Health Insurance costs have gone through the roof in recent years, but finding an affordable health insurance plan may not be as hard as you think. Here are simple explanations of the four basic plans and you can save money on them.

Health Insurance Plans

There are four basic types of health insurance:

1. Point of Service (POS) Plan - Also called an indemnity plan, this is the most expensive plan. It’s for people who want to choose their own doctor and hospital. It’s the most flexible plan because it allows you to make your own decisions about your health care. You pay your bill after services are rendered and are then reimbursed by your insurance company.

2. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) - This is the cheapest plan. It provides you with a network of doctors and hospitals chosen by your insurance company. You pay a monthly fee for this plan and all visits and prescriptions must be approved by your HMO.

3. Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) - This is the most popular plan. It’s similar to an HMO, but you pay for medical care after it’s received instead of paying a monthly fee. You also have the option of seeing out-of-network doctors. Visits within the network require a small fee, while out-of-network visits may require a deductible payment and a co-payment.

4. Medicare Supplement - This plan is for people 65 and older. It covers costs and expenses not covered by Medicare.

Choosing an Affordable Health Insurance Plan

The first thing you have to do is to figure out which health insurance plan is best for you.

If you want the most flexibility, then a POS plan is your best bet. If you want the cheapest plan and don’t don’t mind your doctors being chosen for you, then an HMO is what your looking for. If you want more freedom of choice than an HMO and are willing to pay a little more for your insurance, then a PPO is a good choice. And if you’re a senior and want to supplement your Medicare insurance, then a Medicare supplement is what you need.

After you choose a plan, the best way to find the best rate is to go to an insurance comparison website where you can compare rates from a number of different companies. The better comparison sites even have a chat feature where you can talk online with an insurance expert and get answers to your questions.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/health-insurance.html or click on the following link to get affordable health insurance plan quotes from top-rated companies and see how much you can save. You can get more health insurance tips by checking out their “Articles” section.

The author, Brian Stevens, is a former insurance agent and financial consultant who has written numerous articles on affordable health insurance plans.

The directory submission guidelines of the various article directories are a frequently ignored part of article marketing, especially when submissions are being made automatically by software or subscription sites.

You must read the submission guidelines of every individual article directory, and make sure that your article conforms to them. Failure to do this could result in your article being rejected, and this could have an effect future submissions. Not only this, but you should be aware of each directory’s policy on HTML formatting that varies from directory to directory. Let us examine some typical article directory submission guidelines

Unless they are specialized directories, submissions should normally be made in English. Some directories are specifically designed for non-English languages and if you intend to write in a language other than English first carry out a search for suitable directories and their scope of publication. Some may limit the topics and other may be published in only a limited number of countries. However, even if your native language is English, it might be worthwhile having your article translated into another language in order to extend your exposure in countries such as China.

You generally must not submit the same article multiple times to different categories. This is spam and not only will your article not be published, but all of your articles could be banned from specific directories.

Some directories allow URLs to be included in the body of the article and others only in the bio box, often called the author’s resource box. Some directories allow several URLs, and some only one. If the directory does not allow any, then do not use it since you have no way of advertising your website!

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide’

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

Article Directories and Directory Submission Guidelines II

Some allow two different URLs to be displayed, but not the same link twice. There is no universal policy on web page links, so check each directory for what it allows. This is especially important if you are using software to carry out bulk submissions.

You will either have to split the directories into sets, with a different form of the article for each, or cater only for the lowest common denominator that fits the requirements of all. In doing this you could be losing out with those directories that are more liberal in their URL allowance.

You will find the vast majority do not allow direct advertising, and that only a reference to your website through a URL provided for further information is allowed. Some directories allow a certain amount of promotional material, but I have yet to find one that allows direct advertising. On the subject of adverts and Adsense, keep in mind that an article directory is nothing more than a website that belongs to whoever is administering it.

You cannot, therefore, put your own Adsense blocks in your articles. This is against the Google policy of Adsense being allowed only on your own website. Any Adsense appearing with your article will be that of the directory owner, though some sites offer you the opportunity to have your own Adsense publisher’s reference to be used in the blocks appearing with your article. This is allowed since the site owner can use whatever publisher reference they like for their Adsense.

Not all directories allow HTML which is another problem if you are submitting using software. Good software or subscription submission sites will allow you two versions of the article, or at least of your resource box. Which used will depend upon the directory. However, you might prefer to submit to sites that accept HTML separately.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide’

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

Chapter 9 of 14
How to quickly make a short list.

When compiling a list of potential celebrity endorsers, it is paramount that you quickly, accurately, and with stealth-like precision, weed out the non-prospects from the prospects. Once you narrow down the list, you can use some of the techniques and questions raised in the “Famous Index”. This process will enable you to make an educated, and well-thought-out decision.

Our short list is basically the tally of who is left after all the others have been carefully eliminated. Just make sure that the list includes only those prospects that fit the mold you are looking to fill. Many times, when this is done by someone who does not have the proper experience, they tend to rely on emotion. Emotion and gut feelings are part of the final process, but for the short list, we recommended that it be based on the facts that you have regarding each potential celebrity endorser.

Some of the facts to consider include the celebrity endorsers personality, the product features that need a match, and finding a celebrity endorser who is a good match for your products traits and features.

Picking the celebrity who best fits your companies needs should be relatively easy at this stage of the game. All the prospects who didn’t meet your needs have been weeded out. so the only one (s) left are those that fit with your company and the branding proposition you are looking to promote. Choose wisely as you only get one chance.

Copyright © Ron Tyler 2007

Ron Tyler is a principal in TylerMarketing and the creator, along with a few other folks of the SuperBlog concept. Ron and his group have made a number of high level presentations using the SuperBlog as the media distribution alternative, with excellent results. The group will be rolling out its first SuperBlogs in April. The SuperBlog is a multi media concept created to solve the ever present problem of media communications and the shrinking opportunities for media placement in traditional channels. Ron can be contacted directly via email at rtyler51@comcast.net.

You might find that if you use HTML where it is not allowed, and the submissions are not manually checked or edited, your article could be sent out in plain text format with all your HTML tags showing. This makes you look very amateurish, and should be avoided. Many authors never bother to use HTML except in some specific directories that they manually submitted to when using HTML formatting.

Always make sure you know of any minimum and maximum word count limitations in the body text and the resource box. If there are, and you don’t stick to them, your text will be truncated at the maximum count. With respect to resource boxes, not all directories offer them. You might be allowed links to your website but they have to be included at the end of the article. Be careful with this or your automatic submission could end up with nothing linking back to your site because your bio box has not been included.

Every directory will have its own guidelines since there is no universally accepted format for article submission. Take your time to understand those for all the directories you submit to; auto-submissions are not always able to take this into account. Sometimes submitting one article to hundreds of different sites just does not work, due the number of different submission rules applied by the various directories.

Read what the directory submission guidelines permit then take advantage of them. You should be able to make maximum use of the features that each of the article directories allow.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide’

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

Personal conversations are one of the most common aspects of our human conversations. Personal conversations are an essential facet in almost every one of our relationships. And one might say that the quality of those relationships is dependent upon our abilities to verbally communicate.

Have you ever had any training to help you develop your personal conversational skills? Have you ever wished that you could be a better conversationalist? Do you realize that personal communication skills are one of the most powerful and strategic assets you can possess? People with effective communication skills have a real strategic advantage for business and social success. Your strategic thinking business coach has the following strategic tips to improve personal communications.

Strategic Tip #1: Always be prepared for your conversations by keeping up with current events and trends, as well as your personal hobbies and other interests.

Strategic Tip #2: Develop great listening skills and know when to speak and when to listen.

Strategic Tip #3: Make and maintain eye contact with the other person while speaking and listening.

Strategic Tip #4: Always speak clearly and in an appropriate volume.

Strategic Tip #5: Use language in your conversation that is familiar to your listener.

Strategic Tip #6: Show and express an interest in what the other person is saying.

Strategic Tip #7: Ask very open-ended questions to help promote continued communication.

Strategic Tip #8: Learn about body language and use that information to improve your own communication and to better understand the other person’s communication.

Strategic Tip #9: Speak at a good pace and be sure to enunciate clearly.

Strategic Tip #10: Focus your attention on the other person, rather than on yourself.

Your strategic thinking business coach encourages you to enhance your personal communication skills. If you would like to learn more about becoming more effective in personal communications and how a strategic thinking business coach can facilitate and guide you in that endeavor, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his website at www.businesscoach4u.com or by email at jgecoach@aol.com

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, “Glenn’s Guiding Lines - Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” and has published more than 250 articles on business.

To find out more about the benefits & rewards of effectively working with a strategic thinking business coach, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his web site at http://www.businesscoach4u.com or jgecoach@aol.com

The No Excuse Workout

One of the root causes of obesity and all of its accompanying illnesses can be summed up
in one short sentence,” I don’t have time to exercise”. Believe it or not even as a
Fitness Professional I totally sympathsize with this as I never seem to have any time to
exercise either, BUT I MAKE TIME!

Where on your priority list do feeling better, looking better and leading a healthier
life rank? If they are not in the top 6 then how can you honestly call them a priority?
Maybe a better question is why they are not a priority? In order to position these wants
as priorities you MUST dedicate time each day and week to making them so. Now don’t make
it difficult which I feel way too many of you out there do. You need to start off slow
and work out all the bugs being sure to make changes, which fit your life rather than
force fit it. Most people assume they have to exercise for a set amount of time and under
perfect conditions this is a good idea but for those of you having trouble squeezing in
time for exercise I have just the thing.

I assume a lot of you out there spend some time in front of the TV each day and night and
in doing so you more than likely suffer through all those obnoxious SCAMS for fat loss
pills and all the dance DVD’s promising muscles and 6 pack abs. If so and if you’re
having trouble finding even the smallest amounts of time for exercise try this for the
next 21 days. Every time one of those commercials, ads or infomercials pops on the tube
get up and do jumping jacks, push-ups or perfect abdominal crunches for the duration of
the commercial. People think I’m crazy when I recommend this and I’ll admit it does seem
silly but after 21 days you’ll be quite amazed at how much exercise you actually execute.

I tested this out years ago with a group of 11 clients who on average viewed 2.5-3 hours
of TV daily. Over the course of their 7-day blocks they performed roughly 2700 reps
(combinations of jacks, jumps, pushes, pulls, planks, crunches) each week. Keep it mind
this was 7 years ago and I guarantee you the amount of horse crap fitness junk on TV
these days has increased by ten fold so your potential reps will obviously increase. This
is an easy way to incorporate exercise into your day even if you’re pressed for time.

Want some added accountability? Make it a little family competition complete with
progress charts on the fridge and some type of incentive for reps completed for each
family member weekly. You can have all types of fun with this by adding different venues:
each time you open the fridge, every time you receive a text message or cell phone call
or how about including the computer as well? I get flooded with snake oil supplement pop
ups and get skinny ads every second I’m online. Play all the angles and watch how easy it
is to get in shape.

Remember, there is always time for exercise and no such thing as bad exercise.
Have fun and keep it safe and simple.

Geoff Kalmbach is a Fitness Expert, columnist, speaker, and Certified Fitness
Professional. Geoff has incorporated health and fitness into thousands of lives all over
the world. Sign up for his FREE monthly newsletter at http://www.getfunctionallyfit.com

Mannequins are an essential part to every clothing retail store, and thus, when any clothing retail expands their sales floor or decides to open a new store, they are forced to begin the hunt for a new battalion of mannequins, full size realistic mannequins, mannequin forms, child mannequins, and the like. There are a number of places to track down the right mannequins such as the Internet, mass production manufactures, and custom mannequin designers. There are even some used mannequin providers for those on a tight budget. Which place or business you decide to consider depends entirely upon the type of product you are looking for.

There are a few good websites that provide mannequins online. Some of these websites manufacture their own mannequins and some provide those designed and built by prestigious mannequin manufacturers. There are also websites that provide economy mannequin product in a separate section from their regular mannequin stock. These mannequins are still great for showing off clothes but are just a little lower in production quality (materials) and sometimes design. Some websites even sell used designer mannequins to keep those mannequins, still in working order, recycled. If you begin your mannequin search online, look for websites that provide pictures and descriptions so that you can be sure of the type of mannequin you are purchasing, and feel free to email the retail website contact with any questions you might have about the materials or design. This is especially important when considering used mannequins, however, it is also important to purchase used mannequins as quickly as possible. If you find the style you want, it may be gone tomorrow because this is not a manufacturer that has a certain number of this type of mannequin in stock. Think about ordering several mannequins at a time to cut down on shipping, if you can. This can also save you a bundle considering some mannequins require a sizeable box for shipping.

Mass produced mannequins are very popular and readily available, both online and direct from manufacturers. The best thing about these mannequins is that they will always be in stock and reliable. However, these mannequins are produced by the hundreds or even thousands and may often have a quite generic form. If you are looking for something unique to accommodate a somewhat unique sales environment, this may not be the solution for you and your store.

The mannequin providers at the opposite end of this spectrum create completely custom and unique mannequins every time. Though these are very high in quality, they are also quite expensive. You are paying for the artistic expression and craftsmanship of the maker. If you are considering selling designer clothing or apparel this might be a must, but for most retail environments, it is entirely up to the taste of the store display designer and the size of the budget.

Think about these different kinds of mannequin providers and scout out a few of them on your own to decide what it is you are looking for. The online sales world is growing rapidly, and some of the best providers with the largest inventories can be found on the Internet. Good luck finding the mannequins that will bring your store to life.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the Vice President of S & L Store Fixtures, a leading online provider of mannequins and mannequin forms For more information, please visit http://www.slstoredisplays.com

Fashionable people desire great clothes, atmosphere, and customer service to accompany their clothes buying decisions. They need to surround themselves with good company in order to enjoy the shopping experience and come away satisfied with the products they chose. It is vital to be very knowledgeable about the clothes on your sales floor as well as the customers browsing your sales floor. Be familiar with their faces and try to keep names straight, because this is the kind of personal attention that every high profile buyer wants to feel in a retail environment. Not only is it helpful to remember their names and faces, but recalling a bit of their fashion taste will also prove extremely helpful. Because the world of fashion trends and styles are constantly shifting, keeping up with what your customers are looking for will help you keep a step ahead of your competitors.

It should not be news that you should pay close attention to those customers that spend large amounts and have frequent appearances. Of course you should treat all customers with the same amount of customer service and attention, but for those more regular clientele, making note of more specific tastes will help you in future restocking and orders. You should make a list of these customers along with statements they have made or fashions they have looked for, so that the next time you order, you can pick out at least one item especially for them. This is a huge step in customer service, and it will no doubt be quite appreciated. People like to feel important, and if a customer knows they will be treated that way in your store, they are likely to come back often. It doesn’t really matter if they decide to buy the item you picked out, just knowing that it was picked out for them will make them feel as though your are very concerned with their needs as a customer.

Atmosphere is possibly the most important aspect to higher profile retail store displays. Simple store fixtures are preferable to retail fixtures that distract from the clothes. Clothing hangers should be matching to with particular garments, and shelves should always be organized and laden with only a few layers of folded garments at a time. Stay away from big stacks or huge clothing hanger racks. Instead, keep your inventory well sorted in the back so that you can bring the correct size to your customer quickly upon request. The overall atmosphere should be soothing. Spa quality has become a trend in resent years, as many higher socioeconomic people enjoy treating themselves to soothing environments as often as possible. Following feng shui guidelines and soothing, simple music can help accomplish this style of atmosphere. Of course, not all stores should take this advice, it simply depends on the style of clothes and the type of clientele who frequent your store.

Having a retail store that caters to the needs of the fashionably elite is not an easy task. You must be quite a master of fashion yourself. Many high-end retailers hire consulting firms to assist in their organization and display design to insure the success of their retail environment, and this is not a bad idea. However, the best consultants are your customers. Soak up every comment and suggestion to make your sales environment a custom fit to your clients.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the Vice President of S & L Store Fixtures, a leading online provider of clothing hangers and many other retail fixtures For more information, please visit

Persons having difficulty in walking, those suffering from severe illness or bodily injury, and certain physically disabled persons have no other option but to use wheelchairs. The typical type of wheelchair is made up of a seat with a backrest and a footrest, along with two small front caster wheels and two larger rear wheels. Even though there are standard versions of wheelchairs, they are usually customized to suit the need of the patient or the disabled person.

The seat size, seat-to-floor height, controls, and certain other items are normally tailor-made for the individual patient to provide maximum comfort. Several optional accessories are also available, like safety belts, adjustable backrests and anti-tip bars. Mounts for crutches, oxygen cylinders, drink holders, etc. are also provided. Using the so-called omniwheel or the mecanum wheel facilitates multidirectional movement. However, it is provided only when it is absolutely necessary, since control is not as easy as the standard types of wheelchairs.

The types of wheelchairs are self-propelled, attendant-propelled, and powered. Depending on the condition of the patient or the disabled person, one of these is selected so as to give maximum comfort for the user. Attendant-propelled wheelchairs come with back handles for easy pushing. A 4 or 5-ampere rechargeable battery runs powered types. Both dry type and wet type batteries are available, though the dry type is the most preferred one. Pediatric wheelchairs are meant for the use of pregnant women. Wheelchairs for disabled sports persons are special types, incorporating features required for participation in sports.

The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 stipulates certain mandatory provisions in building construction for ease of operation by patients or disabled persons using wheelchairs. It is a statutory requirement in the United States that all new construction for public use have to be built to ADA norms. Construction of these buildings should conform to specifications of wheelchair accessible construction. Special wheelchair ramps and elevators are added in buildings so that persons with walking disabilities would not face any undue hardship. Powered doors, fixtures like sinks with lower heights, as well as large-spaced toilets with grab bars for easy maneuvering are other requirements that are generally provided for in wheelchair accessible construction of buildings.

Hospitals that have limited floors are constructed with wheelchair ramps for all the floors. However, in large multistory hospitals and buildings, the wheelchair ramp is provided only in the ground floor or the first 2 to 3 floors. However, care is taken to ensure that the person using the wheelchair has easy access to lifts, so that they could go to any floor without difficulty. The design of the wheelchair ramp has to be done accurately to avoid difficulty while climbing up and/or skidding while coming down the ramp.
Portable wheelchair ramps are provided mostly in old buildings, where originally no provision was made for persons using wheelchairs. Public places like bus stations and train stations also provide portable wheelchair ramps chiefly to make buses and trains easy for persons in wheelchairs. Buses with low boarding platforms are also in use for such disabled persons. Airports too invariably provide such portable wheelchair ramps, when needed.

Fishing is one of the most favorite pastimes of Americans. Retired persons and persons recovering from illness simply love fishing to pass their time outdoors. Hence, fishing spots normally provide wheelchair accessible fishing facilities. Fishing is the best alternative for persons who can not practice active exercises. This outdoor pastime invigorates the body and also lifts the spirit of the person. Hence, disabled persons, retired people and those recuperating from illness keenly seek wheelchair accessible fishing facilities.

Normal lifts that accommodate six to eight persons would be too small for easy maneuvering of wheelchairs. Public places like government buildings, hospitals, courts, bus & train stations, airports, etc. are frequented by persons using wheelchairs. Hence, such places install larger lifts that facilitate easy wheelchair operations. Such special wheelchair lifts are mandatory for newly constructed buildings to enable them to conform to ADA norms.

Eric Comforth is a consultant who writes on many consumer topics. There is more wheelchair information at
Wheelchairs For You