Individual Health Insurance vs. Group Health Insurance

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

Individual Health Insurance vs. Group Health Insurance

A health insurance plan is a legal agreement entered into by an insurance company and an individual or an organization. Once signed, the insurance company is legally bound to pay a specified amount of medical expenses arising during the contract period in exchange for paying a pre-determined monthly premium.  The medical services covered by your insurance provider purely depend on the premium amount and the type of Health Insurance policy that you or your company chooses.

Before you decide on the exact type of health insurance plan you or your organization requires, it is important to know the different coverage options in market. It is good to know what you are eligible for as well as the various benefits that health insurance plans offer.  Understanding your options allows you or your company to select the very best insurance plan for the money.

Below is a short overview illustrating the distinction between individual and group health insurance:

Individual Health Insurance: Individual health insurance plans are designed for unemployed or self-employed people who pay a premium directly to the medical insurance company in exchange for health insurance coverage. Individual health insurance plans are generally more expensive than group health insurance.  Because the cost involved in medical expenses is very high, the narrow spread of risk makes the risk factor of the insurance company higher and passes that higher risk on to the individual in the form of a higher premium.  The individual who purchases health insurance also needs to go through certain medical tests (as per the insurance company) in order to qualify for the health insurance plan.  Under individual health insurance you can also cover your spouse or children under the same plan.

In relation with the high cost of individual health insurance, the insurance company usually lets you choose an appropriate Health Insurance plan that meets your needs, adjusting for your budget.  You can also renew your individual health insurance plan annually and at that time you have the opportunity to make modifications to the plan as needed.

Group Health Insurance: Group health insurance plans are designed for a large number of people associated with a single organization or company. Group health insurance is usually purchased by the company or organization on behalf of employees as an added benefit for the employee. Since the insurance premium amount is usually paid by the company or organization, the vast majority of individuals get their insurance through their employer.

With group health insurance, the insurance company covers everyone under a single group plan.  This distributes the cost and risk across the entire organization while also reducing the risk for the insurance carrier.  As a result, group plans generally do not require a medical exam to qualify and previous medical conditions are covered.

The potential downside to group medical plans is the fact that the company or organization providing the plan selects the amount of coverage to be offered their employees, the plan options and deductable amounts.  These options, though available to individuals buying plans on their own, are not available to employees.

In the end, every individual should have a health insurance plan. You might be in good health or rarely visit a doctor but nobody can predict what is going to happen tomorrow. One illness or even an accident can result in high medical expense which can significantly impact your financial situation. Although the cost of medical coverage is growing every year, the security and assurance you gain as a result of paying the increasingly high premiums far outweighs the cost.

Mark Anderson is a serial entrepreneur and having started, operated and sold several businesses both as a solo-entrepreneur as well as building one of his small businesses into a 35 person organization.  Through this process Mark has become an expert in the field of medical health insurance for individuals and small business.

You can read more about Mark and his experiences with buying individual and group health insurance on his blog at Buying Individual Health Insurance Blog


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Individual and Group Health Insurance for Ohio Residents

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

Individual and Group Health Insurance for Ohio Residents

Most individuals get group health insurance through their employer. The employer pays part of the monthly premium and the employee pays the rest. Individuals not covered in an employer group plan or choose to opt out of such a plan usually purchase an individual health plan for themselves and their families.

Ohio Individual Health Insurance

Individual health insurance in Ohio includes indemnity or managed health care plans. Indemnity plans offer a greater choice of health care providers. In managed-care plans, health care providers in the health insurance company’s network provide services at fixed rates. Managed care means less paperwork and lower out-of-pocket costs for the consumer compared to the indemnity plan. The best individual insurance option is a low premium, high deductible health plan.

Ohio Group Health Insurance

In Ohio, group health insurance is very different from individual health insurance. In the case of group insurance, a group of employees are insured together under a plan that the employer chooses. It is the health of the group as a whole that determines the premium that each employee will pay. Group insurance plans are guaranteed issue.

Individual or Group Health Insurance?

A group policy that your employer offers is a better option if you have a medical condition like diabetes or arthritis. However, if your spouse and children are young and healthy, the premium for an individual insurance plan could be much lower compared to the group insurance plan that your employer offers you. This is because group rates usually depend on the average age and health on the entire group which could mean to a higher premium for each member of the group. Moreover, with the economic downturn, employers have begun to cut down on their share of the premium, making group policies quite expensive.

If you have to choose between an individual health insurance plan and a group plan, the best solution is to seek the advice of a professional insurance agent who is well-informed in all matters relating to individual and group health insurance for Ohio residents.

 

Welcome to One Source Benefits, the most comprehensive Ohio Health Insurance website on the Internet. This is your complete guide to affordable Ohio Health Insurance Coverage and the best place to get free Ohio health insurance quotes


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Choose Cobra Or Individual Health Insurance ?

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

Choose Cobra Or Individual Health Insurance ?

If you left your job voluntarily or I ejected out for the economy, maintain health insurance coverage for you and your family should be one of your top concerns. Even if you are green, can not afford to go without health coverage. All it will take a bad flu season or a serious accident to make a bad situation even worse. Choosing the best type of insurance for your family is as important as deciding to keep it. It’s best to join the Cobra or should go ahead and buy individual health insurance ?

COBRA employers to help you stay healthy for their coverage up to 18 months after he stopped working for them. For most families, this cover acts as a safety net covering them until they are able to sign for different coverage. Individual health insurance, on the other hand, is private insurance that is purchased directly from the insurance company. Until continue paying the premiums will always be covered if you are employed or not.

It’s hard to say whether the individual health insurance is better than COBRA, because the situation of each person is unique and two types of insurance have advantages and disadvantages. With COBRA is sufficient to maintain the same coverage you had with your previous employer. The difference is that now you are responsible for the entire cost of insurance while before your employer in 50-100% of the premium. This can be quite expensive and you will be able to change the insurance plan to something cheaper. Moreover, the coverage is only available for a limited time.

Often you can customize your personal health insurance policy to get what you need can result in lower premiums would be Than COBRA. And, as mentioned before, as long as you continue paying the premiums paid for the rest of your life. The disadvantage of this option is that you may not be able to provide insurance if you have an underlying condition. This, of course, depends on the pre-existing condition you have, but it is quite possible that it would ultimately be rejected outright or pay more for your insurance than you would with a COBRA policy. The best way to understand the best insurance options for you is to talk with an experienced health insurance agent can help you find the policy that suits your needs.

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Health Insurance Quotes Reform Obamacare & Buying Individual Health Insurance

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

Health Insurance Quotes Reform Obamacare & Buying Individual Health Insurance

JANUARY 29, 2010

This Week in Health Care Reform

Following the election of Republican Scott Brown to the Massachusetts State Senate last week and the resulting loss of Senate Democrats’ supermajority, lawmakers continue to pave the way for health care reform – with limited progress. In addition, polls indicate that the public would rather lawmakers focus more on the economy than on health care.

State of the Union Address

President Obama Gives State of the Union Address: On Wednesday evening, President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. Having hoped to have a health care reform bill on his desk prior to his address, the President instead used his speech to encourage Congress to push forward on health care reform. Yet, he did not give specific guidance as to how to proceed with the legislation. Instead, he made it clear that his primary focus would be on jobs and the economy.

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Health Care Reform Negotiations

Democrats Still Seek Way Forward: While vowing not to give up, Democratic Senate leaders indicated Tuesday that they no longer felt pressure to move quickly on health care reform; and, in the wake of the Massachusetts election and in reaction to public opinion, they shifted focus to jobs and the economy. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) commented that there is “no rush” on health care and said that he and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) were working to map out a way to complete health care reform in the coming months. On Wednesday, Sen. Pelosi floated a two-pronged strategy to pass incremental changes now and pursue comprehensive reform later.

Some lawmakers have considered breaking up the legislation into smaller pieces that have bipartisan support. However, this option will prove challenging given the complexities and interdependencies of the measures. For example, lawmakers would like to include a measure that requires all insurance companies to insure those with pre-existing conditions; however, premiums will most likely increase unless there is an individual mandate.

Earlier this week, Democrats appeared to be coalescing around a different strategy through which Senate lawmakers would make changes to their bill to appease members of the House. The Senate would then pass the revised bill via reconciliation, which only requires 51 votes. Following that, the House would approve the revised bill, giving it to President Obama for his review. However, movement on this strategy stalled Tuesday when two centrist Senators, Sens. Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AK), indicated that they would oppose using reconciliation to bypass Republican support. Others, including Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), have suggested a “time out” on health care reform until there is a clear path forward.

In the GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address, Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell said that Republicans share the Democrats’ desire for health care reform, but do not agree with their proposed solutions. Republicans suggest that Democrats scrap the current proposals and start over with more Republican input on issues such as medical malpractice reform and selling insurance policies across state lines.

Republicans Call for Transparency: On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up a resolution presented by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) which requested that the administration divulge documentation regarding the health care reform deals made with trade associations and a labor union. Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) said that while details remained to be worked out, he would support a narrowed version of the Republican request for White House records.

President Obama to Speak with House Republicans: President Obama will meet with House Republicans on Friday in response to an invitation to speak at their annual retreat in Baltimore that begins Thursday and ends Saturday. The meeting comes just after the President’s State of the Union address, and members of the news media speculate that the meeting may spur more bipartisanship or potentially lead to even more tension between the two parties.

Interest Groups Call for Reform: With health care reform’s fate in jeopardy, interest groups have voiced their support, encouraging Democrats to push forward with legislation. The AARP, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Consumers Union, Families USA and Service employees International Union sent a joint letter last Thursday urging Congress not to abandon comprehensive health care reform. Further, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops also sent a letter to Congress urging a push for reform.

Public Opinion

Polls Show Concern with Health Care Reform; More Focus on Jobs and Economy: Several polls were released this week that highlight the public’s disenchantment with health care reform and anxiety around the struggling economy.

A new CNN/Opinion Research poll released Tuesday shows that only three in ten Americans say they want Congress to pass legislation similar to the bills currently being discussed in Congress. Forty-eight percent of Americans would like lawmakers to start again on a new bill, and 21 percent believe Congress should not work on bills that would change the current health care system. Further, a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll released Wednesday found that 51 percent of Americans believe President Obama has paid “too little attention” to the economy and that 44 percent feel he has paid “too much attention” to his proposed health care overall.

In addition, a new USA Today/Gallup poll released late last week finds that most Americans call for a more bipartisan effort in health reform. A 55 percent majority of Americans say that President Obama and Congressional Democrats should suspend movement on health care reform and consider alternatives that would increase Republican support.

A poll released last weekend by the Washington Post , Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University’s School of Public Health indicated that dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, including the Democrats’ health care reform proposals, drove the outcome of the Massachusetts election. The post-election survey of Massachusetts state voters showed that overall 43 percent say they support the health care reform proposals advanced by President Obama and Congressional Democrats, while 48 percent oppose them.

A new poll released Monday from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that fears regarding the health care reform package increased significantly in December as members of the Senate finalized their bill. Thirty-three percent of respondents said they believed their access to care would worsen if the legislation passed, up from 25 percent in November. Forty-two percent said the country’s finances would suffer under reform, compared with 34.6 percent in November.

Looking Ahead

Next week, the President will present his Budget to Congress (which includes health programs), after which Congressional hearings will commence. We expect health reform to be discussed in these sessions. While there remains no clear path forward for health care reform, Congressional leaders will continue to work to find a solution.

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Group Health Insurance

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

Group Health Insurance

To discuss the terminology Group Health Insurance, we must first familiarize ourselves with the concepts Insurance and Health Insurance.

Insurance is a kind of protection, a safety net against unforeseeable losses. No one knows what the future holds, and insurance is a good way of preparing for what may come. Health insurance is a protection against medical costs. The insurer pays the cost of the insured person if the latter falls ill – due to accident maybe, or any of the covered causes. Magnify the health insurance more than ten times over and you get the Group Health Insurance.

Group Health Insurance is a health coverage based on a group of people under a company or an organization. The cost of the insurance is allotted among the members of this group. The group enjoys a wide range of benefits of Group Health Insurance. A master contract or policy is issued to their employer or to any of the group’s affiliations.

Health insurance is one of the most important benefits offered to an employee through their employers. Not only does an employee feel secure with this insurance, he also feels assured of the care of his employers. Companies spend billions annually for health insurance, and group health insurance make up the bulk of the revenues earned by health insurance companies.

Group health insurance can be availed by any company with two or more employees. Requirements vary around the world, though one constant requirement is the proof of legitimacy of the company’s operation. The number of employees to be insured under the group plan determines the type of coverage available to the employer. A company with more than a thousand employees will have customized health plans, and these may include additional benefits.

With the rising costs of prescription drugs and health care in recent years, companies have experienced a drastic increase in the cost of providing health care benefits to their employees. Many companies are forced to cut back on the benefits of the health plan, and some even require their employees to pay a higher share of the monthly premium of the insurance, even to the point of requiring them to pay the 100% of the dependent premium! Decreases in the health insurance benefits cause some employees to pay medical expenses themselves when they require medical treatment or prescription drugs. Businesses offering full premium payment for employees and their dependents are fast decreasing.

Robert co-founded Insurance4USA.com, an insurance quote shopping service, in 1999. He has been a licensed insurance agent in New York State since 1990.


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Individual Health Insurance Plan

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

Individual Health Insurance Plan

Individual health insurance coverage can be acquired with some careful researching of many diverse companies that offer health insurance plans and policies and the cost of an individual health insurance plan will differ from one insurance provider to another. Normally these plans are for individuals that are either self-employed or in some cases unemployed. When compared to an insurance plan that covers groups of consumers working for a small business, the coverage for an individual is more costly .

Perhaps the easiest way to be eligible for better health insurance rates and benefits is to instead forget about signing up for an individual health insurance plan and instead focus on finding a group health insurance plan that they can become a part of with other self employed people or by finding a job that offers such a plan as part of its benefits package.

Still trying to decide between group health insurance and an individual health insurance plan is a decision that can only be made by someone facing that situation. It poaches down to contrasting the two health insurance coverage plans in order to see what really the differences, similarities, advantages and disadvantages are between the two. Only then can a consumer can make the right choice and receive the perceived health insurance coverage they need and deserve.

Individual health plans come in two categories:

Managed care plans

Indemnity plans.

Comparatively Managed Care Health Plans are cheaper than indemnity plans. A managed care health plan is a good option if you want to lessen the cost of an individual health policy. Choice is something that you will need to give up if you decide to buy this plan.

Indemnity Plans are traditional health plans and are definitely more expensive than managed care health plans. The positive aspect here is that you can keep hold of the choice of choosing your health provider. The plan is best for the people who becomes frequently ill and depend only on their trusted doctor or hospital for their treatment.

Once you have decided upon the plan, compare a few individual policies to review their coverage. The best way to do this is to get online quotes and visiting state health department laws. Check for the coverage options and the benefits they provide. In case your friends too have bought individual health coverage, discuss with them their satisfaction level and the drawbacks, if any.

Tamil Selvi is a Copywriter of
www.forhealthplans.com

She written many articles in various topics.For more information visit:
www.forhealthplans.com

contact her at tamil@searchenginegenie.com


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