When You Fix Your Low Cost Health Insurance Self Pay Cover, Make Sure You Know Which Is Which

When you are trying to sort out your own low cost health insurance, self pay can be a bit of a minefield. So here is a quick guide on what to look for and what means what!

What we're talking about exactly here is managed care. The name managed care covers both preferred provider organization (PPO) and health maintenance organizations plans (HMO). These options have developed over time in an attempt to keep your insurance premiums affordable.

But in order to do that the plans have to place a few limits on the level of health care provided. So long as you can live with these limits and reductions in care, a PPO or an HMO may well offer you great value.

Let's have a quick run through what each one is.

HMOs

They are cheaper than the PPO. These normally need you to you use their doctors network or, if you can't or won', they'll ask you to pay some increased rates. Once you've agreed the basic method of operation, you nominate a primary care physician who will be your main point of contact and make the majority of your health and treatment decisions. If you need medical work done outside the network then they will supply the various references and recommendations to ensure you receive the necessary cover.

PPOs

The preferred provider organization plan gives you the chance to actually choose from a network of doctors. As in the HMO you'd also pick a doctor who would be your first point of contact, your main contact.

Basically, the main differences between a PPO and an HMO is one of choice. The HMO would pay the physicians of it's network a "capitation fee" - meaning that they get paid a set sum per member of the HMO on their register. What services, treatments etc that patient needs is immaterial, they are billed as a lump sum fee which is agreed up front. One draw back to this method is that it pays the doc to keep your visits to minimum. The less they see of you, the more of your flat fee value becomes pure profit to them. In a PPO arrangement the doctor actually gets paid for each visit. If you're looking more for a traditional variation of care, then the PPO is the one to chose.

Another potential limitation of the HMO is that they sometimes offer their medical care services via a sub-network of doctors etc. The restriction of this method is that you are effectively tied down to those resources of that network or group. This could be a problem for some people which is why it is now required for all HMOs to notify all of their "clients", offering you the opportunity to make your cover unique, by signing up for Point of Service plan. The PoS lets you use resources which are outside of the network and take out or put in as you need. For those looking for the low cost, self help option, the HMOs are a good choice.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Duncan_Roberts

Small Employers - Thinking About Offering Health Insurance to Your Employees?

If you run a business and you don't have a health plan for your employees, chances are that you may be having troubling attracting and retaining good people. Most employers would like to give their employees this option, however, most cringe at the extra expense to fund a health plan. The most important thing to realize when contemplating whether the business can afford to help out with health insurance expenses is this: As the employer starting a plan from scratch, you have complete control over what you spend!

In working with many small businesses looking to implement health insurance relief for their employees, I have come to a conclusion. The conclusion is this: employees appreciate any help you can give them, even if you don't pay for the entire cost of the plan. Now the question comes down to which route to take when designing a plan. There are two basic paths:

1. Traditional Group Plan

Or

2. Defined Contribution Plan

What is the difference between the two options?

Under a traditional group plan, the employer picks the plan design for all employees and agrees to pay a portion of the premiums, anywhere from 50% to 100%. Under a defined contribution plan, the employer gives each employee a fixed amount per year and it is up to the employees to choose their own individual health policies.

Why would a business choose a defined contribution plan?

There are a few reasons why some businesses prefer this choice. First, the employer knows exactly what his or her expenses are going to be each year. Under a traditional group plan, the employer is forced to pay a portion of the plans premium each year, even if rates jump 30%. Second, there won't be a jump in rates due to an individual claim in the group. In a traditional group plan, if you have a small group, your rates may jump dramatically from year to year if someone gets hurt or sick. To make matters worse, the rates jump for everyone in the group! With a defined contribution plan, the employees purchase individual policies where their rates won't jump due to an individual claim. Third, the employer is out of the health insurance business. It is up to the employees to shop around each year, not the owner. Last, it is often a better choice for the employee if they ever leave. Instead of going on COBRA coverage and after the COBRA period ends trying to find an individual policy, they will already own an individual policy that is fully portable.

Why would a business choose a traditional group plan?

Despite the advantages of a defined contribution plan, many employers still prefer a traditional group plan. First, it is typically simpler to administer. The employer writes one check each month. Second, it is more equitable for older employees. If a younger employee and an older employee each get the same amount to use toward their health premiums, the younger employee will be able to buy a better plan due to the lesser premiums for the same plan as the older employee. Third, some employers don't trust their employees to be responsible enough to purchase health coverage (sometimes your business may be referred to as adult daycare). The employer figures that if they pay the check, the irresponsible employee will be covered. Last, there are many more plan options available in the group arena regarding co-pays than on the individual side.

What design would be best for my company?

There is not a one size fits all answer. It depends largely on the factors discussed above such as the budget, employee ages, and degree of simplicity desired as well as other factors not even mentioned. Your best bet is to find a competent broker who will help you evaluate your company's situation and walk you through the general options available.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Engelmann

Health Insurance- an Umbrella for The Rainy Days

Health is wealth. This is one side of the coin. The other side is that you need wealth to recover from bad health. No one can foresee an illness and sudden medical emergencies. A person finds himself/herself in deep waters when such a contingency arises. This is because medical bills are exorbitant and paying them without insurance is next to impossible for most people. Prescription drugs, hospital bills, maternity care, etc involve considerable monetary expenditures. Many people who did not take insurance for a rainy day have landed in debt due to improper health care management. Uninsured medical care can not only be financially taxing but may also spell doom in a family. This is the reason why more and more people are opting for the protective cover of health insurance to ensure health and financial security. Health insurance helps to provide protection against the possible health problems that could happen in the future. The insured person needs to pay a 'premium' periodically.

The process of availing health insurance requires filling up of an application form. You need to provide some documentation about your finances. You can cover the health insurance needs of the entire family, including dental care, eye care, doctor visits, emergency care, prescriptions, etc.

Health insurance costs are rising day by day. It is becoming increasingly difficult for people to afford health insurance. However, it is not possible to forgo it. There are some affordable solutions. People with low income can qualify for a Medicaid program. They need to visit the local Division of Family Services office to get an application.

How to avail a cheap health insurance?

The costs of health insurance plans vary. So, a thorough research is essential before you choose a particular plan. It is a smart idea to find out how long the insurance company has been in business. Make sure that the company yo select is licensed in your state.

The medium of Internet provides a good platform to search for cheap insurance plans. You can compare numerous plans before you select one for you.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darlene_Kaitlin

How To Know When You Should Buy International Travel Medical Insurance!

Many international travelers today don't think they need international travel medical insurance because they don't realize their company insurance, travel insurance or personal medical insurance may not be valid outside of the United States. And this goes for government-funded health insurance too. Check to see what your health insurance or travel medical insurance policies cover. Make sure to read the fine print and the exclusion clauses.

Most comprehensive insurance policies offer three types of coverage - financial reimbursement for trip cancellation or lost baggage, medical coverage and emergency medical transportation and they differ from standard travel insurance policies. The cost of international travel health insurance policies depends on the type of coverage you need, your destination, your age and gender and the cost of the trip.

International trips or trips abroad are generally more expensive so you should consider getting additional insurance for any trip outside of the mainland USA, especially one with nonrefundable deposits.

There are a number of unforeseen circumstances that can interrupt your vacation or even cancel it, such as an unexpected illness, bad weather, a sudden death in your family or even a job change or jury duty that you can't leave.

Any time that you have nonrefundable deposits or purchases you should have travel insurance. You should consider buying international travel health insurance if you have invested a lot of money in your vacation or if you can't cover any unexpected medical costs or emergency costs at you arrival destination.

If you're traveling by yourself or with your family at an additional cost to you or if you're traveling to areas that have known catastrophic events such as natural disasters, extreme political turmoil or health advisories, you should have international travel health insurance. Or if you have an existing medical condition that is cause for concern, then by all means get insured properly.

You don't want to be sitting in a hospital emergency room in another country and find out that you're not covered by any of your other insurance policies. And Medicare doesn't cover any eligible U.S. citizen traveling in Canada or Mexico either.

One of the most important reasons to buy international travel medial insurance is for getting emergency transportation out of an undeveloped country and into a country with proper medical facilities. It can easily cost $20,000 to get airlifted out of a foreign country. International travel medical insurance may seem cheap after an experience like this.

Oftentimes people think when they have travel insurance that they are fully covered for international travel or they think they are covered on their health insurance policy for medical expenses. This is usually not true.

Make sure to read your existing policies thoroughly especially the fine print and the EXCLUSION clauses to fully understand what you have and don't have. There is a big difference between travel insurance policies and international travel insurance policies. And make sure to get several quotes to get the best low cost international travel insurance. It's important to think ahead and it can be a tough decision for some but you can't buy international travel medical insurance when you NEED it!

Source:articlesbase.com/travel-articles/how-to-know-when-you
-should-buy-international-travel-medical-insurance-370211.html

How To Get The Best International Travel Medical Insurance And Save Money Too

International travel medical insurance offers temporary health insurance for US citizens and foreign nationals when traveling anywhere outside their home country, abroad or overseas. Some domestic health insurance plans will cover you away from home but many won't cover you and especially for any major medical expenses. Medical evacuation and repatriation are important benefits of international travel health insurance coverage making it a good choice for travelers.

In the travel insurance market there are two types of insurance products: travel medical insurance (or travel health insurance) which is obviously more heavily weighted to cover you for health-related problems that might occur while traveling outside of your home country and has a smaller amount of trip cancellation coverage included and the other type is trip cancellation insurance. Your greatest financial risk while traveling outside of your home country is if you have any health or medical problems.

Make sure that the coverage of health and accident insurance you choose covers any hospitalization, doctor bills and medications. In case any emergency medical treatment is needed, have all the expenses listed in itemized bills to make a claim in the US when you get home. Most international insurance companies cost much less than American companies, because their overhead is lower. Also the cost of health care is much lower in other countries than it is in the United States.

Evaluating someone who has had an accident or become ill in an isolated place can be very expensive. There are a few group insurance plans that are relatively cheap, and if you're with a tour group or a visiting business delegation you could save money by getting group travel medical insurance. Keep handy the addresses and phone numbers of the persons who are to be notified in the event of an emergency or you need to make a claim.

An international traveler, expatriate or business traveler needs to be careful about any medical costs that they may encounter. US insurance, like Medicare, should be checked for the extent of its coverage and the possibility that you may need to buy additional coverage. There are international travel medical insurance plans available with a wide range of costs and benefits, and with various different conditions available through many different insurance companies.

Whatever compromise in the plan you choose to make between the risks and costs, shop around not only for cheap international travel medical insurance plans, but also for a reputable company that gives you total information, has what is called - open view functioning and doesn't evade any of your questions. You can exclude any medical condition that is pre-existing which can lower your insurance costs, but you must be sure that the condition will not become worse on your trip and cost you a lot more.
Medical costs all around the world are skyrocketing, due mostly to the advances in specialized equipment and the cost of advanced medicines and training specialists in a number of fields. When you are deciding on international travel medical insurance make sure to pay attention to the smallest of details.

Yes you can easily get low cost or cheap international travel medical insurance quotes; start by getting several quotes online and compare features and costs of course. Getting low cost or cheap health insurance is certainly a good possibility without giving up any quality care you might need when you travel away from home. If you already have travel insurance, check to make sure that it covers major medical expenses, since many policies don't have this coverage.

Also make sure that evacuation coverage is included in your plan, because that can be a major expense. Getting you out of a difficult location such as a cruise ship, top of a mountain or African safari would be costly. International travel medical insurance is a must for all travelers going out of their home country, overseas or abroad.

Source:articlesbase.com/travel-articles/how-to-get-the-
best-international-travel-medical-insurance-
and-save-money-too-253889.html

Cheap Health Insurance - What Are Your Options?

Think you can't find affordable health insurance if you're self-employed, or your employer doesn't provide it? While it is true that health insurance has become expensive, there are a few options for cheap health insurance. Here are two forms of cheap health insurance.

Cheap Individual and Family Health Insurance Plans

Managed care plans such as an HMO offer rates lower than traditional health insurance. By using a network of care providers, insurance companies can provide quality health insurance at a lower price. There are many different types of HMO insurance plans with various types of coverage. Basic plans can be surprisingly cheap.

Another type of plan that is gaining popularity fast is the (HDHP) High Deductible Health Insurance Plan. This plan also uses a network of care providers to help reduce costs. The other way it reduces costs is with a high deductible amount. You still get complete coverage for accidents and illness, but with a higher deductible. Deductibles for this type of plan range from $1000 up to $10,000.

Researching the different insurance companies and plans, will help you find the cheapest health insurance. Everyone needs health insurance and new types of low cost plans are being developed by major insurance companies to provide coverage for everyone.

Cheap Health Insurance Quotes

Because almost all major insurance companies have made their medical plans available online, you can go shopping for health insurance any time, night or day, and find cheap individual and family health insurance quotes in a matter of minutes.

Just click on the following link to get cheap health insurance quotes and more health insurance information. It's fast, it's free, and you're under no obligation. You'll get 4 to 5 competitive quotes for affordable health insurance They also offer free quotes and information for individual and family dental plans

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Westin