Trials involving human patients are crucial to the advancement of clinical science. But they’re not without risk. Fortunately, insurers are willing to cover them.

Westhill Insurance Consulting, one of the most trusted on-line insurance consultant that offer consumer information on reasonably priced health and medical coverage has these following things to review if you are planning to take part in a clinical test.

Here are the conditions the federal law requires for a health insurance to cover:

• You must be eligible for the trial
• The trial must be an approved clinical trial
• The trial does not involve out-of-network doctors or hospitals, if out-of-network care is not part of your plan
• Also, if you do join an approved clinical trial, most health plans cannot refuse to let you take part or limit your benefits.

Approved clinical trials are research studies that:

• Test ways to prevent, detect, or treat cancer or other life-threatening diseases.
• Are funded or approved by the federal government, have submitted an IND application to the FDA , or are exempt from the IND requirements. IND stands for Investigational New Drug. In most cases, a new drug must have an IND application submitted to the FDA in order to be given to people in a clinical trial.

Health plans are not required to cover the research costs of a clinical trial. Examples of these costs include extra blood tests or scans that are done purely for the sake of the clinical trial. Often, the research sponsor will cover such costs. Warnings must be posted days before the outcome to prevent further complaints from both the sponsor and the insurance company.

Plans are also not required to cover the costs of out-of-network doctors or hospitals, if the plan does not usually do so. But if your plan does cover out-of-network doctors or hospitals, they are required to cover these costs if you take part in a clinical trial.

Clinical tests which are made in a different city such as those in Tokyo, Japan, Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia may not be included in the coverage as well.

Challenging trials

One challenge for underwriters is the relatively small premium base measured against a trend for higher [insured] limits to be requested.

Clinical trials policies normally have “claims made” wordings which means that insurance coverage does not automatically extend beyond the trial dates. The potential gap is where you arrange insurance, let the policy end and have no insurance for an event which may occur sometime in the future that can be attached to the clinical trial.

Serious problems in clinical trials are rare, as Rossano points out. “But what I would say is that clinical trials are not without risk. The risk of a clinical trial is that the human body is very complex and in rare cases there can be unforeseen outcomes, as happened in cases like TeGenaro.”

World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that universal health coverage – ensuring that all people obtain health services they need without suffering financial hardships when paying for them – is a global priority for this year. They also declared that universal health coverage as “the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer”.

Several developing countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Rwanda, Vietnam, Kenya and Nigeria among others have demonstrated a strong commitment to universal health coverage, with many others slated to follow suit. Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia is already paving its way to offering a more extensive health insurance coverage that can cater different places in the inter-island archipelago.

Westhill Insurance Consulting Company, your guide to health insurance concerns located in Australia has been in partnership with varied insurance companies which has the goal of expanding the reach of health insurance. 

Given this momentum, it is time to think critically about how the goals of universal health coverage can be advanced through health insurance to ensure that women worldwide are empowered to choose the size, timing, and spacing of their families.

Health insurance pays for all or part of medical or surgical expenses for the insured, mitigating out- of-pocket payments as a barrier to health care and providing financial risk protection against catastrophic health expenditures. Different types of insurance models have varying funding sources and provider payment. Many countries have some form of insurance program in place and coverage has increased considerably.

Many reviews say that it would be better for insurance companies to include family planning in their policies and terms especially in over-populated countries like Indonesia which remains the 4th most populous in the world and China which tops the chart. It is well established that family planning results in benefits beyond reducing unmet need and lowering fertility—benefits such as fewer maternal and child deaths and complications from abortions; and improved nutrition outcomes among women, infants, and children. Given the high cost of addressing maternal and child health, these benefits can lead to considerable savings for health systems and insurance providers. Critics have complaints though that if this be passed, couples can make this reason for pre-marital sex which continues to be a moral issue in countries centered by this insurance idea.               

When developing insurance programs, governments and health insurance providers must carefully decide on a benefits package that clearly describes the types of services covered, along with levels of coverage and any applicable exclusions and/or limits on services. Since lack of access and inability to pay are important reasons women do not use family planning, inclusion of family planning services in health insurance programs could increase uptake. The Commission on Macroeconomics and Health has suggested criteria for choosing essential health interventions. Family planning is a strong match to the key criteria because it is a technically effective intervention, can be delivered successfully, addresses health issues that impose a heavy burden on society, and has benefits beyond the intervention itself.

Many of us have to rely on the company’s health care insurance provider. Lucky for those people who can stay in one job for years. How about those people who jumps from one venture to the other? Westhill Insurance Consulting has faced queries on the best alternative whenever unemployment comes near. Private health insurance is the main source of health coverage for the majority of people in the United States alone. For elderly citizens and eligible children and families from low-income households, public programs are the primary source of health cover.

If you are not covered by a publicly funded program, or if your coverage is only partial, you will need to have some kind of private health insurance. In developing cities like Tokyo, Japan, Seoul, South Korea, Jakarta, Indonesia and Singapore, millions of people have found themselves with no health cover at all. Reviews show that uninsured people reaches up to 46 million. Tens of millions more have inadequate insurance.

Best ways to find the best suitable private insurance for you are:

• One plan or separate plans - adding a spouse or offspring to a plan may be ideal, but not always so. In some cases, shoppers may find better deals by checking what is around first. It is important to balance to benefits offered against the amount that has to be paid out in premiums, in every case.

• Is your doctor included? - if you are considering an interesting plan, make sure your doctor or clinic is listed in their network of healthcare professionals. Otherwise, you may either have to change doctors, or pay out-of-pocket for the one you prefer.

• Only choose relevant options - do not choose a plan with options you do not need, in order to keep your premium costs to a minimum. If the purchaser or spouse is a female over 45, it is unlikely maternity coverage is a top priority. Even prescription plan coverage most likely will not cover all drugs, especially the newer, more expensive ones.

• Big premiums today, or in the future? - if you have little disposable income and enjoy good health, you might find it more convenient to opt for a high-deductible plan to start with, that has progressively lower monthly premiums with the passing of time. If your health care requirements are high now, a low-deductible plan to start with may be a better choice.

With the widespread of insurance nowadays, people are confused which one is legit and which one is a fraud; which can offer better and which one cost less. Choosing the right health coverage has never been easy, and the health reform law has made things more complicated. Besides sorting through differences in premiums, deductibles, and copayments, you need to consider new provisions in the law that have recently kicked in and could impact your coverage for the coming year. Westhill Insurance Consulting can help you clear away any confusion, doubts and complaints.

Health insurance should cover any medical need you may have, now or in the future.

Buying insurance on your own used to be riskier because many plans didn’t cover important things such as prescription drugs or mental health care. Every kind of health insurance must now cover preventive care, with no deductibles, co-pays, or other types of out-of-pocket expenses. That includes Pap and cholesterol tests, mammograms, immunizations, and colonoscopies when age- and condition-appropriate.

But even though you no longer have to worry about your basic health care needs being covered, you’ll still have to navigate lots of other confusing choices. That’s true even if you get coverage through a job, because more than half of workers have a choice of two or more types of health plans.

1. Do you want to pay for care now or later?

All health plans have to come up with enough money to pay for the medical expenses of their members.

You can choose to collect most of the money up front in the form of premiums. If you have a high premium, you’ll pay a smaller share out of your own pocket, in the form of deductibles, co-insurance, and co-pays. Or plans can go the other way, charging smaller premiums but asking you to pay a bigger share on your own.

2. Are you OK with a small network of docs?

Doctors and hospitals accept lower fees from insurers if they know they’ll be part of a small, or “narrow,” network, because that guarantees them a bigger share of the plan’s business. There’s no evidence that you’ll get worse care in narrow networks. And they can save you about 20 percent over larger networks. But make sure that the plan has enough choice of doctors and hospitals in your area—a particular consideration if you live in a rural area. In Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia and other developing nation, seldom can you choose this kind of benefit. You might as well review and check with your insurance provider for assurance. 

Insurance has been around since people have realized it should be. Yet sometimes, we cannot avoid not paying for our premiums especially when we encounter financial instability. These are called lapses. Westhill Insurance Consulting gives you the outlines of what you should review once you missed paying your premiums.

Grace Period Must Happen Before Lapse

To prevent a life insurance policy from lapsing each and every time a premium payment is slightly late, every state in the country requires that a life insurance policy first go through what is known as a grace period after a payment is missed. This is a period of time (usually 30 days) where despite the missed payment; the insurance policy will still provide coverage and make a full payout if the insured dies.

Only after the grace period has passed without receiving the due premiums can the life insurance company consider the policy to be lapsed. Once a life insurance policy lapses the life insurance company is not under any legal obligation to pay the beneficiaries if an insured person passes away.

Most Policies Can Be Reinstated After Lapsing

After a policy first lapses, the owner may have the option to reinstate the policy. You want to make sure that you reinstate your policy as quickly as possible after a lapse. Different companies have different rules for reinstatement so you shouldn’t file a complaint or burst into frustrations when your insurance company refuses to reinstate your policy as it should already be stated when you were reading the terms before you signed for the coverage.

Importance of Reinstatement Period Lapse

The reinstatement period is very important to policy owners and insured persons for a couple of reasons. The first reason is as discussed, the insured person may not need to go through the underwriting process. If a person has had a major health change, he/she may not necessarily be aware of the change. The underwriting process may uncover more about a person’s health than they ever knew, for better and worse. Avoiding underwriting when possible almost always leads to lower insurance premiums.

The second reason the reinstatement period is very important is that even with the same health rating, a new life insurance policy will always be more expensive than an old policy, because the insured person has aged. The older the insured person, the higher the rates will be, all else being equal. The bottom line is: Reinstating a life insurance policy rather than taking out a new policy will save money.

Reinstatement Will Cost More than One Month Premium

After a policy has lapsed, a larger payment must be made to reinstate the policy. It is in the best interest of a policy holder never to let a policy lapse. Developing cities like Bangkok, Thailand, Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are strict in reinstatement and its cost as personal insurance are rare.

References:
https://groups.diigo.com/group/westhill-healthcare-consulting
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Westhill-Consulting-Insurance-5110019

Divorce is one of the most devastating events in one couple’s life. 

While most divorcing couples focus on the delicate and often difficult issues of child custody and dividing assets, breaking up can be hard to do in terms of your insurance policies, too. Whether the policies are in place for protection or as an investment, divorcing spouses need to review them in the context of their new financial circumstances. Westhill Insurance Consulting has listed some matters to be prioritized during this delicate time. 

1.            Life insurance

Your first step should be to check the beneficiaries on your life insurance, whether you have term or permanent policies. People sometimes forget the existence of their life insurance policies, yet often the amount of money involved is higher than their other assets. If you forget to change the beneficiary of your policy and you pass away, your ex-spouse could get the money instead of your new spouse."

Melody Juge, managing director of Life Income Management in Flat Rock, N.C., says splitting spouses should negotiate ownership of life insurance policies as part of the divorce settlement.

"If your spouse has an insurance policy that you're depending on to take care of you and your kids if he dies, you should have (the) ownership changed to yourself instead of your spouse," says Juge. "If not, your spouse could change the beneficiary or simply stop paying the premiums."

2.            Health insurance

Many couples share health insurance under one spouse's employee benefits package; a divorce will require a policy change.

When you work and have previously been covered by your spouse's company, you can generally obtain health insurance through your own employer after a divorce.

Also, the federal law known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, allows a person going through a divorce to stay on a spouse's group policy for a limited time. But you'd have to pay the full premium yourself. Developing cities like Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia are now creating an act similar to COBRA for divorce protection.

3.            Home and car insurance

Liability insurance policies for your home and car are particularly important to maintain during and after a divorce.

Divorcing spouses should immediately notify their insurance companies if an asset such as a car or home changes ownership to avoid filing more complaints and causing more crease.

4.            Long-term care insurance

Hook says long-term care insurance policies are individual insurance policies, so there would not be much impact from a divorce. But some insurance companies offer a discount for covering a married couple, and that would be eliminated after a split.

Premiums for long-term care insurance should be estimated as part of your expenses during the divorce settlement. Hook suggests that divorcing spouses in their 50s who don't have long-term care coverage should be sure to purchase some.