medical insurance
Everybody should have access to some type of health care service, regardless of whether or not it offers minimal coverage or full coverage. As it is, healthcare (Especially health care in emergency situations) can be an overwhelming expense that a great many people simply cannot afford. It is because of the possibility of incurring such a high cost, that people simply must purchase a medical insurance plan of one kind or another. Medical insurance basically reimburses policyholders for a large portion of the costs they incur as a result of receiving health care services.
The 4 basic categories of medical insurance include:
- HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)
- POS (Point Of Service)
- PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
- Indemnity (Fee-for-service)
Of the 4 basic categories of medical insurance, HMO plans are the most affordable and therefore the most prevalent, with over 60 million Americans currently enrolled in an HMO of one kind or another. The 4 basic categories of medical insurance offer coverage for some or all of the following healthcare related areas:
- Doctor visits
- Preventive care
- Diagnostic tests
- Hospital & extended care services
- Emergency coverage
- Prescription drugs
- Home health care
For all categories of medical insurance, policyholders are responsible for paying a fee known commonly as a "premium" every month that will ensure coverage. The medical insurance premium is simply the basic cost of coverage. There are other costs that can be incurred dependent on the type of medical insurance plan you have along with the type of provider you have. These additional payments come in the form of what is known as deductibles, co-insurance & co-payments.
Deductible: The deductible is a pre-established $ amount that must be reached before the medical insurance provider will begin to cover healthcare costs.
Co-Insurance: Some medical insurance plans or providers will require the policyholder to pay a certain % of the total health care costs on top of the premium.
Co-Payment: Some medical insurance plans or providers will require a $ amount every time a service is received.
Outside of the basic services that are covered through the 4 categories of medical insurance, there are a number of 'extra' services that can be purchased to produce a more customized health care plan. Some of these extra coverage services include:
- Dental care
- Vision care
- Maternity care
- Chiropractic care
- Mental health care
- Specialist services
- Nursing home / hospice care
>>>>>>> MEDICAL INSURANCE PLANS
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