* This study was designed to examine OSHA and Florida’s Partnership and provide research in both a positive and negative light.

* Small Business Safety under the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

* The Location of Florida and OSHA, working hand in hand to provide a multi-cultural, diverse state with workplace safety.

* Flaws within OSHA and opposition towards OSHA

* Workplace Safety, OSHA reality or technology as the benefactor.

Research consisted of queries with various government and scholastic entities, including but not limited to the US Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, University of South Florida, and the Florida Legislature. Additional sources included literary guides such as the New York Times, the Press Room, and the honorable Henry Bonilla representing the 23rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives along with other fine providers of information. Results of this research, discussed more fully in this report, display that OSHA, while a boon to the average employee, could be a long tedious government run-around to those that truly require workplace investigations of safety hazards.

We would be please to discuss this report and its conclusions with you at your request. My team and I thank you for your confidence in selection our group to prepare this comprehensive characterize.

Table of Contents

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT (OSHA)… 1

HELP OR HINDERANCE 1

Executive Summary 4

OSHA for Itsy-bitsy Businesses: Pros and Cons 5

Small Business Safety 5

Florida University System Lend a Guiding Hand 6

OSHA Bridges the Language Gap 7

Florida Follows Federal Guidelines 7

U.S. Department of Labor Honors Exemplary Businesses 7

Fraction 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.7

Florida’s Stake in the Agriculture Business 8

Better Safe than Sorry 8

OSHA: A Critical View 9

Opposing OSHA 9

OSHA Suffers Lawsuits 10

Workplace Safety 10

The Ergonomics Standards Plan 11

Is the Plan Cost Effective 11

Figure 1 11

Summary of OSHA Cost Errors 11

Inspections as a Deterrent 9

Economic Feasibility 12

Bibliography 13

Executive Summary

Jobsite safety and health is a top priority for workers in the United States. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federally urge agency, was created to ensure that people would have a safe environment to work in.

OSHA has been charged with improving workers’ health and safety since 1970, but few studies claim it improves workplace safety at all. Most cannot find a significant reduction in workplace fatalities or injuries due to OSHA. Studies place the annual cost of OSHA’s regulations as high as $11 billion per year to run the recent health and safety policies it has in place. Even pro-OSHA studies demonstrate that the agency annually generates three times more cost than it generates in benefits.

The Three Amiga’s supports restructuring OSHA with reform. The state of Florida currently has in place a collaborative partnership under Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which provides education, training, and technical assistance; and employers are encouraged to avail themselves of this assistance without dismay of becoming involved in a major controversy with the agency. OSHA must focus their attention on more significant safety and health problems, so that the regulatory program will achieve greater overall risk reduction benefits.

This study supports the concept of providing employers with the incentive to improve their safety and health performance voluntarily in cooperation with their employees. This explore also advocates reforming OSHA’s standards and making them as practical, cost effective, and performance oriented as possible.

Improving safety in the workplace is a team anxiety. Both employers and employees portion the responsibility for safety. There must be provisions that create a role for the employer’s safety program.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration aims to ensure worker safety and health in the U.S. by assisting employers and employees to do better working environments. Since becoming law in 1970, the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act and OSHA have helped lop workplace fatalities by more than 60 percent and illness rates by 40 percent. This success has occurred while the nation’s employment figures have more than doubled from 56 million workers at 3.5 million organizations to more than 115 million workers at 7.1 million sites.[1]Although the statistics appear to befriend OSHA’s success, others watch the agency as a hindrance to worker safety. This report will cover both of these views.

Minute businesses in Florida engaged in business involving interstate commerce are subject to the regulations of OSHA.[2] There are exceptions to audits and inspections (i.e. ten or fewer employees or a business made up of only immediate family members), but the liability of hazardous working environments are not removed or eliminated.

Under its provisions, an employer must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that cause, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to employees regardless of the size of the business. Every business in Florida covered by the OSH Act must comply with federal workplace safety and health standards. In South Florida, OSHA’s Area Office in Plantation provides advice education, and assistance to small business people, trade associations, local labor affiliates, and other stakeholders who request help with occupational safety and health issues.[3]

For those small businesses in Florida with eleven-or-more workers, OSHA requires employers to: 1.) inform employees of the organization’s safety regulations 2.) Post OSHA Job Safety and Health poster in a permanent place where notices to employees are usually posted 3.) Record within eight hours to the OSHA site office (by telephone or in writing) any fatal accident involving an employee or any other accident resulting in the hospitalization of three or more employees 4.) Bear up-to-date (within six working days) records of all occupational injuries and illnesses 5.) post the annual summary of the organization’s OSHA No. 200 log on February 1st of the following year and maintain that posting in a conspicuous place for the entire month of February; 6.) Retain all records of occupational injuries and illnesses for five years after the end of the year; and 7.) Furnish a place of employment free from recognized hazards that could cause death or serious injury to employees. (This catchall enables an OSHA inspector to cite an employer who should have recognized a serious hazard, even if OSHA does not have a specific standard related to that hazard).[4]

Florida University System Lend a Guiding Hand

Here in Florida, small business is fortunate to have a friend in the Space University System. The University of South Florida’s “Safety Florida Consultation Program” in Tampa offers free services that can wait on lower costs. Taking advantage of this service can assist an employer with:

• “Complying with federal safety and health standards to reduce the risk of injuries and OSHA citations.

• “Identifying deficient safety conditions with full-service worksite evaluations and to assess required programs and determine safety needs.

• “Writing detailed reports that define specific actions that can be taken to correct problem areas and improve existing safety programs.

• “Delivering technical guidance and information outlining how to comply with federal standards.

• “Providing printed materials on occupational safety, including copies of OSHA standards, as well as industry and government guidelines.

• “Assisting in implementing safety programs mandated by OSHA. • “Support in the reduction of workplace injuries by providing safety and health programs tailored to a particular business or workplace.”[5]

This has proven very helpful to Florida employers who have seen their employee total case incident rate decline by 4.9 percent and their employee lost workday incidence rate decline by 8.9 percent. Furthermore, a study by the Florida Legislature found that more than nine thousand Florida employers received a two-percent reduction in their workers’ compensation insurance rates and research has also shown that lasting improvements in workplace safety are made through consultation, education, and

training, as compared with simply strict enforcement.[6]

OSHA attempts to come every employee and employer, even those who do not converse English as their first language. Particularly of interest in Florida is the fact that the agency maintains a Spanish webpage and Spanish-speaking operators at a national call center during business hours. Various publications, training materials and videos are also provided in Spanish.[7]

Florida Follows Federal Guidelines

In Fiscal Year 2004, OSHA has a staff of 2,200, including 1,123 inspectors and the agency’s appropriation is $457.5 million.[8]Since Florida has not yet established its bear health and safety program, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are responsible for ensuring compliance with the law. OSHA, under the leadership of the Secretary of Labor in Washington, may conduct station inspections and require employers to originate self-evaluations.

U.S. Department of Labor Honors Exemplary Businesses

The U.S. Department of Labor says that using all the resources available to improve upon health and safety in the workplace, certain exemplary small businesses can request participation in OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). Eligibility for participation in SHARP includes receiving a comprehensive consultation visit, demonstrating exemplary achievements in workplace safety and health by reducing identified hazards and developing and implementing an effective safety and health program. Small businesses accepted into SHARP may receive an exemption from scheduled annual inspections-not complaint or accident inspections-for one year.[9]

(the Act) encourages States to develop and operate their occupy job safety and health programs.OSHA approves and monitors State plans

Alaska

Arizona

California

Connecticut*

Hawaii

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Nevada

Fresh Jersey*

New Mexico

New York*

North Carolina

Oregon

Puerto Rico

South Carolina

Tennessee

Utah

Vermont

Virgin Islands*

Virginia

Washington

Wyoming

Note: The Connecticut, Unusual Jersey, New York and Virgin Islands plan coverspublic sector (Spot and local government) employees only.

One area of great interest to OSHA in the site of Florida is agriculture. Florida agriculture, including forestry and seafood, made an annual economic impact of $53 billion. More than 81,000 people work on some 40,000 farms around the state, and more than 50,000 are employed in other activities related to agriculture. The state’s agriculture enterprises range from large citrus, vegetable and cattle operations to small family-operated farms. Safety in Florida agriculture is especially challenging to OSHA because: 1.) the state’s agriculture enterprises are diverse; 2.) safety knowledge among workers varies; 3.) manual labor is used extensively; and 4.) the climate creates year-round stress.[10]

Compliance Safety and Health Officers from the Department of Labor are authorized to enter Florida businesses at reasonable times and without delay, to inspect a physical plant, question an employer and review records required by the OSH Act (OSH Act, Section 1903. Advance notice of inspections is not given, except in cases of apparent imminent danger, in circumstances where the inspection can be more affectively be conducted after regular business hours, when necessary to train the presence of representatives of the employer and employees, and in other circumstances determined by the OSHA area director (OSH Act, Section 1903.6).[11]

Employee benefits when safety and health are priorities at the workplace. Every worker wants to contribute through the job, even when the primary purpose of work is to originate a living. Safety and health add value to the lives of workers in Florida by enabling them to preserve an unprejudiced income and provide for their families. Getting hurt or sick on the job is not unprejudiced physically painful, but on-the-job injuries and illnesses can also significantly reduce income, increase stress, and hinder a chubby and enriching family life.

Establishing reliable and healthful working environments in Florida require every employer and employee to make safety and health a top priority. The entire workforce-starting at the CEO and downward to the newest employee-must realize the importance of safety and health by acknowledging that these are keys to the small business vision, identity and success.

In this regard, OSHA believes it provides leadership and encouragement to employers and workers in helping them recognize and realize the values of safety and health on the job. The agency’s ultimate goal has always been, and continues to be, the reduction of injuries, illnesses and deaths to zero in the workplace.[12]

OSHA: A Critical View

Although The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH ACT) was created to regulate the private sector, it has been accused of having many flaws and some feel OSHA should be abolished altogether. These opponents base their opinions on fresh statistics from refutable sources showing a lack of progress, as well as serious financial losses that taxpayers absorb. Additionally OSHA does not hide public workplaces such as school systems and municipal governments.[13] These are only a few of the many criticisms aimed at OSHA.

Some opponents think OSHA is a useless entity that sometimes does more harm than valid. A unique article, written by Thomas J. Kneiser and John D. Leeth, states just that. Their paper, appropriately titled Abolishing OSHA, cites the case of the Pymm Thermometer Company,” the second largest manufacturer of mercury thermometers in the United States.

Employees of Pymm worked in a non-ventilated windowless basement with no respirators or protective clothing. Their job was recycling mercury from old thermometers. For five years, OSHA had known about serious health problems among the plant employees, including asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. Mercury poisoning can damage organs including the brain. The company was not even fined when “puddles” of mercury were found on the floor when inspected.

Finally, when a worker who had formerly worked for the plant stated suspicions that one of his former co-workers was suffering from brain damage, OSHA got involved. Mercury fume levels in the plant were five times higher than the acceptable level, which can cause serious illness and even death. OSHA fined Pymm $1,400 and ordered them to clean up.

Five years later Pymm has not complied with OSHA’s recommendations. When an employee suffering from severe health consequences went to the news media, OSHA enforced the recommendations. However, serious violations were allowed to stand for five years, and the consequences were severe. More than half of Pymms 100 workers, and many of their children also suffer from serious mercury poisoning. [14]

Many firms realize that the likelihood of an inspection is minimal. The typical American worker may see an OSHA once every seventy-five years, or once every thirteen years if they are employed in a hazardous profession. Companies generally know that they can simply agree to comply with inspector recommendations to avoid future inspections.

OSHA Suffers Lawsuits

OSHA inspectors seem reluctant to shut down companies or impose severe fines even when their findings indicate serious health and safety issues.

Case in point is The United Auto Workers (UAW) and the United Steel Workers of America (USWA) who have united in a joint lawsuit filed October 21, 2003[15]. The lawsuit requests that OSHA set clean air standards in United States factories. Because OSHA took no action, ten years ago when the UAW first petitioned them, millions of workers have been exposed to hazardous chemicals and developed serious health problems.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety,[16] a government agency that researches health problems for employees in the United States, collected evidence about metalworking fluids and suggested a standard of 0.5 milliliters per cubic meter of air for both oil and synthetic metalworking fluids.

OSHA is required to submit a standard or spot a reason for not doing so within sixty days of the (NIOS) recommendation. After Four years, OSHA has not complied, and even withdrew the recommendation from consideration and millions of factory workers are still being exposed to hazardous chemicals.

Although several reports have shown a decline inworker fatality, (in 1925 there were 16 fatalities per 100,000 workers, whereas by 1993 that number had dropped to 3.5 per100, 000), there is no real decrease in on the job injury or illness. Fatalities in the workplace had begun to decline even before OSHA, possibly due to safety technology, and the occupational distribution of labor. To the contrary, illness and injury in the workplace tend to follow the economy. The more people employed, the higher the injury rate. OSHA still does not cover the self-employed, who tend to work in higher risk professions and account for 20 percent of workplace fatalities

The Ergonomics Standards Plan

Most recently, OSHA proposed its Ergonomics Standards Program.[17] Ergonomics is the study of the design and scheme of equipment in a healthy comfortable manner.[18] This Program Standard states that an employee who complains of a

musculo- skeletal disorder (MSD) must complete a complicated series of steps in order to decide whether OSHA covers them. It is a far from cost effective policy.

Furthermore, employers have been effectively dealing with these injuries for many years on a volunteer basis. The efforts of these business owners has decreased stress related injury by 22 percent since 1993.If OSHA implements the Ergonomics Program it will force employers to follow rigid guidelines, thereby reducing flexibility for targeted response. Companies will be forced to spread resources more thinly to address every complaint, many of which are discovered to be invalid, resulting in less effective coverage, as well as higher costs for employees.

Opponents of the Ergonomics Plan point out that OSHA made a series of mistakes in its financial plan and the costs will likely outweigh the benefits and cause, damage to existing programs employers have in place. The table below shows these errors as well as the corrected estimated cost: [19]

Error or Omission ItemOSHA EstimateOSHA ErrorCorrected Estimate

Computation of Annualized Cost

$4.2 billion

$1.6 billion

$5.8 billion

Compliances baseline

$4.2 billion

$5-$7.5 billion

$9.2-$11.7 billion

Assess potential MSDs

$0

$2.5-$29.7 billion

$2.5-$29.7 billion

Familiarization time

$0.2 billion

$3.1 billion

$3.3 billion

Other time parameters

$0.9 billion

$12.8 billion

$13.7 billion

Training for fixed jobs

$0

$0.6-$1.2 billion

$0.6-$1.2 billion

Increased MSD reports

$0

$5.6-$39.2 billion

$5.6-$39.2 billion

Total

$11-$12 billion

$31.2-$95.1 billion

$35.4-$99.3 billion

(Employment Policy Foundation; fact &fallacy: April 10, 2002)

OSHA’s costs far outweigh the benefits. According to an article published in The Yale Journal on Regulation,[20] and written by Robert Hahn and John Hind, it costs OSHA $11 billion per year to run the current health and safety policies it has in place. The benefit to workers through health care costs and injury reduction they estimate is $3.6 billion per year. Even best case reports show the costs outweigh the gains three to one.

In conclusion, many proponents feel OSHA would benefit if supplied with a larger budget and more resources, but it already spends an exorbitant amount of taxpayer dollars on programs that are largely ineffectual. Abolishing OSHA completely may leave some workers largely unprotected, so the reply probably lies in complete reformation. OSHA is in the business of reform, but who will reform OSHA?

Bird E., Ronald; Fact & fallacy; Analysis Misses the Target in Predicting Ergonomics Rule;

Bonilla, Henry; The Workplace Preservation Act;; Remarks

(4 March 1999)

ErgoDynamo.com;

The Florida Legislature. “Addendum to OPPAGA Record No. 97-25 Agency Response from Dept. of Labor & Employment Security.” January 1998. (4 June 2004).

HR.BLR.Com; Florida Safety and Health;

Kneisner J.,Thomas; Leeth P, John; Regulation; The Cato Review of Business and Government;AbolishingOSHA; (2003)

Lehtola, Carol J., Charles M. Brown, and William J. Becker. “Inspections, Citations, and Proposed Penalties – OSHA Standard 1903.” University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. November 2000. (5 June 2004).

The New York Times; Work Place Safety is Growing Concern;

Olexa, Michael T., Aaron Leviten, and Kelly Samek. “Florida Solid and Hazardous Waste Regulation Handbook: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).”University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. December 2003. (6 June 2004).

Polopolus, Leo C., Michael T. Olexa, Fritz Roka, and Carol Fountain. “2003 Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employers and Workers: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) [Federal].” University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. December 2002. (5 June 2004).

Press Room; UAW and USAW Sue Secretary of Labor…;

< http://www.uswa.org/uswa./program/content/616.php> (21 October 2003)

Smith, Sandy; Safety Zones; Unions sue to Force OSHA to Set Clean Air Standards in Factories;; (22 October 2003)

University of South Florida Consultation Program. “Ask USF Safety Florida to Protect Your Profits with an Effective Safety Program.” n.d. (4 June 2004).

U.S. Department of Labor. “OSHA Help for New Businesses Fact Sheet.” 2002.

(4 June 2004).

U.S. Department of Labor. “OSHA Facts.” 2004.

(7 June 2004).

U.S. Department of Labor. “OSHA Handbook for Small Businesses.” 1996 (Revised),

(4 June 2004).

[1] U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Facts, 2004, available at http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/oshafacts.html; Internet; accessed 7 June, 2004.

[2] Leo C. Polopolus et al., 2003 Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employees and Workers: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) [Federal], December 2002, available at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FE408; 5 June 2004.

[3] U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Help for New Businesses Fact Sheet, 2002, available at http://www.

Osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/newbusinesses-factsheet.pdf; 4 June 2004.

[4]Polopolus, 2003 Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employers and Workers: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) [Federal].

[5] University of South Florida Consultation Program, Ask USF Safety Florida to Protect Your Profits with an Effective Safety Program, n.d., available from http://www.safetyflorida.usf.edu/Pdf/Safetypr.pdf; 4 June 2004.

[6]

[7] U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Facts.

[8] Michael T. Olexa et al., Florida Solid and Perilous Waste Regulations Handbook: Occupational Safety and Health Act, December 2003, available at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FE447; Internet; accessed 6 June 2004.

[9] U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Facts, 2004, 32-33, available from http://www.osha.gov.as/opa/ oshafacts.html; Internet; accessed 5 June 2004.

[10]Carol J. Lehtola et al., Inspections, Citations, and Proposed Penalties-OSHA Standard 1903, November 2000, available from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_OA059; 5 June 2004.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid,

[13]HR.BLR.COM; State HR Answers & Tools Online; Florida Safety and Healthhttp://hr1.blr.com/Article.cfm/Nav/3.12.48.0.25134.25134>

[14] Kneisner J., Thomas and Leeth D. John; Abolishing OSHA, 2003;

[15]Press Room; October 21, 2003;< http://www.uswa.org/uswa/program/content/616.php>

[16]The New York Times; Work Place Safety is Growing Concern http://www.saja.org/stories/safety.html

[17]ErgoDynamo.com:

[19] Bird E. Ronald: Osha Analysis Misses the Target in Predicting Ergonomics Rule Cost, fact & fallacy.

[20][20] Kneisner J., Thomas and Leeth D. John; Abolishing OSHA, 2003;

Soon you are reminded of old aunt Martha’s warning from the morning papers that day during breakfast. It was all about road accidents being the single most cause of accidents in the country. And those disturbing numbers have dampened your enthusiasm. You look up for ads in the papers, do google search, and try to find out everything about insurance from everyone you meet. In the end you arrive at the depressing notion that it is more difficult to pick the just choice for car insurance than it was when in buying the Chevrolet itself. Those cunningly crafted insurance quotes from agents can confuse any new possessor including you into making the wrong choice. Maybe you will not be fully covered or you will have to pay more as premium, a worrying fact you would like to avoid. But don’t worry sister. You are not alone. Here is a step-by-step method, a few tips to steer you while you are shopping for that cheap and fair car insurance. Read carefully…

Auto insurance coverage these days extends fully to meet with many contingencies. And there are as many excellent companies to settle from, all clamoring for your lone policy. So it is wise to halt and shop around for many quotes before you determine finally on that one choice. Remember to do the following…

* Find out how much insurance is primary as per the laws of the place where you live. If you are in the United States, it will depend on the individual Dwelling laws that will apply. Most states in the U.S. require a certain minimum coverage before you even decide to put your car on the road.

* Do you need more than the minimum required? If your Chevrolet is financed by a finance company, you will need more to cover for fully comprehensive and even collision.

* Just exactly how much can you afford at this time? Remember you just had your first paycheck. As you shop around, you will receive different rates from different companies. This may be because of the deductibles and also a few other coverages offered.

* Do extensive research on the insurance companies. Look for their present performance status by carefully looking at consumer reports offered by top ranking agencies like Standard and Poors and J. D. Powers. Standard and Poors is the world’s leading provider of credit ratings. Their data is respected by everyone in the insurance industry.

* Can this company do business in your state? Check your state’s insurance board. Only companies registered on the board can offer you insurance.

* How long has this company been doing the business? Certainly there are cases of newly formed companies offering fancy rates.If you are not careful, they will just vanish, distinguished to your fear. Do not sign on any blank paper or papers with written matter you don’t understand. If in doubt, have your attorney around when you do it.

* Keep your driving record ready for whatever years before you bought the Chevrolet. If your record is free from accidents, you stand a good chance of getting a lower insurance quote. It is generally found that female drivers have lesser number of accients than do men.

* Keep copies of every paper you sign safe in your office or home.

* It does not matter which company you finally choose or the extent of the coverage you want. You will have to provide the following…

1. The name and year model of your car.

2. How much does it cost?

3. How many miles has it done?

4. What is its identification number?

5. What safety measures have you got fixed inside the car?

6. The complete details of all those who will drive your car. These will include their names, gender, age and even health.

Here are a few companies you can try…

American Automobile Association

American Family Insurance

Auto-Owners Insurance

Allstate Corporation

* Have you considered buying auto insurance online? The World wide Web has made buying car insurance so easy. You are just a click away from receiving an insurance quote and it takes lesser time than to drive your Chevrolet out from the garage and on to the main highway! Today we have ” car insurance portals” that serve as a source of all auto insurance information. Imagine getting quotes from multiple car insurance companies, all within a single platform from their websites? These portals can save you from searching and visiting several websites to get what you want. Please visit the following websites…

www. highestinsurance.com

www.nlgha.org/car-insurance-companies/united-services-automobile-association

They will guide you in getting the finest quotes without any hassle. But the competition is so heavy to score your policy. Be careful not to provide more information than is important and only to those who actually process your info to give you that quote.

And finally on a lighter note – what if old sick aunt Martha wanted your help in buying insurance for her car? All you have to do is to obtain on those car insurance portals. All along you thought your aunt to be old Uncle Scrooge’s wife, didn’t you? To your surprise she might reward you with a Mercedes as your wedding present honest for doing her this favor! You saved her money on insurance!

The insurance offered by th Instituto Nacional de Seguros is varied and coverage is offered for both businesses and individuals.

You can get accident insurance to mask accidents that are job related around the world. Eligibility requirements are that you must be between the ages of 15 and 60. Children can be insured between the ages of 12 and 21. And for an extra premium you can be insured up to a maximum of 70 years.

Student accident insurance, called seguro estudiantil, is available for school children and students. It covers any accident in Costa Rica. Eligibility requirements state that the child must be registered at a school that is recognized by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education (MEP), the National Board of Superior Education (CONESUP) or at a daycare center that is registered with the Costa Rican Ministry of Health.

Housing insurance, called seguro de hogar, is offered with two different variations. The options are either seguro de hogar comprensivo or seguro de hogar 2000. The seguro de hogar 2000 provides coverage for all risks that your property ay face including fire, natural distaer, earthquakes, falling trees or airplanes, loss of rent and more. While the seguro de hogar comprensivo offers coverage for your housing at its most basic level. However it can be upgraded to cover accidents and risks and civil liability. Typically this insurance is chosen for houses that are made of concrete and are in good condition. It is important to know the difference between these types of home insurance so that you are adequately covered if you have purchased a home in Costa Rica.

Theft insurance is offered as a general policy and as a cell phone specific policy. Theft insurance, called seguro contra robo, provides coverage for burglary and theft in your home or business. Possessions and damages are covered. Cell phone theft insurance, called seguro contra robo de cellulares, provides coverage for loss or theft of cell phones. This is only available for new GSM phones and the premium is 7.25 percent of the value of the phone. You must insure within 30 days of buying the cell phone and you can only renew the policy once.

Six different types of life insurance (seguro de vida) policies are offered. Vido colectivo is for groups of at least 20 people between the ages of 15 and 65. Vida en dolares is for people between the ages of 15 and 75. It allows you to put money into an memoir and earn interest. Vida universal is offered for the ages of 2 up to 70 and allows flexibility in the premium and payment intervals. Via global uses a savings chronicle to earn interest as well. Vida temporal serie econimica is for the ages between 15 and 60. It is a low cost policy that only provides coverage for a predetermined period. Vida temporal en dolares offers coverage for a choice of a 5, 10, 15, or 20 year period. The ages that this is for start at age 15 up to age 60.

When you get your license plate for your car insurance coverage is provided. While this is the case it is beneficial to hold additional coverage. With additional coverage anyone that drives your car is covered. The basic only covers civil damage while the additional insurance covers the other risks.

Credit and debit card insurance is available to cover 90 percent of charges made in the event of fraud.

Travel insurance is also available in four different policy types. Aeroseguro travel insurance provides coverage for accidents or medical conditions that occur during flights. Viajero en Colones provides coverage for travelers that are traveling a minimum of one week and a maximum of 26 weeks either in or out of Costa Rica. The payout for this policy is in Colones. The viajero en dolares is identical to the viajero en colones policy except that the payout is in American dollars. And the viajero con asistencia is for travelers that are making international travel for a minimum of one week and a maximum of 26 weeks.

Companies that provide auto insurance for seniors take in to consideration the conditions that impair their ability to drive safely. They may have physical limitations or mobility that prevents them from being able to react appropriately on the road. Medical checkups are primary at this stage in life if you are still a driver. Your doctor can give you exercises to build up strength and flexibility.

If you are prone to falling episodes or recently had one your insurance company needs to know. This can expose serious health issues that affect your driving skills. Ignoring this could result is seriously or fatally injuring yourself and other drivers or passengers. If a child suddenly runs out on the street chasing a ball, how quick is your reaction time?

A neurological disorder such as dementia can cause you to become disoriented tedious the wheel. Your response time can decrease rapidly. Diabetes creates complications with your vision and uncontrolled blood sugar can make you confused. Inflammation of the joints forces limited mobility. Issues with your feet effect it troublesome to operate the accelerator and brake pedals.

The best seniors auto insurance plans are offered by reputable companies specializing in this area, such as The Hartford, in conjunction with AARP. The website offers a tips and information for keeping your driving skills sharp and do money on your car insurance. They also help you find an independent agent that makes you feel comfortable and one that can provide what you need at rates you can afford. AARP has worked in partnership for over 25 years to insure senior drivers. As a member you receive a 10% discount on your premiums. You can also get discounts for defensive driving courses, multiple car insurance and by bundling it with your home insurance. The best auto insurance for seniors varies depending on your circumstances. The website offers an online snappily quote function that gives you a idea of what your insurance premiums will cost.

Are you looking for affordable car insurance rates? This task can be made easy by comparing different car insurance quotes and getting the policy that’s best for you. Here are some tips for finding the best insurance rates.

Documents to have Available

1. Vin# (Vehicle Identification Number)
2. Driver’s License
3. Model and year of car

Decide What Type of Coverage

It’s advisable to take the time and decide what type of auto insurance coverage you need. All consumers must have liability coverage. This type of coverage must be fulfilled in every spot. However, you can decide on getting comprehensive and collision coverage.

Car Insurance Discounts

If your car has additional safety features you may be eligible for discounts on your insurance policy. Make sure to ask the agent what type of discount you can receive if you have the following devices on your vehicle:

Airbags
Car Alarms
Automatic Seat Belts
Anti-Lock Brakes

You may also be eligible for multiple car discounts and a multiple policy discount.

Coverage Comparison

Here is a recommended listing of coverage to compare when you get a car insurance quote:

Collision Deductible
Medical Payments
Body Injury Liability
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Liability (each accident averages $300,000)
Uninsured Driver Property Damage
Comprehensive Deductible

Some insurance companies offer customers an option of increasing their comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles. This lowers auto premiums and saves you money.

While searching for the best car insurance rates there are some coverages you can avoid. These types of coverages are unnecessary and will cause a effect increase in your policy.

Roadside help: Many consumers belong to AAA. You will not need this type of insurance.

Mechanical Breakdown: Individuals that have a recent car that’s under warranty will not benefit from this insurance.

Reasonable priced insurance is an obtainable goal for everyone. Consumers will receive a lower priced premium and excellent coverage on their auto insurance.

Sources:
www.insurance.com

1. Safe Drivers

Being a safe driver has its advantages: You don’t have to pay for costly repairs to a damaged vehicle, no one ever gets hurt on your watch and you might qualify for unique auto insurance discounts. Specifically, some states require that insurers provide premium discounts to consumers who complete driver safety courses, according to the AARP.

Thirty-six states require the discount if you take the Driver Safety Program in a classroom with an approved instructor, and 10 states even require it if you grasp the course online. This can mean a serious auto insurance reduction even if you’ve had tickets or accidents in the past.

2. Retirees

Did you know that there are unique auto insurance discounts for retirees? Some car insurance companies give reduced rates to seniors who are at least 55-years-old and are no longer employed full-time.

This is not a requirement, of course, and all insurance providers are different. However, if you can find a provider in your dwelling who offers this discount, you’ll save a bundle on car insurance.

3. Students

Younger drivers aren’t left in the dust. Other unique auto insurance discounts include reduced rates for full-time students. If you’re getting your education, you probably don’t have extra money to throw around, and with the discount you might be able to afford a few non-Ramen meals outside the dorm.

In most cases, unique auto insurance discounts for students require that the consumer be under 24 or 25 years of age and maintain a certain grade point average. You might not qualify if you are married or included on your parents’ insurance coverage.

4. Students’ Parents

One of the most recent auto insurance discounts available is the reduced rate for students’ parents. If you support a child (he or she lives with you, in other words) you might qualify for a discount. However, there are always lots of stipulations, so you’ll want to check with your insurance agent for details.

5. Farmers & Ranchers

Many farmers and ranchers own dedicated vehicles that never leave their property. In this case, you might qualify for a unique auto insurance discount that insures your truck for less.

Remember that in order to qualify for this discount, you will need to own an applicable vehicle that follows the rules on the policy. Otherwise, you might wind up paying much more.

There are plenty of other current auto insurance discounts that you might not have heard about. If you want to take advantage of them, you’ll need to sit down with your insurance agent and discuss the options available to you.

It is also a good plan to research other insurance providers from time to time. You never know when a unique auto insurance discount is going to crop up that would save you money on car insurance.

Source:

AARP

There are various types of life insurance ranging from universal, variable and universal variable categories.

Whole Life Insurance

This kind of insurance plan offers a permanent protection for those who take it. It is maintained by companies offering life insurance. One of the main advantages of having this type of insurance is that the value of the insured increases as time goes by.

There are many things that a person should mediate before deciding to take up whole life insurance. Some of the basic facts include:

• Policy holders can decide to acquire out of the policy before they die.
• All policies and money are handled by the insurance company
• Benefits are given to a beneficiary who will be chosen by the policy holder while still alive
• According to the policy holder, dividends can be converted to cash or be used to pay future premiums.
• Premiums paid will always be fixed and constant unless the policy holder goes against the stipulated plan.

Variable Life Insurance

This kind of insurance is more suitable to policy holders who are delighted in a plan with higher risks. It can be changed within the account and offers a permanent protection to its premium holders.

Basic facts to remember when selecting a variable life insurance

• Should death occur, the beneficiary chosen by the policy holder will receive the benefits
• Benefits paid in case of death depend on the insurance plan’s cash worth.
• The holder of the policy is able to borrow the cash from the insurance idea in their lifetime.

Universal Life Insurance

This kind of insurance is the more flexible than the kinds of life insurance available. The holder of this policy is able to mange their policy as they wish.

Basic facts to remember when selecting a universal life insurance

• Should death occur, the beneficiary will receive the benefits
• Premiums can be changed
• The holder of the policy has the right to borrow as well as withdraw from the value of the policy
• The face amount of the plan can be changed

.

Universal Variable Life Insurance

This kind of insurance is the most flexible of the kinds of life insurance available. The policy holder of this kind of insurance has the nearly all the control over their insurance plan as well as the maintenance of the cash worth over the duration of the policy.

Basic facts to remember when selecting a universal variable life insurance

• Should death occur, the beneficiary will receive the benefits
• Premiums can be changed
• The holder of this policy has the lawful to withdraw or borrow from this value of the policy
• Terminating this policy earlier will cause a lower cash worth
• Accrued worth of life insurance can be invested in money markets bonds and stock by using separate accounts.

Radiant the relation of each kind of life insurance to your individual needs makes the selection of the appropriate life insurance much easier

Progressive Insurance

The best part about Progressive is that they offer onsite assistance. If your teenager is in an accident or something has happened to their vehicle and they need to make a claim, an agent will respond to their location. Depending on their deductible, they can be issued a check right then and there. Monthly payments for 6 months will be around $200 per month, including high deductibles for comprehensive and collision of $2000. If you or your teenager prefer lower deductibles, then you will pay around $250 per month for $100 deductibles for comprehensive and collision. You can fetch your free quote at www.progressive.com, and also pay for your teenagers premium with a credit or debit card. You will receive a copy of your insurance cards automatically after the payment has processed, by downloading it and printing it out at home.

Esurance

Esuranc is my top choice for teenagers getting auto insurance on their own. Your teen will automatically get a 5% discount for the first 6 months on their total premium, divided amongst all six months, but only if they purchase their policy online. Your teenager can also receive the good student discount, and if they have a Paypal account, they will also receive a 10% discount automatically. For about $160 per month, your teenager will receive chubby coverage, with space minimum liability and a $100 deductible for their comprehension and collision. This is the best ticket, and offers excellent discounts for your teen. You and your teenager can get a free quote at www.esurance.com and pay for the premium with a credit or debit card. You can also download and print your teenagers insurance cards at home. Once your payment has processed, within minutes, your teenager will be covered.

The General

The General offers different payment methods, like paying only 20% of the full 6 month premium upfront and then about $240 per month for full coverage with the lowest deductible they offer, $250 for comprehension and collision. If you or your teenager can afford to pay a higher deductible of $1000 for comprehension and collision, the highest they offer, you will be paying about $190 for full coverage. Your teenager will receive a $50 discount for purchasing their auto insurance online through their credit or debit card payment processing. If you or your teenager would like to withhold the down payment low, you can choose the 8.37% down and make 11 installment payments, which would be the best choice for continuous coverage. Your teenager can download and print their insurance cards after the payment has processed, about two minutes or less, and their coverage will start automatically. You and your teenager can get a free quote at www.thegeneral.com.

Begin with Health Insurance Quotes
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This is a sales and advertising agency for health insurance, that takes care of the approval stage of your application The health insurance providers in this network are not main organizations, and the business works with association health plans instead It’s a private organization that won’t sell your info to third parties, and can support you secure some solid health insurance packages in a quite short period of time Get a Totally free Quote from eHealthInsurance.com
If you’re looking for a temporary policy or just a standard individual health insurance policy, this is an additional valuable resource eHealthInsurance.com specializes in short-term, student, and dental insurance if you want other services as well, and the application procedure is really straightforward Health insurance coverage plans are accessible from Humana, United HealthCare, Aetna among other people Discover the Ins and Outs of Health Insurance for Self Employed People at HealthInsuranc.org
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Generally, you need life insurance only when someone else depends on you for income. This means children don’t need life insurance – the death of a child is one of life’s greatest tragedies, but it is not an economic tragedy. Many people in their 50′s and 60′s don’t need life insurance because their kids are grown, and the couple has saved enough for retirement, even if one partner dies. If you are married with children, the key years to be covered by life insurance may be 30-50. And it is not just the breadwinner who should be covered. If a stay-at-home mom dies, there will be a financial shock also. Life insurance very much does depend on your individual station. Check with a financial advisor.

There are two main types of life insurance – Whole Life and Term. With Whole Life, commonly called cash value, you pay extra in premiums and your policy has a cash value which you can select out if you no longer need life insurance. With Term, you are covered for a certain amount of time and then the coverage expires. It is like your homeowner’s policy. You can obtain multiple policies covering different periods of your life at different coverage levels.

Which type? Most crucial question is how much insurance is needed, rather than what type. If a large amount is needed, term may be the answer because you can get more coverage with less money. The only logical reason to consume cash value insurance is that it is helpful to the other investment alternatives. I assume life insurance should have only one goal, to insure a life. Invest the contrast in premium elsewhere.

How much insurance? Generally more than you deem. Insurance must help raise the kids until age 18, then put them through college. It must supplement your spouse’s income and contribute to her retirement.

Bottom line – make sure you have adequate life insurance for your individual situation.