Compare Major Medical Insurance Companies
Get FREE Private Medical Insurance Company Quotes Online
Finding the right medical insurance company to purchase a medical insurance policy from can be tricky if you don't do your research. There are many major medical insurance companies for you to purchase a policy from, but in order to choose the right medical coverage, you have to understand the different parts of a medical insurance policy. Going online to research, analyze, compare, and purchase the medical coverage you are looking for from reputable private medical insurance companies can really save you time and cut down on your aggravation.
The most popular website to look for a medical health insurance company is eHealthInsurance. As a licensed insurance broker, eHealthInsurance has relationships with over 180 of the leading medical insurance companies, offering you over 10,000 medical insurance products. Finding the right private medical insurance company is easy when you use eHealthInsurance. Get FREE, no-obligation quotes online, compare companies and policies, and purchase coverage all without ever leaving your computer.
Comparing Private Medical Insurance Companies
When comparing major medical insurance companies, you need to compare different aspects of the available medical insurance policies, including:
- Premium - Assuming the medical health insurance plans you are comparing have equivalent coverages, you are able to compare the premiums. You need to make sure you are doing an apples-to-apples comparison when looking at your monthly costs.
- Deductible - The deductible is the amount of money you have to pay annually out of pocket before your health coverage kicks in. Generally, the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium will be.
- Copayment - Certain medical insurance plans will require you to pay a fixed amount every time you visit a doctor, fill a prescription, or otherwise use a medical service. This amount is called your copayment.
- Coinsurance - If you are required to pay a percentage of the total cost of a medical procedure, this amount is called coinsurance. A typical scenario would be you having to pay 20% of a procedure and your medical insurance company would pay 80%.
- Out of Pocket Maximums - A medical plan will typically have an annual out of pocket maximum. This is the most that you have to pay for medical services, after which point your medical health insurance company covers the rest.
- Exclusions - Not every procedure is covered. Those that are not are called exclusions.
As you can see, there are many things to consider when evaluating the plans from various medical insurance companies. Make sure you understand what coverage you need and which plans are right for you. Make full use of eHealthInsurance's resources to find which medical insurance company and coverage is right for you.
Medical Insurance Company Quotes
With eHealthInsurance, you can research and compare private medical insurance companies with ease from the comforts of your home computer. You can receive medical insurance quotes from multiple providers, letting you make an informed and educated decision as to which policy is right for you.
The quotes you receive from eHealthInsurance are the lowest possible rates as premiums are set by the insurance commission of each state. No matter where you purchase your insurance from, the monthly premiums will be the same for a particular plan. eHealthInsurance gives you great resources and services without charging you any fees, so the only money you pay is for your monthly premium.
Get your FREE, no-obligation medical insurance company quotes 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.
