Where Does Health Insurance Come From?

We are all familiar with the concept of health insurance and most people have it in some form or another, but have you ever stopped to wonder how it all began? The idea of paying monthly or annual fees to cover the cost of our health issues seems to be a modern one, but the truth is that there is a long history behind it.
Centuries Old
The original idea of health insurance was brought into being by Hugh Chamberlen in 1694. By the time the 1800`s rolled around, people were able to buy accident insurance, which worked to help those who were injured in an accident or who ended up disabled.
The very first health plans only offered compensation if the victim was injured due to an accident on a steamboat or train. While not terribly useful, since there were more injuries related to other circumstances at the time, it did prepare people for the more comprehensive types of plans that would be developed later on by insurance companies.
In 1847, the Massachusetts Health Insurance of Boston offered the very first group insurance policy with comprehensive benefits. By the 1890`s, insurance companies were starting to issue individual policies that covered everything from injuries and accidents to sickness and disease.
Health Insurance During the War
Group insurance plans as we know them today didn`t start until 1929 when a group of teachers decided to create their own plan. They worked a deal with the Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas where they would pay a monthly fee in exchange for medical attention and recovery care whenever needed, for any member of the group.
The idea went over so well that it wasn`t long before Blue Cross health plans were designed. These were health plans that were negotiated specifically with the local hospitals or even specific doctors. Discounts were given to the plan holders and the entire process worked very well.
By the 1940`s, it was evident that more than these very basic types of health insurance was necessary. Some people couldn’t afford the monthly fees, but were still in need of the protection afforded by having insurance. This is when employee health insurance became common. Employers would negotiate a deal for their workers and while you worked in a specific workplace, you were covered by their health plan.
During the Second World War, there was a wage freeze. No one was allowed to offer higher wages, which made it virtually impossible to lure the best worker to your company. With so many men away from the country fighting, getting the remaining workers available because a war in and of itself. Health benefits became the new lure and before the war ended in 1945, hundreds of businesses were offering comprehensive health packages in exchange for working for them.
Modern Times, Modern Plans
In the 50`s and 60`s, the government began to take an interest in health care and social security began to include disability insurance in 1954. Medicare and Medicaid were both created in the mid-60`s and by the 90`s, most Americans were enrolled in a managed care health insurance program. While minor changes have been made in the years since then, the basic premise has remained intact.
Health insurance has come a long way since the days of steamboats and rail cars, but it`s even more important now with health care costs on the rise. Built on decades of practical application, modern health insurance allows people to enjoy proper health care and emergency care without having to worry about paying huge amounts of money to a hospital or doctor.

My First Real Estate Investing Deal And What You Can Learn From It

Every real estate investing deal is an opportunity for both profit and education. Well my first deal was a good combination of both. When I decided I wanted to get involved in real estate investing it took me eight months to decide to do my first deal.

This particular deal came as a result of networking in my local real estate investor group. A local Memphis investor found a deal on a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home in a moderate to lower income area where people still like to buy homes. This was a wholesale deal for the other investor and he assigned his contract to me to close on the deal. I was buying the property for $58,000 and $5,000 of that went to the investor for assigning the contract to me and $53,000 went to the seller of the property. I had the cash available so I paid all cash for this deal and for $4,000 in repairs this property needed. The after repaired value of the property was approximately 95k.

I had decided I wanted to do a rent to own or lease option deal with this property. I put a yard sign out with property flyers and had links to a website with inside pictures of the property. At the time I was doing this a more experienced investor told me I should try to retail the property and take the quick cash and go on to the next deal. Well as a new investor I wasn’t sure how long it would take for me to find my next good deal so I wanted to get the maximum out of this property. After about a month(and about $800 in ads) I found a tenant I considered suitable and agreed to take a $2500 option fee plus $875 per month and a sales price of $99,000. If the tenant pays the rent by the first of the month then $100 counts as pay down towards the purchase price. If I had sold the property quickly I may have sold for $89k and paid $5k in selling fees and netted about $20k and would have paid about $7k in taxes on that income. Instead by going after lease option it may take 2-6 years to sell and I should get a $99k or better selling price with much less selling costs and should net about $35k of which about $5k will be taxed as capital gains. The lease option method will net me about double what retailing would have done, however it would have been nice to have access to that cash for doing more deals. I think the $15,000 profit quickly would have been better than $30,000 in a couple of years plus the things I could have done with the $62,000 in cash I put into the property.

The tenant I chose has not once in the first nine months paid the rent on time so he hasn’t earned the $100 monthly rent credit, and has on average had to pay an extra $100 each month in late charges. I don’t expect this tenant will be able to refinance, however his job status and income have been going up while he has been in the property, and the current market value is now $105k. The tenants father is a mortgage broker and if I get to the point of evicting the son the father has told me to let him catch up the sons rent before filing for eviction so that part is really in my favor.

From a humanitarian perspective I like lease option deals as I am really helping someone who could not rent otherwise. I will only do a lease option to someone I believe is improving their credit and job situation and should be able to buy the house within 24 months. With 12 months of on time payments verified by copies of checks many mortgage brokers can get your tenant financed as a refinance type of deal.

In the event the tenant doesn’t buy the property within the first 2 years I can either lease option to another tenant or just try to outright sell the property. Even though the property provides great cash flow I would rather sell it and get a big check and use the cash to go after the next deal.

Some things I learned on this deal that you can use: 1. We had a yard sign with flyers in a flyer tube plus links to view pictures on a website. Before we would show the inside of the property we insisted any prospects should view the pictures online first. We ran ads in the major local newspaper and we got 20 times as many calls from the yard sign than we did from the newspaper. However this street had decent traffic, other properties I have are more secluded. Always use a yard sign and flyer box and have pics online with good descriptions and always highlight the kitchen and bathrooms. 2. If I had the deal to do all over again I would have retailed the house and tried to sell it quickly. I could have rolled this deals cash into more and more deals and made much more money. My opinion now is that every investor who isn’t already financially well off needs to go for the quick income first and progress to long term deals second. 3. I probably should have waited a little longer for a stronger tenant. 4. You can not do this type of lease option transaction in Texas now due to some strange laws that got passed in 2005. However I live in Tennessee and we don’t have any anti-investor state wide laws yet. We do have a bad local one related to trash left over from evictions but that is minor in comparison.

Umbrella Company Contractors Should be Excluded From New Legislation

Umbrella CompanyContractors employed by umbrella companies and who are often paid more than staff in end user organisations should be excluded from proposals to give temporary workers the same rights as permanent workers, says giant group plc, the contractor services provider. Proposals announced by the Government (20/05/08) to give equal rights to temps after 12 weeks, including pay, could be implemented as early as next year. According to giant, the UK Government needs to ensure that a concession included in the draft of the EU Temporary Workers Directive (TWD), that aims to exclude contractors operating through umbrella companies from equal rights, should be incorporated into legislation introduced in the UK. Limited company contractors may also be excluded from the legislation. PressureHowever, the UK Government is under pressure from the unions to ditch the ?Swedish derogation?, as the umbrella company exclusion is known, from UK legislation, warns giant. Matthew Brown, Managing Director, giant group, says: ?It would be absurd if the UK Government introduced legislation that in some areas is more draconian than the Directive it is currently blocking in Europe simply to appease the unions. ??Contractors working through umbrella companies are already employees, so if they were included in the legislation the Government would effectively be saying that employees in entirely separate organisations should be paid the same purely because they are working in close proximity. That would be a ridiculous position. ?Paid MoreHe adds: ?Umbrella company contractors in knowledge-based industries like IT, finance or engineering are usually paid significantly more than the employees at the organisations they are seconded to, so their inclusion in this legislation would be unnecessary as well as potentially unworkable. ?According to giant, the cost of using contractors could rise significantly if umbrella company contractors are included in the proposed legislation. This could reduce their attractiveness to end users and undermine the flexibility of the UK workforce. Matthew Brown says: ?The Government needs to clarify its position and stop sending out mixed signals. It has been staunchly opposed to extending rights to high end contractors at European level, but it needs to acknowledge the ?one-size-fits-all? approach is not appropriate for UK legislation as well. ?

Getting the Best from Phoenix Dentists

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Taking care of your teeth goes beyond merely brushing and flossing. It is advised not just by Phoenix dentists, but also dentists from all over the world, to visit your local dentist every six months to ensure that your pearly whites remain as such. No matter how beautiful or handsome you might be, having teeth that are not properly cared for can cause you to experience a variety of different diseases that can cause you to become extremely self-conscious of your overall appearance.

Because of the importance of ensuring that you and your family’s teeth remain healthy and shiny, it is not surprising to find a number of different dental clinics springing forth in your local community. There are even some clinics that advertise their services over the Internet. Here are some tips on how to choose the right Phoenix dentist to take care of you and your family’s teeth.

Range of Services

One of the things to look for among Phoenix dentists is the range of services that they provide. Some of the most common services provided include root canal treatments, crown treatments, whitening treatments and regular cleaning services. While these services are generally what many families would need, it is also highly recommended to find Phoenix dentists that would also provide you additional services to help you with more serious dental problems such as realigning your teeth through innovative means such as invisalign Phoenix services and fixing for misshapen and damaged teeth. This is to ensure that your dentist would be extremely familiar with you and your family’s dental history and would not have to keep on transferring from one dental clinic to another.

Accessibility

If you have young children in your family, it is extremely important to make sure that your dentist can be reached at any time of the day. Opting to go for a 24 hour dentist Phoenix clinic that accommodates walk-in emergency dental care Phoenix patients can make sure that you and your family would not need to have to wait in line as you or your family member struggles with the pains brought about by toothaches and other dental discomforts.

Financial Assistance

Professional dental care does not come in cheap. As such, another thing to look for when selecting which of the many Phoenix dentists in the city to care for you and your family is the modes of payments that they are willing to accept for your treatment. Apart from your health insurance and credit cards, look for a 24 hour dentist Phoenix clinic that would be more than happy to provide you financial plans to help you pay your dental care bills, particularly in times when you would require emergency dental care Phoenix assistance that would involve surgery. This way, you can be rest assured that you and your family?s teeth is properly cared for without blowing off your budget.

How Do to Stop Your Gut From Growing

Copyright (c) 2008 Anderson Training Systems

While training at the gym today, I looked in the mirror and realized that, although I’m toning up and starting to show definition, my gut seems to be growing! I know there is no such thing as spot-reducing, but what do you recommend I do to shed the love handles?

There are a couple of things that quickly flash to mind with your question.

1. Unfortunately, when we start to lose body fat, which it sounds as if you are doing, the fat usually does not come from the areas we most want it to come from first. As your “losses” continue, however, you should start to see the fat coming off your stomach area as well. Keep in mind that gender and genetics play a fairly large role in determining when and where changes occur during the process of reducing body fat.

2. The second thing that comes to mind is that the loss of fat from other areas creates the illusion that your stomach is growing even though, in actuality, it is staying the same.

Solutions:

Whenever I hear of individuals having trouble with body composition goals, I always look toward their nutrition first. Below is a list of some very common deficiencies.

1. Not enough vegetables in the plan. I usually recommend 4-6 cups of vegetables per day. Not only do vegetables have very high nutrient levels, they also have a lot of fiber.

2. Water is often a neglected nutrient. You should be drinking one ounce per pound of body weight of pure water every day. Dehydration severely inhibits your ability to lose body fat.

3. Not enough essential fatty acids. Flaxseed and fish oils should also have a place in your nutrition plan. At least one serving of each per day will insure that you are getting these very important nutrients that assist in keeping cholesterol and hormone levels normal and in maintaining numerous other body functions.

4. Protein is the final neglected nutrient. My general advice is to try and eat one gram per pound of body weight per day. These are not just some hair-brained dietary recommendations that I have come up with on my own. I have compiled this knowledge from listening to some of the best nutrition experts in the country, along with having analyzed hundreds of dietary recall journals.

The above deficiencies were apparent in almost every journal I analyzed. If you do have all of your nutritional “ducks” in order, however, then one more aspect you will want to consider is anaerobic interval training.

Basically, this type of training entails working at 90-100% of your maximum effort, recovering from that effort, and then repeating the effort again. I would recommend starting out with a moderate amount of time, something in the 15 minute range. The goal with this type of training is to steadily reduce the amount of rest needed between each effort. I have had some great results using this type of training in accomplishing body composition goals. Although this type of training can be a catalyst in helping break through a body composition plateau, you should not be overly reliant on it. I always recommend getting things straight with your nutrition first.

I hope you now have a better understanding of why your “gut seems to be growing” and have gained some helpful insight into how to accomplish your body composition goals. I wish you much luck in your continuing body composition changes.

Protecting Your Home From Fire

Fire is a big danger to buildings, and just having a smoke alarm might not be enough to protect your home. Have you ever considered having the same kind of sprinkler you see in commercial and public buildings installed in the home? Studies have reported that if you have a sprinkler system installed, the chances of surviving a fire in your home are increased by more then eighty percent. Because of this, some communities are now requiring fire sprinklers in new construction. For instance, Scottsdale, AZ has required home sprinkler systems since 1986. No one in that area who lives in one of these homes has died in a fire since then.
While we think of ugly ceiling nozzles when sprinklers are mentioned, newer systems can be concealed in the ceiling or wall, and will pop out when they are active. Newer sprinklers also don’t cause much damage if they are accidentally set off. This is because each individual sprinkler head is activated by heat, so they only go off as needed. Sprinkler systems are also water conservative, compared to a fire hose, and respond much faster than a fire truck could hope to.
Home fire protection varies in cost. Factors which may influence the cost of your sprinkler system include your location, and whether or not you are installing your sprinklers in a new home. Older homes may cost more to remodel. In new homes, sprinkler inclusion is around a dollar per square foot, a cost which is soon offset by the discount you’ll receive from your homeowners insurance company. Retrofitting your house with a new sprinkler system will cost about twice as much as putting sprinklers in new construction.
While this may seem expensive, recall that repairing your home after a fire will cost even more. In Scottsdale, homes which suffered fire damage but had a sprinkler system installed averaged around $2,200 in damage costs. By comparison, conventional homes with no sprinkler system averaged $45,000 in damage bills.
The NFPA, the agency which governs fire sprinklers produced for the home, currently recommends two kinds of sprinklers. The first is a separated system. It ties directly into your water main and is unrelated to your home water system. The second type is attached to your existing water system. In either system, you have the option of mounting sprinkler heads on the ceiling or in the wall. These heads can be recessed or otherwise hidden, and are capable of covering around 400 square feet of floor area. Each head is individually activated by heat, so that only sprinklers around the fire will go off. This minimizes unwanted water damage.

Broken Auto Glass? Glendale AZ Isn’t Immune From Crime

Home Insurance in the UK – Protecting yourself From a Financial Disaster

It is absolutely vital in this day and age that homeowners consider purchasing home insurance in the UK. This form of insurance is designed as a means of protecting one house, and furniture and other belongings that are inside. There are a variety of different types of homeowners insurance available to residents of the UK, and it is important to understand what each policy offers and at what cost these benefits are offered.

Forced Out From Our Home By Foreclosure

I never thought that we can think, but my wife and I were fired from a huge federal project when the government cut funding. We tried to find more work, but they were competing for positions with hundreds of our former colleagues, so it is very difficult to find a decent job with decent pay. We sold one of our cars and reduce our budget, but still fell behind in our mortgage payment. Boston is very expensive housing market and our home loan was just too much to handle.
The bank forclosed on the house and we had to move to a new city in the short term. None of us knew much about the residential relocation, such as how to find a good search engine or a property in another city. We try to remember who helped us when we moved to Boston, but none of us could remember. There was such a large number of engines and many of them claimed to be "residential relocation experts" did not know which one to call or where to start.

Home Mortgage: Stay Away From Mistakes That Can Be High-priced

The purchase of a home is exciting and overwhelming all at once. There is no doubt that he faces several different decisions and in all likelihood will fail occasionally. It is a fact that there are some errors in home mortgage may be more costly than others.