Health Insurance Online Quotes
Get Online Health Insurance Quotes - Buy Health Insurance Online
The ability to research and buy health insurance online has revolutionized the way you shop for health coverage. With websites that allow you to do online health insurance plan comparisons, you can easily see which health plan is right for your situation and choose the coverage that best fits your needs.
Of course, before getting online health insurance quotes, you need to understand the lingo used to describe what payments you will be responsible for. The below section briefly explains the different costs that may be associated with the health insurance plan you are considering.
Getting a health insurance online quote is incredibly easy when you use eHealthInsurance's website. As the online leader in offering health insurance plans, eHealthInsurance allows you to quickly choose from over 10,000 medical products to find a health plan that works for you. You can quickly and easily research, compare and get FREE, no-obligation quotes, as well as apply for service right on eHealthInsurance's website.
Health Insurance Online - Costs You May Face
To properly analyze an online health insurance quote, an understanding of the difference costs you may face is necessary.
- Monthly Fee, or Premium - You will be required to pay a certain amount each month in order to have a health insurance plan, which is called your premium. This amount is set by the Department of Insurance in your state, so it is the same for a particular plan no matter where you purchase the coverage from.
- Plan Copayments - If your plan requires you to pay a small amount every time you make use of the plan, it is called a copayment. An example of a copayment would be you having to pay $25 to visit the doctor, or $15 to have a prescription filled.
- Plan Deductible - If you are required to pay a certain amount ($100 to $5000 or more) each year before your plan starts paying claims, your plan has an annual deductible. One way to have lower monthly premiums is to have a higher deductible.
- Plan Coinsurance - Some plans require you to pay a percentage of medical care you receive, which is called coinsurance. For example, if your coinsurance is 20%, on a $100 medical claim, you will pay the first $20 and the insurance provider would pay the remaining $80.
The above items are examples of fees you may be required to pay in order to use your health insurance. You need to understand what you will be responsible for when looking at a health insurance online quote. eHealthInsurance makes it very easy to compare health care plans from leading providers, making your decision easier.
Online Health Insurance Quotes
The ability to quickly compare plans and receive an instant online health insurance quote for plans you are interested in makes eHealthInsurance an indispensable resource when searching for health insurance coverage. Because they represent over 180 of the leading health insurance providers, you are bound to find a plan that is right for you.
The quotes you get from eHealthInsurance are the lowest available. Since insurance premiums are regulated by individual states, a quote for a specific plan will be the same no matter where you get it from. This means you can use eHealthInsurance's no-fee service and know that you are getting the best rates possible.
Visit eHealthInsurance to get FREE, no-obligation, online health insurance quotes 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.
