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Rabu, 07 September 2011
Komputer Bagus HTC Blog
If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at bagushtc@hotmail.com.
At www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by www.healthgohealth.blogspot.com and how it is used.
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DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com and other sites on the Internet.
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html
Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....
Google Adsense
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on www.bagushtc.blogspot.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
www.bagushtc.blogspot.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com 's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.
Read More...
At www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by www.healthgohealth.blogspot.com and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, www.bagushtc.blogspot.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com and other sites on the Internet.
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html
Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....
Google Adsense
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on www.bagushtc.blogspot.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
www.bagushtc.blogspot.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. www.mesotheliomablogspot.blogspot.com 's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.
Health-Insurance Changes for 2011
Here's what to expect when your employer gives you choices during open-enrollment season this fall.
What differences can I expect to see in my health insurance for 2011 during my employer's open-enrollment season this fall?
Employers will be making some changes to their health-insurance plans for 2011 because of health-care reform — such as offering coverage to children up to age 26 — and as a way to help control rising health-care costs. A recent survey of large companies by the National Business Group on Health found that employers estimate their health-care-benefit costs will increase by an average of 8.9% in 2011, compared with an average increase of 7% this year. These employers are continuing to boost premiums and co-payments, but they're also beefing up programs that encourage employees to lower their medical expenses.
Higher Premiums and Co-Pays
Sixty-three percent of the employers surveyed plan to increase the percentage that employees contribute to the premium (on average, employees contribute 17% of the premium for single coverage and 27% for family coverage). And 46% plan to raise out-of-pocket maximums. About 40% of employers also intend to increase in-network or out-of-network deductibles.
These large employers have already been boosting employees' share of the premiums and co-payments over the past few years, and they realize that increasing employee costs cannot be their only solution — especially because many workers have had stagnant wages and may have a spouse who lost a job, says Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health.
If employers increase co-pays too much, the employees may not seek care they need, which could lead to greater medical expenses in the future. And the claims costs have a direct impact on these employers, who are self-insured and pay claims from their own money, using an insurance company only for administration (a common practice for many large companies). These employers are targeting some of their increases at areas that will help encourage employees to be more careful about costs — such as increasing cost sharing for non-emergency care at an emergency room.
The Solution
If you have a choice of several plans, factor your potential out-of-pocket costs into the equation rather than looking just at premiums. Evaluate the new rules for co-payments carefully when deciding which type of care to use throughout the year.
More High-Deductible Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts
Sixty-one percent of the employers surveyed said they plan to offer a consumer-directed health plan in 2011 (usually a high-deductible health plan combined with a health savings account), which helps lower health-care costs because it encourages employees to become better health-care shoppers. In fact, 20% of the employers plan to make the consumer-directed health plan the only choice. Those that are offering several options are steering employees toward the high-deductible plans by reducing premiums and often contributing money to the employees' health savings accounts.
The Solution
These extra incentives may make a high-deductible plan worthwhile, even if you aren't in perfect health. Also, most high-deductible plans now cover preventive care without cost sharing before you reach the deductible. Look carefully at the high-deductible plan option this year and consider adding some of your own money to an HSA (if you're eligible). Contributing to an HSA lowers your taxable income, and your money grows tax-deferred for the future and can be used tax-free for medical expenses in any year — even after you switch to a new job.
Better Deals for Primary-Care and Wellness Programs
Many employers intend to reduce or eliminate the co-pays for primary care and preventive care, which can help catch problems early and lower medical expenses in the long run. Employers have been experimenting with various forms of wellness benefits over the past few years, and most now give people bonuses for participating in wellness programs rather than penalizing them if they do not. "They like carrots more than sticks," says Darling. Forty-one percent of the employers are offering discounts for participation in wellness programs, and the average incentive to employees is $380; 22% of employers offered discounts on premiums for participating in tobacco-cessation programs.
The Solution
Employers realized that they needed to provide workers with better incentives to sign up for wellness programs. So if participating in one seemed like a hassle in the past, it may be worth a second look this year. Also, get a list of free preventive-care services and make the most of them throughout the year.
Extra Charges for Brand-Name Drugs
Over the past few years, more employers have been charging varying levels of co-pays for different types of drugs. Sixty-three percent now have a three-tiered design for their prescription-drug coverage, charging the lowest co-pay for generic drugs, the middle rate for preferred brand-name drugs and the highest co-pay for other brand-name drugs.
People also have to jump through more hoops to get their drugs. Seventy-three percent of employers now require prior authorization before they will let you use certain drugs, and many are using step therapy, which requires doctors to try a lower-cost drug first before certain higher-cost drugs will be covered. Employers are also changing co-pays to encourage you to get your drugs from a cheaper source. For example, some will fully cover the cost of maintenance medications only if you use mail-order pharmacies. If you choose to get the medication at a local pharmacy instead, you pay the difference between the cost of mail order and the retail price.
The Solution
If you take medications regularly, look carefully at how the drugs are covered and your potential out-of-pocket cost. Switching to generics, when possible, will always save you money, and the cost savings becomes even more pronounced if your employer charges a lower co-pay for the lowest-cost drug. Also reconsider where you buy your medications if your employer provides a higher level of coverage for mail-order pharmacies. And find out about any prior authorization or step-therapy requirements before using a new medication so you don't get hit with surprise charges if you don't follow the rules.
Read More...
What differences can I expect to see in my health insurance for 2011 during my employer's open-enrollment season this fall?
Employers will be making some changes to their health-insurance plans for 2011 because of health-care reform — such as offering coverage to children up to age 26 — and as a way to help control rising health-care costs. A recent survey of large companies by the National Business Group on Health found that employers estimate their health-care-benefit costs will increase by an average of 8.9% in 2011, compared with an average increase of 7% this year. These employers are continuing to boost premiums and co-payments, but they're also beefing up programs that encourage employees to lower their medical expenses.
Higher Premiums and Co-Pays
Sixty-three percent of the employers surveyed plan to increase the percentage that employees contribute to the premium (on average, employees contribute 17% of the premium for single coverage and 27% for family coverage). And 46% plan to raise out-of-pocket maximums. About 40% of employers also intend to increase in-network or out-of-network deductibles.
These large employers have already been boosting employees' share of the premiums and co-payments over the past few years, and they realize that increasing employee costs cannot be their only solution — especially because many workers have had stagnant wages and may have a spouse who lost a job, says Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health.
If employers increase co-pays too much, the employees may not seek care they need, which could lead to greater medical expenses in the future. And the claims costs have a direct impact on these employers, who are self-insured and pay claims from their own money, using an insurance company only for administration (a common practice for many large companies). These employers are targeting some of their increases at areas that will help encourage employees to be more careful about costs — such as increasing cost sharing for non-emergency care at an emergency room.
The Solution
If you have a choice of several plans, factor your potential out-of-pocket costs into the equation rather than looking just at premiums. Evaluate the new rules for co-payments carefully when deciding which type of care to use throughout the year.
More High-Deductible Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts
Sixty-one percent of the employers surveyed said they plan to offer a consumer-directed health plan in 2011 (usually a high-deductible health plan combined with a health savings account), which helps lower health-care costs because it encourages employees to become better health-care shoppers. In fact, 20% of the employers plan to make the consumer-directed health plan the only choice. Those that are offering several options are steering employees toward the high-deductible plans by reducing premiums and often contributing money to the employees' health savings accounts.
The Solution
These extra incentives may make a high-deductible plan worthwhile, even if you aren't in perfect health. Also, most high-deductible plans now cover preventive care without cost sharing before you reach the deductible. Look carefully at the high-deductible plan option this year and consider adding some of your own money to an HSA (if you're eligible). Contributing to an HSA lowers your taxable income, and your money grows tax-deferred for the future and can be used tax-free for medical expenses in any year — even after you switch to a new job.
Better Deals for Primary-Care and Wellness Programs
Many employers intend to reduce or eliminate the co-pays for primary care and preventive care, which can help catch problems early and lower medical expenses in the long run. Employers have been experimenting with various forms of wellness benefits over the past few years, and most now give people bonuses for participating in wellness programs rather than penalizing them if they do not. "They like carrots more than sticks," says Darling. Forty-one percent of the employers are offering discounts for participation in wellness programs, and the average incentive to employees is $380; 22% of employers offered discounts on premiums for participating in tobacco-cessation programs.
The Solution
Employers realized that they needed to provide workers with better incentives to sign up for wellness programs. So if participating in one seemed like a hassle in the past, it may be worth a second look this year. Also, get a list of free preventive-care services and make the most of them throughout the year.
Extra Charges for Brand-Name Drugs
Over the past few years, more employers have been charging varying levels of co-pays for different types of drugs. Sixty-three percent now have a three-tiered design for their prescription-drug coverage, charging the lowest co-pay for generic drugs, the middle rate for preferred brand-name drugs and the highest co-pay for other brand-name drugs.
People also have to jump through more hoops to get their drugs. Seventy-three percent of employers now require prior authorization before they will let you use certain drugs, and many are using step therapy, which requires doctors to try a lower-cost drug first before certain higher-cost drugs will be covered. Employers are also changing co-pays to encourage you to get your drugs from a cheaper source. For example, some will fully cover the cost of maintenance medications only if you use mail-order pharmacies. If you choose to get the medication at a local pharmacy instead, you pay the difference between the cost of mail order and the retail price.
The Solution
If you take medications regularly, look carefully at how the drugs are covered and your potential out-of-pocket cost. Switching to generics, when possible, will always save you money, and the cost savings becomes even more pronounced if your employer charges a lower co-pay for the lowest-cost drug. Also reconsider where you buy your medications if your employer provides a higher level of coverage for mail-order pharmacies. And find out about any prior authorization or step-therapy requirements before using a new medication so you don't get hit with surprise charges if you don't follow the rules.
Health Insurers Plan Hikes
Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET - News), some BlueCross BlueShield plans and other smaller carriers have asked for premium increases of between 1% and 9% to pay for extra benefits required under the law, according to filings with state regulators.
These and other insurers say Congress's landmark refashioning of U.S. health coverage, which passed in March after a brutal fight, is causing them to pass on more costs to consumers than Democrats predicted.
The rate increases largely apply to policies for individuals and small businesses and don't include people covered by a big employer or Medicare.
About 9% of Americans buy coverage through the individual market, according to the Census Bureau, and roughly one-fifth of people who get coverage through their employer work at companies with 50 or fewer employees, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. People in both groups are likely to feel the effects of the proposed increases, even as they see new benefits under the law, such as the elimination of lifetime and certain annual coverage caps.
Many carriers also are seeking additional rate increases that they say they need to cover rising medical costs. As a result, some consumers could face total premium increases of more than 20%.
While the increases apply mostly to the new policies insurers write after Oct. 1, consumers could be subject to the higher rates if they modify their existing plans and cause them to lose grandfathered status.
The rate increases are a dose of troubling news for Democrats just weeks before an election in which they are at risk of losing their majority in the House and possibly the Senate.
In addition to pledging that the law would restrain increases in Americans' insurance premiums, Democrats front-loaded the legislation with early provisions they hoped would boost public support. Those include letting children stay on their parents' insurance policies until age 26, eliminating co-payments for preventive care and barring insurers from denying policies to children with pre-existing conditions, plus the elimination of the coverage caps.
Weeks before the election, insurance companies began telling state regulators it is those very provisions that are forcing them to increase their rates.
Aetna, one of the nation's largest health insurers, said the extra benefits forced it to seek rate increases for new individual plans of 5.4% to 7.4% in California and 5.5% to 6.8% in Nevada after Sept. 23. Similar steps are planned across the country, according to Aetna.
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon said the cost of providing additional benefits under the health law will account on average for 3.4 percentage points of a 17.1% premium rise for a small-employer health plan. It asked regulators last month to approve the increase.
In Wisconsin and North Carolina, Celtic Insurance Co. says half of the 18% increase it is seeking comes from complying with health-law mandates.
The White House says insurers are using the law as an excuse to raise rates and predicts that state regulators will block some of the large increases.
"I would have real deep concerns that the kinds of rate increases that you're quoting… are justified," said Nancy-Ann DeParle, the White House's top health official. She said that for insurers, raising rates was "already their modus operandi before the bill" passed. "We believe consumers will see through this," she said.
[See 15 Insurance Policies You Don't Need]
Previously the administration had calculated that the batch of changes taking effect this fall would raise premiums no more than 1% to 2%, on average.
After Regence mailed a letter notifying plan administrators of its intention to raise group insurance rates in Washington state, the White House contacted company officials and accused them of inaccurately justifying the increase. Kerry Barnett, executive vice president for Regence BlueShield, said the insurer is changing the letter to more precisely explain the causes of the increase.
The industry contends its increases are justified. "Anytime you add a benefit, there are increased costs," said Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, the industry's lobbying group.
Massachusetts, which enacted universal insurance coverage several years ago, also has seen steadily rising insurance premiums since then. Proponents of that plan attribute the hikes there to an overall increase in medical costs, while insurers cite it as a cautionary example of what can happen when new mandates to improve benefits aren't coupled with a strong enough provision to force healthy people to buy coverage.
Republicans, who have sought voter support by opposing the health law, say premium increases could help in November's congressional races. "People are finding out what's in [the law], they don't like it, and I think it's going to play a big factor in this election," said Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.
About half of all states have the power to deny rate increases. Ms. DeParle pointed out that the law awards states $250 million to bolster their scrutiny of insurance-rate proposals, saying that will eventually curb premiums for people.
"In Kansas, I don't have a lot of authority to deny a rate increase, if it is justified," said Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger. She recently approved a 4% increase by Mennonite Mutual Aid Association to pay for the new provisions in the health law.
The process of reviewing rate increases varies by state. For instance, Ms. Praeger said she can deny only rate increases that are unreasonable or discriminatory.
[See 10 Things Primary-Care Doctors Won't Tell You]
Some regulators say not all insurers have adequately justified their increases. "A lot of it is guesswork for companies," said Tom Abel, supervisor at the Colorado Division of Insurance. "I was anticipating the carriers to be more uniform."
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, which estimates its increase covers 57,000 members, said its goal is to "anticipate the financial needs of our members as accurately as possible and to collect just enough premiums to cover costs," said a spokeswoman. Other insurers offered similar explanations or declined to discuss their increases.
A small number of insurers have submitted plans to lower rates and cite the new mandates in the legislation as the reason. HMO Colorado, a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan owned by WellPoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP - News), submitted a letter to state regulators saying small group rates would fall 1.8% starting Oct. 1 because of changes from the law.
Democrats had hoped to sell the bill in the fall elections. But in recent weeks, some Democrats who voted for the bill have shied away from advertising that fact, while the handful of House Democrats who cast "no" votes see it as a potential boost to their re-election bids.
"I think it's a question of short term versus long term," said North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, a Democrat up for re-election in 2012. "Thankfully we're seeing people get more coverage and protections than they've ever had before. But until we see the medical-cost inflation affected, you're likely to see rate increases as long as they are not excessive and in violation of the law."
Read More...
These and other insurers say Congress's landmark refashioning of U.S. health coverage, which passed in March after a brutal fight, is causing them to pass on more costs to consumers than Democrats predicted.
The rate increases largely apply to policies for individuals and small businesses and don't include people covered by a big employer or Medicare.
About 9% of Americans buy coverage through the individual market, according to the Census Bureau, and roughly one-fifth of people who get coverage through their employer work at companies with 50 or fewer employees, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. People in both groups are likely to feel the effects of the proposed increases, even as they see new benefits under the law, such as the elimination of lifetime and certain annual coverage caps.
 Associated Press |
While the increases apply mostly to the new policies insurers write after Oct. 1, consumers could be subject to the higher rates if they modify their existing plans and cause them to lose grandfathered status.
The rate increases are a dose of troubling news for Democrats just weeks before an election in which they are at risk of losing their majority in the House and possibly the Senate.
In addition to pledging that the law would restrain increases in Americans' insurance premiums, Democrats front-loaded the legislation with early provisions they hoped would boost public support. Those include letting children stay on their parents' insurance policies until age 26, eliminating co-payments for preventive care and barring insurers from denying policies to children with pre-existing conditions, plus the elimination of the coverage caps.
Weeks before the election, insurance companies began telling state regulators it is those very provisions that are forcing them to increase their rates.
Aetna, one of the nation's largest health insurers, said the extra benefits forced it to seek rate increases for new individual plans of 5.4% to 7.4% in California and 5.5% to 6.8% in Nevada after Sept. 23. Similar steps are planned across the country, according to Aetna.
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon said the cost of providing additional benefits under the health law will account on average for 3.4 percentage points of a 17.1% premium rise for a small-employer health plan. It asked regulators last month to approve the increase.
In Wisconsin and North Carolina, Celtic Insurance Co. says half of the 18% increase it is seeking comes from complying with health-law mandates.
The White House says insurers are using the law as an excuse to raise rates and predicts that state regulators will block some of the large increases.
"I would have real deep concerns that the kinds of rate increases that you're quoting… are justified," said Nancy-Ann DeParle, the White House's top health official. She said that for insurers, raising rates was "already their modus operandi before the bill" passed. "We believe consumers will see through this," she said.
[See 15 Insurance Policies You Don't Need]
Previously the administration had calculated that the batch of changes taking effect this fall would raise premiums no more than 1% to 2%, on average.
After Regence mailed a letter notifying plan administrators of its intention to raise group insurance rates in Washington state, the White House contacted company officials and accused them of inaccurately justifying the increase. Kerry Barnett, executive vice president for Regence BlueShield, said the insurer is changing the letter to more precisely explain the causes of the increase.
The industry contends its increases are justified. "Anytime you add a benefit, there are increased costs," said Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, the industry's lobbying group.
Massachusetts, which enacted universal insurance coverage several years ago, also has seen steadily rising insurance premiums since then. Proponents of that plan attribute the hikes there to an overall increase in medical costs, while insurers cite it as a cautionary example of what can happen when new mandates to improve benefits aren't coupled with a strong enough provision to force healthy people to buy coverage.
Republicans, who have sought voter support by opposing the health law, say premium increases could help in November's congressional races. "People are finding out what's in [the law], they don't like it, and I think it's going to play a big factor in this election," said Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.
About half of all states have the power to deny rate increases. Ms. DeParle pointed out that the law awards states $250 million to bolster their scrutiny of insurance-rate proposals, saying that will eventually curb premiums for people.
"In Kansas, I don't have a lot of authority to deny a rate increase, if it is justified," said Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger. She recently approved a 4% increase by Mennonite Mutual Aid Association to pay for the new provisions in the health law.
The process of reviewing rate increases varies by state. For instance, Ms. Praeger said she can deny only rate increases that are unreasonable or discriminatory.
[See 10 Things Primary-Care Doctors Won't Tell You]
Some regulators say not all insurers have adequately justified their increases. "A lot of it is guesswork for companies," said Tom Abel, supervisor at the Colorado Division of Insurance. "I was anticipating the carriers to be more uniform."
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, which estimates its increase covers 57,000 members, said its goal is to "anticipate the financial needs of our members as accurately as possible and to collect just enough premiums to cover costs," said a spokeswoman. Other insurers offered similar explanations or declined to discuss their increases.
A small number of insurers have submitted plans to lower rates and cite the new mandates in the legislation as the reason. HMO Colorado, a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan owned by WellPoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP - News), submitted a letter to state regulators saying small group rates would fall 1.8% starting Oct. 1 because of changes from the law.
Democrats had hoped to sell the bill in the fall elections. But in recent weeks, some Democrats who voted for the bill have shied away from advertising that fact, while the handful of House Democrats who cast "no" votes see it as a potential boost to their re-election bids.
"I think it's a question of short term versus long term," said North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, a Democrat up for re-election in 2012. "Thankfully we're seeing people get more coverage and protections than they've ever had before. But until we see the medical-cost inflation affected, you're likely to see rate increases as long as they are not excessive and in violation of the law."
Five Disaster-Proof Real Estate Destinations
The U.S. alone has declared 65 major disasters this year, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That's on pace to break the record of 75 set in 1996 and matched in 2008. With no regard to their location, population density or proximity to bodies of water, deserts, high altitudes and other traits that normally send the risk-averse sprinting for their doomsday shelters, TheStreet has found the five least disaster-prone locations for either a business or your four-bedroom dream home.
5. Wyoming
Want to live tax-free, but don't want to deal with hurricanes? Welcome to Wyoming, where individual and corporate taxes are as non-existent as oceans and gulf currents. Residents may wonder how their state can be considered so safe when it was just declared a disaster area in July after a serious bout of flooding. Simple: With only eight major disasters declared since FEMA started keeping tabs back in 1953, the least-populous state (roughly 540,000, or smaller than Tucson, Ariz., alone) in the U.S. takes calamities including floods, tornadoes and winter storms in stride. With all that cash savings and little worry about impending doom, Wyoming newcomers should feel free to splurge on such homes as Sotheby's (NYSE: BID - News) $7 million, four-bedroom, seven-acre spread in Jackson Hole with a stone fireplace, infinity-edge outdoor hot tub, heated concrete floors, six-car garage, guesthouse and a 30-foot window wall with a view of the Tetons.
4. Utah
The Mormons may have been onto something, as Utah has only declared seven major disasters in 57 years and none within the past five. Of those, the overwhelming majority of Utah's disasters stem from severe storms and ensuing floods, so heading to the high country may be a disaster-conscious newcomer's best bet. Overstock.com (NasdaqGM: OSTK - News), Omniture (NasdaqGS: OMTR - News) and Nature's Sunshine Products (NasdaqCM: NATR - News) are just some of the companies safely nestled away in Utah, but in a state of less than 3 million people, there's always room for more. In Park City, which is 7,000 feet above sea level and home to three ski resorts and the Sundance Film Festival, a group of 11 luxury homes are going up for auction Friday. The Park City properties range from a three-bedroom, 7,500-square-foot home with vaulted ceilings, five fireplaces and 360-degree views of Herber valley (for a starting price of $1.5 million) to the 15,000-square-foot DeerField Estate with a private gondola for ski-in/ski-out access, indoor swimming pool and a private theater (starting at $15.9 million -- 54% less than its $29 million asking price last year).
3. Rhode Island
Disaster-proof? New England? Seriously. The only reason Rhode Island and its eight disasters since 1953 trump Utah's seven is its location -- which one would wrongly assume is as disaster-prone as those of neighboring Connecticut (14) or Massachusetts (eight). Granted, Rhode Island was just hit with severe flooding this year and twice in the past three years, but it's only declared five major disasters in the past quarter-century. In a region of blizzards, hurricanes and Nor'easters, Rhode Island hasn't been hit by a blizzard since 1996 or a hurricane since 1991. CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS - News) and Textron (NYSE: TXT - News) are among the companies who don't mind only using the storm shutters every half-decade or so. For a little bit of everything Rhode Island has to offer, why not settle into a waterfront winery in Little Compton. The $10.5 million, 165-acre property includes 102 acres of vineyard, a 25,000-square-foot winery building and hospitality center, a half-mile gravel driveway lined with sculptures and fountains and a 2,800-square-foot home.
2. Marshall Islands
The good news is that the Marshall Islands have declared fewer than 10 major disasters in the past five decades, most recently during a tropical storm in 2008. The bad news? The islands were a nuclear test site in the decade before that, and residual radioactivity remains on islands including the Bikini Atoll, where locals mark each March 2 as Nuclear Victims Day. That said, life on Majuro Atoll -- home of the nation's capital -- tends to be both disaster-free and hopping, though most expats tend to live near the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll. Real estate can be hard to find without visiting first, so disaster dodgers should stay a few nights at the $135 to $239 Marshall Islands Resort in Majuro while house hunting.
1. Palau
Introduced to couch-ridden Americans by CBS (NYSE: CBS - News) when it filmed Survivor here in 2008, Palau logged exactly one major disaster -- Typhoon Mike in 1990 -- before leaving U.S. trusteeship in 1994. Since then, its position just beyond the Pacific typhoon zone has kept the island chain safe and, with the exception of its acceptance of a handful of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay last year, relatively quiet. Dwindling agriculture, rising seawater and worrisome waste removal efforts are bigger concerns than disasters, but real estate here is scarce and comes at a premium. If you want a taste of disaster-free life in Palau, "homestays" such as a $75-a-night lighthouse rental in Palau's largest city, Koror, provides a tempting, if temporary, taste.
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5. Wyoming
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4. Utah
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3. Rhode Island
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2. Marshall Islands
 Associated Press |
1. Palau
 Associated Press/Itsuo Inouye |
Data-Tracking Technology Can Help Lower Your Car Insurance
If you’re a good driver, you’re probably paying too much for your auto insurance . With the traditional insurance model, your premiums have little to do with how you drive -- until an accident or a speeding ticket results in a fat rate increase. Rates are usually based on statistical averages: Your gender, age, marital status, where you live and what you drive determine what you’re charged. If you’ve been accident-free for a long time or don’t drive much, you may get a discount, but personalizing your premiums may save a lot more. A Brookings Institution study suggests that two-thirds of households would pay less with a pay-as-you-drive policy, reducing annual premiums by about 28%.
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4 Reasons to Reshop Your Auto Insurance
If you haven't compared rates for auto
1. You've been ignoring the GEICO gecko. When you reshop your rates, try an independent agent at www.iiaba.net, get price quotes at www.insweb.com or www.insurance.com, or contact insurers directly, such as at www.allstate.com, www.geico.com, www.progressive.com or www.statefarm.com. Before you switch, see how much you can save by raising your deductibles (boosting the collision deductible from $250 to $1,000 can save you 20% or more).
2. You got a speeding ticket or had an accident. In most states, tickets and at-fault accidents remain on your driving record for three or five years. Longtime customers with good driving records may not get a rate hike at all. But many insurers check motor-vehicle records every 12 or 18 months, so a speeding ticket could bump up your rates long after you were pulled over.
If your rate does rise -- and especially if your policy is canceled -- shop around immediately. Prospective insurers will pull your record, but some insurers care less than others about the incident. And when the accident or ticket drops off your motor-vehicle record, ask your insurer to remove the surcharge and then reshop your policy, too.
3. You have a teenage driver. A new teenage driver increases a two-car family's auto-insurance bill by an average of 58%, according to Insurance.com. Some insurers charge a lot more for teenagers, so when your teen starts to drive it's time to shop around. "One insurer's rates for young drivers can be as much as four times as high as another's," says Michael McCartin, an independent agent in College Park, Md.
You'll usually get the best deal by keeping your teen on your auto-insurance policy -- even if your child is the principal driver of the vehicle he is assigned to. You will benefit from multicar and multipolicy discounts if you have homeowners coverage with the same insurer. Your child may also inherit other discounts -- for example, at Travelers, kids get a safe-driver discount if their parents have had a clean driving record for five years -- and most insurers offer a break of up to 15% for a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. And if your kid goes to college more than 100 or 150 miles away without a car, you can qualify for a hefty discount. (Learn more about cutting insurance costs for teen drivers.)
4. You're buying a new car. Insurance costs can vary a lot depending on the car's safety and theft record and the cost to repair it. Compare premiums from a few contenders before you make your final decision. An InsWeb study found that the Kia Sedona, Mazda5, Ford Escape and Hyundai Santa Fe are the least expensive to insure, while the Acura ZDX, Audi TTS, Audi A5 and Cadillac Escalade were the most expensive (see 10 Cheapest Cars to Insure).
Brad Cooper, of InsWeb, points out that vehicles that cost the least to insure may have other factors that keep premiums low. For example, a four-cylinder car with moderate horsepower is usually less expensive to insure than a six- or eight-cylinder car. InsWeb's QuickQuote lets you look up general insurance costs for cars, but it's best to give your agent the VINs for cars you're considering.
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