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HEALTH INSURANCE -
Types of Health Insurance Plans (continued)
e. A Point of Service plan (POS) combines some of the features offered by HMO and
PPO plans. As with an HMO, members of a POS plan are required to choose a primary
care physician from the plan's network of providers. Services provided by your primary
doctor are typically not subject to a deductible. Also, like HMO’s, POS plans typically
offer coverage for preventive care visits. However, services provided by a non-
2. Healthcare coverage plans are also described by the types of medical services they provide. Generally, you must have a separate plan for each type of medical service to have coverage for that type of service. Most of the time, plans are categorized as follows:
a. General healthcare plans usually include coverage for doctor’s visits (either
primary care or specialists) hospital stays, in-
b. Prescription plans provide coverage for prescription medicines. Some plans offer coverage only at pharmacies, while other plans also provide mail order prescription coverage which will generally save money. How much of the cost of prescriptions, and what type of prescriptions are covered varies by plan.
c. Dental plans provide coverage for expenses related to routine dental work, as well as special procedures. Severe injury or disease is usually covered under general healthcare plans.
d. Vision and eye care plans provide coverage for routine eye doctor visits, for prescription eye wear, and for some eye care treatments. Extensive injury to eyes, or severe eye diseases, are usually covered under general healthcare plans.
e. Long-
f. Catastrophic healthcare plans are designed to cover very large medical costs, due to severe disease or accident. These plans have very high coverage limits, and do not cover the normal medical expenses provided by general healthcare plans.
Factors to Consider When Buying Health Insurance
In addition to the types of healthcare plans available, several other factors should be considered when purchasing or enrolling in healthcare coverage. These factors impact both the amount and type of coverage you can get, as well as the cost of the coverage.
1. Your age, and particularly your health history, are very important in determining
the type of coverage available and its cost. If your health is very poor, and/or
you have serious pre-
a. Smoking, being overweight and high blood pressure and cholesterol is frowned upon by health insurers, and will cause your rates to be much higher. Losing that weight, quitting smoking and getting blood pressure and cholesterol under control before you apply for health insurance (if possible) will help to lower your cost considerably, as will adopting other aspects of a healthy lifestyle.
b. Unfortunately, the health history of your parents, and perhaps siblings, will
also influence your rates. There really is nothing you can do about this. But, do
not be tempted to give inaccurate answers to any health questions asked by the insurer
in order to try to get a lower premium. They will check your medical history with
your physicians for pre-
2. As noted, the amount of flexibility to choose both doctors and hospitals varies significantly among plans. If you have preferences as to who provides your healthcare, make sure the healthcare coverage you are considering takes this into account.
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