier lifestyle is high on that list of resolutions. Unfortunately, like many resolutions, trying to practice healthier habits may only last a few weeks or a few months before we are right back where we started from. Here are the Top 10 Benefits of a healthier lifestyle to help motivate you to try again!

10. You’ll learn to enjoy delicious foods again! Sometimes we spend so much time eating fast food that we forget what “real” food tastes like: your taste buds will come alive thanks to fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, and the zing of herbs and spices.

9. No more guilt: When we’re not eating and exercising as we should be, we operate under a constant cloud of guilt. When you do your very best to adopt a healthier lifestyle, you will have no need to feel guilty anymore.

8. You will enjoy shopping again: There’s nothing like finally being able to buy that dress or pair of slacks that you never would have looked good in before. When you adopt a healthy lifestyle, clothes simply fit better. Period.

7. Your skin will look younger, longer: Eating fresh foods and drinking plenty of water shows in the tone of your skin. Moist, healthy skin gained through proper nutrition will not get wrinkled or creased as soon as skin that isn’t being taken care of. Good nutrition also means stronger, healthier hair and nails.

6. You’ll get stares: for all the right reasons. If you’ve been overweight, you know that most of the stares coming your way have not been positive. When you look good and feel good, you’ll get the kinds of stares that will make you proud.

5. Lower health insurance premiums and medical expenses: People who live a healthy lifestyle generally require fewer doctor visits, pay lower health insurance premiums, and do not require as many prescription drugs.

4. You will be more likely to see your kids grow up, as well as your grandkids and maybe even your great-grandkids!

3. You will grow older with fewer health problems: All of want to grow old gracefully, and when you are eating right and exercising you are more likely to stay healthier longer and suffer fewer age-related problems.

2. Better overall quality of life: When you are lighter and feel better, you are able to do those things that make life enjoyable. Whether you love scuba diving, going to amusement parks, traveling, gardening, or just puttering around the house, when you’re in good health you can do all those things and more.

1. You are more likely to have better self-esteem, and enjoy greater overall happiness each and every day.

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Life Insurance Medical Exam

May 18th, 2011

A medical exam and the ensuing underwriting process will determine the rate of premium you pay for your policy. If you haven’t undergone any kind of medical tests for years, then you may be in for a surprise. Many people discover for the first time that they are not in such a great shape as they thought. It is advisable to get your own health check up done, address the health issues and then apply for life insurance. Remember, underwriters look at the results of a medical exam very seriously but they may overlook certain health conditions if they see that you are faithful in taking care of your health and taking medication regularly for your condition.

Underwriters will use the results of a medical exam, lifestyle habits, family health history along with longevity charts to determine the risk of your death. Longevity charts are based on statistics of deaths, the cause of death, age, gender, etc. For example, longevity charts show that a 30-year old woman will live longer than a 30-year old man and therefore life insurance rates are higher for men, than women.

What to Expect in Your Medical Exam

The medical exam involves two parts. The first is a series of questions related to:

  • Personal health
  • Family health history
  • Smoking and drinking habits, lifestyle choices, drug use, etc
  • Your doctor’s contact information

Underwriters may also factor in your credit card report and driving history amongst other personal information, depending on the underwriting process. What do these have to do with your health? According to statistics, how you handle your finances and how you drive, give underwriters an indication of how well you manage your health.

A life insurance company’s underwriting criteria may differ from company to company. Some life insurance companies overlook slightly high cholesterol levels if you are otherwise, in good health. Other carriers may put everyone who has high cholesterol in one bracket and charge you higher premiums irrespective of whether your cholesterol levels are high or low. This is why it is important to shop around and do a comparative study of life insurance quotes in order to get the most competitive insurance rates.

The second part of the medical exam is a medical form to be filled out by a doctor or a paramedical appointed by the insurance company. The doctor will

  • Take your physical measurements (height and weight)
  • Take your blood pressure and pulse
  • Take a blood sample to check cholesterol, glucose, protein, HIV, traces of nicotine and alcohol
  • Take a urine sample to check things such as protein, glucose, creatinine and drugs

If the underwriters feel that they need to conduct additional tests in order to accurately surmise the risk of insuring you, you may have to undergo more tests. The number of tests you need to undergo may also depend on how high an insurance coverage you require. The higher the coverage, the more scrutiny you will face.

How to achieve the best results from a medical exam

While you cannot improve your results, there are things you can do to achieve the best results to minimize mistakes.

  • Eat healthy at least one week before the medical exam. Reduce your salt and sugar intake and avoid fatty foods.
  • Don’t drink any kind of alcoholic beverage 3 days before the exam.
  • Don’t drink any caffeinated beverages one day before the exam. In some people, caffeine elevates blood pressure.
  • Get a good night’s sleep the night prior to the exam.

What to do if you fail the medical exam

If you fail a medical exam, you should ask the life insurance company to give reasons. The results of the tests are usually sent straight to the underwriter, but you can retrieve a copy of the medical exam on written request. Some of the health issues that arise may be resolved by your doctor. For instance, if you have cardiovascular health problems, and you have adhered to the diet prescribed by your doctor, lost weight and are undergoing a regular exercise regime, a supporting statement from your doctor may help with some life insurance companies. If you find out that you have a serious disease you can look for carriers that specialize in high-risk health conditions or look at options for a guarantee issue life insurance policy.

The results of your medical exam remain in a centralized database called the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), which is a clearinghouse of medical information that insurers share. This means your medical dossier is accessible to all life insurance companies and can be retrieved by other insurance companies.

Conclusion

To get the best insurance rates, answer your initial life insurance application form as honestly as possible. Look for online questionnaire that require detailed information. The more detailed the information, the more accurate your initial estimated quote will be. Shop around for life insurance through reliable online insurance quote providers, accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

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