| Looking for low cost health insurance quotes? Good. You are taking
that most important step of shopping around for the best price. But more
importantly, you understand that it is important to have health insurance,
and perhaps, even more importantly, understand that the real purpose of
health insurance, as for any insurance, is protection. That is, you do
not get health insurance to act as a sort of discount off the price of
doctor and hospital services. The point of insurance is protection in
the event of catastrophe. Yes, health insurance costs are high and
continue to rise, but do not forget that the reason you are seeking
health insurance quotes online--and even offline--is to insure you get
the most protection (not discount) for the best (lowest) rate.
Getting health insurance quotes is now extremely easy with the use of
the Internet. Take advantage of online insurance quote availability to
get an idea of the range of premium prices offered. Even if you don't
want to buy online, you will have a better understanding of what the
insurance agent is talking about, and when it comes time to put ink on
the contract, you will be making a more informed decision. Remember,
too, that quotes are free and come without obligation.
When you look for cheap health insurance quotes, online or off, you
must also consider type of health care you want and what that means in
terms of how your care is delivered to you. Health insurance is a much
more than a matter of co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles. When
you get a health insurance quote, you are getting a quote on a certain
kind of plan. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a single "best"
plan. You will find that there are some plans that will serve your needs
better as an individual, and plans that will be better for both you and
your family's needs. Plans will vary according to what services they
offer, and you will probably have to make some hard choices as to what
services are most important. No plan will pay everything; there will
always be out-of-pocket costs associated with your medical services,
though some plans will pay more for the services you deem most
important. So, health insurance quotes are really the tip of the iceberg
to a very important subject.
Cheap Health Insurance Quotes and the HMO, PPO, FFS/indemnity plan,
and POS.
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HMO--An HMO is a health maintenance organization. An HMO contracts
with doctors, hospitals, and other medical providers to form a sort of
network. As a member of an HMO, you are required to use the providers in
that network. You pay the HMO a certain amount of money per their
payment arrangements in order to receive medical services.
PPO--A PPO is a preferred provider organization. A PPO is similar to
an HMO in that there is a network of medical providers that you can use.
However, the PPO does not require you to use that network and allows you
see doctors and go to hospitals out of network. Normally, you do not
need a referral to see doctors out of network. However, in that event,
you do pay more for the service. That is, the amount of coverage is
less.
POS--A POS is a point of service plan. A point of service plan is
very much like an HMO except that POS doctors can refer you out of the
network of providers to see a specialist. In a POS, you would not refer
yourself, and if the plan does refer you out of the network, you do pay
more for the service.
FFS--A FFS or indemnity plan, is a fee for service plan. In a fee for
service, you are billed by the service. You are usually not required to
use a network of providers. That means you choose which doctors,
hospitals, and specialists you want to see and use. Because you make the
decision about who you see and where you go, there is no need for a
referral to see a doctor. The only limiting factor is whether or not the
provider accepts the insurance of the fee for service plan insurance.
by: Dennis Alexander |
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