Health Plus Blog

 

There is a misapprehension amongst a lot of people that because of their good state of health insurance cover is not critical. However, accidents and illnesses can happen at any time resulting in unplanned for losses. To cover these possibilities, getting health insurance coverage is well advised. While you may never need it, getting health insurance is a wise precaution.

The purpose of health insurance is to cover not only accidents, but to also assure continued health against infections, diseases or other health threats. Parents with congenital disorders will certainly need health insurance to cover the cost of treatments for the offspring should they be affected. For any person or family, being prepared for emergencies ahead of time is wise.

The cost of medication has risen considerably and continues to do so, making if hard for parents to insure their health and that of the children. For a good number of people in low-income group it may not be possible for them to get a health insurance plan.

There are now however several organizations that have set up programs to assist these families: companies, states through the Medicaid programs and so on to provide awareness of the need of health insurance for low-income family units.

Eligibility for families in the low income bracket differs considerably from one state to another. To determine eligibility, each low-income family is required to fill a form on their financial status for the state. There is a surprising rise in the number of families that qualify.

Basic needs like prescriptions, emergency, eye, and dental care are catered for under these health insurance options. Life becomes a lot easier when low-income families are enrolled in these programs

There are as well a lot of affordable health insurance plans that can be obtained over the Internet. The health insurance providers provide many options that families can afford and the convenience of the web is a plus. It is essential that the service provider that is selected to provide health insurance is recognized by government and duly licensed for your peace of mind.

 

There are several types of health Insurance you can choose from depending on your preferences, resources and needs. It is imporatnt to be familiar with every option there is when deciding on which health insurance plan to take, so that you could weigh your needs and budget accordingly.

There many types of Health Insurance plans but the two major categories are:

a.       Indemnity, Traditional Health Insurance or Fee-for-Service Plans; and

b.      Managed Care Plans

Traditional Indemnity Plans

Indemnity plans, also called Fee-for-Service or Traditional Health Insurance, have been used by many, especially before Managed Care plans became so popular, because an Indemnity plan allows people to choose their own doctor and hospital. This feature is very appealing to many because people feel more secure with doctors and hospitals they already trust.

In Traditional Indemnity plans, people would usually pay a smaller percentage of their health expenses, the coinsurance, only after they have paid their annual deductible. When a person’s expenses, however, turned out to be more than the usual expected bills, the person will have to pay the extra expenses plus the coinsurance. Indemnity plans pay for medical services, prescriptions and medical tests but do not usually cover preventive care expenses.

Managed Care Plans

Managed Care Plans have three basic types of plans. These are:

a.       Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)

A PPO is a managed care plan that shares some features with the Traditional Indemnity plan. In PPO, there are higher and lower charges depending on the person’s choices of doctor and hospital. A higher coinsurance is charged to people who choose doctors and hospitals that are not part of the plan’s network. A lower coinsurance is charged to those who choose from the plan’s network of doctors and hospitals.

b.      Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)

An HMO is the least expensive health plan. Using an HMO limits your options to the company’s terms and offers. Compared to PPO, HMO does not let you pick a doctor or hospital outside its network. In using an HMO you also have to secure your doctor’s referal before you  could go to a specialist. HMO is cheap and it allows you  to acquire preventive and health improvement care.

c.       Point-of-Service (POS)

A POS gives you a specific list of doctors and you will have to choose your Primary Care Physician. With POS, you have the freedom to choose your hospital, facilities and doctors although choosing from among the network is encouraged. However, choosing outside facilities will cost you more than when you get your services from the approved list of doctors and facilities of your POS company. In POS, you’ll be encouraged to have preventive and health improvement programs.

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Individuals with pre existing conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, liver disease, AIDS, depression and a long list of other health conditions, have found it almost impossible to find affordable healthcare. These health issues are causing thousands of individuals to be declined for health insurance. If you are looking for uninsurable health insurance or pre existing condition health insurance, you know how hard a task that can be.

Sometimes preexisting conditions allow an insurance company to deny your health insurance request. However, there are ways you can be provided with affordable healthcare coverage. If you can combine creative insurance planning with the knowledge and understanding of what is available, you’ll greatly reduce the chance of potential financial strain on you and your family.

Should you find an insurance company that will provide health insurance; you’ll quickly discover that this coverage is not cheap. And… the coverage will probably be limited in scope when compared to the coverage for someone with no known health problems. The bottom line is this, whatever coverage you can get, it’s probably best to take it until something better comes along.

You can find affordable health care. I have listed 6 choices below.

Group Health Insurance: The best choice for those with a chronic conditions, pre existing conditions or even uninsurable. It’s really a guaranteed issue health insurance plan. With group health insurance, coverage is usually provided by your employer or your spouse’s employer. The employee will typically have little, if any, choice concerning the features of the coverage. The main advantage of group insurance: new employees will usually get coverage without any medical questions or concern for a pre existing condition. One disadvantage: coverage usually ends when the employee’s job ends.

Professional Organizations: Most don’t know about this option. A number of professional organizations offer their members a health insurance program as a fringe benefit. This health insurance coverage could be a great way to stay insured if you are uninsurable or have a preexisting condition. This is really like a group health insurance policy. See if you can get access to a membership organization which offers health insurance for preexisting conditions or health insurance for the uninsurable. A valid certification or career experience may be required to join. Other associations might accept your membership without these prerequisites. Look for local and national associations. Even with a yearly membership fee, it still might be worth the money.

Private Individual Health Insurance: If you are without group healthcare coverage from an employer or professional organization health plan, yet you have pre existing conditions that have caused you to be uninsurable, obtaining individual health insurance is probably going be a little tough. If you do find coverage, the premiums will often times be unaffordable. However, this still might be your best choice for now. You can always go with a better plan in the future.

State Risk Pools: For individuals who have serious medical conditions, some states allow access to either private individual health insurance for uninsurable or health plans for uninsurable. These plans are defined as high-risk health insurance pools. Individuals in these state risk pools have access to comprehensive private coverage plans. However, the premiums can be very costly, often double what private health insurance would cost for someone who is healthy. Individuals may find enrollment is closed to a new enrollee or the state pool has a long waiting list. These high-risk pools are often the last resort for people who have serious pre existing conditions and are paying exorbitant fees for their insurance, or who are able to meet key state conditions for enrollment.

Discount Health Cards: Companies selling discount health cards claim to save subscribers money by offering discounts on a hospital, doctor, prescription drugs, dental, vision and chiropractic care. Consumers seeking affordable healthcare may be confused by these health cards. They really are not health insurance. You’re still responsible for paying the medical bills. The discount health card simply offers a reduced price for services from participating healthcare providers. They often times make grossly inflated promises on expected benefits and savings. Use caution when purchasing these discount health cards. You may pay more than you save.

Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance: For those who are uninsurable, those with preexisting conditions or someone who just can not afford or qualify for health insurance, then a guaranteed issue health insurance plan may be a good choice. These plans, known as “mini-meds”, are not to be confused with “discount health cards”. These plans are usually quite affordable and offer a considerable amount of coverage. Most pre existing conditions are covered after 12 months. Understand these plans are not basic health insurance or major medical coverage but are limited indemnity plans. This just means the plan pays benefits based on a pre-defined amount per service or procedure. Usually covered are doctor visits, hospital stays, emergency room visits, surgery, accidental death, etc. Most do not require completing medical questions or taking a physical exam to qualify.