How To Comply With The Health Insurance Mandate When You're Unemployed

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It seems absurd: being required to buy something when you do not have the income to do so. However, that may be the case under healthcare reform. The individual mandate has been very controversial, but little has been said about its impact on the unemployed.


One would assume that there would be an exception for those who do not currently have a job. That would be inaccurate. According to the law, virtually everyone will be required to have insurance by 2014, regardless of their job status.


However, there are several solutions. Since the penalty for being voluntarily uninsured is assessed on your annual tax return, a person will not be subject to it if they fall below the filing threshold. In other words, his or her income is so low that the IRS does not require them to file a return. Currently, that is considered to be a yearly income at or below $9,350. With the essential expenses of food and housing, it is unfair to expect those far below the poverty level to buy health insurance.


Even if you earned a slightly higher income, there is still a chance of avoiding the penalty. If you can prove that the least expensive plan on the affordable health insurance exchange markets costs more than eight percent of your annual income before losing your job, you will be exempt from the mandate.


There are other ways of complying with the health insurance reform law's mandate. Medicaid eligibility will be expanded to adults making up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, which was $14,400 in 2009. In that case, the government will fully cover your health insurance premiums.


Subsidies are also available through the exchanges. If you are unemployed, your eligibility for those subsidies will be based on an estimate of household income for the upcoming year, taking the loss of your income into account. That is a change from the normal process, which judges a person's eligibility through last year's household income, as stated on their most recent tax return. The alternate estimate is especially helpful for those formerly employed in high-wage positions that would have otherwise been ineligible under the standard calculation. With more generous subsidies, the unemployed may have to pay little or no out-of-pocket costs for their health insurance plans.

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Irish Construction Insurance

One of the most interesting facts about the Irish Construction industry is that there is no legal requirement for a construction company to hold any from of construction insurance! In fact, the only insurance an Irish contractor is legally obliged to have is basic motor insurance on his/her motor vehicles!

Although there is no legal requirement under Irish law for a contractor to hold adequate Construction Insurance it is extremely important that adequate cover is in place.

One of the most important reasons is the high injury & mortality rate on Irish Construction sites. One major positive of the recent construction boom is the fatality per thousand ratio has fallen in recent years although it is still at an unacceptable level.
For example, in 2001 28% of workplace fatalities were Construction related and the Irish Construction industry is consistently second only to the Irish Agriculture& Forestry Industry.

As many primary contractors require their subcontractors to hold Construction Insurance the reality is that although Construction Insurance is not a legal requirement it is usually a prerequisite to obtaining work on the majority of the countries construction sites so the need for construction insurance is a necessity in everything but law!

Although Construction Insurance is quite a complex field the four main areas of cover are as follows:
• Public Liability Insurance
• Employers Liability Insurance
• Contractors All Risks
• Personal Accident
Public Liability Insurance
Public liability insurance [PL] provides cover in the event that the policyholder is sued by a third party who feels that they have suffered injury or loss as a result of the policyholders negligence (lack of care).
Consider the following examples where Public Liability Insurance will provide cover:
• You run a plumbing company. One day you are called to an office to sort out a problem in their kitchen. Accidentally, you burst a pipe, and flood the office. Your client then makes a claim against you for the damage to their carpet and computer systems which have been damaged by the water.
• You are a building contractor. While walking along scaffolding one of your men drops a piece of equipment which falls to the street, injuring a passing pedestrian. The pedestrian makes a claim against your firm.
Obviously these are very simplified examples and we haven’t discussed the complexities of Products Liability/Liability Law/Duty of Care etc however it should provide a basic understanding of Public Liability Insurance.

Employers Liability Insurance

Employers Liability Insurance [EL] provides cover if any of your employees suffer physical injury or death, and it is proven that as an employer you acted negligently and subsequently could have prevented their loss. If they then decide to pursue you for compensation the insurer will pay the cost of the claim.
Consider the following examples where Employers Liability Insurance will provide cover:
• You run a carpentry company. One of your employees loses a finger while using a chop saw and decides to claim against you for his injury
• You are a scaffolding contractor and are erecting scaffolding around an apartment block. While erecting the scaffolding one of your employees falls and suffers severe bodily injury. He decides to claim against your firm.
Please note that Public & Employers Liability is offered ‘hand in hand’, that is when arranging construction insurance you will need to arrange both Public Liability & Employers Liability Insurance together [Also known as Combined Liability Insurance] as Employers Liability Insurance is not available on a ‘Stand Alone’ basis..
Contractors All Risks Insurance

Contractors All Risks insurance (also known as Contract Works insurance) is an insurance policy specially designed for builders and a number of other trades working at a contract site. Contractors All Risks insurance can include cover for contract works, own plant, hired-in plant and employee's tools. The main part of the contractors all risks insurance is the contract works section which provides cover for the property being worked on (e.g. new house, etc.). However, cover for the existing property is excluded (e.g. the existing structure when building an extension) and must continue to be insured under its own insurance cover.
Consider the following examples where Contractors All Risks Insurance will provide cover:
• You are a building contractor and are building a house for resale. So far you have spent €200,000 on materials and labour. The property catches fire and is destroyed before it has been completed. • You are groundwork’s contractor and are presently digging foundations for a new housing development. Naturally you leave your excavator on site until the contract is completed however one night your excavator is stolen.
Personal Accident Insurance

Personal Accident Insurance [Also known as Income Protection Insurance] is highly recommended for a sole traders, business partners and company directors as a combined liability policy does not cover any injury caused to a sole trader/business partner while it is extremely difficult for a company director to sue his/her own company. A policy can be tailored to your exact needs and policies include a tax free monthly benefit, a lump sum [capital benefit] and hospital cash.
Consider the following examples where Personal Accident Insurance will provide cover:
• You’re a self employed carpenter with no employees. You cut your hand and are unable to work for eight months. As you have Personal Accident cover you receive a tax free benefit of €1,500 after one month and continue to receive this amount until you return to work.
• Although Personal Accident/Income Protection insurance is no substitute for full time earnings it will provide you with an income if you are unable to earn and it will reduce your financial worries at a time when your recovery should be your number one priority.

Machinery & Plant Insurance
Machinery & Plant Insurance is normally arranged on a case by case basis and provides Accidental Damage Fire & Theft Cover on Machinery. This policy is normally taken by contractors who wish to cover a specific number of items.
Health & Safety Executive

In Ireland the HSE [Health & Safety Executive] have the ultimate authority over Construction Sites and have the ability to close a site if they feel it is a safety hazard. Their primary initiative is the ‘Safe Pass’ – a one day site safety training programme.
Who needs to do Safe Pass awareness training?
Safe Pass is a one-day safety awareness programme aimed at general construction workers, craft workers and "on site" security personnel in the construction industry. The aims of the programme are to:
• raise the standard of safety awareness in the construction industry
• ensure that site personnel after completing the one day awareness programme can make a positive contribution to the prevention of accidents and ill health while working on the site
• maintain a register of personnel who have received training
• provide participants with a FAS Safe Pass registration card, indicating that the holder has attended a formal course in health and safety awareness
Under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2006 Safe Pass / Safety Awareness Programmes applies to -
(a) craft and general construction workers,
(b) persons undertaking on-site security work, and
(c) persons or classes of persons as may be prescribed by the Minister.
For more information on Irish Site Safety please visit the website of the Health & Safety Authority www.hsa.ie while for more information relating to Irish Construction Insurance please visit the website of Keystone Insurance www.keystone.ie, Ireland’s premier supplier of Construction Insurance

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/irish-construction-insurance-165902.html#ixzz0o5nwgVOD

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Accident Insurance Claim Tips

An accident insurance claim usually involves strict regulations and minute speculations which your insurance company will be able to go through with you. You should think properly before you decide on the claim and when you are ready with all the necessary details, call the insurance company.

Inform the company accordingly about the event either through phone or through person and provide as many details you can. Try to be straightforward while providing the information so that nothing is missed out. If there is any contradiction found between the event and the information, the full insurance cover may be jeopardized. There could even be delay in the payment.

If possible, produce the original documents and records as evidence and assist the officials from the insurance company including the investigator and the doctor (if applicable).

Types of Insurance claims
There are generally three types of accident claim scenarios and they are Car, Home and Travel. The details of these insurance claim situations are listed below for your reference.

Car - If you happen to be involved in a car accident, see if there are any casualties or injured people - if it is a serious situation call 000. Do the same if there is any hassles with the driver or if they are drunk.

On first instance, never admit your fault or take the liability of the incident and agree to pay them for the damage. If they force you, call the insurance company and inform your insurer.

Take down some necessary information as evidences that would be handy at the time of settlement of the claim. Note the names, contact numbers, addresses, phone numbers of the witnesses and the parties involved, even mention the speed limit of the car, as well as time and date for quick reference.

Ask for the insurance policy details from the driver and if possible take some pictures of the scene and construct a brief layout of the road.

Home - If you find yourself in any kind of trouble at home inform your insurer before you call the repair person. They will guide you with necessary assistance and will take the responsibility of helping to coordinate any repairs. This emergency assistance provided by the insurance company is an additional support, which is usually mentioned in the policy papers.

After you are out of trouble, check for any damage done to your house or property. Record every details of the damage with evidences such as pictures, a witness of the emergency, service provider, records of purchase of the properties that includes its prices, date, time, extent of damage and other related things. Submit your asserted claim to the company before the deadline and wait for their action.

Travel - Make sure your insurer is kept up to date with your medical state. It is also important to see a doctor before you travel to make sure you receive all necessary vaccines. Failure to do so may void your policy, so if you are unsure consult your insurer. If an event happens whilst on holiday be sure to gather and document as much evidence as you can then contact your insurer as soon as possible. Maintain all the medical records including prescriptions and receipts of medical bills. Keep in touch with the insurer and inform them about the current situation. For theft, report to the local police immediately and arrange for the written police report of the enquiry made by them. This report must be submitted to the insurer within 24 hours of the incident. Make a possible list of the items that got stolen and arrange for purchase receipts as proof of ownership. Make the insurer believe that there was no fault of your behalf and this was a mishap.

Remember it is better to be thorough with insurance claims than to be careless and risk missing out on a claim. If you are unsure about any part of the claims process you should contact your insurer to check and avoid making a costly mistake.

George Pettit is a journalist and financial specialist from Australia. He writes for several magazines about topics such as real estate, investments, accident insurance, currency trading and much other which attract attention of many readers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Pettit

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Fighting Bad Faith Insurance

When you pay insurance, you are paying a premium or other such fee just in case something happens. If something does occur, your insurance should help you pay for the damages if they are covered in your contract. However, sometimes insurance companies decide to deny you claim even if it is supposed to be covered in your insurance plan. This is called bad faith insurance

People rely on many different types of insurance to help protect them from future bills. For instance, medical or health insurance can aid in doctor payments, as well as expensive treatments should you need care in a hospital. Although you have paid your premium to your insurance company, they may decide to deny your claims so that they are not responsible for the high bills either. You can suffer from bad faith insurance with many other types of coverages, including:

Auto insurance

Homeowner's insurance

Dental insurance

If your insurance company has denied your rightful claim, there are several steps that you can take to protect your rights. First, many insurance companies allow for people to make appeals if their claim is denied. However, you should be very careful to follow your insurance provider's guidelines for appeals. For example, some companies require that you submit your appeal within a certain time after your initial letter of denial.

Should your company still refuse to pay your claim, you should enlist the help of a lawyer to help you fight for your rights. An attorney can help you go through your contract and make sure that the insurance provider is responsible for your claim. You may have to fight this bad faith insurance claim in court. If you are a victim of bad faith insurance, you should keep all of your correspondence with your insurance company regarding the claim so that you can submit it as evidence should you go to court.

It can be very intimidating to stand up to a large, powerful insurance company, and a lawyer can help. You have already paid for the coverage that you deserve, and it is unjust for the company to refuse to pay for your claim.

You should fight back today by visiting the website of the bad faith insurance attorneys from the Abel Law Firm today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_S_Caldwell

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