Finding Your Own Health Insurance

Healthcare costs are rising fast. And the result is that employers around the country are canceling their employees’ coverage.

But you can find affordable health insurance for yourself. Most health insurance carriers are now offering more flexible and less expensive plans. And having an individual policy means that you get coverage tailored to you, instead of being stuck with a “one-size-fits-all” group plan. Also, if your employer-sponsored health plan doesn’t offer enough coverage, you might be better off buying an individual policy.

Individual Health Plans

When you’re looking for an individual health plan, it comes down to this: Do I need more affordable coverage? Or do I need more complete coverage?

These are the most common health insurance plans:

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) are one of the most popular plans among people who want a flexible and affordable individual health plan. It’s a managed care plan, which means you receive care from a “network” of healthcare providers. But with a PPO plan you can see any provider you choose and still get coverage.

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). If you’re looking for the most affordable health coverage, an HMO plan is the way to go. It’s a managed care plan like a PPO, and to stay covered you’ll have to get care from within the healthcare provider network.

Fee For Service Plans (FFS). Fee For Service is another name for the traditional insurance plans that were popular before managed care came along. They offer some of the most complete health coverage available. But because they can be much  more expensive, they aren’t as common today.

Point Of Service Plans (POS). Point Of Service plans are a combination of the traditional model of insurance and the new managed care idea. Like managed care plans, you save money by getting care within the network of providers. But like traditional plans, you also have the freedom to go to any healthcare provider — and your coverage goes with you.

Individual Health vs. Employer Plans

Individual health insurance actually has some advantages over an employer-sponsored plan.

• Personal coverage. With an employer-sponsored plan, you end up paying for benefits you don’t use. And your premiums can go up because of other's peoples' health problems.
• Keep your plan. If you leave your job, you leave your health coverage behind. An individual plan goes with you when you change careers.

And with an individual health plan you can choose which benefits you need at the price you can afford.

Don’t worry about doing a difficult search for your options…  When you request your free quotes you can compare plans online in just minutes.