Health Care Services Through Your Individual Health Insurance Plan

20 Jul 2009
Health Care Services Through Your Individual Health Insurance Plan

An individual health insurance cover, simply stated, is an agreement between you and the insurance firm, aimed at protecting you against any financial constraints on account of a medical emergency. The one pertinent question you need to ask yourself is -what are the factors to be analyzed before deciding on an individual health insurance policy?

It is indeed a fact that medical and preventive sciences have made rapid advancements in today’s world. Nonetheless, it would be prudent to arm yourself with the best individual health insurance cover to protect yourself against any unforeseen illness. Indeed, America’s best health insurance companies are vying with one another in putting together some of the most imaginative individual health insurance policies designed to overcome any medical contingency. If you are unemployed, or self-employed, an individual health insurance policy is the right choice.

Consult with your insurance company if you can have your individual health insurance policy incorporated in its group policy. You may be paying a higher rate but the terms would be more advantageous than if you had to buy your own individual health insurance policy. If you are married, find out if your spouse’s employer is willing to include you in its group policy. If you are left with no option, then it is wise to buy an individual health insurance policy. Even though the insurance cover may be limited and the rates high, you would still be ensuring protection for yourself or your family against financial problems if you are suddenly confronted with a serious illness or medical emergency. Search for a good health insurance professional to help you with the best individual health insurance policy that offers you good value for money.

You have plenty of choices while selecting individual health insurance plans – The PPO Plan or the Preferred Provider Organization, the HMO Plan or the Health Maintenance Organization, the HDHP or the High Deductible Health Insurance and HAS or the Health Savings Accounts Qualified High Deductible Plan.

When considering individual health insurance plans a worthwhile option may be a health savings account plan which has few unique benefits. With individual health insurance plans, you can trade lower deductible health insurance for a plan that has a higher deductible. This will help you save money each month by lowering your premium. Besides the lower cost, higher deductible health savings account plan also has the added benefit of a tax favored savings account. Yet another interesting aspect of these individual health insurance plans is that the money you save rolls over year after year.

Even if you are already covered by your employer’s insurance scheme, you may still need to get additional coverage through an individual health insurance plan. This becomes necessary because employer-sponsored programs often fall short of individual needs. Extensive coverage for self and family can be achieved through a separate individual health insurance plan.

Individual health insurance plans are of two types: – Indemnity plans – Managed care plans. Indemnity plans are costlier but best suited for those who have particular health issues and need to be treated by specific doctors. Managed care plans cost less because you will be visiting a doctor or a hospital that is provided under the plan. If the treatment requires you to visit a specialist, you will need special permission from the insurance service provider. This plan is best suited for individuals without specific health problems, and wanting to pay less.

Watch the video related to health insurance


to age 55 and age 45 and age 35. It would give the private insurance industry a chance to go into hurricanes, earthquakes or something. To get out of the health business. It could be done gradually. I think that has to be done. And it’s the only thing that can be done. [...] Ready to pay insurance companies for fire insurance at www.michaelmoore.com … marcia angell trudy lieberman bill moyers healthcare health care insurance obama single-payer single payer reform public option medicare …

Help answer the question about health insurance

How does health insurance work in the US?
I am a non-US citizen and need this information to do a case.

Specifically:
1) Is health insurance compulsory for everyone?
2) What happens if someone cannot afford it?
3) In the event that a medical procedure needs to be done, does health insurance cover all the bills? Does the patient need to pay anything extra?
4) Does the patient have any say over what kind of procedure he can take? Say if 2 treatments are available for his condition, can the patient choose the more expensive treatment? And if so, is it covered by the insurance?

Thanks for reading this. Your help in answering any part of the questions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks to those who have responded so far.

I would like to further ask:

Does a health insurance contract state that it will only cover the "normal" rates for a procedure? For eg. if there are 2 possible treatments for a disease, 1 of which is more expensive but more effective than the other, will the patient only be covered by the LESS expensive one?

Or is it a case in which the patient can opt for the more expensive one and "top-up" the difference?

This is a crucial question to my understanding the case. Thanks!

26 Responses to Health Care Services Through Your Individual Health Insurance Plan

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epicurus32

July 20th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

This fight will get WORSE before it gets better. Trust me. This blood thirsty money hungry insurance industry is going to fight dirty and throw millions if not BILLIONS at this issue to stop it at all costs.

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mission_viejo_california

July 20th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

Thank God for Mrs. Clinton. She is so much smarter than everyone else. She will take good care of me…………

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DennyMclain2008

July 20th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

it proves he is a filthy loiar that works for Goldman Sachs. are you stupid? how can a semi intelligent person not see this? hello mcflyyyyyy

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Bloom

July 20th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

Assuming each choice is lettered in successive order:
1.B
2.A
3.B
4.C
5.D
6.A
7.C
8.A
9.C
10.C

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jusme

July 20th, 2009 at 5:17 pm

The problem is with the private HMO's, it is still relying on private HMO's, and they have failed, repeatedly. "They'll be more accessible." How? They haven't been accessible for years, and just putting that statement in an Act doesn't give us any other options or recourse against their corrupt practices. How will they force the HMO's to actually be accessible? What accountability do they offer? After all the years of dealing with insurance, I don't expect them to suddenly become ethical and actually make coverage accessible and appropriate. They've proven they won't do that.

And a tax credit doesn't help someone with the premiums as high as they are, especially if someone has a pre-existing condition. Also, medical malpractice is less than 1% of healthcare costs, that's a strawman argument. They are trying to say "better healthcare access" without actually giving us any options to the HMO's, who are the entire problem.

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Alex

July 20th, 2009 at 6:09 pm

Follow the link below to find concise summaries of the McCain and Obama Healthcare Plans.

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Old Goat

July 21st, 2009 at 2:01 am

part of it was all about getting votes and the other part was his ego actually believing that he is some sort of superman.

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DillonX

July 21st, 2009 at 4:20 am

The GOP must put up a good candidate to defeat Democratic Senator Nelson of Nebraska.

Dem Sen Nelson has taken a ton of money from the Insurance company lobbies & is in their pockect.

We need a good GOP candidate who’ll beat him and work for THE AMERICAN PUBLIC & not THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.

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DAR

July 21st, 2009 at 3:01 pm

I find it hard to believe this is about Health Care at all. The word "mandatory" is always frightening.
To force young, healthy people to pay for health insurance, and let the old and infirm die because of cost sounds like Taxation without benefit.
One could argue this is how they plan to recoup the entirety of the Social Security money that has already been squandered away.
Robbing (Peter/Paul) thing. Pyramid scheme.
There are always hidden (from you) costs.
What "anything" done, in progress, or future thing, performed by the government ever came in on time and at/or under budget?
How many times is this scam going to work on the majority of us. Apparently, just one more, because after this one … it will be all the money there is forever, and you still wont get a pittance of worth.

Single payer.

Any addition or including of INSURANCE Co's will double the cost, and for what? Payback for campaign contributions?

Dead weight, and the straw that breaks the back.

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ZingZee123456789

July 21st, 2009 at 6:11 pm

I dont think that what these women are saying is 100% accurate.

Ok, under this healthcare bill, healthcare coverage will be mandated but the people that are uninsured will have the OPTION of being covered under the GOVERNMENT RUN SYSTEM. Not everyone is going to flock to the private health insurance companies to seek coverage, actually the majority of them probably WONT which is why most private insurance companies are against this reform……

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wondering

July 21st, 2009 at 9:36 pm

wondering, Health insurance can be very tricky. Since I live in Virginia I'm not familiar with the Florida regulations, so I recommend you contact a local health insurance agent. http://www.goodinternetdeals.com/Health-Insurance.html They should be able to help you.

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MMM007

July 21st, 2009 at 9:42 pm

We need to get some official way, state by state, to poll the people and see how many people would want some type of tax funded plan, how many don’t, and how many just don’t know enough about a single-payer type plan to make a decision yet. These numbers then need to get sent directly to the Representatives of each state to show them what the majority of the voters want and then act on it. They are aupposed to be representing what the people want after all, not what rich companies want!!

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JustJenn

July 21st, 2009 at 9:55 pm

That's what I have been trying to point out to people. Nicely said, Hillary has my vote.

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ZingZee123456789

July 22nd, 2009 at 1:58 am

I dont think going from one extreme to another is going to neccesarliy to make the problem any better. Pure socialism is no better than pure capitalism, in my opinion.

Going from an extremely captalistic system to an extremely socialist system just doesnt seem logical.

What has made America so successful for so long is that fact that we kind of stradle the fence when it comes to our economic system. We’re not too capitalistic yet not too socialist. Single payer is just too drastic.

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burntonion05

July 22nd, 2009 at 2:59 am

America is not longer successful at making cars. We are pretty good at making drugs (big pharma). Now everyone is trying to legalize weed and tax that. We are a country of drug addicts.

Single payer sounds good but I don’t think it will ever happen. There are too many assholes in America who would only care about the failure of Obama so they can get the WH back and torment the world with their religion.

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kucitizenx

July 22nd, 2009 at 9:44 am

You can't reclaim the media until you reclaim the political process. George Bush has destroyed this country, and has turned our 'Fourth Estate' into nothing more than a puppet for his puppet regime (that's really controlled by Big Dick Cheney).

Thomas Jefferson once said: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." That time is way past due!

Until the most corrupt administration and U.S. Congress in history are either impeached or tried for high treason, the media will remain a shell of its former self, without any integrity and without any credibility.

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ZingZee123456789

July 22nd, 2009 at 2:06 pm

Im not sure that converting to a single payer system is the best thing for America. Just because the system works in foriegn countries doesnt neccesarily mean It will work here.

I beleive that these women women have legitamete concerns with a public option system that keeps the private insurance agencies intact but I dont know if completely erradicating the current capitalistic system is right for America. The governement should try to work with it.

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cashelmara

July 22nd, 2009 at 8:05 pm

None of these influence me the only thing that does, my ten reasons for voting for McCain,
1. Obama
2.Obama
3. Obama
4. Obama
5. Obama
6. obama
7.Obama
8. Obama
9. Obama
10.Barock HUSSEIN Obama.
God bless you.

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melissa

July 22nd, 2009 at 9:27 pm

Thank you so much for sharing these truths. Sadly, there are so many people that will discount this with hate and venom because it is so hard for them to see the truth. But from me…THANKS!

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Vantage Point

July 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 pm

His plan is cheaper, less patronizing, and more sensible…

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A Republicrat

July 23rd, 2009 at 3:03 am

We need less government period.

The government proposals that are out there are more or less Trojan horses.

Nothing is free. Somebody pays for it somewhere along the line.

One congressman wants people to buy their own health insurance. He thinks a competitive market will drive down prices, and then people will be able to deduct the premiums before taxes. This congressman is also a doctor, and very much against the FDA.

Good question, along with the research to back it up. Star.

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Coelacanth1938

July 23rd, 2009 at 9:07 am

Denny, Denny, Denny, how dare you change the subject? What does Obama’s supposed anti-war stance has to do with health care? And it’s a shame I ain’t flying that drone tonight, because there’s a GOP headquarters that needs to be taken down tonight ;)

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Raf the Maf

July 23rd, 2009 at 11:40 am

Grammer looks good to me, I am not an expert but nothing jumps off the page, we definitely need to end homelessness. There is really no excuse for there even being any such thing today in the US.

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garyupyours

July 23rd, 2009 at 4:30 pm

Collegeman1988- You say vote hem out of office. It wont make any difference. Our whole polical system is corrupt.The wealthy, and the corporations,will never concedethat power. They would rather see our country destroyed , than have decent health care for all. That is there fear of losing control over us. The only change is revolution, now. Thomas jefferson said” The tree of liberty must be fed with the blood of tyrants and few generations. There many tyrants in Washington, We need a revolution,

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Conservative for Life

July 23rd, 2009 at 8:36 pm

Though I still have some hesitancy of voting for McCain, Sarah Palin truly caught my attention with her speech at the RNC, her debate with Joe "Plugs" Biden, and her interviews. Obama's plans are socialistic and will drag us even further down into a recession. Barak is not so clean cut as he tries to appear to the public. One of his advisers happened to be the former CEO of either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

As for what phillkid wrote, that went beyond the pale. I have to question either your age or your intelligence. Either way, I feel you crossed boundaries that should never be crossed. It was a disgusting remark of a man that was held prisoner for 5 years in N. Vietnam.

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dangerouslytalented

July 23rd, 2009 at 10:18 pm

The uninsured do not get mammagrams at ALL. It is far to wait in line to get one than not get one at ALL surely…

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