What are the different types of health insurance?

Different types of health insurance plans meet different needs. When you compare options, it's important to understand how they are structured.

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs)

HMOs and EPOs may limit coverage to providers inside their networks. A network is a list of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers that provide medical care to members of a specific health plan. If you use a doctor or facility that isn't in the HMO’s network, you may have to pay the full cost of the services provided.

HMO members usually have a primary care doctor and mu
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Citigroup splits with Birla Sun Life after deal with AIA Group

MUMBAI: Birla Sun Life Insurance faces pressure on its business after Citigroup, which contributed close to 15% of its business, exited their tie-up following an international deal to distribute products of the AIA Group, one of the largest insurance firms in Asia.  "Citi has moved out of its tie-up with Birla Sun Life Insurance," an executive with Birla Sun Life said. "They contributed 10-15% of the income on an average every year."   http://www.myallagents.com/Citigroup-splits-with-Birla-Sun-Life-after-deal-with-AIA-Group/details.html

Travel And Marine Insurance All Set To Rise With Rupee Depreciation

With dollar appreciating by around 20% against the rupee, general insurance companies have obtained approval of market regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority to raise the premium amount on travel insurance. Industry experts believe that rise in premium amount could be over 10%, which is in proportion to rise in the claim cost.  http://www.myallagents.com/Travel-And-Marine-Insurance-All-Set-To-Rise-With-Rupee-Depreciation/details.html

Insurance Giant Scraps Its Existing 14 Policies To Confirm To New Regulations

With regard to compliance of new regulations implemented by market regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), which aims at making insurance policies more customers centric, insurance giant Life Insurance Corporation of India scrapped / will scrape 14 of its existing policies. These policies include Jeevan Mitra, Anmol Jeevan, Convertible Term Assurance Policies, Children Deferred Endowment Assurance, Jeevan Paramukh Plan, LIC’s Bima Account and Jeevan Nidhi. Other polices that are expected to be scrapped are Jeevan Aastha, Market Plus I, Jeevan Nischay and Jeevan Varsha  .http://www.myallagents.com/Insurance-Giant-Scraps-Its-Existing-14-Policies-To-Confirm-To-New-Regulations/details.html

Premium is a wrong metric to measure insurers' health

Over the last few days, an advertisement placed by a body called 'Global Federation of Insurance Associations' has appeared in a number of publications. This advertisement is written in the form of an open letter to the Prime Minister, with copy to the finance, commerce and parliamentary affairs ministers. The letter is essentially an exhortation to get the amended insurance bill passed and talks almost entirely about the that passing this bill will bring about and the signal it will send about India being 'open for business'.  
. http://www.myallagents.com/Premium-is-a-wrong-metric-to-measure-insurers-health/details.html

Declined risk pool could be on its way out

General insurance companies have asked the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) to dismantle the “declined risk pool” in third-party (TP) insurance of commercial vehicles. Irda dismantled the TP motor pool in December 2011 and decided to form a declined pool, effective April 1, 2012. The move let insurers price vehicles based on claims.  http://www.myallagents.com/Declined-risk-pool-could-be-on-its-way-out/details.html

Things to know about reviving a lapsed insurance policy

A life insurance policy lapses when the due premium has not been paid even within the grace period. A lapsed policy means that the benefit of insurance will not be available to protect the financial interest of the dependants in the event of the death of the insured. A lapsed cover can be revived by the policyholder during the period allowed by insurer before its maturity. The procedure for revival depends on the type of policy and the duration of its lapse.   http://www.myallagents.com/Things-to-know-about-reviving-a-lapsed-insurance-policy/details.html

LIC buys Rs 4,300-crore debt from bond auctions of seven states

MUMBAI: State-run Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has bought debt worth about Rs 4,300 crore in state bond auctions conducted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), starting the fiscal with its first big-ticket investment after clocking nearly 10 per cent growth in premium collection last year.

The country's biggest insurer bought about four-fifths of the total notified amount in the auction conducted on Wednesday. State development loans (SDL) are the bonds issued by different state governments and sold through a process of RBI auction. 

.http://www.myallagents.com/LIC-buys-Rs-4300crore-debt-from-bond-auctions-of-seven-states/details.html 

Is it time to upgrade your life cover? Know what's best for you

Thanks to the growing awareness about the importance of life insurance cover, many individuals, especially the young executive types, buy a term life insurance as soon as they start their career. However, the trouble is: typically these covers would be very small, mostly Rs 10 lakh or below , say insurance advisors. This would inevitably lead to some complications in future. When the person gets married, have kids or takes a huge loan, he or she would need a larger cover. However, buying a cover at that time may not be an easy task.  
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AXA Assistance, iJet foray into Indian risk management market

NEW DELHI: Risk management solutions provider AXA Assistance and iJet International have announced their foray into India and are aiming to provide solutions to about 10 domestic firms this year in sectors such as IT.  The two global companies are targeting Indian corporate houses which send employees abroad and hire expats.  "Our aim this year is to tie up with at least 10 such companies," AXA Assistance Director Pradeep Bery told a new agency.  Both the firms have partnered to deliver combined security and medical response solutions in India.  "We have come together to provide comprehensive, integrated security and medial response solutions to corporates, expatriates and even students going abroad for education," Bery said.  However, he did not disclose the revenue sharing mechanism between the firms.   http://www.myallagents.com/AXA-Assistance-iJet-foray-into-Indian-risk-management- market/details.html

In one sentence, purchasing insurance online is convenient, fast and usually cost you lesser. The insurers know the potential of this distribution channel and therefore have the entire product range-from life to health, motor and travel-available on the net for you. With click of a mouse you can buy any policy from any corner of the world at any point of time.  Buying Benefits: The distribution efficiency also leads to cost efficiency. Since the customer buys directly from the insurer, the distributor's margin (or commissions) is saved. Also, the entire process is carried in the virtual world and is paperless, reducing the costs further. These savings are usually shared with the customer in the form of lower premiums.   http://www.myallagents.com/Advantages-of-online-insurance/details.html

LIC of India buys 85.46 lakh shares of Axis Bank

On March 21, 2014 Citigroup Global Markets Mauritius Private Limited bought 38,23,250 shares of  Axis Bank  at Rs 1,316.13 on the BSE and Goldman Sachs Singapore Pte bought 23,50,000 shares at Rs 1,323.57. Also, Life Insurance Corporation of India bought 40,54,842 shares at Rs 1,313.25 and 44,91,667 shares at Rs 1,313.25 on the BSE. However, Unit Trust Of India D.R.F. sold 1,28,90,859 shares at Rs 1,316.27 and UTI I A/C D.R.F. sold 1,44,15,666 shares at Rs 1,315.51 on 
 http://www.myallagents.com/LIC-of-India-buys-8546-lakh-shares-of-Axis-Bank/details.html  

Women LIC agents block Kozhikode divisional office

KOZHIKODE: A group of women agents of the Life Insurance Corporation blockaded the Kozhikode divisional office of LIC on Friday. The LIC staff were prevented to go out of the office for lunch by a group of over 100 women agents.
Protesters alleged that the LIC officials had trapped them by giving misleading information.
People, who had invested under the Jeevan Madhur Micro Finance Policy scheme, were not returned their money even after the fixed tenure 
http://www.myallagents.com/Women-LIC-agents-block-Kozhikode-divisional-office/details.html

LIC seen selling banks, IT shares: Dealers

Life Insurance Corp was spotted selling IT and bank shares after a recent rally, said four dealers at brokerages that handle trades on behalf of India's largest state-run insurer. 

"LIC has been a consistent seller of Indian shares during this rally, and the pace would increase only till elections," one of the dealers said. 

LIC officials were not immediately reachable for comments. 

NSE's banking sub-index gains 0.5 per cent while IT sub-index falls 0.7 per cent at 0828 GMT. 

Source: The Economic Times 

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All insurers may offer digitised policies from July

All life insurance companies may be required to offer insurance policies in a digitised format from July onwards. In a recent meeting with the insurance industry, sources said that Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) had asked companies to tie-up with all insurance repositories. At present, several insurers like Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC ) do not offer the facility of electronic policy since they have not tied-up with any repository. 
http://www.myallagents.com/All-insurers-may-offer-digitised-policies-from-July/details.html 

LIC close to seizing Unitech's Noida land

NEW DELHI: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has taken "notional possession" of a slice of real estate major Unitech's 350-acre land parcel in Noida after the company failed to repay a part of its nearly Rs 150-crore loan from the country's largest insurer.
In a 'Notional Possession Notice' issued, LIC cautioned the public against dealing with the land parcels in sectors 96, 97 and 98 in Noida, which is prime property along the expressway that connects the Delhi suburb with Greater Noida. Bankers said "notional possession" is a step short of taking physical control of an asset, although the property remains under the company's charge. The property can be handed back to the company once the accounts are settled. 
.http://www.myallagents.com/LIC-close-to-seizing-Unitechs-Noida-land/details.html 

Do not delay filing an insurance claim

Getting insurance companies to pay claims is the hard part at times. Though the claims ratio of most insurance companies is 94-98 per cent, claimants often have to run pillar to post to get these. There are various reasons due to which claims can be rejected. Among these is a delay on the part of theclaimant. Under the Limitation Act, a claimant has to tell the company about the death in three years. The company can refuse to pay the claim if told beyond this period. But, in case of genuine reasons, the company has to pay.  http://www.myallagents.com/Do-not-delay-filing-an-insurance-claim/details.html

I-Life Secure Online Plan Launched By Aviva India

Mr. Rishi Piparaiya, Director – Marketing and Banassurance at Aviva India announced the launch of on-line life insurance plan i-life secure. This plan provides for guaranteed income for 15 years post death of the life insured. Adding to the above, he said that this plan ensures that the family of the deceased and their needs are protected, whether it is the child’s school fees, EMI for housing loan or protection of the family by way of regular income.   http://www.myallagents.com/ILife-Secure-Online-Plan-Launched-By-Aviva-India/details.html

Liberty Videocon hopes to meet business target by March

MUMBAI: Private sector general insurer Liberty Videocon is confident of achieving its initial target of Rs 120 crore in the first year of operations on the back of growth in motor and commercial verticals, a top company official said here today.  "Our target for this fiscal, which is the first year of our operations, is Rs 120 crore. We have already collected a premium of around Rs 65 crore as of now, which is in line with our initial target," Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Videocon General Insurance, Roopam Asthana, told PTI in an interaction here.  The new entrant to the general insurance industry said around 70 per cent of premium was collected from its retail business, while rest 30 per cent is from commercial segments.   http://www.myallagents.com/Liberty-Videocon-hopes-to-meet-business-target-by-March/details.html

 

CHRISTMAS IS FOR LOVE

Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for reuniting with family and friends, for tinsel and brightly decorated packages. But mostly, Christmas is for love. I had not believed this until a small elf-like student with wide-eyed innocent eyes and soft rosy cheeks gave me a wondrous gift one Christmas. 

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