People talk a lot these days about health care. With costs rising and no end in sight there is a bigger need than ever for everyone to have the coverage of a health care plan. Health car plans are basically like insurance that helps you cover medical costs. Like any kind of insurance, they can be hard to understand at times.
There are many different kinds of health care plans. Each type can be broken down into two main categories: groups and individuals. The least expensive choice is group plans. They are given by a person's place of work. Individual plans are sold by private companies and can be much more expensive than group plans because the provider doesn't get any group discounts. Within each group there are a few different type of health care plans.
Fee for service plans are the most common and traditional forms of health care coverage. With a fee service, the person who is covered has a lot of doctors and hospitals to choose from. Part of your costs are paid for by the insurance company, and you pay a fee. You pay both a monthly fee for coverage and fees based on the care you receive. Often, you have to pay a deductible before the insurance company will pay anything. Most plans also limit how much you will have to pay out of your own pocket. Once this number is reached, all of your costs are paid for.
Another type of health care plan is an HMO, or health maintenance organisation. HMOs charge a fee every month. You have to go to specific doctors who are part of the HMO. A co-payment is a fee you pay for any costs you have. The doctor and the HMO work out the total cost of any medical care, which keeps costs down.
PPOs are a mix of a fee-based plan and a health maintenance organisation (HMO). You can't choose any doctor or hospital you want, and you have to pay a co-payment for each service. You may also have to pay a deductible. You can use a doctor who is not in the PPO, though. You will still be covered, but you might have to pay more.
There are other kinds of plans for health care. Medicare and Medicaid are the two plans that the government offers. Medicare is a plan for people who are 65 or older or have a disability. Medicare coverage changes often and can be hard to understand. Medicaid comes in different forms. There is a free version and a paid version. Medicaid is another plan from the government. It depends on what you make. With Medicaid, all your costs are taken care of. Because of new changes, some care now only costs a very small amount. Medicaid is also not the same for everyone. A person can get information by calling their local government's human services office.
Plans for health care can be hard to understand. Talking to your provider will help you make sure you know how your plan works and what it covers.
