A Look At Health Insurance Options
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When comparing health insurance quotes, make sure you are comparing similar plans. Health insurance comes in two basic forms – indemnity plans and managed care plans. Both indemnity and managed care health insurance are further broken down into several different types of health insurance so it is important to take the time and compare health insurance plans to determine what best fits your health care needs.
Indemnity Health Insurance
Indemnity health plans put you in charge of choosing your doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. You pay a set monthly premium and your health insurance pays your medical care, often after you pay a deductible and possibly a percentage of the bill.
A common employer-sponsored form of health insurance is a cafeteria or flexible spending plan. This type of health insurance allows employees to create a benefit package taken from a number of options. You need to contact the employee benefit department at your company for more information on the exact mix of choices available to you.
If you are looking for lower cost health insurance, a “basic and essential” plan may be the best option. Do keep in mind this type of health insurance is limited in what services may be covered so it is important to carefully read the policy so you understand what treatments the plan does cover. Another type of health insurance known as catastrophic health insurance or high-deductible health plans do just what it sounds like they would. The deductible is high, but this type of health insurance protects you against catastrophic illness with a very high total cost.
Health savings accounts are fairly new and an alternative to traditional health insurance. This plan involves putting money into a tax-free savings account to cover your medical expenses.
Managed Care Health Insurance
The two most common types of managed care health insurance are health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs). HMOs give you access to a group of participating doctors, hospitals and health care providers. HMOs come with fewer out-of-pocket expenses, but visits to the doctor, prescriptions and other services usually come with a co-pay or fee.
PPOs are fee-for-service health insurance and medical services are paid by the insurer on a negotiated and discounted fee schedule. PPOs allow participants to choose medical providers outside the plan’s network, although this can result in higher out-of-pocket costs.
One other type of health insurance is point-of-service (POS) plans. This type of health insurance is similar to indemnity plans, and your primary care physician can refer you outside of the plan without any extra costs to the insured. If you refer yourself outside a POS plan you will be charged a co-pay.
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Help answer the question
What affordable health insurance is the best?
I will be divorced in 2 months and will have to find my own health insurance. I have been with Anthem for 14 years and have no health problems and no medications except 1 blood pressure pill a day. I am waiting for a quote from Anthem for a single policy but I am afraid it will not be affordable. Thanks for all the help I can get!
health insurance
18 Comments
October 7th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
You could elect COBRA (if available) or purchase an individual policy.
Since your options vary according to your state, the length of time you were covered under your group policy, and other factors, I suggest you contact your state's insurance commissioner's office, which can give you the best advice based on what's available.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
There are a few ways to compare plans and rates before you find the most affordable plan for health insurance in the State of Washington.
You could look in the yellow pages under "health insurance" and contact a health insurance agent in your area who can give you quotes and review the plans available in your area. That way, if you have questions they can answer them for you before you decide.
Or, you could compare free, no obligation quotes for affordable health insurance plans online through a health insurance quote provider.
Two of the leading online health insurance quote services for the self-employed are:
1) InsureMe – they give you up to five free health insurance quotes from top-rated health insurers nationwide. To Request a free, no obligation quote, Go to – http://www.insureme.com/landing.aspx?ref...
2) eHealthinsurance.com offers you side-by-side quote comparisons from a large network of health insurers across the country. eHealthinsurance has more than 900,000 clients in the U.S.
Before you decide on a plan make sure to understand how the Co-Pay works. And, review all exclusions, including any Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusions.
Take the time to compare quotes at different deductible/Co-Pay amounts, you may be able to save some extra money that way.
Make sure to ask about any tax-deductions available to you for your self-employed health insurance premiums.
I hope that helps you find affordable health insurance in Washington.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
@tazru333
hear ya on that. All we got to do it boycott the insurance co. No gov. even needed on that one.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Vitro Diagnostics might have a cure for diabetes, saving trillions in health care costs.
October 7th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
All Insurance Companies CEOs HAVE EXCELLENT HEALTH INSURANCE & can afford it. Agreed?
All Senators in Congress HAVE EXCELLENT HEALTH INSURANCE & can afford it. Agreed?
Republicans don’t care if YOU the Teabagger/Birther/Deather have a GOOD PLAN or not … or if YOU have NO INSURANCE because YOU cannot afford it !!
Only in AMERICA would a dumbass consumer protest against REFORM & PUBLIC OPTION and in doing so .. PROTEST AGAINST HIS OWN BEST INTEREST !!
TALK ABOUT BEING STUPID !!
October 7th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I am worked for Obama but I gave Nader money because he needs to keep talking. He speaks the truth as only someone who does not expect to be elected can. He worked in Washington for years and knows exactly how it works.
Nader is the real deal. An honorable man. Watch “An Unreasonable Man” and you too will be a Nader fan.
October 8th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Insurance is the problem, they are middle-men who add no value to your Health Care. There are great savings to be had if we concentrate on providing health care, and spend less money on the paper-shufflers.
October 8th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
You should definitely go to United American Insurance, a great website that i have found is utahinsurancequotes.net it is a great way to have someone get information to you on being insured through United American. Plus not only do you have your choice of doctors but they will insure you for your previous conditions!!
October 8th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Depending upon your health status and location you should be able to get a good comprehensive policy for less than $1000 per month.
AARP writes their health insurance through United Health, which is a very good company and certainly worth a look. However, the policies have fewer benefits than most and the premium is nearly the same. You should visit a local independent agent. This person knows the market in your area and can compare the different plans (AARP included) and can suggest several plans that would be best for your situation.
Medicare is not available until you reach 65 unless you've been disabled for 2 years.
October 8th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
#1 – always buy local. If you shop over the internet, you're likely to get scammed – you might not end up with an "insurance" product at all. A local agent will have competitive rates with real insurance products, and your "in network" emergency room won't be 300 miles away.
#2 – balance how often you see the doc with your premiums/deductibles. If you're pretty healthy and never visit the doc, you're probably better off with a major medical policy – which would leave more money in your pocket at the end of the year, while still keeping you covered in case of a major problem.
#3 – always check out the financial rating of a potential carrier with AM Best, and complaints with your local BBB, BEFORE buying.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:11 am
God bless you Ralph!
Rock star! The only one who’s talking it straight — again!
You’ve only just begun to help the nation. Keep the faith, brother.
October 9th, 2009 at 7:49 am
October 9th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Try this site
http://best-health-insurances-usa-quote.blogspot.com/
Here you can get quotes from different health insurance companies in your area, its the best way to find an affordable health insurance with a reliable company.
October 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Today @ the Town Hall meeting a lady had Cancer and a Tumor Pres.Obama said he would help ! I was sprayed with malithion for 7 yrs in Tn and The Dept of Human Services say’s I dont Qualify like the lady today ! PLEASE HELP ME SLAO MR PRESIDENT I am only 46 yrs young I dont want to DIE !HR 676 Now!
October 9th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
healthplans.my-age.net – here is my health insurance plan. As I remember they can provide such a service.
October 9th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
wow, you took the words of my mouth….that is exactly what is going on, one thing that we all need to see is that “Insurance Companies” are a business, they look out after their money not the people paying into it or the sick for that matter
October 9th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I have a question….why can we not pay insurance coverage under a government program that is cheaper to begin with and all be covered, no gaps and no denial for previous medical issues? My point is I am willing to pay for insurance as long as I am covered, I hate that bull copay and on top of it only covers 80% so…I think the Government can help its people…why not this way?
October 10th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
You aren't stuck in your job, no.
What you need to do is first make sure that your current group coverage is subject to COBRA. (Most are, but not all, so it's an important thing to verify.)
If the group you're with now IS subject to COBRA, they'll have to offer you the option to keep your current coverage for up to 18 months. (You will have to pay 100% of the premiums and possibly also a 2% handling fee for the group to maintain you.)
At the end of that 18 months, as long as you do not allow more than a 63 day lapse in coverage, you will be able to apply to any individual plan as a HIPAA eligible individual (meaning that you do NOT have to fill out the health history info; under Federal law, they are obligated to take you.)
However, I will forewarn you that the rates you'll pay for the individual policy will be MUCH higher (possibly double) your group rates. (And you may not realize how much your current insurance actually costs, either, if your current employer is paying part of the premium.) This is because they presume that you do have some serious pre-existing conditions if you're applying under HIPAA (because you'd certainly take almost any other route if it were available to you.)
So, to answer your question, as long as you follow the rules, you can't be turned down, but you'd better hope that the pay increase in the new job is significant to offset the additional expense.