March 2020

In Finance

10 Terms Related To Health Insurance Policies You Should Know About

March 10, 2020 No Comments

With the recent technological advancements, it has become easier than ever to purchase a health insurance policy. You don’t have to continue with the hassle of visiting an insurance company and get in touch with an agent in order to buy one. With just the click of a button, you can complete all the formalities online. On the contrary, with such an ease of use, people are finding it hard to understand, which insurance policy will work best for them.

If you are buying your Health Insurance Policy from an agent, chances are that they might explain all the important terminologies associated with the insurance policy. But if you are going to opt for the same from an online website, it is very important to become vigilant and make your purchase according.

The harsh reality

Truth to be told, the majority of us doesn’t even bother to read the entire terms and conditions that are put forward to us, through the insurance company. Be it a life insurance, health insurance, travel insurance or even health insurance policy, we just sign off without even having a proper glance through all the numbers. One of the major concerns regarding such, we might end up choosing the wrong insurance policy without even realizing it.

Our inability to understand the importance of the situation comes from the time and effort that one needs to put forward for further research. Now, one might argue that it is completely ok not to know about the conditions applied in the first place, but the same can haunt us in the coming unforeseeable future while making the claim. That is exactly why it is very important to know at least some of the basic terms that are associated with the insurance policy. We have jotted down the points below in order to create awareness among the policy holders for making a smarter choice.

Top ten health insurance policies related terms that everyone should know about:

1) Policy holder

Policy holder is generally defined as the individual, under whose name the policy is being registered. In other terms, a policy holder can also be defined as the person whose name is there in the official records. But, under several circumstances, the policy holder might not be the person whose life is being insured. Take for example- you can always opt for a life insurance for your wife, in which case, you shall be deemed as the policy holder while your wife is the person whose life shall be insured.

2) Assignment

An assignment is termed as the circumstance where the entire insurance policy is transferred from the policy holder to a completely different individual. In most of the cases, such assignments are exercised where the policy holder opts for a load with the life insurance being the collateral. During such practices, once the assignment is completed, the new policy holder can avail all the benefits once the life insurance policy holder passes away.

3) Nominee

Nominee is perhaps one of the most common terms you have ever come across. In case of life insurance, a nominee is defined as the individual, who shall avail all the benefits of life insurance, after the demise of the policy holder.

4) Beneficiary

Beneficiary is someone who you may or may not consider as a nominee. The term beneficiary is often associated with the with regards to monetary interest with the policy holder. A beneficiary can also be certain someone who is the legal heir of the organization to whom actually the policy holder owes money.

5) Claim

The instance where the insurance company needs to pay the assured money to the policy holder/ nominee is often termed as a claim. According to the variation of the situation, the amount of claim tends to change.

6) Coverage

Every insurance policy is bound to protect their policy holder from certain life assurances. Such assurances could range from protection against certain ailments, accidents, and even long term lie covers. The coverage always varies according to the life insurance company and their terms and conditions.

7) Exclusions

Just like a life insurance plan is bound to save your life with certain coverage, the same can be applied for the instances where it fails to do. Exclusion for an insurance policy can be defined as the situations where the life insurance policy will not pay the policy holder or the nominee, with the claim. One such instance is suicide. During such instance, the assured individual is not paid any benefits.

8) Premium

In order to avail the benefits of a health insurance, you need to pay a certain amount every month/quarter/year. This is known as a premium. The premium varies according to the age, duration and total amount assured to the policy holder. Before you opt for a health insurance policy, make sure to check out the premium that needs to be paid and where you can afford the same or not.

9) Maturity/ Death Benefits

The maturity or death benefit can be termed as the overall sum that is provided after the completion of the entire insurance policy. Now keep in mind, not all the insurance policies provide a maturity benefit. You can also opt for a health insurance plan which only provides death benefits after the demise of the policy holder.

10) Rider

There are several instances where an individual can choose to opt for further protections from their insurance policy as compared to that of their base plan. This is what, commonly defined as rider. The rider is nothing by an add on which is provided by the insurer. Now, according to your insurance provider, the rider can drastically vary.

Bottom Line

Once you get a clear understanding of all the various health insurance policies buzzwords, you can easily create the perfect plan for yourself to get the insurance policy that works best for you and fits your budget. Just remember, there is always a trade-off between lower costs and higher coverage amount. Always choose wisely, and your decision will pay off in the future.

In Tech

Common Automatic Windows Drivers

March 10, 2020 No Comments

What are Windows drivers? One can look at this question in a few different ways. The most concise answer would come from a practical standpoint. Windows drivers are small compiled libraries of computer code that tie into the underlying operating system. When Windows sees hardware it looks for instructions on how to use them.

To go with the library metaphor, one could think of the driver file as the volume on a shelf. The data within that volume would, in a library, be step by step instructions. But in Windows drivers it’s compiled functions written in computer code. This might code for what to do if a button has been pressed on a mouse. Or it could relate to something more complex.

All of that is also the beauty of a driver. Like a well-indexed library it takes very complicated things and simplifies how one relates to it all. However, that does leave a question hanging. Earlier on a question was raised about what a driver is. This is a technical explanation. But there’s a more important real-world description to be found.

A more real-world description of computer drivers is that it’s something that makes operating systems easy to use. Windows often automate the process. And one can divide drivers under windows into two categories. There are specialty drivers and common automatic windows drivers. Specialty drivers are associated with more exotic hardware. The best example of this type of driver can be found with video card manufacturers. Video cards are one of the single most competitive fields in computing. The only area that’s arguable as fast-paced is that of processor development. But processors work toward a standard with the very foundation of computers. This means that they don’t typically need any real driver support. They deal with the BIOS, which is a similar but still distinct topic.

Graphics drivers, on the other hand, do work through the standard driver methodology. What’s not so standard about them is how they’re managed. Graphics drivers usually rely on installers developed by the graphics card manufacturer. It’s one of those situations where it can look odd when examined directly. But it’s been the standard for so long that most people just consider it the everyday reality for how advanced graphics drivers are handled in Windows.

However, the real common everyday reality of Windows driver support is much closer to the ideal. Earlier on a reference was made to the fact that Windows can automatically update or install some drivers. What happens in these cases is that Windows notices new hardware and it searches the local installation base for compatible drivers. If it can’t find those drivers than it’ll make a note of that fact. For example, the hardware manager will have a question mark on that item. One can tell windows to go online to look for drivers. One goes to settings in the start menu. From there one chooses Updates and Security. From here one goes to Windows Update. Finally, one only has to push the Check for updates button. Windows will search a central database for any drivers and install those it finds.

The only problem there is that Microsoft is working on quite a few things at the same time. There’s a huge amount of hardware out there and Microsoft is only one company. They’re a huge company, but anyone who needs to serve as a jack of all trades will have difficulty perfecting all of them. This is why many people prefer to augment that automatic update system with third party automatic update services. This type of automated update service can even handle a lot of the more niche hardware situations.

In Law

What Happens if my Insurance Claim is Denied After a Car Accident?

March 9, 2020 No Comments

If you have been in a car accident that caused you injury and resulted in medical bills, then one of the first steps that you probably took was to file a claim for compensation of those expenses. An injury that was sustained in a car accident is a significant life event that has vast implications on both your physical health and financial well-being. However, there are times that you do everything right and your claim still gets declined. In a perfect world, the process would be easy and painless. That’s not always the case. So, if you have your claim denied, then the next steps become slightly more complicated. However, you do have options and ways to recoup your losses.

With the help of an experienced personal injury attorney and some additional information along with the help of this knowledge base, you might be able to reverse the decision that was made by the insurance company and recoup your losses from an accident.

Steps to Take

The most important thing to know when your claim has been denied is the steps that you can take to remedy the situation. One of the most common reasons that claims will be denied is that there was not enough evidence and documentation provided in the original claim. So, when you are denied your claim, be sure to read exactly why and learn the reason why your claim was denied. This will be crucial information to help decide what your next step is.

If the insurance company has good policies in place, the rejection letter that you receive should contain exactly the reason why your claim was denied and what additional information they need to proceed with your claim.

Once you know the reason why your claim was denied and what additional documentation you will need to provide, it’s time to let the insurance company know that you will be appealing the decision and supplying supplemental information to help move along the claims process in a more productive direction. The first step is to ensure that you have all of the additional requested information on hand and easy to access so that you can send it when you are ready.

The next step is to notify the company that you are going to be challenging the denial and supplying more information. In many cases, you will have to send a letter to the insurance company stating your intent. Once they receive your letter, they will review your request and usually notify you that they are going to be opening up the investigation and reviewing the additional materials that you send.

Improve Your Chances

If you want to improve your chances of an approved claim, there are certainly some additional steps that you can take. In many cases, the money that you might receive from the claim will make it far easier from a financial standpoint. The financial help will greatly improve your situation, and thus, it is very important that you succeed in your claim. The best way to ensure the best chance of success is to hire an experienced attorney that can help you navigate the process.

In Home Improvement

Reasons Grout Must be Applied when Tiling

March 6, 2020 No Comments

The majority of tile installers have a love-hate relationship with grout. Putting grout is time-consuming and requires meticulous work. Sometimes, laying tile without grout may leave the job looking better. However, the thing is that if you wish the job to last, you must use grout. Groutless tile can easily break, which means you would have to resume the work. Whether you want to install Carreaux de céramiques or porcelain, you must know why tilling without grout is not effective:

Tiles Vary

The differences in tiles can be small and impossible to notice without measure; however, they can interfere with the groutless installation process. When putting the tiles together, even the tiny irregularities will add up and make the final result looking a little off and expressional. Grout makes it possible to mask the differences in sizes and control the outcome.

It is Possible that Some Elements Get Caught Between Tiles

Dust, dead cells, or other debris can get caught between tiles regardless of how compact the installation looks. You can prevent this from happening by applying grout. Without grout, there will be a tiny space between the tiles that serve as a magnet waiting to attract debris. Do not think that you can clean the tiles after installation. Keep in mind that even the slightest mistake can damage the tiles and require more work than you have initially planned.

Tiles Move

Since the edge of the tiles will rub against each, they may chip or break at some point. Although you can use other tips and tricks, they can only reduce the impact and do not stop the tiles from moving and rubbing against each other. Meanwhile, grout acts as a buffer and prevents the tiles from making contact while contracting or expanding.

Grouting completes the entire look for your project. It makes the difference between tile work that stands the test of time and one that ends up in need of adjustments. The major problem you might face with the grouting process has to do with getting the right thickness for the mix. That is why you should leave this job the pros. Although grouting might seem a simple task, it requires more skills and experience than you may have. And professional tile installers will always recommend the application of grout to ensure the stability and durability of the installed tiles and make you don’t have to deal with repairs sooner than expected.

In Law

Damage Distress: How to Prove Emotional Distress After a Car Accident

March 4, 2020 No Comments

If you have been in a car accident, then you know all about the trauma and emotional distress that can happen as a result. This kind of trauma and emotional distress can not only cause general discomfort, but it can also affect you both emotionally and financially for the rest of your life. Your mental state is a crucial part of your life and general well-being, and it can have a ripple effect throughout your life. While many only pay attention to the physical effects of a car accident, the mental effects are very real and very damaging, as well. With the help of an experienced attorney and the right information, you can recoup your expenses that resulted as a result of your emotional distress or get what you deserve as compensation for a traumatic experience caused by the negligence of others.

Difficult to Prove

One of the greatest challenges that anyone with emotional distress faces is the fact that emotional distress is very hard to quantify and prove. With physical injuries that result from an accident, it is often easy to show the damage that was done by the accident. With an emotional injury, it is very hard to put that on display. With an experienced attorney, however, you can paint a picture of emotional trauma that makes the case for you to receive compensation for all that you have endured. Working with a proven attorney will ensure that you are able to present your emotional distress in a way that embodies what you are feeling and how it has affected you.

How to Display Emotional Distress

In most states, there are formal laws that are designed to protect those who have been the victim of a crime or event that caused them emotional distress. There are a few different factors and conditions that must be met in order to be considered a person that has a claim due to emotional distress. You must have been nearby the incident that occurred, closely related to the victim of the incident, and your emotional trauma must have been the direct result of seeing, hearing, or otherwise experiencing the event. With these things having been proven in any given case, you can certainly seek compensation for the damages that occurred in your life.

Expert Testimonial

Though it is fairly simple to be able to prove to a court or jury that you have experienced emotional trauma at the hands of another in any given situation, there are times where you’re going to want to bolster your case with the opinion of an expert witness. Working by yourself, you might have some trouble producing an expert witness and using them correctly to convey your message. With an experienced attorney who knows how to deal with emotional trauma cases, you will gain access to this resource that can help to bolster your case and make a favorable settlement much more likely and attainable for compensation.