Wednesday, August 29, 2007

California Term Life Insurance

The typical route that most people take when it comes to buying term life insurance is that they find a reputable financial advisor, discuss their specific needs and then the financial advisor “shops out” the different carriers to hopefully find the least expensive but most comprehensive term life insurance quote to protect your family should your unexpected death should happen. Typically, when carriers are shopped out by financial advisors, the location of the insurance company does not play a role in the decision to buy. What does matter is that the insurance carrier is an “A” rated company and that their term insurance quote and policy match your financial and lifestyle needs. However, being insured by a firm in Boston, for example, when you live in California you may not reap all the benefits that are specific to your state. Now there is a specific term life insurance policy offered to residence of California.

A Complex State

Whether you are a new resident of California or you have lived here for your whole life, you understand the complexities of the state as well as the lifestyles. Just as California in itself is complex and filled with complexities of people, the different types of term life insurance policies are equally mind-boggling. The best thing to do is to find a financial advisor who can evaluate the offerings of providers of California term life insurance.

California Term Life Insurance Laws and Regulations

Each state has very specific term life insurance laws and regulations. A few of the California laws and regulations are that those seeking insurance get a minimum of ten days to change your mind and receive a full refund of all premiums paid toward a term life insurance policy after your purchase. Ten days is minimum, but many companies give you one month (or 30 days) to change your mind. This return policy give those who are uncertain about the policy they chose to have a free trial period or even time to keep shopping out the best policy for their needs.

Aside from a free trial period, all California term life insurance claims should be settled within 30 days after the proof of death is given to the insurance company. If carriers take longer than 30 days to pay out the benefit, the face value may accrue interest, which would also be paid out to the beneficiaries.

Third, the insured receives a 30-day grace period for late payments. This is particularly beneficial because the insured does not have to worry about their California term life insurance policy being cancelled should they simply forget to pay the bill. The grace period gives you the peace of mind that your policy will not be cancelled without notice.

Last, should your licensed insurance company declare bankruptcy or close down due to assets falling below their liabilities, the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association will compensate you in the event that your policy is lost. Reimbursement for a single death benefit may not exceed $250,000 per insured individual or $100,000 in net cash. These limits hold true even if more than one policy is held on each individual.

To be guaranteed compensation under the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association (CALIFEGA), your insurer must be licensed in California and your policy payments must current.

California Life Insurance Laws also Protect Insurance Companies

Since laws do not only go one way, there are also laws in California that protect insurance companies. Those who own California term life insurance policies must follow these regulations. First, California term life insurance policies do not cover suicide for the first two years of coverage. Should the insured commit suicide, the carrier would send the beneficiaries a 100% refund of all premiums paid within the two-year period.

Second, California term life insurance policies may deny coverage if an applicant misrepresents his or herself or makes fraudulent statements on their application. Carriers may or may not return premiums paid on a policy if this occurs. This right is left to each individual company.

Third, while financial projections (or Insurance Illustrations) are not permitted in other states, it is permissible in California. The financial projections are regulated by the insurance department of the state.

It is wise as a California resident to see if having a California term life insurance will be more beneficial than having a random policy written by a company in another state.

Blue Shield of California Reports Strong Financial Ratings

The country's major credit rating agencies have reaffirmed Blue Shield of California's financial stability, with strong financial ratings, Blue Shield announced today. A.M. Best awarded California Physicians' Service d/b/a Blue Shield of California an A (Excellent) rating, and Standard & Poor's affirmed Blue Shield of California's A rating with a stable outlook. This is the third straight year that Blue Shield has received these ratings from the two major agencies.

A.M. Best's rating reflects Blue Shield's favorable earnings, strong capitalization as a result of good operating performance, and legacy modernization initiative, which is expected to add scale and improve efficiencies.

Standard & Poor's noted Blue Shield on the strength of its provider network, brand name and diverse product portfolio. Other strengths cited include Blue Shield's operating performance through good cost management, strong capitalization and conservative balance sheet.

"We are proud of the many factors that contribute to Blue Shield's financial strength," said Heidi Kunz, executive vice president and chief financial officer. "Our operational improvements, broad provider network and product diversity make it easier for our members to obtain quality health care at competitive rates."

A.M. Best also awarded subsidiaries, Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company and CareAmerica Life Insurance Company A- (Excellent) ratings.

About A.M. Best

Founded in 1899, A.M. Best Company is a full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the financial services industries, including the banking and insurance sectors. For more information, visit http://www.ambest.com.

About Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies , is the world's foremost provider of financial market intelligence, including independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With approximately 8,500 employees, including wholly owned affiliates, located in 21 countries, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for more than 140 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com.

About Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan dedicated to providing Californians with access to high quality care at a reasonable price. Founded in 1939, it now has 3.2 million members, 4,400 employees, one of the largest provider networks and more than 20 office locations, providing a wide range of commercial and government products throughout the state. The company contributes $30 million annually to the Blue Shield of California Foundation to fund nonprofit organizations that improve access to quality health care in California. Contact your local agent or broker for more information about Blue Shield products and services, or visit the Blue Shield web site at http://www.blueshieldca.com.