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Health Insurance options can vary significantly by
state. Most States have the "Blues" for health
insurance which is typically
Blue Cross
Blue Shield.
The health insurance market is starting to offer more
competition by private carriers. It's important to
choose a strong, stable
California carrier for your health
insurance as rates and benefits can change for your
health insurance policy based on the how well the
carrier is managed. Whether health insurance for an
individual, family, small group, or person with
Medicare, you
will be able to get a
comprehensive California health quote for the
strongest carriers in the health insurance market. Just
click
here
to get your free health insurance quote and proposal.
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Health Insurance is one of the most important
decisions you can make to protect yourself,
family or employees. Each State's health
insurance options are different but there some
important considerations that are universal in
choosing the right health plan. You can find
more detailed information on health insurance
options above but first some key points: |
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1. Insurance
Carrier strength.
Health Insurance is different from other types
of coverage in that what you purchase today...is
not necessarily what you will have tomorrow.
Carrier stability is very important. It will
drive rate and benefit stability in the future.
Occasionally, less secure carriers will come
into a market offering health benefits for
discounted prices. If it seems too good to be
true, it probably is. Choose wisely as it may
be difficult to move around at a later date
based on health.
2. The
trend towards High Deductible and away from
HMO's.
It's pretty obvious
but the main issue today with
health insurance
is cost. Premium have roughly tripled in the
last five years and it's partially due to the
design of plans. Plans that offer very rich
benefits will become more and more
expensive...at faster pace in fact. This
traditionally includes HMO's, Indemnity plans,
and high-end
PPO plans.
The cost of these plans will rarely be worth the
added benefits. It's simple...the plans with
the most utilization will go up faster. You can
find more great information on analyzing the
plans based on this here under
Health Insurance 101.
Health Savings Accounts
are an example of plans that will be the trend
going forward.
3. The Plan Break Down. This is
probably the best thing you can ever read before
looking at the countless options. It's a
rough sketch so make sure to read the benefits
in detail but it will save you from hours of
mind-numbing benefit charts and comparisons.
Typically, health plans break down into three
main areas (assumes in-network for covered
benefits): |
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Office Consultation. You usually have
some sort of
copay
(fixed amount) or
co-insurance
(percentage) on the office visit depending on
the plan. There are some
catastrophic plans
(also called
major medical
or hospital plans) which do not cover Office
visits at all or include them in the main
deductible.
Prescription. RX is typically broken out
separately with copays. Generally, there is a
distinction between Brand name and Generic with
a possible separate deductible for Brand
name. Some plans do not cover
prescriptions
at all so double check.
Other Services. For many plans, other
covered benefits are subject to the main
deductible. Usually, you pay a percentage after
the deductible is met until the Max out of
pocket is met in a calendar year. There may be
separate copays for specific coverages such as
ER or Maternity.
You can find more great information on comparing
the right direction for your health insurance
options at our
Understanding Health Insurance 101 section.
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Each State's carriers and plans are different so
it's best to first start with your state's
free health insurance
quote
here. |
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