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Where To Find The Most Affordable Health Insurance

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:56:59 +0000

Almost everyone right now is looking for the best deals that they can find in every aspect of their lives. Everyone wants to save money. People are especially concerned about finding affordable health insurance. Where should they look however? Most people would look to the Internet as the best place or information. Some would rather rely on word of mouth. Most people need to go through their company however.The Internet can be a great place to look for affordable health insurance. One has tons of information quite literally at their fingertips. It can be hard to sort through all the information though. Also factual information is often clouded by adds. One may find him or herself searching for hours for the right information. Just because a few companies are the first ones to appear in a search does not mean that they are offering the best rates. It takes a lot of research. One also runs the risk of running into fake insurance sites or worse. However if one does find a respectable site, that lets you even compare to find the most affordable health insurance, then looking online has paid off.Since looking online can be such an ordeal, many people rely on word of mouth. There are problems with that as well though. For instance, although your friend may have had a really good experience with their health insurance, it may not be the right insurance for you. It may not even be affordable health insurance at all. Health insurance companies like to take a person’s medical history into consideration when giving a quote after all. Another problem with relying on word of mouth is that it does not get a full spectrum of information. There are all sorts of health insurance companies out there. The most affordable health insurance plan for you could be with any of them and your friends may not have ever heard of what you really need.Most people need to rely on their companies to choose what health insurance they get. Companies are hopefully being well informed about what different plans are out there. A person really needs to rely on him or herself in life though, and one should make sure that what his or her employer is choosing is really the most affordable health insurance for his or her employees. Employers after all also need to get their information from somewhere. In fact for some companies, it may be just the way to move higher in the company. An employee that goes the extra mile to find the most affordable health insurance for the company is definitely showing his or her value. That can be an important thing in this economy.Almost everyone right now is looking for the best deals that they can find in every aspect of their lives. Everyone wants to save money. People are especially concerned about finding affordable health insurance. Where should they look however? Most people would look to the Internet as the best place or information. Some would rather rely on word of mouth. Most people need to go through their company however.The Internet can be a great place to look for affordable health insurance. One has tons of information quite literally at their fingertips. It can be hard to sort through all the information though. Also factual information is often clouded by adds. One may find him or herself searching for hours for the right information. Just because a few companies are the first ones to appear in a search does not mean that they are offering the best rates. It takes a lot of research. One also runs the risk of running into fake insurance sites or worse. However if one does find a respectable site, that lets you even compare to find the most affordable health insurance, then looking online has paid off.Since looking online can be such an ordeal, many people rely on word of mouth. There are problems with that as well though. For instance, although your friend may have had a really good experience with their health insurance, it may not be the right insurance for you. It may not even be affordable health insurance at all. Health insurance companies like to take a person’s medical history into consideration when giving a quote after all. Another problem with relying on word of mouth is that it does not get a full spectrum of information. There are all sorts of health insurance companies out there. The most affordable health insurance plan for you could be with any of them and your friends may not have ever heard of what you really need.Most people need to rely on their companies to choose what health insurance they get. Companies are hopefully being well informed about what different plans are out there. A person really needs to rely on him or herself in life though, and one should make sure that what his or her employer is choosing is really the most affordable health insurance for his or her employees. Employers after all also need to get their information from somewhere. In fact for some companies, it may be just the way to move higher in the company. An employee that goes the extra mile to find the most affordable health insurance for the company is definitely showing his or her value. That can be an important thing in this economy.

Ronnie Hamilton shares his knowledge on health insurance that makes you able to find the plans that best fits your needs.If you want to know about Affordable health insurance,Affordable group health insurance,Affordable short term health insurance visit www.usa-healthinsurance.com

Why You Need To Find Health Information

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:47:03 +0000

Health living is among the things that we are constantly being reminded to maintain. As the scene of this world keeps changing so are the hardships that we have to endure. When we ensure that we are living healthily, we would escape the other costs that would usually come along with infections.It is true that prevention is better than cure and this does not just apply when we are focusing on costs. We also need to understand that the inconvenience that would normally come from infections is too bad. When we have the right information we would escape all that.Health information promotes healthy livingThe information would help you understand what you need to do so that you never get into trouble with your health. It would be best when you try and apply whatever you would learn from the information that you get on health.Health information empowers you about drugsThere are several drugs that we would usually be advised to take so that we get relief from the various conditions that we would be suffering. Yet, we would need to understand how the drugs work so that we never experience trouble when we are trying to use the drugs.Health information enlightens you on self careSelf care is very important when we are discussing about health. You have a great role to play in the way your health responds and you just have to ensure that you are doing your part. With the right information, you would never miss to know what you should be doing as part of good self care.Health information educates you on diseases and conditionsWe need to know about the diseases and conditions that are likely to get us when we are trying to live healthy. However, all this has to be only when we have the right information that is also current and updates. So, there is need to get to the internet and see what the experts have to say.Health information is good for consumersAs a consumer of health products, you need to have a wide knowledge of what the products are able to offer you. At the same time, you also should be able to indicate that you know how to work with the help that you have been granted to you. All this is available in form of information to you.Health information keeps physicians updatedYes, even the service providers have to keep updating themselves. With the field of health and medicine evolving each day, there is need to ensure that they have the latest information so that they help patients well. They are even supposed to be advisors and this required information.Health information educated other health providersThere are other health providers other than the physicians. They also have a significant role to play and it is best that they know what they need to do as well. So, the information is equally important for them.In general, we can conclude that health information is important for everyone because we are all involved in the various aspects of health care. We need to get the latest information from the internet to be safe.

The various health tips that are posted on the net are all supposed to benefit you. You need to ensure that you are making use of the valuable weight loss tips that are available for free.

Colorado Health Insurance To Make Your Future Healthy

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:48:43 +0000

Trying to shop for Colorado health insurance policy, that fulfills your individual health needs and includes the best premium, can be frustrating and overwhelming. The best place to shop around for Colorado health insurance is online. The main benefit of searching for Colorado health insurance online is that you can collect health insurance quotes be it group health insurance or Colorado dental insurance all in one place and by filling out one single form.

With a total exclusively objective Colorado health insurance quoter, you will be able to know the rates as well as plan designs for every major health insurance service provider in Colorado. It is an ideal tool for evaluating both group health and individual health plus Medicare health insurance programs. The brokers accessible online have no adherence to any specific Colorado health insurance service provider and do not charge any fees from the potential clients.

Checking online is the best medium to take benefit of the expertise, exceptional customer service as well as experience. You can pick the best Colorado dental insurance or Colorado general health insurance that suits both your budget and needs. Online you can obtain quotes from some of the major health insurance service providers, including:

The insurance company holds an expertise in individual benefit program and corporate employee benefit program. In addition, you can find health benefits of every size especially when it comes to business health benefits such as large corporations, sole proprietorships and partnerships. Through availing health insurance quotes online, you can save your money and time, will be able to make comprehensive decision and is obtainable for no extra cost on what you often pay for the insurance.

Group Insurance Analysts specialize in business benefit planning for businesses of every size. Inidividual plans available as well.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Individual And Group Health Insurance

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:46:43 +0000

Switching from group to individual health insurance is a change many people are currently facing. There can be some big differences between the two types of insurance and their cost. Becoming familiar with some of those basic differences will help you to know what to expect.Group health insuranceGroup health insurance is purchased by your employer from a health insurance company. Everyone who is eligible can receive coverage under the plan. Group health insurance is less costly than individual health insurance, because you have the buying power of the group. The insurance company bases the premium upon a calculation of how much insurance the group as a whole will use. However, if you are buying individual health insurance, the calculation of your premium is not based on a group, it’s based on you alone. That is why individual health insurance can be so expensive. Individual health insuranceIndividual health insurance is health insurance that you purchase from an insurance company on your own, and not through an employer. You can choose coverage for either yourself or your self and your family, individual policies often provide less coverage than group policies do. Under an individual plan, some services such as substance abuse treatment may not be covered. Another important difference between group and individual health insurance is that with group insurance, the law requires the insurance company to cover everyone who works for that employer. With individual health insurance, companies are not required to issue you a policy. This can be very alarming for people who have pre-existing conditions. If you have recently lost your job, it can be surprising to find out that even though you have been covered under a group plan, there is no assurance that you will be able to obtain individual health insurance coverage.In some states, health insurance companies are allowed to issue policies to people with pre-existing conditions, but they are issued with an exclusionary rider. That means that any services for the pre-existing condition are not covered. Each state has its own laws overseeing how individual health insurance is administered. Therefore, plans can very a great deal from state to state. Plans can also vary from one insurance company to another. Be sure to check around and compare quotes and plans from several different companies before making a decision.COBRA as an optionOne of the first options presented to people who have lost their health insurance coverage is COBRA. COBRA stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and it allows you to continue on your employer’s health insurance plan for up to 18 months after losing your job. However, there are several situations in which employees would not be eligible for COBRA coverage such as, if the company employed less than 20 people and went out of business, or if it dropped its group health insurance or went into bankruptcy. One of the drawbacks of COBRA is the expense. Under COBRA you have to pay the entire amount of your health insurance coverage. Whereas when you were employed, your employer paid a portion of your benefits. One recent development that will be beneficial to COBRA recipients is that after March 1, 2009 recipients will only have to pay 35% of the cost of the monthly premium and the federal government will pay the remainder for up to nine months.If you have recently lost your group health insurance, switching to individual health insurance will cause the cost of your health insurance to increase. Understanding the different types of insurance and how they work, will help you to prepare. If you have pre-existing conditions and are concerned about finding individual health insurance coverage, investigate COBRA and find out if it is an option. Also, check with several different health insurance companies and compare the costs before you make a decision.

Kevin Kielty lives in North Carolina and writes articles on health insurance. If you are looking for rate quotes on health insurance in North Carolina, visit BCBSNC, also known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

Cobra Health Insurance Options For Small Business Owners

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:54:53 +0000

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor recently reported that employment continued to fall sharply in February (-651,000), and the unemployment rate rose from 7.6 to 8.1 percent. Payroll employment has declined by 2.6 million in the past 4 months. In February, job losses were large and widespread across nearly all-major industry sectors. Are you or your spouse one of the 8.1% Are you worried about joining this group? If you own a small business or are thinking about starting that small business then you need to understand how COBRA can have a dramatic impact on your financial future. Here are 7 things you need to know right now!1. What is COBRA continuation health coverage? Congress passed the landmark Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) health benefit provisions in 1986. The law amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act to provide continuation of group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated.2. What does COBRA do? COBRA provides certain former employees, retirees, spouses, former spouses, and dependent children the right to temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates. This coverage, however, is only available when coverage is lost due to certain specific events. Group health coverage for COBRA participants is usually more expensive than health coverage for active employees, since usually the employer pays a part of the premium for active employees while COBRA participants generally pay the entire premium themselves. 3. Who is entitled to benefits under COBRA? There are three elements to qualifying for COBRA benefits. COBRA establishes specific criteria for plans, qualified beneficiaries, and qualifying events:

Qualifying Events for Employees:

Qualifying Events for Spouses:

Qualifying Events for Dependent Children:

4. How does a person become eligible for COBRA continuation coverage?To be eligible for COBRA coverage, you must have been enrolled in your employer’s health plan when you worked and the health plan must continue to be in effect for active employees. COBRA continuation coverage is available upon the occurrence of a qualifying event that would, except for the COBRA continuation coverage, cause an individual to lose his or her health care coverage.5. What Do I do if I Don’t Want To Take COBRA? Group Health Plans are very benefit rich. This means that you probably have dental, vision, low co-pays for doctor visits etc. Things you take for granted. Your employer if often paying 80% or more of your premium and your portion of the premium is just 20% or less. You don’t realize the true cost of your health plan until you qualify for COBRA and get that letter from your HR Department that gives you STICKER SHOCK. Why? Because you see that your new monthly premium could be up to 400% more that what was being pulled out of your paycheck. What do you do? You get on the computer and start looking for Health Insurance quotes and see a lot of quotes that look appealing as an alternative but you are comparing apples and oranges.Here are three main points that are not clear when you look at these computer quotes

So what are my alternatives if I just lost my job?6. How Does The American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 affect COBRA and save me more money? The Act provides a 65% government subsidy to employees who are involuntarily terminated between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. The premium reduction relates only to premiums for the coverage period beginning after the new law was enacted on February 17, 2009. The law does not allow reimbursement of premiums for coverage periods beginning before February 17, 2009. Qualified individuals can, however, receive the premium subsidy going forward, for up to nine months. So if you are already on COBRA you can get this subsidy for up to nine months. Also if you declined COBRA during this period, you can now enroll in the subsidized coverage. This a great deal if you are planning on finding another job that will provide Group Health Insurance because you only have to pay 35% of the COBRA costs and can keep your benefit rich coverage for up to 18 months.BUT……What If you are planning to focus on your business full time now, rather than get another job? Then you really need to look much closer at individual plans.7. How does buying your own portable individual health plan protect your financial future? Let me tell you a story about how one of the most financially savvy guys I know got the surprise of this life after riding his bike one day in Florida. I lived in South Florida and played tennis with a friend who retired from a Fortune 100 Company when he was 49 years old. After many years of hard work he took early retirement and built his dream home in Florida. After several years his wife became bored and wanted to move to Atlanta. They bought into one of the most prestigious new developments in metro Atlanta. Six months after construction began my friend was riding his bike and got shortness of breath. He called a tennis buddy and neighbor who was also a cardiologist and the doctor said, “Come to my office and let me check you out”. The cardiologist sent him straight to the hospital and discovered that one of my friend’s coronary arteries was narrowed and a “heart stent” was inserted to relieve the condition. Within a few days my friend was busy playing tennis and riding his bike. Thinking about his upcoming move to Georgia, my friend decides to call his Health Insurance Company to move his plan from Florida. Mind you this was not some fly-by-night company but one of the best-recognized names in the insurance industry today! You can imagine his surprise when this insurance company told him that he was “UNINSURABLE” in the state of Georgia. What happened? When he retired my friend elected COBRA and when he moved to Florida took an individual plan in Florida. He assumed that because the insurance company had such a big name that is was a national company but it WAS NOT so he could not get health insurance, at any price, in Georgia because he had this MAJOR pre-existing condition of heart disease.You might be subject to similar consequences or worse if you get sick or have a major accident during the period you’re on COBRA. To avoid this type of situation or worse you need to work with a licensed Health Agent who specializes in Small Business Entrepreneurs.

Quentin Moses is a licensed Life and Health Insurance Agent in Georgia who helps Small Business Entrepreneurs in Atlanta protect their Family & Assets. Quentin has over twenty years experience working with business owners and their investments on Wall Street. He has conducted the workshop ?Health Insurance for Small Business? for SCORE Atlanta.

Email quentinmoses@gmail.com if you would like a free consultation

Visit My Blog http://qtubeblogg.blogspot.com/
for more important tips

See My COBRA Video :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnZsSCc666Q

Health Insurance Quotes – Finding Cheap Health Insurance

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:50:29 +0000

Let’s face it, every now and again, all of us fall ill, or get in accidents or have some kind of medical problem, its just a part of life. Thats why most of us choose to have some sort of health insurance plan, for that just in case assurance.

But why pay more than you need to pay for an insurance policy that you will ‘hopfully’ never actually need to rely on. That just doesn’t make sense, the hard part is knowing which plan is right for you, or which extras you need to include. After making these choices, the ability to shop around for the best policy becomes a much more daunting task because you are no longer compareing apples to apples.

There are a few things you can look at to compare policy’s and to make sure you are covered for all eventualitys that may occur. Things to Consider When Comparing Health Insurance Quotes

1. Is your potential health insurance plan affordable? You may want to consider various other things that fall into this category such as if there is a co-pay and how much, and how much it is going to cost you on a monthly basis. By receiving health insurance quotes, you can take a look at the price without actually buying it. It is recommended to get at least 3 quotes from different insurance companies before deciding to invest any money into a new plan. Having health insurance is great, but it is even better if you can afford it. One of the bad things is that some will often pay too much for health insurance and it won’t provide the right amount of benefits that you need to serve your own specific needs. Price is important, especially if you are on a budget. You do not want to wind up paying for a plan that is going to cost you more than what you would usually pay without going to a doctor. Do the math first.

2. Will the insurance plan cover the cost of my prescriptions? This is the other half of the story when it comes to health insurance. People expect to go to a doctor to get proper care, right? If they send them out with a prescription that their insurance plan does not cover, then they are going to be left paying for the medicine themselves. How effective is full treatment without medication when medication is a requirement for total recovery? Not very effective. Fortunately, there are certain health plans that cover a vast majority of medications and medical visits combined. But it always pays off to make 100% sure before you purchase.

3. What conditions/specialties will my potential insurance plan cover? This is a very important detail. Say for instance you have had a heart attack. It is a fact that the majority of health plans do not mess around in that area. Take into consideration that the coverage you are seeking out is compatible with your health condition. Several plans do not even cover the cost of giving birth. Some plans even shy away from folks that have an existing condition. But with proper investigation and research, you can find the right plan for you.

4. What doctors and practices are in the network? If you are choosing a new health plan or simply switching to a new one, you will want to be sure that you can still see the health professionals that you like and trust the most. Some health plans only provide patients with a limited amount of doctors and health care facilities to choose from. Others are a lot more lenient and have a larger network. You will also need to see to it that if you do choose to go with a health plan that has limited choices that the doctors and facilities are near where you live so you canonveniently get to them when you need to.

Remember that before purchasing your new, affordable, and most of all convenient health insurance plan, you will need to get at least 3 quotes from different companies. You are probably going to be very surprised at how different costs are and the amount of coverage you will receive under various health insurance agencies. This process can take some time, but the lengthy decision is worth the time and effort it takes to find the best health insurance plan for you. If you are looking for a great place to find some free health insurance quotes, just go to http//www.health-insurance-quote-center.com

For more information about Health Insurance, or to find the cheapest health insurance quotes, visit: http//www.health-insurance-quote-center.com

Health Insurance Online Quote for Small Business

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:48:29 +0000

Even at the outset, it must be made clear that only businesses with 2-50 employees are eligible for small business health insurance. If you are self-employed and no one else works for you, then you should look into health insurance schemes meant for self-employed individuals.If you own or a part of a business organization having 2 to 50 employees you will qualify for and benefit from a group health insurance plan. Small business health insurance holds a lot of benefits. Besides providing medical care for business owner and the employees, a small business health insurance plan is designed in a way that the financial risk is spread among all the members resulting in lower premiums and more extensive coverage for everyone in the company.Further, small business health insurance has certain unique tax benefits. Employer contributions to a small business health insurance plans are 100% exempted from tax and employees will also save on their payroll taxes. As per law, no insurance company in any state can refuse to sell the small business health insurance as long as you meet the state’s minimum requirements concerning the type of organization you are insuring and the number of employees getting covered.To get a precise quote on a small business health insurance policy, you will have to furnish the right information about the type of coverage you want and the relevant particulars of all the employees who have to be insured, including the number of dependents each one has.To get a precise online quote for a small business health insurance policy, you will have to furnish the right information about the type of coverage you want and the relevant particulars of all the employees who have to be insured, including the number of dependents each one has. Please bear in mind that the accuracy of the online quote you get will largely depend on the correctness of information you provide.Before obtaining an online quote, it is advisable to visit eHealthInsurance, the web’s largest health insurance marketplace. For small businesses, eHealthInsurance will offer instant online quotes. As soon as you enter all the basic information about your company and your employees, online quotes — customized for your company — will be immediately generated for you. You will be able to know the amount each individual employee will be required to pay toward his or her health insurance coverage, as well as the company’s contribution to each employee’s coverage.Several health care companies present their small business clients with a portfolio of options. Within the portfolio is an assortment of policy choices regarding how the employer contributes, and what plan options the employee will have. The employees decide what sort of plan they would like to have and what they can afford. The health plans range from a standard HMO to comprehensive PPO coverage.Either reducing coverage or asking the employees to contribute more to the plan is the obvious step to reducing small business health insurance costs. But this attitude of the employer will prove unpopular with workers. Small business health insurance may take a huge chunk out of business revenue, but insurance benefits will attract better employees and also help retain talented and skilled workers. Satisfied, healthy employees are more likely to help your business grow.Health insurance is a well spread out business, so seeking online quotes from different providers could reduce the small business health insurance costs. Start by searching the Internet and also ask other owners of small businesses what they pay for health insurance.

Joseph Letzelter is a Expert author for Blue Cross Insurance In California,California health insurance. He has written articles like Good health quotes,Health Insurance California,Individual Health Insurance Plan. For information visit our site Health insurance quote. Contact him at goodhealthquote@gmail.com

Health Insurance Info

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:49:54 +0000

Five Ways to Cut your Health Insurance Costs Nearly one-third of all health-insurance premiums increased to 30 percent or more. At that rate, the average cost of health insurance per employee will exceed $3,000. Seventy-three percent of senior executives believe health-care costs will continue to increase 20 percent or more each year for the next three years. The message here is clear: If you haven’t already gotten serious about cutting your company’s health-insurance costs, now is the time. It can be done. The first thing you should do is learn how the system works–or doesn’t work. Most small employers spend fewer than four hours a year thinking about their company health plans. Learn what your options are. Your insurance agent can help you shop for cheaper plans. But don’t stop there. Compare plan benefits, insurance-company records, and service guarantees. Consider Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans and HMOs (health-maintenance organizations), even if your agent doesn’t handle them. The Blues in some areas, offer clear advantages to small companies. Experts regard HMOs as the best buys in health care. Find out if your company is eligible for new, low-cost health insurance plans now available in five states. In addition, foundation-funded pilot projects in several parts of the country are demonstrating that it is possible to cut health-coverage costs 30 to 40 percent. In short, health insurance isn’t as simple as it used to be. And the pace of change is accelerating, offering new hope for a truce in the business battle with exploding health-care costs. The next couple of years present as much potential for change as at any time in the past 20 years. You can be part of that change by putting at least some of the following 5 ideas to work for your company. 1) Increase Cost Sharing By Employees This recommendation is at the top of every consultant’s list. Small companies tend to pay far more of their workers’ total health-care bill than large companies do. Yet research shows that insulating employees from the costs of care encourages unnecessary use of health services. Fifty-two percent of the companies responding to the Nation’s Business health survey said they pay 100 percent of their employees’ health-insurance premiums. But 45 percent said they intended to implement or increase employee contributions to these premiums. An equal number said they plan to increase employee deductibles. Insurance companies first attached $100 deductibles to major-medical plans in the early 1950s. But 40 percent of employers still set deductibles at $100 or less. Raising a $100 deductible to $250 would cut premium costs for single coverage by about 11 percent. A $500 deductible would cut costs by about one-fourth. A $1,000 deductible would save about one-third. 2) Allow Employees To Pay For Health Premiums With Tax-Free Dollars Set up a so-called flexible spending account, which allows your employees to pay their share of health-insurance premiums and un-reimbursed health-care expenses with pretax dollars. A flexible spending account could save employees 20 cents to 35 cents on the dollar, because state and federal income taxes and Social Security taxes are not imposed. Moreover, the company saves by reducing the employee’s base salary on which it pays Social Security and other taxes. Hire an outside payroll accounting firm to handle the paperwork. You can pay the service fee and still come out with a net savings. The monthly administration fee would run between $2 and $5 per employee. 3) Transfer High-Risk Employees To The State’s High-Risk Pool Insurance premiums soar whenever someone in a small-group plan becomes very ill–with cancer or heart disease, for example. As an employer, you should explore the possibility of moving employees with serious health problems into a state high-risk pool and then negotiating a lower premium for the healthy members of your group. 4) Switches To An Open-Enrollment Blue Cross And Blue Shield Plan Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans operate as de facto high-risk pools in a number of states by providing “open enrollment” periods during which any group can buy insurance. Among the 74 Blue Cross and Blue Shield organizations nationwide, 21 offer open enrollment. All the Blues once used community rating to set premium levels. But that began to change in the 1960s when commercial insurers started to lure away firms with low risks by offering them cheaper health insurance. 5) Replace Your Traditional Health Plan With An HMO Unlike traditional health insurance, HMOs cover all medical needs, including routine preventive care, for a flat monthly fee that typically is less expensive than traditional health insurance. Moreover, two types of HMOs, the staff and the group models, have proven to be more effective at controlling costs than any other form of health-care delivery. Staff models employ physicians directly and put them on salary. For more articles related to this subject and others please visit Health Insurance.info

Health Insurance Info

MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS OF ORISSA

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:26:28 +0000

MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS OF ORISSA

By Dr Nihar Ranjan Ray



Orissa is a high focus state for its culture, heritage, rich with minerals and diseases as well. It has rated as one of the measurable state so far the health care is concerned. Badly affected by the poverty, illiteracy, natural disasters Orissa registered very poor health indicators as per the WHO reports. Its state with a population of 3.68 crores, comprising of 85% rural habitants, with 22% Scheduled Tribe and 16.5% Scheduled Caste population. From a lot of health issues I need to focus the following topics with bird vision felling their importance and seriousness.

Infant mortality

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is only 53 per 1,000 live births in urban areas as compared to 76 in rural areas, only 26.4 per cent of tribal children are immunized when compared to 43.7 per cent among the general population in the State and anemia is very high of 61.2 per cent among women.

The State needed to arrest the malnutrition trend as early as possible. “The level of malnutrition in the State is quite high. Over 30 per cent of children are severely malnourished. As per the latest survey, 40.7 per cent under age of 3 are underweight, 45 per cent are stunted and 19.5 per cent are wasted. About 65 per cent of children aged between 6 and 35 months are anemic.

Maternal mortality rate

One woman dies every seven minutes from complications related to pregnancy and child birth in India and in Orissa nine women die everyday for the same reasons. The MMR in the state has come down from 367 per one lac (100,000) child births in 1993 to 358 deaths per one lac births in 2003 which is a very negligible drop. In fact there has not been any significant reduction in the rate of maternal deaths in the last few years and this is a worrying factor, said participants at the “Know Your Entitlements” organized here to coincide with the National Safe Motherhood Day. The White Ribbon Alliance-Orissa in collaboration with Department of Health and Family Welfare, government of Orissa, Unicef and UNFPA organized the workshop. With a view to curb this problem by minimizing maternal death rate, the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood unites individuals, organizations and communities who are committed towards increasing public awareness on this issue and promote Safe Motherhood. This year, the Central government declared, “Know your Entitlement” as the theme of the National Safe Motherhood Day. The objective was to generate awareness amongst women and family members on their entitlements under various schemes and policies taken up by the government. Several NGO’s working in the health sector across the state including the Nehru Yuva Kendra which has trained 12,000 youths for the purpose participated in the workshop here today.

Flood ravaged Orissa

Floods cause health problems in Orissa: Oxfam India has warned that 8.5 million people affected by July’s floods are facing serious health threats. 78 870 cases of diarrhoea have occurred, resulting in 41 deaths; 124 cases of jaundice were reported, with two deaths. 300 people have been bitten by snakes, leading to 22 deaths.

Malaria

Malaria is the foremost public health problem of Orissa contributing 23% of malaria cases, 40% of Plasmodium falciparum cases and 50% of malaria deaths in the country. The tribal population are badly affected by the Malaria. More than 60% of tribal population of Orissa live in highrisk areas for malaria. Though the tribal communities constitute nearly 8% of the total population of the country, they contribute 25% of the total malaria cases and 15% of total P.falciparum cases. Various epidemiological studies and malariometric surveys carried out in tribal population including primitive tribes reveal a high transmission of P.falciparum in the forest regions of India, because malaria control in such settlements has always been unattainable due to technical and operational problems. In a specific

study conducted in undivided Koraput district, it was observed that the district is endemic for malaria and is hyperendemic in top hills where Bondo primitive tribes are residing.

Diarrhoeal Disorders

Water-borne communicable diseases like gastrointestinal disorders including acute diarrhoea are responsible for a higher morbidity and mortality due to

poor sanitation, unhygienic conditions and lack of safe drinking water in the tribal areas of the country. In a cross sectional study conducted by RMRC, Bhubaneswar in 4 primitive tribes of Orissa, the diarrhoeal diseases including cholera was found to occur throughout the year attaining its peak during the rainy season .Generally the infants ,preschool children and adolescent groups are mostly affected.

Micronutrient Deficiency

Orissa is very much infamous for starvation death cases. Micronutrient deficiency is closely linked with nutritional disorders and diarrhoea. Deficiency of essential dietary components leads to malnutrition, protein calorie deficiency and micronutrient deficiencies (like vit A, iron and iodine deficiency). Vitamin A deficiency in the form of Bitot’s spot, conjunctival xerosis and night blindness was observed

Skin Infection

Skin problems like scabies is a major health problem amongst the rural population of orissa and the problem is much worse in the primitive tribes because of overcrowding and unhygienic living conditions as also close contacts and lack of health awareness. In a study conducted by the RMRC, Bhubaneswar.

Intestnal Paracitism

Intestinal protozoan and helminthic infestations are the major public health problems and were observed in Most of these infections are due to indiscriminate defecation in the open field, bare foot walking and lack of health awareness and hygiene. The problem enhances in the rainy season. These are preventable with repeated administration of anti-helminthic and protozoal treatment at 4 months interval which can be used effectively in national parasitic infection control program.

HEALTH INDICATORS OF ORISSA

             The Total Fertility Rate of the State is 2.6. The Infant Mortality Rate is 73 and Maternal Mortality Ratio is 358 (SRS 2001 – 03) which are higher than the National average. The Sex Ratio in the State is 972 (as compared to 933 for the country). Comparative figures of major health and demographic indicators are as follows:

Table I: Demographic, Socio-economic and Health profile of Orissa State as compared to India figures

S. No.

Item

Orissa

India

1

Total population (Census 2001) (in million)

36.80

1028.61

2

Decadal Growth (Census 2001) (%)

16.25

21.54

3

Crude Birth Rate (SRS 2007)

21.9

23.5

4

Crude Death Rate (SRS 2007)

9.3

7.5

5

Total Fertility Rate (SRS 2006)

2.6

2.9

6

Infant Mortality Rate (SRS 2007)

73

57

7

Maternal Mortality Ratio (SRS 2001 – 2003)

358

301

8

Sex Ratio (Census 2001)

972

933

9

Population below Poverty line (%)

47.15

26.10

10

Schedule Caste population (in million)

6.08

166.64

11

Schedule Tribe population (in million)

8.15

84.33

12

Female Literacy Rate (Census 2001) (%)

50.5

53.7

Table II: Health Infrastructure of Orissa

Particulars

Required

In position

shortfall

Sub-centre

7283

5927

1356

Primary Health Centre

1171

1279

-

Community Health Centre

292

231

61

Multipurpose worker (Female)/ANM at Sub Centres & PHCs

7206

6768

438

Health Worker (Male) MPW(M) at Sub Centres

5927

3392

2535

Health Assistant (Female)/LHV at PHCs

1279

726

553

Health Assistant (Male) at PHCs

1279

168

1111

Doctor at PHCs

1279

1353

-

Obstetricians & Gynaecologists at CHCs

231

NA

NA

Physicians at CHCs

231

NA

NA

Paediatricians at CHCs

231

NA

NA

Total specialists at CHCs

924

NA

NA

Radiographers

231

8

223

Pharmacist

1510

1984

-

Laboratory Technicians

1510

311

1199

Nurse/Midwife

2896

637

2259

(Source: RHS Bulletin, March 2007, M/O Health & F.W., GOI)

Health Institution

Number

Medical College

4

District Hospitals

32

Referral Hospitals

City Family Welfare Centre

Rural Dispensaries

Ayurvedic Hospitals

8

Ayurvedic Dispensaries

624

Unani Hospitals

-

Unani Dispensaries

9

Homeopathic Hospitals

-

Homeopathic Dispensary

603











Conclusion

     Despite the above said problems we have to make our stands strong to fight against the disease, poverty, illiteracy and natural as well as the man made disasters(Naxlite problem).Now under the able leadership of Mr Naveen Pattnaik Orissa has registered record foreign investment as well as an appreciable economical growth. Now it is time to flex our muscles and brain to expedite our development in health care system. Orissa is doing well in the influence of NRHM .Orissa has many a miles to go to improve its health indicators that needs a lot of patience, composure and brain storming.



                                                                       Dr.Nihar Ranjan Ray

                                                                       Dt.29th july 2008

Age:29 yrs sex; Male
Location; Bhubaneswar, India
Qualification:MBBS,PGDPHM
Intrest: Social Work & Public Health
Other Activitiies: Art, Poetry, Music

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admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:52:00 +0000

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