Affordable Health Insurance Quotes
Find Affordable Private Health Insurance Rates Online
When you are looking for affordable medical insurance quotes, there are a few things to consider as you are comparing your options. You not only need to pick the best affordable private health insurance provider, but the plan you choose needs to have the benefits you need, at a price that fits your budget. Fortunately, the Internet allows you to quickly compare your health insurance options and find the best coverage for your situation.
Finding the best affordable health insurance rates is easy when you visit eHealthInsurance, the Internet's leading destination for health insurance plans. eHealthInsurance allows you to quickly compare health insurance plans from over 180 of the leading providers, as well as instantly get FREE, no-obligation quotes and apply for coverage online.
Affordable Health Insurance Considerations
As you look for the most affordable health insurance quote, you need to consider a few things, including:
- Premium - How much is the coverage going to cost you each month? There are ways to lower the premium, including having a higher annual deductible that you need to meet before the plan starts paying claims.
- Benefits - A health plan has to provide coverage for the health care you need. It doesn't do you much good to have a health plan that does not cover you for the type of medical care you actually need.
- Access - Make sure you can see the doctors and medical facilities that you are used to seeing, or need to see. If a health plan is overly restrictive, then it will be of no use to you.
- Emergency Care - Does the plan cover you for emergency care? If you have to go to the emergency room, you need to be covered, or it can be very expensive.
- Out-of-Pocket Costs - What costs are you responsible for? Do you have to pay a copay, a deductible, or coinsurance when you use your plan? Knowing what you are responsible for will lessen the chance for financial surprises down the road.
- Exclusions - Does a medical plan exclude coverage for certain conditions or procedures? If a plan doesn't offer you the coverage you need, it will just be a waste of money.
As you search for an affordable health insurance rate, you need to be aware of the advantages and limitations of every health insurance plan you are considering. eHealthInsurance makes it very easy to compare your options side-by-side so that you are making an informed decision.
Affordable Health Insurance Quotes
The fastest way to get affordable health insurance quotes is to visit eHealthInsurance's website, where you can instantly get quotes from over 10,000 health insurance products. The quotes you get from eHealthInsurance for a particular plan will be identical to any quote you get directly from the provider, or from your local agent. This is because insurance premiums are set by your state's Department of Insurance and will not vary for a particular plan.
Take advantage of eHealthInsurance's easy to use online interface to find out more about available health insurance plans and easily compare your options.
Get your FREE, no-obligation, affordable health insurance quotes from eHealthInsurance today!
How Health Insurance Works
Below is a video from eHealthInsurance using a hypothetical scenario to help explain how health coverage works.
Managed Care Plan Types Compared
| HMO | POS* | PPO | |
| Low Flexibility - HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) have the least amount of flexibility of the three managed care plan types as they require the insured to have a primary care physician who refers them to any other medical professionals. Care is all within the network of doctors that have contracted with the health insurance provider - this limits the provider options. If a medical professional or facility is not within the network, the insured will not have medical coverage if they choose to use them (unless it is an emergency). |  |  | |
| Moderate Flexibility - POS (Point of Service) plans are more flexible than the HMO plans, but not as flexible as the PPO plans. POS plans are a hybrid of both HMO and PPO, with the main component being a referral and co-pay based plan like an HMO where a primary care physician is picked, who then refers the insured to in-network medical professionals, and the insured is responsible for co-pays up to an annual out-of-pocket amount. A POS has an out-of-network option that is deductible, non-referral based that allows the insured to choose where to receive care, but expenses are out-of-pocket until the annual deductible limit has been met. This gives an option to a person that doesn't want to be locked into a totally referral based structure that an HMO provides. | | | |
| High Flexibility - PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plans are the most flexible of the three managed care plan types. There is no referral necessary to see a medical professional, which means the insured can seek care from whomever they wish, including both in-network and out of network providers. Costs will generally be lower for in-network providers, as the medical professionals have a contractual obligation to provide care at a negotiated rate. While care can be sought outside of the network, the insured will be faced with higher annual deductible amounts, possibly higher co-insurance amounts, and generally overall higher costs. | | | |
| In-Network Only - Healthcare must be received from a medical professional that is part of the network that contracts with the insurance provider. This network of medical professionals has a contract with the insurance company that states they will provide services for a set rate (depending on the service rendered), thus providing care at a discounted rate. If care is received from a medical professional outside of the network, the insurance provider most likely will not pay for the coverage (except for cases of emergencies). | | | |
| In & Out of Network - The insured may seek medical care within a network of healthcare professionals that have contracted with the insurance provider to provide care at a reduced cost. The insured may also seek medical care outside of the network, but their out-of-pocket expenses will be higher as care is not provided at a reduced rate. Maximum annual deductibles will be higher for out of network providers, greatly increasing the costs to the insured, giving them incentive to only seek care from an in-network provider. | | | |
| Referral Based - The insured must pick a primary care physician who provides referrals to other medical care professionals as needed. If you see a specialist without a referral, your costs most likely will not be covered by the insurance provider. | | | |
| Non-Referral Based - The insured does not need a referral to seek medical treatment from a healthcare professional. They may see whomever they wish, though it is in their best interest to see in-network providers to keep their costs low. | | | |
| Co-Pay Based - The insured is responsible for co-pays (for office visits and medical procedures) until an annual maximum out-of-pocket expense limit is reached, at which time coverage is paid for 100% by the insurance provider. | | | |
| Deductible Based - The insured pays for care out-of-pocket (at rates negotiated by the insurance company) until an annual deductible is met, at which time the insurance company starts to pay. Once the deductible is met, there may be a co-insurance amount (up to an annual maximum), which is a percentage of the bill the insured pays, such as 20%, where the insurance company picks up the tab for the rest. Depending on the plan, you may have a co-pay for certain things such as doctor office visits, though many PPOs don't use a co-pay. | | | |
| Low Cost - An HMO typically is the least expensive health coverage option, but gives you the least flexibility. | | | |
| Moderate Cost - A POS plan's price usually comes in somewhere between that of a comparable HMO and PPO. This is because it offers a bit of the benefits of both, while trying to contain costs. People looking for the low cost benefits of an HMO, yet a bit more flexibility (like a PPO) should consider a POS plan. | | | |
| Higher Cost - A PPO plan is the most flexible, but is usually the most expensive. You pay for the ability to pick and choose your medical professional, without being locked down to a primary care provider. If flexibility is what you want, you will pay a higher monthly premium. | | | |
*POS Plans - The most popular type of managed care plans are HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) and PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations). POS plans, while available, are not as common as the other two, so as you are comparing plan benefits and costs via eHealthInsurance's website, don't be surprised if all you see are HMOs and PPOs.
