Online Instant Health Insurance Quotes

FREE Instant Online Health Insurance Quotes From Top Providers

The ability to get an instant health insurance quote online is great, but you really need to understand what is the best health insurance policy for you before you get quotes. So before you get your instant health insurance quotes, do some research about the available health plans, including asking the questions in the next section.

Getting an instant online health insurance quote is incredibly easy when you visit eHealthInsurance. As the leading online destination for health insurance plans, eHealthInsurance makes it easy to research, compare, and get FREE, no-obligation quotes for health insurance plans from leading insurance companies.

Instant Health Insurance Quote - Questions to Ask

Ask the following questions before you get instant online health insurance quotes so that you better understand what medical plan is the best fit for you.

• What are the plan's ultimate costs going to be? You will have premiums to pay, but will you also have other costs you are responsible for, such as an annual deductible, office visit copayments, or having to pay a percentage of certain treatments or procedures? Also know if you can use doctors outside of the network and if there are any costs associated with doing so.
• Will you and your family have the needed coverage? Know the benefits of each plan, including what doctors and hospitals you can visit, if prescriptions are covered, what the maximum is the plan will pay annually, or over your lifetime, and if will you be covered during a pregnancy.
• What are people saying about the plan? Try to find consumer reviews (many comparison sites have these) for the plans you are interested in. If the overall feeling is positive towards a particular health plan, then it might be a good choice.

Do your research in order to find the best medical plan before you even bother getting an instant health insurance quote. The eHealthInsurance website is a great place to easily find out which health insurance plan is right for you, as well as a place to get the quotes you are looking for.

Getting Instant Online Health Insurance Quotes

As the leading online destination for health insurance information, eHealthInsurance is the best place to compare your health care insurance options and even receive instant online health insurance quotes. You can even apply for coverage right from their website.

The premium quotes you get from eHealthInsurance for a particular plan are identical to the quotes you would get directly from the provider, or from a local insurance agent. This is because insurance rates are set by the Insurance Commissioner of your state and are identical for any particular plan, no matter where you get them. So use eHealthInsurance to find the health insurance plan that is right for you, as they are the easiest way to find the right coverage for your medical needs.

Get FREE, no-obligation, instant health insurance quotes from eHealthInsurance right now!

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.