Affordable Health Plans Online
FREE Affordable Health Plan Quotes - Compare Health Plans
Health plans come in two forms, managed care plans and indemnity plans. An indemnity health plan is the traditional type of plan that generally requires you to pay for coverage and seek reimbursement. These are less popular than the more affordable health plans called managed care plans, which are explained below.
If you are in the market for an affordable health plan, then you need to visit eHealthInsurance, the online leader in cheap health plans. With eHealthInsurance, you can easily compare health plans from over 180 of the top health insurance carriers, instantly get FREE, no-obligation quotes, and even apply for coverage online. Shopping for health plans has never been easier!
Managed Health Plans Explained
The popular managed health plan comes in three varieties, as the following explains:
- HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) health plans require you to pick a main doctor from their network of preferred doctors, and you will see this one physician for most of your healthcare needs and get referrals to specialists from him or her. An HMO is generally a cheap health plan compared to other types, usually not requiring an annual deductible or copayments; you tradeoff flexibility for affordability with an HMO.
- PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) health plans are still affordable health plans but generally cost more than an HMO, they usually require you to pay copayments or coinsurance for certain medical care, and often have an annual deductible you have to satisfy. However, a PPO plan gives you the option to choose from any doctor from within their network to seek primary care, or specialized health services, giving you great flexibility to manage your healthcare needs.
- POS (Point of Service) health plans combine both HMO and PPO features, trying to give you the best of both worlds. You can seek care from a wide variety of doctors and specialists and be subject to a deductible, or seek care from your primary care physician and not be subject to a deductible. Flexibility and low cost are the hallmarks of a POS plan.
Use eHealthInsurance to compare health plans to see if you would be better off with the flexibility of a PPO or the cost savings of an HMO.
Quotes for Affordable Health Plans
eHealthInsurance is the only destination on the Internet you need when it comes to finding affordable health plans. With eHealthInsurance, you can choose from over 10,000 health care products, many of which are cheap health plans that offer you the coverage you want, with premiums you can afford.
Health plan premiums are regulated by the Department of Insurance, which means that the quotes you get from eHealthInsurance are the lowest available for a particular plan. Use eHealthInsurance's comparison and research tools to find the right health plan for you. Apply for coverage directly from eHealthInsurance's interface and get the best rates for the best available health insurance.
Get your instant, FREE, no-obligation, affordable health plan quotes today from eHealthInsurance!
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.
