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Need medical coverage? Why wait? Fill in the easy profile form to receive plan proposals tailored to meet the needs of your family. You will receive up to five quotes from top companies, so you can effectively "comparison shop." (All requests for insurance are considered, even if you have been denied medical coverage in the past.)

Find the Medical Health Plan that's fits your needs, and your wallet!

If you have recently left your group health insurance, you probably noticed the cost difference of personal health insurance. Actually, personal health insurance is not priced radically different from group coverage. It's just that you don't see the real cost when you aren't paying it.

Cheap, individual health insurance is not always easy to come by. However, once you find an affordable plan, remember that you usually get what you pay for. To help you sort through the various policies, we have compiled an overview of the most common plans being offered.

Traditional Health Insurance today is usually a PPO, "preferred provider organization." It is the most common group plan as well as the best known individual insurance. You choose your doctor or hospital from a list of doctors—the preferred providers--who have agreed to accept the insurance as "payment in full" minus your deductible or copay. You can go to a doctor outside the network, but will pay a higher percentage of the cost. Many people choose to simply pay for office visits and other routine appointments, reserving the insurance for something that would require the use of a hospital. You will always have deductibles and co-insurance or co-payments, regardless of the options you choose. Typically, the bigger your deductible, the lower your premium.

HMO Insurance plans are usually less expensive than traditional health insurance. In an HMO, "health maintenance organization," you have a primary care doctor and cannot go to any other doctor without his/her authorization. If you do, the insurance may not pay. The underlying purpose of the HMOs is to keep health care costs to a minimum. Thus the doctor is unlikely to send you to a specialist unless it is absolutely necessary. In spite of the restrictions, HMOs usually work well, and people who have them appreciate the flat co-pay—perhaps $10.00 or $20.00—per office visit. Both the traditional health insurance, i.e. PPO and the HMOs are considered "Major Medical," something that differs from catastrophic coverage.

Indemnity plans were marketed in the early 70s as plans that would pay you back if you received medical care for any type of accident. They were especially popular with families as it is almost inevitable that little Johnny will eventually be in the emergency room for a cut, broken bone or other accident related event. The indemnity play would pay you on top of whatever your insurance paid.

Today indemnity plans are available that pay either you or the hospital for both illness and accident. You are provided with a fee schedule showing exactly how much will be paid per day in the hospital, per event for lab work, and so forth. These plans are very inexpensive and usually have simple or no medical underwriting. In most cases, however, they are not considered creditable coverage.

Catastrophic Care/Cancer Plans/other focused plans
Traditional insurance plans place a dollar limit on what they will pay in one year and on what they will pay in your lifetime. If you were to develop a disease such as cancer, the limit would be reached quickly. To offset this possibility, some people purchase catastrophic care plans which only pay after your traditional insurance has reached its limit.The deductibles on these are very high, and they usually do not pay for office visits and other minor expenses. Although we can't tell the future, the statistical odds for any one person suggest that use of the policy is unlikely. Thus, these policies are very inexpensive. You pay for most of your health care, but if an included catastrophic event occurred, the policy would pay for it.

Questions to ask

• Is the insurance non-cancelable and guaranteed renewable. That means the company cannot cancel you for claims and cannot refuse to renew the policy each year. The company does not exist, however, that will guarantee not to increase rates based on claims.
  
  
• Is there a prior conditions clause, and how long does the period last? Note that some policies will not pay for anything in the first month after purchasing the coverage.
  
  
• Does the policy restrict coverage for pre-existing conditions—usually any medical problem for which you receive "advice or treatment" within the last six months.
  
  
• Does the policy pay for maternity?
  
  
• Are certain procedures or ailments excluded. These often include organ transplants, bone marrow transplants, experimental or alternative medicine such as chelation therapy, mental illness, emotional disorders and substance abuse.
  
  
• What guarantees will you have regarding rate increases. Since a company will not voluntarily tell you that they will double or triple your rates as soon as you get cancer—for instance—you may have to do some research to find out. Are there complaints on file with the Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce. Do you have friends who have had experience with certain companies. Since private insurance is priced according to YOUR eligibility and claims, your premium can increase while your neighbor—who is in good health and seldom submits a claim—can enjoy a lower premium for years.
  
  
• Will your premium automatically decrease when family members—such as children—become of age and are no longer covered?
  
  
• Is there a maximum lifetime benefit, such as a million dollars, for instance.
  
  
• What is the deductible? Do you pay separate deductibles for "in network" versus "out of network." With some companies the deductibles are completely separate. Paying for an out of network doctor will not count toward your in network deductible.
  
  
• What are the co-payments? Are they a flat dollar amount or a percentage?
  
  
• What is the coverage on emergency room or outpatient care? Are you covered for lab work or X-rays?
  
  
• Do you have to file the claims yourself?
  
  
• How long does the company take to pay, on the average?
  
  
• Is real help available if you have a question? Or will you be consigned to the 800 number loop.
  
  
• What are the rules on getting permission before admission to a hospital? What are the exceptions?
  
• Are prescription drugs included? Is there a separate deductible? What is the copayment?
  
  
• Will the agent who sells the policy return and actually take time to go over the fine print?
  
  
• Is an HMO option available for a lower premium?

*Note: Not all of these companies provide coverage in all states. 1sthealthinsurancequotes.com does not recommend or endorse any of the above mentioned carriers.

Note also: "Insurence" and" insurnance" are frequent misspellings made by those searching for products within this industry.

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