Individual Health Insurance Plans
The Best Individual Health Insurance Plans - FREE Online Quotes
When shopping for individual health plans, it is important to understand the different kinds available. Managed health care plans are the most popular kind of individual insurance plans and come in three different varieties, as described below. fun88.com, when it comes to choosing amongst the best individual health insurance plans for your situation, take your search online to save yourself a great deal of time and effort!
Researching and comparing health insurance individual plans is easy when you head to eHealthInsurance, the top online source of health insurance coverage. Representing over 180 top insurance carriers, eHealthInsurance makes it incredibly easy to find an individual health plan to fit your needs. You can analyze plans, get FREE, no-obligation quotes, and even apply for coverage right from your computer.
Finding The Best Individual Health Insurance Plans
The three types of health insurance plans for individuals are found below, with a brief explanation of each:
- fun88.com, - A Preferred Provider Organization plan gives you good flexibility when it comes to choosing doctors. You can choose from in-network providers (including any doctor or specialist you wish to see) or out-of-network physicians, though the latter option will generally mean you bear more of the expense. You probably will have to meet an annual deductible before your insurance provider starts to pick up the tab, and you may have co-payments and might be required to cover a percentage of certain medical bills.
- HMO - Health Maintenance Organizations tend to have lower out-of-pocket expenses, but have less flexibility to choose who to get medical services from. You will be required to choose a primary care physician who will refer you to specialists. An HMO generally covers more preventative health care services than the other options and may not require you to satisfy an annual deductible. However, you will not have any coverage if you go outside of your network or if you do not get a proper referral from your primary care physician.
- POS - Point of Service plans combine features of both HMOs and PPOs. You will need to have a primary care physician and will generally not be subject to an annual deductible for care received by your primary doctor. You may seek care from other doctors, but this care may be subject to a deductible and higher out-of-pocket costs on your part.
When it comes to individual health plans, you need to figure out what benefits are most important to you and then compare the available plans within that type of coverage. Make your job of figuring out the best individual health insurance plan easy by utilizing the resources found on eHealthInsurance's website.
Quotes for Individual Health Plans
fun88.com, by making use of eHealthInsurance's advanced technology, you can easily sift through individual insurance plans to find the best coverage to fit your requirements. The ability to offer health insurance plans for individuals in all 50 states makes eHealthInsurance the smart choice no matter where you are located.
Individual health plan premiums are regulated by your location's Department of Insurance, so no matter if you purchase coverage from eHealthInsurance, from local brokers, or directly from the carrier, you will be charged the exact same amount for a particular plan. There is no reason to not use eHealthInsurance to locate and purchase the health coverage you are looking for.
Get FREE, no-obligation quotes for individual health plans from eHealthInsurance right now!
How Health Insurance Works
Below is a video from eHealthInsurance using a hypothetical situation to explain how a health policy 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.