Best Cooking Oils for Healthy Living

Advertisers and marketers are clever, tricking millions of people into buying and consuming cooking oils because of their low fat content. But the truth is, many “heart-healthy” cooking oils are bad for other aspects of your health and/or are made with genetically-modified and processed ingredients. So what cooking oils are the best to use? You want an oil that is made with natural ingredients; check the nutrition label for words you can pronounce. These three cooking oils are some of the best available:

• Coconut oil: Raw virgin coconut oil often turns people away because it has the consistency of a paste rather than a liquid. However, coconut oil is a very healthy cooking oil that gives food a delightful tropical note (which can be masked by bolder flavors if desired). How healthy is it? The purest forms of coconut oil are linked to weight loss, heart health, increased metabolism and healthy skin. Though best used for low-heat cooking or baking, refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point that can handle hotter temperatures, albeit with fewer health benefits.
  
  
• Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil (first cold pressed) contains healthy fats and antioxidants, which gives it anti-inflammatory properties. First cold pressed simply means that the olives are pressed exactly one time, at a temperature no higher than 86 degrees, to extract the purest and best quality oil from the fruit. Olive oil is best for low-heat cooking, making it a great choice for salad dressings and drizzling over pasta and other favorite dishes.
  
  
• Avocado oil: Avocado oil—though higher in polyunsaturated fats (PUFA), which can lead to inflammation if consumed in excess—is a healthy choice when used sparingly. It complements olive oil and coconut oil nicely because its higher smoke point makes it a better choice for frying and other high-heat cooking methods. If you tend to use this oil more often, you may want to purchase a brand that offers avocado oil with low PUFA content for an even healthier experience.

Learn more about how you can stay healthy. Call us at 813-933-6691 for more information on Tampa health insurance.

How Does ObamaCare Influence Your Health Insurance?

Although the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, the full effects of the legislation have yet to trickle down to ordinary health insurance policies. The main principles behind so-called 'Obama Care' are the reduction of healthcare costs and the efforts to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health insurance. The act has also been designed to widen the scope of Medicaid and ensure that the estimated 33 million Americans without insurance can purchase affordable policies. However, this legislation is complicated, so breaking it down into its main points is the best way to fully understand it.

What Are the Main Points Of 'ObamaCare'?

1. A Sliding Scale of Maximum Premiums - A family of four earning a combined annual income of $29,000 or less will be eligible for Medicaid. Families earning between 133% and 400% of the national poverty line will receive tax credits to assist in the purchase of private insurance. Insurance premiums will be subject to a cap of 6.3% for a household that has a combined income that falls between 150% and 200% of the official poverty line. Premiums will be capped at 9.5% of household incomes when those incomes are between 200% and 400% of the poverty line.
2. Financial Penalties for Those Who Don't Purchase Insurance - The act defines the affordability of insurance as a policy that does not exceed 8% of a person's income. Those who can afford to buy health insurance but refuse to do so will be ordered to pay a 'fine' of $695 or 2.5% - whichever is greater.
3. Discriminatory Practices Will Be Banned - Insurance companies will not be allowed to increase premiums or refuse coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions except in a few circumstances, such as coverage for the elderly or for smokers. However, restrictions are in place to limit discriminatory premium increases to a ratio of 3 to 1.
4. Creation of a More Competitive Market - From 2018, a 35% tax will be imposed on employee health insurance plans in excess of $10,200 for one year of individual coverage. It is hoped that this will force employees to shop around for the cheapest policies possible, thus forcing insurance companies to keep their prices low. Online healthcare exchanges will be state or federally-operated marketplaces for the purchase of health insurance policies. It is hoped that, over time, giving people the chance to compare policies on an equal basis will drive prices down.
5. Tighter Regulation for Insurance Companies - Insurance companies now have to spend between 80% and 85% of the income they receive from premium payments on medical care. This legislation is designed to limit spending on executive bonuses, administration and marketing. Companies that underspend on healthcare expenses will be forced to give their customers rebates. Both drug manufacturers and insurance companies will be faced with a substantial annual bill in order to finance this overhaul in America's healthcare system.

It is too early to tell whether or not these changes will result in lower premiums for the American people. 'Obama Care' will provide the insurance industry with 32 million new paying customers, but insurers will be forced to spend more money on care, provide cover for anyone who wants it and provide coverage without discrimination. Insurers may also be forced to provide preventive care in many situations. Increased and more transparent competition could drive prices downwards over time. However, experts and analysts currently have very different views on whether 'Obama Care' will lead to price reductions in the long-term.
This is a complicated issue, but if you feel you need to seek advice from a market expert, give us a call at 866-933-6691. We are here to explain your options and guide you through the relevant changes in the law. You can also get an online Tampa health insurance quote.

What is a Certificate of Insurance?

Insurance of all kinds is generally intangible. Whether you are talking about auto insurance, life insurance, home insurance or flood insurance--you can’t hold insurance and you can’t sense it. Upon entering a car or premise, you won’t even know insurance is “present” unless someone tells you.

Generally, it doesn’t matter that you can’t touch, feel or sense an insurance policy. As the insured you pay your premium when it is due and you know that, should disaster strike, your policy will be useful. You have proof of your payments and somewhere, where you store your most important documents, a copy of a policy.

But there are times when you need some sort of physical proof that you are insured and if you don’t have a policy or if you need something with a current date proving that you are still consistently paying your premium, it is then that a certificate of insurance is a useful tool.

The Certificate of Insurance

A certificate of insurance is a document issued by an insurer that discloses details about your insurance coverage. It can disclose the owner of the policy’s information, information about the insured property or person (for life insurance policy) as well as the amount of insurance and the incidents that are covered.

Continue reading "What is a Certificate of Insurance?"
or contact us at (813) 933-6691 to learn more about Tampa Insurance.

Understanding Health Insurance Terms - Tampa, Florida

The overall idea of health insurance is easy to comprehend but behind is a complex product that you should understand in order to get the best product for you.

Health Insurance Terminology

Benefit: Health insurance benefits are financial terms and parameters of the services that are covered under your health insurance policy.

COBRA: The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) ensures group health insurance participants that they can continue receiving coverage under a group policy for a limited period of time after leaving the group. The COBRA act also protects dependents in the event that the group member dies or divorces them. This is exclusively helpful to individuals who are uninsurable or highly rated as a result of pre-existing conditions.

Coinsurance: Coinsurance is a percentage that the insured pays after the deductible has been met and does not generally exceed 20% of the cost of the procedure, treatment or visit.

Copayment: After your deductible has been reached, or in an insurance policy with no deductible, there is a flat fee that you must pay for the services you receive each time you receive them. This is called copayment.

Deductible: The deductible is the amount of money you must pay before your insurance company will begin paying any benefit.

Exclusions: The exclusions are any medical condition, illness or injury whose medical expenses are not included for coverage under the plan and that sometimes are referred to as riders.

Explanation of Benefits (EOB): Your insurance company will send you an accounting of all the procedures you had, the cost of the procedures and the amount the insurer paid for them under your policy. This is called EOB.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): The HIPAA governs the electronic privacy standards of health insurers and guarantees insurability after COBRA coverage ends as long as there has been continuous creditable coverage without a break of 63 days or longer (this number can vary depending on your state of residence).

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): Health insurance ‘works’ because there is a network of medical facilities and doctors willing to perform services at the predetermined insurance company’s rate and to bill the insurance company for payment. When you have an HMO plan, you have a restricted network that you can visit for treatment. If you visit anyone outside that network there will be no insurance benefit paid against your claim and any out-of-pocket expenses will not be considered as part of your deductible.

Pre-existing conditions: If you were diagnosed with a chronic illness or injury before you became insured, this is considered a pre-existing condition. In group insurance, pre-existing conditions can be excluded in most states if you had a 63-day or longer gap in creditable coverage. Individual policies can exclude pre-existing conditions in most states whether or not there has been a gap in coverage. Some pre-existing conditions can even render the consumer uninsurable.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): A PPO is similar to an HMO, but they offer a minimal benefit if you decide to visit a healthcare provider or facility outside the network of medical facilities and doctors.

To learn more about Health Insurance contact us today (813) 933-6691 or get a quote.