Compare Major Medical Insurance Plans
FREE Major Medical Plan Quotes Online - Medical Health Plans
When shopping for major medical insurance plans, you need to understand what you are buying. When it comes to researching major medical plans, the Internet is definitely your friend as it can greatly speed up the entire process. With the medical insurance websites currently available, you are able to see what plans are available, compare your options, and even purchase a medical plan all at one central location.
eHealthInsurance is the most popular website when it comes to finding the right medical insurance plan for you. Because they are licensed to sell insurance in all 50 states, eHealthInsurance has a relationship with over 180 of the nation's leading medical health plan providers. By letting you research your options, get FREE, no-obligation quotes, and even purchase medical health plans online, eHealthInsurance makes the process of getting medical coverage very quick and easy, and you don't even have to get up from your computer.
Comparing Major Medical Insurance Plans
When trying to find the right medical plan, you need to compare the different parts of competing policies, including:
- Monthly Cost - Only when comparing two major medical insurance plans that offer pretty much the same benefits can you compare the premiums. You have to compare the price of very similar plans in order to be making an apples-to-apples comparison.
- Your Deductible - The annual amount you have to pay out of pocket before the medical insurance plan starts paying out fully is called your deductible. The deductible plays a part in determining your monthly premium, because generally the higher your deductible, the lower your premium.
- Your Copayment - Depending on the medical health plan you choose, you might be required to pay a certain amount any time you visit a medical office, have a prescription filled, or make use of another medical benefit. This fixed amount is called your copayment.
- Coinsurance Amount - Some medical plans will require you to pay a percentage of the total allowed cost. This is called coinsurance and works like this: You may be required to pay 20% of the costs out of pocket and your medical plan pays for the remaining 80%.
- Maximum Out of Pocket Amount - Major medical plans will generally have a limit to the amount you have to pay out of pocket each year. Once you reach this limit, the medical plan will no longer require you to pay out of pocket as they will pick up the tab.
- Medical Exclusions - Medical insurance plans generally will not cover every single medical procedure and the ones they don't cover are called exclusions. You need to understand what is and is not covered by a particular plan you are considering.
There are many things to consider when comparing medical plans. It is not as simple as choosing the least expensive coverage. eHealthInsurance makes the whole process of comparing major medical plans much easier than it was just a few years ago.
Getting Quotes for Major Medical Plans
An online service such as eHealthInsurance makes it simple to compare medical health plans from leading insurance carriers from the comforts of your desktop computer. The medical insurance plan quotes you receive from eHealthInsurance are the lowest possible as insurance rates are determined by your state's insurance commissioner. No matter who you buy a medical health plan from, you will be paying the same premium. Since eHealthInsurance doesn't charge you for their great service, take advantage of what they have to offer!
Receive FREE, no-obligation quotes for medical insurance plans from eHealthInsurance today!
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.
