subject: How To Get Health Insurance In The Us [print this page] Most of us here, in the gold old USA, are concerned about health insurance. This is true even if we are already covered. It is really true if we lack a medical plan. Take a few moments to understand how our medical insurance works for people like you.
How do people in the US get covered?
Many Americans enjoy a group major medical benefit from their job. This covers the worker, and usually, the worker's family too. Bigger companies, and even some smaller ones, will pick up part of the tab too. This helps the workers spend less on premiums. Some employees are not even aware of how much the employer contribututes until they leave their job and have to pay the whole premium.
Other people in the US do not have a group health benefit. Lots of small companies lack a plan. Self employed people, who do not belong to an employer group, will also lack coverage. These people start looking for individual health insurance policies. Dozens of insurance companies offer competitive products so most consumers have many options.
Since there are so many medical plan choices, many Americans can find a health insurance plan that fits their needs and budget.
But individual health insurance companies do underwrite applicants. That means they may decline some people. There is some sort of high risk pool or plan in every state.
Again, each plan has their own unique way to handle this. Not everybody qualifies and sometimes the premiums are quite high. So this may help some people with pre-existing health conditions, but it does not help everybody.
Low income people may have some current public options. Medicaid is for low income people with few assets. CHIPS is the children's health insurance program for low income children. CHIPS also covers preganant women. Both of these programs are state and federal programs, and you can search for information on how to apply and qualify in your state.
What if you cannot afford health insurance but make too much money to qualify for Medicaid? Your county may have a health system you can use. There are also some private foundations and low cost clinics that can provide medical care or financial aid for you.
Right now, the whole process of finding health insurance can be complicated. Though many families can find an affordable health plan, the premiums may be beyond the budgeet of other families. We are hopefully that the promised health reform changes will benefit those who need help the most.
Where should you look for major medical?
If you company offers group plans, you should check with your human resources department or manager. If not, you can find local options with a free quote form that will help you compare multiple insurers. These forms only take a few minutes to complete, and they are a fast and free way to compare policies you qualify for. You can also find contact information for qualified local agents.
by: Marilyn Katz
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