Three Basic Types of Insurance
A PPO is a Preferred Provider Organization. As a member of a PPO, you can use the doctors and hospitals within the PPO network or go outside of the network for care. You do not need a referral to see a specialist.
An HMO is a Health Maintenance Organization. As a member of an HMO, you select a primary care physician from a list of doctors in that HMO's network. Your primary care physician will be the first medical provider you call or see for a medical condition. He or she will make any needed referrals to a medical specialist. Typically, these specialists will be part of the HMO network.
POS is a Point-of-Service Plan A type of managed care plan combining features of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs). You can decide whether to go to a network provider and pay a flat dollar or to an out-of-network provider and pay a deductible and/or a coinsurance charge.
medical
insurance quotes
offers free rates online
cobra health information
cobra act information
long term care and life insuance
long term health insurance
Spending a few moments of your time shopping for insurance quotes at this site will save the average worker hundreds of hours of labor at their job. Insurance is not something you want to throw money away on.
You'll get multiple health insurance quotes. Choose the one that's right for you. Start
Choosing a health plan can be a confusing experience. Although there is no one "best" plan, there are some plans that will be better than others for you and your family's health needs. We will try to guide you in simple terms. However, rather than just giving you answers, the best thing we can do is to make sure you are equipped with the right questions.
There are three major things to consider, each with their own unique set of questions. By considering the questions thoroughly, you will arrive at the right plan for you and your family.
1. How affordable is the care (cost of care)?
- How much will it cost me on a monthly basis?
- Should I try to insure just major medical expenses or most of my medical expenses?
- Can I afford a policy that at least covers my children?
- Are there deductibles I must pay before the insurance begins to help cover my costs?
- After I have met the deductible, what part of my costs are paid by the plan?
- If I use doctors outside a plan's network, how much more will I pay to get care?
- How often do I visit the doctor and how much do I have to pay at each visit?
2 . Do the included services match my needs (access of care)?
- What doctors, hospitals, and other medical providers are part of the insurance plan?
- Are there enough of the kinds of doctors I want to see?
- Where will I go for care? Are these places near where I work or live?
- Do I need to get permission before I see a medical specialist?
- Are there any limits to how much I must pay in case of a major illness?
- Is the prescription medication which I need covered by the insurance plan?
- Does the plan cover the expenses of delivering a baby?
3. Have people had good results when covered by a specific plan (quality of care)?
- How do independent government organizations rate the different health plans?
- What do my friends say about their experience with a specific medical insurance and health plan?
- What does my doctor say about their experience with a specific plan?
Choosing between health plans is not as easy as it once was. Although there is no one "best" plan, there are some plans that will be better than others for you and your family's health needs. Plans differ in how much you have to pay and how easy it is to get the services you need. Although no plan will pay for all the costs associated with your medical care, some plans will cover more than others.
Health insurance plans usually are described as either indemnity (fee-for-service) or managed care. Indemnity and managed care plans differ in their basic approach. Put broadly, the major differences concern choice of providers, out-of-pocket costs for covered services, and how bills are paid. Usually, indemnity plans offer more choice of doctors (including specialists, such as cardiologists and surgeons), hospitals, and other health care providers than managed care plans.
Indemnity plans pay their share of the costs of a service only after they receive a bill. Managed care plans have agreements with certain doctors, hospitals, and health care providers to give a range of services to plan members at reduced cost. In general, you will have less paperwork and lower out-of-pocket costs if you select a managed care-type plan and a broader choice of health care providers if you select an indemnity-type plan.
Besides indemnity plans, there are three basic types of managed care plans: PPOs, HMOs, and POS plans.
Continue to free insurance quotes.