Sam Rosy asked:

California health insurance plans for low income group offers the opportunity for medical care coverage for people with no sufficient funds to cover the cost. Receiving health insurance of this nature might be difficult, but there are varieties of California health insurance providers that offer this. When seeking health coverage, there are many significant things the individual has to know in order to know the basics of low income medical insurance. It is so important to speak with numerous health insurance companies to get the best suitable rates and prices on the policies offered.

A health insurance analyst could as well offer a wealth of information and approaching into this decision. They would answer all your questions about low income medical insurance and would as well make the procedure a lot easier on the consumer. Low income health insurance frequently purchased by many people who do not do sufficient research before buying it. This could further leave the individual with an indecisive policy. Research is very important before carrying out any contractual deal with an agent, particularly for someone in a low income bracket that is trying to save money.

Individuals have the latent to find amazing rates on health policies and coverage options. The consumer must shape up many decisions early in the course of seeking low income health insurance in order to get these affordable rates. They require deciding what kind of deductible they are eager and afford, if any. It is as well imperative to decide how much coverage is needed. There are arrays of options in this area and the consumer should have an obvious understanding of the extent of coverage they might as well need in the near future. Taking the time to make a clear plan of action would surely allow the consumer more time in the decision making process.

When the consumer starts the search for low income health insurance, they should be sure they are being wise in the process. Low income medical insurance is there to assist the people, but could be upsetting if not correctly understood. A health insurance agent would be very obliging with offering rate quotes and other cooperative advice on this subject. Making the choice requires a clear head, understanding, and precious research on the many options that are available.

Harry Bernstein asked:

An Overall Review

There are several things that you should know as an Ohio resident trying to obtain health insurance . First of all, Ohio provides its citizens with some of the best state run companies in the country, and they can do a lot for you. You have a variety of companies and plans to choose from when trying to purchase the right health insurance for you and your family. There are many plans available whether you are an individual looking for a simple plan, or you own a large company which employs and insures hundreds or thousands of families.

Health Insurance as An Employee Benefit

The best place to get health insurance for individuals, couples, and families is to look to your employer, as most employers will have access to some of the best options available at the best rates. Many times you’ll be able to get the best and most affordable health insurance as an extra benefit from your job, and you won’t even have to worry about paying extra for it because it is already included in your contract.

This can be the best way for you to get health insurance because not only will you get the coverage for yourself, but you will also be able to take care of your family as well. This is great for you and for your family, because you never know when you are going to need insurance. If you have a job in Ohio it means that you have access to some of the best in the United States.

Carolyn Magura asked:

Health Insurance; COBRA; OBRA; HIPAA; Medicare. If asked, could you state that you knew that all 5 of these topics had the same thing in common: medical insurance coverage for you and, perhaps, your family? Would you know the qualifications for each? Well, in this article, we will discuss them. For a timeline that depicts, graphically, the time relationship between them, please see the timeline in http://www.disabilitykey.com.

HEALTH INSURANCE Coverage from Work

If we are lucky, we, and/or our spouse, work for a company that provides, as a benefit, health insurance coverage for us and our family. If so, we are very lucky. Even if that is true, there are some key things that you might want to look at to see if you have ENOUGH coverage.

1) From your Human Resources Department (or wherever else you would go to get information about your health insurance) get what is called a “Summary Plan Description” (SPD). This document should be kept where you can always find it, as it contains all the information you will need about what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t.

2) Look up “Coverage” and “non-coverage” in your SPD.

These will tell you what your plan covers and doesn’t cover. You need to see if, perhaps, you or one of the covered members of your family has a condition or circumstance that might not be covered, where you need additional coverage. For example, let’s say that your family has a history of cancer; perhaps your plan restricts the number of hospitalization days for care; or, restricts the days per condition. In this case, (like my children) you might want to get additional “cancer insurance” (I think that AFLAC might provide this type of coverage).

It would be a good idea to contact a Health Insurance benefit Broker and ask him/her to read your SPD and see if you have any gaps in coverage. They then can help you supplement coverage BEFORE YOU NEED IT!

NO HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

You might be one of the growing members of our society that, through one circumstance or another, does NOT have health insurance coverage for your family. In this case, I strongly encourage you to contact a Health Insurance Broker and get immediate coverage of what is called “catestrophic” (not sure if I spelled this correctly) coverage. In this type of coverage, you will generally have large deductibles, but will have coverage if, say, one of you has to go into the hospital.

CONTACTING A BENEFITS INSURANCE BROKER

Whenever you call or email a Health Insurance Broker, it is very important to prepare ahead of time. WHAT, specifically are you looking for; how much can you afford to pay every month; what circumstances do you want to make sure that your family is covered for. In this way, you can make sure to focus on your critical needs.

COBRA

COBRA is an acronym ( how can I spell acronym correctly, yet not be sure that I spelled catestrophic correctly?) that stands for: Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Basically, it is a federal law that allows you to pay for your Company-paid health insurance, as an active member, if you no longer work for that company for, generally 18 additional months.

1) COBRA is “triggered” (that is, you, or a covered member of your family, become eligible for COBRA) by events such as the following: resignation from the company; termination (FOR ANY REASON) from the company; divorce of a spouse; a covered chile’s birthday makes them ineligible for coverage. These are the main “triggering” events for COBRA.

2) Now, when eligible for COBRA, you will be asked to pay for 100% to 105% of the company’s employee/employee and family coverage amount. You should get a letter from your company explaining what that amount will be. BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO TAKE COBRA, there are some important things for you to consider.

What will be your cost, and what will be the coverage for that cost?
Sometimes the cost is too much for the coverage. In these cases, you might want to select HIPAA coverage, instead (see HIPAA below).

Or, you might just want to get catestrophic coverage as was mentioned earlier, and wait for full coverage under your next job.

Part of this decision should be whether or not you or a member of your family has what is called a “pre-exisitng coverage” condition.

Here again, before automatically taking COBRA, it would be wise to contact a Benefits Insurance Broker and give him/her all of your options, and get their input. I have worked extensively with a Benefits Insurance Broker, and he is absolutely fantastic!

OBRA

What, you ask, is OBRA? I’ve never heard of it, you say, and no one I know has heard of it either! Well, that’s because, 99% of Human Resource or Benefit folks that I know have never heard of it! OBRA is a federal law that was passed that extends COBRA for an additional 11 months FOR DISABILITY PURPOSES ONLY!! Why, you ask, is this important? Thanks for asking, let’s see if I can explain.

If you are as nieve (did I spell this wrong too? sorry!) as I was when I first started looking to bridge my health insurance from working to Medicare, I assumed that when I got through all of the hoops to qualify for SSDI (Social Security Disabililty Insurance) I’d IMMEDIATELY be eligible for Medicare, RIGHT??? WRONG!!!!

When you FINALLY qualify for SSDI, you have to wait for 5 months before you get your first check. AND, the rules state that, you are eligible for Medicare 2 years (24 months) FROM THE DATE OF YOUR FIRST SSDI PAYMENT. Well, if you add 24 + 5 you get, 29 months between qualifying for SSDI, and Medicare coverage.

OK, I said earlier that COBRA is for 18 months of coverage. Well guess what 18 months of COBRA + 11 months of OBRA equal - 29 months!

BUT, there are two catches to OBRA; first of all, you have a small window of 30 - 60 days to apply ( this window opens the date of your SSDI approval); and, it can cost up to 150% of your plan coverage amount. BUT, if you have a “previously existing condition” this might be the best way for you to proceed.

Again, it is important to contact a Health Insurance Broker to help you with the risk/cost ratio of all of these situations.

It is also improtant to know all of these deadlines as you plan to ensure that you and your family have important health insurance coverage.

HIPAA

HIPAA is a federal law that is called, briefly, the “portability” law for health insurance. What that means is that when you leave a group (read company-paid plan), the carrier that provided that plan, must offer to you, another plan, different from COBRA, when you leave the group coverage. Generally this will be what is called a “bare bones” plan. Again, the best thing for you to do is to call/email a Health Insurance/Benefits Broker with all of your information: SPD, COBRA info, HIPAA info, needs, cost limits, and let him/her help you find the optimum plan coverage for you.

MEDICARE

OK, now, finally, we’ve reached Medicare! BUT (you really didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?) if you have qualified for Medicare because of disability, there are RESTRICTIONS (of COURSE there are!).

First of all, if you are qualifying for Medicare because of disability, you are probably under the age of 65 - normal retirement age.

Medicare coverage does NOT cover prescription drugs, which, those of us with disabilities probably need, and which cost lots.

But, Congress prescribed that states (all but 11) offer what is called “Medicare supplement” plans, some of which do offer prescription coverages.
BUT, these plans ARE NOT REQUIRED TO, and do not, offer these medicare supplement plans that offer prescription coverages to folks who qualify under age 65! So, if you are qualifying because of disability, your medical insurance plan doesn’t cover one of your primary cost expenditures!

Here again is where you need to contact a health insurance/benefit broker. Again, he/she can work with you, and your specific circumstances, to get you the coverage you need.

Hope that this information was helpful to you. If you have any questions, please feel to ask them by commenting on this blog, and I’ll be happy to get you an answer.

Ken S asked:

Like many Americans, I found myself without health insurance for a period in my life because I didn’t think I could find affordable health insurance rates. But the whole time, I felt like I was living on the edge and needed to go ahead and get some coverage. So then I wondered if anybody else I knew were in the same boat as me. I decided to ask around to see if any of my friends or associates were currently without health coverage and why. Out of 30 surveyed, 6 had no health benefits (that’s 20%!) - I was stunned. The uninsured ones were self-employed, between jobs, students, or at-home moms.

So I took it upon myself to search for affordable health insurance rates and found quite a few options. I secured my insurance and had a peace of mind that I can not explain. Let’s just say I felt much better, and was prompted to create a website to help others save some time since I had already done the research.

Though it is understandable why certain people were experiencing a lapse in their health coverage thought a rate of 20% was very high. Or at least higher than I expected. So I asked them why they were uninsured. All of them said they ‘never got sick’, but more importantly, they said that individual health insurance rates were too high which meant it would not be affordable in their budgets.

Next, I asked what rates they were quoted (since they said they would not be able afford it). Amazingly, they all had the same response. Each of them indicated that they never even put much effort into finding affordable health insurance rates because they already assumed they were too high, and it was going to cost too much, plus, they ‘never got sick’.

So then I asked, ‘But what about emergencies and accidents? What happens if you twist your ankle and think it’s broken? What happens if you’re making dinner and seriously cut yourself? Are you financially prepared to pay out-of-pocket for emergency and follow-up services without insurance?’ Again, they each had the same response. This time, they all said ‘no’. Then in dramatic fashion, I thanked them for their time and left them with that last question to ponder, and a link to my website.

A week later, one person started a new job and got group medical insurance at work. But, to my surprise, three others emailed me and said they got affordable individual health insurance after using my website and they were thrilled.

The moral of this story is that I think it’s really a shame that people (including me) automatically assume that health coverage is not affordable without even checking around! With so much help finding low health insurance rates, it’s worth a little time. Anything can happen at any time. A low, affordable monthly insurance payment can save you a ton of money, headache, and heartache in the long run. Take the time for your peace of mind. It really is worth it.

- Ken S.

Founder, LowRateSearch

Joel Ohman asked:

1. Utilize the tools that are available to make your search easier. (Avoid redundant actions: rather than duplicating your efforts in calling one PA health insurance company after another and filling out information form after information form online use a free PA quote finding service which shows quotes from multiple companies – and it only takes less than 2 minutes).

2. Research all prospective PA health insurance companies. (It can be as simple as asking a few friends or coworkers [or even better an independent PA licensed health insurance agent] what they know about a particular company or you can go more in depth and check them out with the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance or look up their rating on AM Best [an independent company that rates the financial strength of insurance companies – remember AM best only rates a company’s financial strength by examining their financial statements and their business practices they do not pass any judgment as to whether a particular company offers comprehensive policies and strong network coverage].

3. Re-evaluate your options every year. (Your health insurance needs will change from year to year along with changes in your financial situation and natural family life cycles. If nothing else, compare your current policy against up to date rates to make sure that your current policy is still competitive).

4. Take the free money! (If your employer will pay for your PA health care coverage through an employer sponsored group plan then let them! You would be passing up free money not to)!

5. Don’t put your spouse and kids on your group plan if you can find cheaper individual coverage elsewhere. (Just because your employer will pay for your health care coverage at work through a group plan does not mean that your employer will be so generous to your spouse and kids so as to pay the premiums for them as well [although some employers will and if so then count yourself among the lucky!]. As long as your spouse and kids are healthy then you will almost always be able to find cheaper Pennsylvania health insurance coverage through an individual policy rather than adding them on to your more expensive group policy [one caveat to this general principle is that if you are anticipating having more kids then a group health insurance policy will almost always cover maternity while an individual policy will not automatically cover the pregnancy unless you pay an additional premium each month so be sure an plan acordingly]. Compare free Pennsylvania health insurance quotes now!

Peter Kirkham asked:

Being a student usually equates to being poor, and if this is true of you, paying for health insurance can be really difficult. The plus side, though, is that you’re probably young and healthy, which means that you need less coverage and your actual rates will be better.

There are several options that you can look at when it comes to health insurance for students.

First off, check how long you can stay on your parent’s insurance plan. If your mom or dad has insurance through work, you can probably stay on the plan as long as you are a full-time student and until you turn twenty-five or so.

You’ll probably be required to prove that you’re taking classes full-time, which is usually defined as twelve credit hours, from the time you turn eighteen until you graduate. This can easily be done with letters and transcripts on the school’s letter head, which will be sent to your health insurance provider at the turn of every year or at the beginning of each semester.

If you can’t stay on your parent’s insurance for some reason or another, you still have a few options available to you.

The cheapest is probably to go through your college. Most universities and colleges nowadays insist on health insurance for students, so most of them also offer basic plans with group-style coverage. Chances are likely that these plans won’t cover a whole lot, but they’ll be affordable. You may also be able to use your student loans to pay for health insurance through your university or college.

Another option is to shop around for health insurance for students through the traditional providers that are on the market. You’ll probably be amazed at how expensive comprehensive plans are, but you may be able to get by without a plan like these.

If you have no intentions of getting pregnant, rarely have to go to the doctor, and almost never use prescriptions, you can get a catastrophic health plan, which will cover you if you need a major surgery or have an emergency room run.

While these plans won’t cover prescriptions and doctor’s visits, they will keep you away from financial ruin in the case that you need to pay for huge hospital bills, and they’ll also offer more affordable monthly premiums.

If you do go with a catastrophic or major medical plan, be sure that you know how to save money when you do need to go to the doctor. Most walk-in clinics will charge a flat fee for their services, so if you get an infection or are sick enough to need prescription medication, call around to a couple of these clinics in your area to see who has the best prices.

Also, if you use hormonal contraceptives, you can save money by getting a prescription for a generic pill or by buying your pills through your school’s health office or through a family planning clinic in your area.

Elizabeth Newberry asked:

For many people, one of the many benefits of being employed is having an affordable health insurance package of some sort offered to them through their employers. Of course, not all employers offer affordable health insurance packages to their employees, nor are they legally required to, but many do. And those employees who do get affordable health insurance packages through their employers? Well, we will just imagine they are quite happy.

Yet, there comes a time in many of our lives when we find ourselves unemployed; and when we are unemployed, we no longer have all of the nice little perks our employers offered us, such as affordable health insurance packages. However, just because we are unemployed and without health insurance packages does not mean we’re going to stop getting sick or injured and requiring those health insurance packages.

Is there a way for the unemployed to get affordable health insurance?

Yes. One option for unemployed people is to purchase a short term health insurance package. Although you must pay for the short term health insurance, which usually last anywhere from six to 12 months, most of them are considered affordable and perfect for those individuals who have found themselves unemployed or laid off.

These short term health insurance plans are designed to provide you and your family with affordable health insurance while you are in between employment. This means they are also designed to offer you many of the same health services your previous health insurance package offered you and your family.

After all, your health needs do not change just because your employment status changes. Many short term health insurance plans offer visits to the doctor, hospital services such as surgery as well as inpatient and outpatient procedures, prescription discounts, dental and vision services, and sometimes even chiropractic care.

If you’re looking for affordable health insurance for the unemployed, begin your search with short term health insurance plans.

Donald Yerke asked:

Cancer Health Insurance has become a big selling product in medical health coverage. Does cancer insurance provided needed medical coverage or does it duplicate health insurance? Read this cancer health insurance article for information advice.

Cancer insurance has deep roots going long back in the medical health coverage industry. Once there were were 3 or 4 major carriers using it as their leading product. Now around 14 insurance companies promote it heavy, and another 50 write a fair amount of cancer health insurance. The controversy lies in who benefits the most, the insurance company or the insurance buyer?

TIMES HAVE CHANGED

In the good old days a group of agents were recruited under a district manager’s supervision. The entire group would invade a small town. They would start with the local banks and work their way down to the other businesses. It was high pressure selling group insurance where employees had premiums deducted from their pay. For a few bucks a week, employees could be covered against the big “C”. Yes agents actually took their thumb and index finger and formed the big “C” for cancer.

When an agent left, there was always another to take the place. The cancer health insurance company then really made out. Since this was true cold calling there we no lead acquisition costs. Plus on an agent that left, the insurance company no longer had to pay the agent and just sit back and collect the money coming in. The district manager was rewarded fat overrides on the business his group of agents wrote.

Why do so many people buy medical health coverage that overlaps? A one word answer: FEAR. Are there any people that do not have relatives, friends, or acquaintances who have experienced some form of cancer? Plus the cost is right, often $25 monthly or so for a truckload of this and that benefit payments. In reality the cancer health insurance policy provides the buyer with more emotional security than it does financial security.

EXAMINE THE FINANCIAL SECURITY

Would you buy a car for twice its value? Definitely not. What if you never get cancer? This is unlike life insurance where at some point you are going to die and have the benefit paid. Plus you could pay $25 for 15 years, $4,500, and develop skin cancer. You file a claim and receive $1,000. If in turn you had put just $25 monthly into an annuity you would have amassed $5,000 or probably $10,000. This surely would have helped more in giving financial security against any medical health coverage needs.

ADDITIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY BENEFITS

Above were covered some of the ways the insurance company benefits from sales, now look at it by claims. Every year there are health and disability companies filing bankruptcy for paying out more in benefits that they have money in reserve. Do you realize (its public record to verify) that some cancer and dread disease companies are only paying 60% out on claims? Seems like easy math to see who comes out the winner.

If baldness insurance was available it would seem a better bet of collecting back what you paid in. By the way, since heart attacks and strokes are more prevalent, why do waste more money of these plans?

Joseph Kenny asked:

As you graduate college and head into the great, big, scary world, there are probably a lot of things on your mind. First and foremost is finding a good job, then finding a place to live, and then maybe figuring out how to pay back those student loans. One thing that might not cross your mind is health insurance. All of your life, you’ve most likely been a dependent on your parents’ coverage, but that ship is about to sail—if it hasn’t already.

We know what you’re thinking, “Why do I need health insurance? I’m young, I’m healthy, and doctor visits are few and far between. So why pay for something I’ll never use?” Hey, we understand where you’re coming from. But accidents and illnesses happen without warning, even to the strapping young adults such as you. Sure, health insurance is expensive, but not having it will cost you dearly.

First things to know

Let’s get one thing straight, health care in the United States is a nightmare, few will argue that. There are thousands of options when it comes to receiving care and paying for it, some of them good, some of them not so much. When it comes to choosing an insurance policy that’s right for you, confusion abounds. So let’s learn a little more about your options.

There are two essential categories of health insurance: managed care and indemnity plans. Though you’ll pay more for indemnity coverage, it offers much more flexibility than does a managed care plan. Through indemnity coverage, you’ll have your choice of doctor, lab, hospital or specialty clinic. When you seek medical care, you’ll have to pay an out of pocket expense—called a deductible—before your coverage will kick in. Deductibles range from a few hundred dollars up to $1,000 or more, depending on your policy. Also, indemnity plans require a co-payment on medical care; meaning you’ll be responsible for a percentage of the treatment costs along with your deductible. Generally, indemnity plans pay only for accidents or illness; they usually don’t cover preventative care.

Managed care is the complete opposite of indemnity coverage. Deductibles are usually smaller, co-payments are lower, and preventative care is usually covered. Your options, however, are limited. Through a managed care plan, you can only choose between health care providers who are contracted by your health maintenance organization. If you go elsewhere, you pay—the full amount. Since that’s a pretty rough deal, many managed care plans are offering hybrid options that include many of the desirable characteristics of an indemnity plan.

Which way to go

If you find a job that offers health insurance and you’re single, take it. It may not be perfect, but it beats anything you can find on your own. When you sign up through your employer, you’ll probably be confronted with many options. Take a good, long look at them and ask for help from a human resources representative if need be, but make sure you choose the plan that’s right for you. Chances are—if you’re young and healthy— you’ll want a plan with a low premium and higher deductible. Look for a plan that minimizes your out-of-pocket expenses. When it comes to choosing between and indemnity plan or a managed care plan, you may or may not have a choice depending on your employer. Both offer advantages and disadvantages, so make sure to crunch the numbers before committing to one or the other.

Make yourself a deal

Though health insurance is a costly part of our lives, there are ways to save. If you’re self-employed, shop around before you commit to a plan. If you’re under 50 and in good health, insurance companies will want your business, and cut rates are to be had. Also, take advantage of breaks from Uncle Sam. The self-employed can write off up to 45 percent of their insurance premiums. Some employers offer flexible spending accounts, where you can pay for premiums and costs not covered by insurance with cash that isn’t subject to taxes.

If you’re married and your spouse also can get coverage from their employer, weigh your options carefully. It might benefit you financially and coverage-wise if you measure the pros and cons of separate coverage, double coverage, or one of you opting out of your work’s plan and enrolling in the other’s.

Finally, if you’ve been healthy and believe you can get by with minimum health coverage, look into purchasing “catastrophic coverage”. This indemnity policy offers extremely low premiums, but deductibles can be very high—up to $2,500. Coverage is extremely limited to “catastrophic” events, which you’ll need to learn all about.

Marilyn Katz asked:

Health Insurance Scam Alerts

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has recently issued a warning to PPO organizations about unauthorized insurers soliciting businesses. What really concerns me about this warning, is that compared to the average consumer, I would expect a preferred provider organization to be sophisticated enough to determine if an insurer is real or bogus. The TDI recounts a study by the US General Accountability Office that over 200,000 policy holders have been affected by unauthorized insurers nationwide. This left over $250 million in unpaid medical claims for the providers and policy holders to sort out.

I would have assumed that individuals had been the major victims, but actually small businesses were hit very hard. So if you are solicited by an insurance agent, you should feel free to contact your state insurance department to verify his or her license to do business in your state. Also make sure you obtain the name of the insurance company your business is being sought for, and check them out with your state insurance board as well. Take this advice if you are an individual, seeking insurance for your family, or if you are a small business owner or representative looking to cover a company.

Avoiding the Bogus

Some warning signs to look for are company names that you have never heard of. One tactic unauthorized health insurers use is to make up names that sound a lot like major companies. Another tactic is to claim to be part of a multiple business group, and thus not subject to state regulation. Now, such things do exist under very specific situations, but you can still check them out with your state insurance department. Of course, the last red flags would be very low premium rates or promises that major health issues will not affect underwriting.

Even some experienced and ethical insurance agents have been duped in recent years. Unauthorized insurance companies use very slick promoters who use all of the right buzz words to solicit insurance agents. The agents may be seduced by the thought of being able to offer their clients a very inexpensive health insurance plan that will accept people with health conditions. Of course, insurance agents should always contact their state insurance board about unfamiliar insurance companies, but just like any group of people, agents can get complacent and be na?ve.

Also be wary of purchasing a health discount plan when you are shopping for health insurance. A friend of mine, who happens to be a fairly sophisticated lawyer, asked me to check one out for her. I called the number, and was greeting by a very cheerful sounding salesperson who explained the benefits of a very cheap (by health insurance standards) plan. I asked five times if the plan was health insurance, and the question was evaded four times. On the last attempt, the salesperson lost his cheer, and asked me if I wanted health benefits or not. Nailed.

Health discount plans may be a legitimate way to save money. However, they are often sold as insurance, and they are not. Unwary consumers will certainly wish they had done their homework, if they buy a discount plan when they thought they had bought insurance, and then actually have to use the benefits!