ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SHORT TERM HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS

Who Needs Short Term Health Insurance Plans?

Having one offers you peace of mind and ease of pocket by giving you protection against large medical bills. If you ever require medical care, these companies will share the burden of the medical bills with you. It is almost a necessity now with the ever-increasing cost of medical care and medications.

However, there may be some instances in your life that you may be left without the protection of a health insurance. For examples:

If you have just completed your education, your student health insurance that would have provided you coverage previously may have ceased tobe effective. If you are currently unemployed and looking for a job, you may be without a medical coverage. If you have just resigned from your job which previously offered you a group health insurance, you will be left without any until you find another. If you are travelling to U.S. for a short period of time as an international student or as an employee, you may want onw to cover you during your stay.

The great news is there is a perfect solution to these instances that you are left with no health insurance protection – a short term health insurance.

How Long Is Short Term?

While most of these plans cover you from one to six months, there are those that offer you coverage for up to a year. The period basically depends on your stipulation. You can always renew your short term health insurance plans if you require coverage for a longer period. However, most of them do not run for more than a year.

Advantages of Short Term Plans

They do not require you to undergo physical examinations The application process is easier with lesser paperwork and effort than for a general health insurance. However some companies may charge you a nominal fee for processing your application. Your coverage becomes effective from the time the company gets your first premium, which can be within 24 hours of submitting the application for the insurance. They do cover you for accidents and sudden illnesses. Often you are allowed to visit doctors and medical facilities of your choice.

Disadvantages of Short Term Plans

They usually do not cover pre-existing health conditions (something you may have received treatment for within the past 5 years). They also do not cover routine medical care such as dental, optical and medical check-ups. They do not cover medical bills pertaining to pregnancy and childbirth. They do not guarantee renewals. So suppose you had taken a 3-month plan and you get into an accident on the 3rd month, the company will cover your costs only for the 3rd month. However, you may need on-going medical care during the 4th and 5th months. You are not covered by the insurance during the 4th and 5th months and there is no guarantee that you current company will renew your policy. If you want to go somewhere else for a short term insurance policy, they will also not cover your medical costs pertaining to the accident as it will be considered a pre-existing condition. People with pre-existing conditions may find it difficult to get a short term health insurance. If they do get one, it would probably be more costly.

While short term health insurance may prove to be useful to many, there are some people who would prefer a general one. One reason is because, they may not know the exact time-frame they require the short term coverage. Furthermore, for those looking for a job, there is also no guarantee that their new employee will provide group medical plans. Study your needs and situation carefully when deciding on a short term health insurance.

Weight loss is all about burning more calories than you eat, but what’s the best way to do that? Knowing the basics of how to lose weight, how to exercise for weight loss and how to motivate yourself are essential for creating a program that works for you.

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know it can be a difficult process. But, there are ways to make it easier. Understanding exactly what you need to do to lose weight is your first step
Despite what you may think, losing weight isn’t a mysterious process. In fact, weight loss doesn’t even have to involve strange diets, special exercises or even the ‘magic’ of pills or fitness gadgets. Want the secret to weight loss? Make small changes each and every day and you’ll slowly (but surely) lose those extra pounds.

Rules of Weight Loss

To lose one pound, you must burn approximately 3500 calories  over and above what you already burn doing daily activities.
1.  Calculate your BMR  (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR is what your body needs to maintain normal functions like breathing, digestion, etc.
2. Calculate your activity level. Use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, etc. throughout the day.
3. Keep track of how many calories you eat. Use a food journal to add up what you eat and drink during the day. If you’re eating less calories than you’re burning, you’ll lose weight.

Setting weight loss goals is probably one of the more difficult things to do when you embark on an exercise and/or diet program. How much do you need to lose?

That question is hard to answer and often based on your particular goals. If you’re losing weight for your health, your goal might be more modest, say 5-10% of your current weight. But what if you have something more specific in mind like a certain clothing-size you want to fit into? How do you set a reasonable goal for yourself?

The key to setting weight loss goals is to follow the standard of goal setting. It needs to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible. Your first step is determining if you really need to lose weight.

Do You Need to Lose Weight?

If you talk to most people, you’ll probably find that everyone feels like they need to lose weight, even people who appear to be at a healthy weight. Often our weight loss goals are based on what we think we should look like rather than what’s reasonable for our bodies right now.

In general, a candidate for weight loss may have the following characteristics:

* A BMI of more than 25
* A Waist-Hip ratio of higher than .8 for women and higher than 1.0 for men
* An Abdominal Girth measurement of more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men

Of course, those aren’t the only clues that tell us we need to lose weight. There are those annoying indications like tight clothes, getting out of breath doing simple activities, or stepping on a scale for the first time in awhile. But, before you set goals based on what you think you should weigh, make sure you really need to lose weight.

Set Your Goals

If you’ve determined you do need to lose weight, your next step is to set a reasonable weight loss goal for yourself. You can base your goals on any number of  factors, but a great place to start would be the general recommendations set out by the American College of Sports Medicine which are 5-10% of body weight or one to two pounds per week.

Healthy Weight Loss