With the high cost of health care these day’s health insurance is a must. A health insurance quote is an excellent way to learn what coverage you’ll receive from an insurance company before making a commitment. There are many options available and many companies to choose from. They all have different rates and coverage. Be sure to weigh all the options before you make a decision.
There are basically 2 categories of health insurance: traditional and managed. Between these two categories are 4 types of plans. Any of these can give you a health insurance quote to give you a better idea of what to choose.
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Traditional Health Insurance – This type is also often known as “free-for-service”. Most people used this about 30 years ago but it’s not really used now. You can use whichever doctors you choose, but the downside is that these companies involve more out-of-pocket expenses. Usually there is a deductible before the insurance company starts to pay for service. This can be anywhere from $200-$2,500. Also, more paperwork and higher premiums are common.
Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) – PPOs have arrangements with a network of health care providers. Under a covered doctor there is only a co-pay for each visit. If you use a doctor not covered, then you have to pay the entire bill up front and then submit the bill to your insurance for a reimbursement of a percentage of the bill. You may also have to pay a deductible if you go outside of the network. You save yourself paperwork and money if you stay within the network of providers. With PPOs you can go to a specialist without getting approval to do so.
Point-of-Service (POS) – This is a lot like a PPO but with this plan you must choose a Primary Care Physician. To be referred to a specialist you usually must go through your PCP. POS may cover more preventative care services than PPOs do.
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) – Usually when HMOs are discussed, they are often talking about closed-panel HMOs. These are the least flexible but also the least expensive. You are required to only use their doctors and you need a referral from your PCP to see a specialist. You also usually have to get clearance to go to the emergency room. HMOs are the best for preventative services and health improvement programs.
There are many ways you can go about getting a health insurance quote. Of course you can call the companies individually and they will ask you certain questions about yourself that pertain to coverage. These will be things like medical history, pre-existing medical problems, etc. They can usually give you a health insurance quote over the phone. Often a better way to go about finding the right company and plan would be to go online to compare quotes. There are some sites that can show these quotes side by side. This could save you a lot of time and money.
For the most part, your family will probably be covered by a plan provided by the company that you or a family member works for. But when selecting a plan on your own make sure to get a health insurance quote from all of the companies you may be looking into. You can see that there are many options to choose from. It really just depends on what is right for you.
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