Archive

Posts Tagged ‘individual health insurance’

Main Types Of Health Plans

November 24th, 2009 J.D Theis No comments

One of the prerequisites of having sound mind and healthy body is caring for our health and giving what our body needs. Having a healthy body leads to greater productivity, and better outlook in life. But admit it; there are times when our bodies are not in their best and accidents may happen.

It is better to be prepared than ill-prepared when our health needs immediate attention. Investing in a health insurance for your healthcare needs is better than nothing especially now that medical costs are expensive.

Do you really need a health insurance? Getting one is not required by law that is why many people do not have this. But acquiring one means that when something happens to you that needs medical attention, your insurance will cover your expensive medical bills. Choose one that really fits your needs

Here are the four main types of health plan/insurance to choose from:

1. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) -This is a simple and effective plan suitable for many individuals and employers. The person who gets this insurance chooses their primary physician for their regular medical care within the insurance network. The primary physician on the other hand refers the insured person to another doctor or specialist. If the person is taken to a non-network physician or facility, the insured person may have to pay for all the medical bills.

2. Point of Service (POS) -It is the same with the HMO plan. The only difference is that the insured person has the option to refer himself to another physician. But this can mean paying some of the charges and out-of-pocket costs.

3. Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) -The insured person does not have to choose a primary care physician and can go outside the insurance network for medical care. However, out-of-pocket costs can be expensive. But one of the benefits of this is that it will still cover the costs even though the insured person is taken into a non-network physician or facility unlike the HMO and PPO.

4. Traditional -This is the most flexible and freeing because the insured person is free to choose their provider. However, it can be costly for the fact that the person under this plan may be required to pay deductibles and co-pays. There are other types of health plans available in the market. To make an informed choice, try doing a research of your own in the internet or talk to a health plan provider representative.

If you want more information on healthcare, then make some time to visit Insurancecaredirect – In this website, you will get clarifications for all your queries on any type of health plan.

Breaking The Myth In Universal And Single Payer

November 23rd, 2009 J.D Theis No comments

In dealing with health insurance reforms there are two major concepts that are mentioned often- universal coverage and single payer system. These two are closely related yet very different in its implications, effects and applicability. Ordinary people usually put their bet on these two during lobbying period for health reforms without knowing that they are pushing for two entirely different schemes. A universal insurance on health assures that every citizen who belongs to the leadership of that government is an insured individual. On the other hand, a single payer insurance scheme literally means that a single entity, which is most probably the government, is paying for the insurance of everyone or at least a specific group of people.

The main difference of these two insurance concepts can be seen through statistics. In Canada where a universal insurance system is used no citizen is uninsured because they have a government- run universal insurance. On the other hand, countries with multiple payer insurance schemes like the United States of America have at least 46.6 million of uninsured citizens. What do this discrepancy means? This numbers simply means that so far, the universal system for healthcare is outmatching the benefits from a multiple payer system.

Ironically, the USA is adapting a single payer scheme for those who are unfortunate and cannot afford paying insurance premiums. But if the government will only pay for a specific group of people then there is still a possibility that others will still not be insured and as for the case of the United States of America 46.6 million of its population is uninsured. Through this example, it can be assumed that it is possible to have a universal health insurance system without having a single payer system. But having a single payer system without having universal insurance system is theoretically possible, but it is still practically unavailable.

A government cannot bear and shoulder all of the premiums that their citizenry needs without greatly affecting the other sectors of its society. No government is willing to trade one sector for another since they are major sectors that hold great impacts on the stability of the whole government.

Universal medical insurance cannot be matched by other existing insurance systems that exist today. Assuring that everyone is insured even if it will take a public and private sectors combinations is better than maintaining a single payer insurance system while leaving the other citizens barely insured or not at all.

In order to get further clarification on affordable health insurance and understand its benefits better, log in to Insurancecaredirect. This website will give you more information on all types of healthcare options that will be of use to you.

Filing Claims And Denied Claims

November 18th, 2009 J.D Theis No comments

Like all insurance, filing for health insurance claims follows a step-by-step procedure. The steps are designed to make claiming as fast process.

There are four steps to be followed. First, get receipts or itemized list of the medical services you received from the doctor as well as the actual cost of each service. The list or receipt will be attached to your claim form.

Second, you must get your claims form from your health insurance provider. Fill this up step-by-step and provide detailed information. Provide extra details if the company requires you to do so.

Third, copy all the details you wrote in the claims form. Errors may occur so it is better to have a back up copy. You can also use this if re-filing is needed.

The last step is to recheck your claims form. If the information is accurate, then send it to the insurance company and other concerned parties. Wait until the insurance company will answer your claims.

That seems very easy but what if your health insurance claim is denied by your insurance provider? If this happens, you have the legal right to demand an explanation or investigation from the company. You must inform the company immediately.

You also have the option to write an appeal within 30 or 40 days after your claim is denied. You can ask your doctor’s help on how to change the billing so it will be covered by your health insurance and you need to re-file your claim.

If nothing happens to your appeal, you can ask the help of your company’s human resources department and explain your case. You can also ask assistance from your state ombudsman office.

There are reasons why insurance claim denial happens such as missing data or unreadable, the claim is not covered by the health insurance policy, the medical treatment is seen as unnecessary and late filing of claims.

To prevent this from happening, it is always best to read your health insurance policy and keep a record of what medical services you have undergone. Ask also an authorization from your insurance treatment so that you know if it will be covered or not. File also within the time limit. Filing for claims are given a 30-day grace period.

Every insured person must know what is contained in your health insurance contract. The contract is a legal agreement in which all your claims will be based. Surely, you cannot refute a denied claim if it is not within the contract.

Medical insurance is a vast field which has been clearly explained in Insurancecaredirect. This website will clear all your doubts and help you find the right health insurance for you and your loved ones.