short vs. long term individual health insurance?
970534
In the US, most people buy short term health insurance as a "stop gap" measure, to maintain their health insurance while they are waiting for new coverage under a new employer. So, it depends on your insurance needs whether short term or long term is the better choice. If you are expecting to get insurance coverage through an employer at some point, go short term, but understand what kind of coverage you will get. \n\nShort-term health insurance is just what the name implies: health insurance for a short term, usually 30 days to 180 days, although some plans will offer coverage for up to 12 months. If your short-term needs look like they may run longer than your coverage, you may be able to renew. However, you can't count on a short-term plan to provide insurance for more than a year and they don't have to offer a renewal option.\n\nShort-term plans usually provide all the same basic kinds of benefits that you would expect in any basic health insurance plan. You may have benefit limits, deductibles and co-payments. In most cases, you'll be allowed to pick your own doctors, hospitals or health-care providers. Most of these plans do not require a physical exam and coverage can start as soon as your first premium is received. However, because of the easy application and acceptance, most plans also won't cover any previous medical conditions.\n\nTo keep the premiums on these kinds of plans down, you won't likely get all the benefit's of a permanent health insurance plan. Aside from the restriction on pre-existing conditions, you'll also find that most won't cover routine medical exams, preventative care, dental or optical or pregnancy and childbirth expenses. \n\nOne other caveat: short-term health insurance is exempt from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. In other words, they are not subject to COBRA. \n\nIf you are an independent contractor or don't have an employer who provides health insurance, then you should consider long term. However, keep in mind that you should shop around! Private health care insurance can be very expensive. If you want more information on health insurance and how to get the best price, check out http://www.insuranceguide101.com/health-insurance/. There is a good section on health care and the kinds of things to keep in mind while checking out providers.
733231
Are you buying your own plan or are you employed? Employer based insurance is usually the best and the cheapest.\nIndividual policies are okay the thing is as you add more things to it the price goes up. There are tons of of websites offering "the best insurance" but this is what you need:\nLow deductible, Low inpatient stay deductible/copay.\nReasonable pharmacy plan if it's offered with the medical.\nDo they cover your annual exams for both you and the baby, some individual plans don't.\nDo they cover baby vaccines. \nLabs and radiology is there a copay? Some radiology tests may on different plans.\nBirth Control what products are covered, if any? (after you deliver)\n\nAt my job I suggest www.ehealthinsurance.com
675893
Depends on what you're looking for, which state you reside in and your job. See if there's a group or association in the industry you're in that sponsors a health insurance plan that you would be eligible for--not only would it be cheaper than going on your own, chances are it would also include vision care and a dental plan. Otherwise you will have to construct those three parts piecemeal.\n\nAnother option is to see if you qualify for the plan that your largest client offers its employees. Even though you are self-employed, you may still be eligible, or could work that into part of your compensation/contract.
49303
You should strongly consider setting up an HSA (Health Savings Account).  It combines a high deductible health plan (HDHP) with a cash account.  Since the health insurance is high deductible, the premium is a lot lower than normal.  Routine expenses are covered under the health plan (and not subject to the high deductible).  Best yet, you get to put the money in tax free, the account grows tax free, rolling over from year to year.  You can spend whatever amount you need from the cash part tax free so long as the spending is medical related.  At age 65, you can spend the money on whatever you please and yet only have to pay tax on your post-retirement tax bracket.  Best yet, you can invest that cash portion in whatever is offered by the institution you set it up with.  The real idea is that you will spend the cash on routine medical procedures in a way where YOU and not the insurer control the outlay, which gives you an incentive to find the best care at the lowest price.
767563
This is an excellent question! \n\n In America people are purchasing "Short Term" Policies are opening themselves up to a "world of problems".   You see in the United States we passed a law that enables employees be offered "Cobra" , Cobra is for your "protection".  Let me give you a couple of "What ifs"\na. I go work for ABC Corp. and call up a few "slick" agents who sell healthcare and they sell me a Short Term policy, sounds great!..11months into the policy the Doctor discovers a tumor in my body, and says it is Malignant- I have cancer.  So I call my short term company, and they say well your policy ends in 30days, I ask the company can I convert to a Permanente policy, and they say "NO", because of your medical conditions.\nb. Second Ex. I sign up with my employers plan, and I am diagnosed 11months into the plan with Cancer, and I decide to quite employment, I am offered Cobra!. So lets keep going, lets say I pay for Cobra for 18months (until it ends) and I am still having Chemotherapy, and thus un-insurable by health companies.  Here is the Good news!!!..I am eligible for HIPPA coverage !!!.."lifesaver"..any company offering health insurance will have to accept me into a HIPPA plan.  \n\nAs you can see the only way a person can take a risk with a short term policy if they can "See the future".. and if your crystal ball shows you not needing any health services over your lifetime, then just refuse coverage!..\n\nDo not trust any salesperson, read articles and do your research, Paul Zane's books are pretty good.
112884
Sheer is right. It will depend on your particular circumstances. Contact a financial planner in your area that has insurance expertise. They will be able to help you find the right policy for you. I typically find good value from Principal for white collar/entrepreneurs, Illinois Mutual for Blue Collar/Special Risk and Pro Financial for High Comp execs and atheletes.
1029482
I literally just went through all my benefit options at the hospital I work for.  I chose an HMO, although I previously had a PPO.  It really depends on your needs.  From the info you gave it sounds like a PPO.  With an HMO, the downfall is that you can only go to specific MD's and Hospitals within a certain network in order for your co-pay to be valid, but the good side is that there is a set rate for everything.  I have a $200 deductible and if I'm in the Hospital the most out of pocket expense I'll see will be $300 (I'm planning on starting a family soon so that's why I chose this plan),  our PPO option had a $500 deductible and about $2-3000, maybe more, out of pocket expense for a hospital stay.  Plus the co-pays were higher for that one.  And both plans cost the same.  When I'm done having babies I'll go back to a PPO.  I hope that helps.
861829
Over 50 plans are all well and good, however most do not offer full cover until you have been a Member for over 24 months. If you die before that time you only get your premiums back, not the life sum assured.\nCall a financial Adviser to ask about your own individual requirements. The first consultation is usually free and without obligation (they will tell you over the phone ). He /She may be able to suggest a better option as they can research the whole market not just one company. Good luck
836902
No insurance is 'worth what you pay for it' until it's time to collect benefits.  Most lines of health insurance only pay about 60% of the total premiums toward benefits.  The rest goes to expenses and profits.
552561
May I suggest to you Ameri Plan's discount benefits program. They do not have any restrictions on ongoing conditions and you can start saving immediately. There is a hospital advocacy program that assigns you a personal advocate to negotiate with doctors on your medical bills.\n\nThe plan also includes savings on dental, vision, prescription and chiropractic care. I'd check them out. I'm so proud to be with them. I know I shouldn't advertise, but your need sounds great. Let me know if you have any questions. wlakin@ameriplan.net\n\nhttp://www.mybenefitsplus.com/40378118\n\nPlans are month to month with no contract.\n\nWe are currently running a promotion for just the dental, vision, prescription and chiropractic plan where you can try it out for 3 months for $23 total. This is a great service. You should check it out!
136228
Probably no copay, premium or deductible.  Yes, I believe they are covered for the rest of their lives.\n\nSo unfair.
92602
Depending on what state you are in, there may be a high risk pool administered by your state.  Contact your state's Department of Human Services or other organization.  A high risk pool is great for people who are going to have very high medical bills, but you will have to pay premiums which are likely going to be much higher than if you were healthy.\nYou might also shop around for "short-term" medical insurance.  Insurers are more willing to write people who may be sick under those short term policies because the insurers knows a date certain that they will no longer be responsible.
216934
group insurance is provided to several people who have a common employer, organization, etc. Example, your job, alumni association, automobile club, etc. \n\nindividual insurance is when you purchase it for yourself. \n\ngroup insurance is not individually underwritten, so if one member would not qualify on his own, they would be covered under the group.
545973
Honestly, if you're in a financial crisis, buying a dental plan is hard to do.\n\nI bought my health insurance on www.ehealthinsurance.com.  They are the easiest site I've found to compare benefits of companies at certain premium price levels.  I did it for Washington State.  I believe they have other states.\n\nIf you're hoping to use the insurance to save you health care costs, the answer is probably no.  A $500 deductible plan is very expensive.  If you're trying to prevent a worst-case catastrophic event, then there are a number of inexpensive plans available.\n\nWhen you analyze if you are going to get insurance, consider the reason.  If it's to save on health care costs short term, frequently, by the time you pay for the premiums and deductibles, it would have been cheaper to simply out of pocket the expense.\n\nEmail me with any questions.  Good luck,\n\nJared
100171
Check with the State.  Sometimes they will have an insurance pool for individuals that are considered uninsurable outside of a group plan.  However, the premiums are usually very high.  Good luck.
744842
The idea of "buy and invest the difference" begs the question "invest what?"\n\nThis is an old argument regarding the relative expense of temporary insurance (term) vs. permanent insurance (whole life or universal life).\n\nTruth be known, all life insurance is term insurance.  That is, every year, the risk of our dying increases and so the cost to insure us increases.  You "cover" that with the most basic component of life insurance - annually renewable term (ART).  Some companies still sell it.\n\nA person who has an ART policy pays a little bit more every year as the premium is reset higher to offset the increased risk to the company that the insured might die.  ART becomes so expensive later in life that it is virtually unaffordable.  Most carriers that still sell it won't continue the policy past a certain age, typically 65 or 70 years old.\n\nThe most common temporary (term) insurance today is level-premium term.  All the carrier has done with this type of policy is level out the premiums for a specific period (5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, or 30-years).  The premium payor doesn't see the annually increasing pricing because they are paying more than for the ART design during the first years that this type of policy is in force.  At the end of the level premium period, the premium soars and the coverage is usually allowed to lapse by the premium payor for non-premium payment.\n\nPermanent life insurance is ART with a levelized premium many times higher than any type of term policy because the policy has got to be profitable for the company no matter how long the insured lives.  Because you overpay so much money for this type of coverage, the carrier provides a "cash value" which can be accessed by the policyowner.\n\n"Whole life" is the most expensive kind because the company guarantees the death benefit as long as premiums are paid.  "Universal life" is less expensive than whole life because the company only guarantees the death benefit as long as there is still cash value in the contract.  \n\nIf you stop making premium payments in a whole life contract and do not authorize the company to keep the policy in force by borrowing the premium payment out of the cash value, the company will lapse the contract and send you a check for any cash value in the contract (overpayment of premium plus any return of premium for a given year - called a dividend -  that is in the policy at that time).\n\nIf you stop making premium payments in a universal life contract, nothing happens as long as there is cash value to pay for those annually renewable term costs.  When the cash value runs out, the policy lapses.\n\nSo, what's all the buzz about "investing" the difference?  People are saying that instead of loading up an insurance contract with permanent coverage and associated costs, buy term for the period that you are going to need a death benefit, and put the money that you would otherwise have paid for premium and save it or invest it elsewhere, like mutual funds.  The theory is that you can get a better return on your money by doing so.\n\nIs it a valid argument?  Sure.  But, you have to factor into the equation that money growing in an insurance contract is not taxed until it is taken out (if ever) and that the payment of a death benefit to the beneficiary(ies) is not an income-taxable event, in most cases.  Investment funds are usually taxed annually  as interest or dividends are paid, and may be taxed again when either past to the next of kin or the next of kin sells the investments to reinvest or get the cash out.\n\nWhich path is better?  It all depends on your ability to get a better after-tax return on your investments than the tax-deferred growth of cash value in an insurance contract.\n\nWith the advent of other tax-deferred investment instruments, however, such as IRAs, 401(k) accounts, etc., the tax advantages of permanent insurance policy cash val
676661
There is a decent insurance sold by the Better business beurau in California.  You might call the BBB in your state if they have a similar plan. \n  \nOtherwise Stay away from HMO's and discount cards.