Plans offered can include, Health with a PPO network, 10 dollar co-pays, 10 dollar medication, Dental benefits, Vision Benefits, Life & disability Insurance, and if needed you can even take care of Medicare supplemental and advantage plans.
Health Insurance - Don't Bet Your Life On It
Unless you live in a cave, you know that healthcare costs have accelerated in recent years. According to a recent study, more than 15% of the United States' total gross domestic product (GDP) was spent on health care, and by 2014, this figure is expected to represent nearly one in every five dollars we spend!1
What's more, a growing number of Americans - more than 40 million, by latest count - don't have any health insurance coverage at all.2 Without health insurance, a single illness can cause serious, and often irreversible, financial hardship.
Insurance of any kind is intended to transfer financial risk to an insurance company in exchange for a reasonable insurance premium. Where most insurance coverages pay once a loss has occurred, health insurance has the added benefit of paying to keep your loss from getting worse. Health insurance is probably your most important coverage since it can be the difference between life and death. Fortunately, most employers offer some form of health insurance. Often you will have to select from several different alternative plans with differing coverages and premiums.
There are two broad categories of health insurance coverage. One is fee-for-service and the other is managed health care, which is further divided into health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and point-of-service (POS) plans.
Fee-For-Service - A primary difference between fee-for-service and managed health plans in the amount of control you enjoy in choosing doctors and hospitals. Fee-for-service plans give you the greatest amount of choice, allowing you to select doctors and hospitals based on your needs and preferences. This greater amount of choice comes at a cost, however, as fee-for-service plans are usually more expensive than managed care plans.
Under a fee-for-service plan, your doctor will submit a bill to your insurance provider, or, if he or she does not have a relationship with your provider, you may have to pay the bill directly and get reimbursed by your provider. Under this plan, you can generally see any doctor you wish. You will most likely be responsible for a percentage of every expense, typically 20% but sometimes higher or lower.
Fee-for-service plans also have an annual deductible; these generally start at $100 for individuals and $500 for families. Typically, the higher the deductible, the lower your premiums. You'll have to meet the deductible amount before receiving any reimbursement,
If your doctor charges more than is "reasonable" as defined by your policy, you will have to pay the difference. You can appeal this if you feel the doctor is charging the same as the other doctors around your area.
Fee-for-service plans usually limit how much you will have to pay before the plan reimburses you at 100%. Some plans also have a lifetime limit on benefits, usually at least $1,000,000. This seems very high but it is not uncommon with serious accidents or illnesses that this number is met.