Health insurance: An informational guide
Choosing a health insurance plan can be overwhelming. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you have more health insurance options to choose from than ever before. As a California resident, one option it to get your coverage through the state’s “insurance marketplace” — Covered California. This is a resource for individuals as well as families and small businesses that provides information about various health coverage options — costs, benefits, available subsidies, and other programs such as Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Another other option is to do your own research and choose an insurance carrier that fits your individual needs. But, no matter which health insurance plan you choose, you need to know that the types of coverage offered, policy rates, and terms are going to differ from one insurer to the next.
Health insurance 101
In general, health care plans can be categorized as follows:
- Health Maintenance Organizations or “HMOs”
- Preferred Provider Organizations or “PPOs”
- Fee-for-service plans
Each one of these plan types has its pros and cons, and it can get to be quite a confusing process to figure out which plan is the best for you. For example, are you looking for individual coverage or coverage for your family? Do you need a plan that lets you choose your health care providers? Are specialists covered? Will your medications be covered and at what percentage of the total cost?
The good news is that you can get help finding the plan that suits your health needs as well as your budget. Independent insurance broker and agent, Daniel Fraisse, has formed relationships with many insurance companies and is very knowledgeable when it comes to the different health insurance plans currently on the market. Being independent means that Dan is not working for any one company — he’s working for you. He can provide you with more insurance options that you could find on your own.
Getting the right health care plan
There are a lot of factors that go into choosing a health care plan. After gathering all of the facts concerning your health care insurance needs, Dan will go ahead and make specific recommendations as to the plan(s) that you should consider. If you’re concerned about choosing your own physicians, then he’ll steer you away from an HMO, a plan that limits your choice of health care providers, and may recommend a PPO which will give you more flexibility in your choice.
Dan Fraisse has over 30 years of experience helping individuals, families, and businesses set up health care plans. Call or click today to see how Dan can help you.