Major Medical Insurance Quotes
Get FREE Medical Insurance Quotes Online
Medical insurance is an integral part of making sure you keep yourself healthy and are able to seek medical attention when you need it. Because medical insurance can be expensive, you need to get several major medical insurance quotes to make sure you are getting the coverage you need at premiums you can afford. The best place to get a major medical insurance quote is the Internet, where you can quickly and easily compare your insurance options.
As the most popular website to get FREE medical insurance quotes, eHealthInsurance is licensed to sell medical insurance in all 50 states. With eHealthInsurance, you not only can get a free medical insurance quote, but you can easily research and compare available plans to find the one that is right for you. Being able to get a medical insurance online quote greatly simplifies the process of deciding which carrier has the coverage that is right for you.
Shopping For a Major Medical Insurance Quote
When you are in the market for an affordable medical insurance quote, consider the following:
- Insurance Company - Besides the price of the medical insurance policy, you should consider who you are buying the plan from. The insurance company you choose needs to be trustworthy, dependable, and economically stable. When you need to use your medical insurance, you have to know the insurance company will be there for you.
- Monthly Fee - Shopping on price alone will only make you sorry. You have to know what medical benefits you need and choose a variety of plans based on this information. Only then should you consider the monthly premium.
- Plan Deductible - The medical plan deductible can play a key part in determining the plan premium, as the general rule is the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium. By choosing a higher deductible, you take responsibility for more of your medical costs, with the insurance paying more once your deductible has been satisfied.
When getting major medical insurance quotes, you need to consider more than just your monthly payment. eHealthInsurance takes what once was a very time consuming process and greatly simplifies the research, analysis, and purchasing of medical insurance plans.
Free Medical Insurance Quotes
By allowing you to use the Internet to see what medical insurance plans are available, eHealthInsurance makes shopping for medical insurance and getting a major medical insurance quote easy. The free medical insurance quote you get from eHealthInsurance is the lowest possible as medical plan rates are set by insurance commissioners. Therefore, no matter where you buy your medical plan from, you will be paying the same monthly premiums. eHealthInsurance does not charge you a fee to use their services, so you only pay for the actual medical insurance plan.
Receive your FREE medical insurance quote today from eHealthInsurance.
How Medical Insurance Works
Below is a video from eHealthInsurance discussing how medical coverage works using a hypothetical situation.
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.
