Medical Insurance - Health Insurance Coverage & Plans Explained

If you're trying to decide between health insurance plans, you'll find that there are several different kinds from which to choose. It's important that you weigh all your options carefully. Your health insurance, even with an employer contribution to the cost, is very likely to be your largest regular monthly expense other than your rent or mortgage. The plan you choose needs to be more than affordable. It will affect your family's choices in doctors and health care as long as you are a member of that health insurance plan.

Health insurance is like any other kind of insurance. You pay a monthly amount, called a premium, to an insurance company in return for 'benefits', to be paid out as needed. Depending on the kind of plan that you choose, those benefits might include regular doctor's office visits, checkups, emergency room services and hospitalizations, and treatment by specialists. Some health insurance plans also offer benefits that are called 'wellness benefits.' like discounts on health club memberships, stop-smoking classes, and nutritional consultations.

The main types of health insurance plans are:

HMO - Health Maintenance Organizations

HMO benefits are geared toward keeping you healthy. They aim for affordable health care costs by reducing the cost of annual physicals, well-child visits and other routine care by requiring you to pay a 'co-pay' - a small portion of the actual bill - for every visit to your doctor, and the health insurance company pays the rest. Most require that you choose a primary care physician, who takes the place of an old fashioned General Practitioner - the family doctor who knew your medical history and prescribed visits to specialists if needed. HMOs are generally more affordable than traditional health insurance, but they'll still cost you several hundred dollars a month.

All your medical care under an HMO will be arranged through your primary care physician. If you need to consult with a specialist, you simply call your primary care physician and request a referral.

Preferred Provider Health Insurance Plans

PPH health insurance plans are very similar to HMOs. They also attempt to keep overall medical costs affordable by providing both preventive and catastrophic health care coverage. Unlike most HMO's, though, you can usually choose to visit any physician or other provider registered with the preferred provider network. You'll pay a co-payment, and your health insurance will cover the rest.

Catastrophic Health Insurance Plans

Catastrophic health insurance plans are also sometimes called 'fee for service' plans. They generally will pay out to any provider, but they strictly limit the kind of health care that they'll cover. In most cases, you're only covered for illness or injury. There's no coverage provided for regular checkups and other office visits. Catastrophic health insurance plans are often the most affordable option, since they only pay off if you become ill or are injured.

To view our list of recommended health insurance providers, visit: Recommended Medical Health Insurance Providers.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of http://www.eZerk.com, an informational website with articles and latest news about various topics.

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Google News Updated : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:08:02 GMT Obama proposes bankruptcy changes - Atlanta Journal Constitution Voice of America Obama proposes bankruptcy changes Atlanta Journal Constitution - 1 hour ago By AARON GOULD SHEININ Barack Obama moved Tuesday to paint the 2008 presidential election in stark terms of rich vs. poor, and fat cats vs. Ad Hawk: McCain's Generation Gap Newsweek Obama ad attacks McCain on energy solutions The Associated Press Washington Times - Daily Vidette - Los Angeles Times - MSNBC all 2,097 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:41:26 GMT Whistleblower: Cheney Wanted Cuts in Climate Change Testimony - ABC News ABC News Whistleblower: Cheney Wanted Cuts in Climate Change Testimony ABC News - 35 minutes ago By Z. BYRON WOLF President Bush is in Japan pledging to do his best to put the US on a long-term path to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050, but back in Washington a former Environmental Protection Agency official said staffers at the White ... Cheney wanted cuts in climate testimony USA Today Cheney's Office Pushed Purge Of Climate Change Testimony Wall Street Journal Washington Post - Reuters - The Associated Press - Bloomberg all 513 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:32:45 GMT McCain, Obama pitch economic plans to Hispanics - Kansas City Star Voice of America McCain, Obama pitch economic plans to Hispanics Kansas City Star - 42 minutes ago By LIZ SIDOTI and CHARLES BABINGTON AP Writers Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, accompanied by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, waves, Tuesday, July 8, 2008, at the League of United Latin American Citizens in ... McCain, Obama pitch economic plans to Hispanics The Associated Press Obama Assails McCain on Immigration Before Latino Audience Washington Post Monsters and Critics.com - McClatchy Washington Bureau - HispanicBusiness.com - KCRG all 387 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:25:20 GMT Bad blood hampering Obama's effort to help retire Clinton's debt - Kansas City Star Wall Street Journal Bad blood hampering Obama's effort to help retire Clinton's debt Kansas City Star - 44 minutes ago By PATRICK HEALY A prominent donor to Sen. Barack Obama recently sent an e-mail plea to other supporters, asking them - for the sake of Democratic unity - to write checks to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to help retire her $23 million in campaign debt. While Markets Peer Ahead Wall Street Journal Research firm: Obama outpacing McCain in Web-site traffic, online ... Computerworld 411mania.com - National Review Online - WHSV - United Press International all 227 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:23:52 GMT Wildfires push some from homes; some allowed back - The Associated Press Canada.com Wildfires push some from homes; some allowed back The Associated Press - 2 hours ago BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) - Firefighters pushed back a blaze threatening this small coastal community just enough to allow hundreds of people to check on their homes Tuesday as a separate fire 300 miles north forced residents of another town to evacuate. Video: Hot, Dry Weather Developing on Calif Fire Lines AssociatedPress Much of US West Coast Under `Explosive' Fire Threat (Update2) Bloomberg KSBY - CNN - RedOrbit - Lompoc Record all 4,534 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:40:34 GMT Iraq wants US withdrawal deadline - CNN Telegraph.co.uk Iraq wants US withdrawal deadline CNN - 2 hours ago BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A deadline should be set for the withdrawal of US and allied forces from Iraq, and the pullout could be done as soon as 2011, an Iraqi government spokesman said Tuesday. Video: Iraqi PM Calls for Withdrawal Date AssociatedPress UPDATE 1-Pentagon chief downplays Iraqi calls for withdrawal Reuters UK The Associated Press - BBC News - AFP - NewsHour all 1,489 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:32:49 GMT VMware Ousts CEO Greene - BusinessWeek Wall Street Journal VMware Ousts CEO Greene BusinessWeek - 1 hour ago by Aaron Ricadela VMware ended a long-running battle over its strategic direction on July 8, ousting co-founder and Chief Executive Diane Greene and installing Microsoft veteran Paul Maritz in her place. VMWare Drops 25% Of Market Cap; CEO Out Washington Post Why VMware Dumped Diane Greene Forbes Wall Street Journal - MarketWatch - The Associated Press - CRN all 343 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:18:50 GMT Rss Feed Reader Increase Search Engine Traffic

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