Insurancezine.org

By the time your children toss their high school graduation caps into the air, they’ll probably have a good idea about their intended college and course of study, but is their health insurance something you’ve thought about?

Many times, a parent’s medical plan will cover their children until they’re 24 years old. If your health insurance plan does not cover college students, it would be beneficial to look into what college health plans are offered at your child’s university.

College health insurance basics
College health insurance plans may be subsidized by tuition at some schools, and may ultimately save parents money. College health insurance plans are not free, and the benefits may vary from college to college. Health insurance companies meet with committees from different schools to design a plan, specifically tailored to that school’s students. Free services may be offered at the health center.

Which health insurance plan is best for your small business?
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), and Point-of-Service Plans (POS) are all types of managed health care. The purpose of managed care is to provide its members with access to a comprehensive system of medical care that offers savings and encourages quality service. While larger companies can afford to offer a choice of health plans, a smaller business can save money by comparing health insurance plans each year before the annual enrollment period. While cost is a key factor, make sure that the network you select provides convenience and coverage in your local area.

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO)
When your health care coverage is provided by a Health Maintenance Organization, you typically must select an HMO physician to be your primary health care provider. This doctor will coordinate all of your medical care, including referrals to specialists, such as a dermatologist, cardiologist or surgeon. If you choose to seek treatment from a non-network physician, you will generally be required to pay most of the cost yourself. By law, an HMO cannot require referrals for emergency care, so an HMO will pay for emergency room treatment without a referral.

Due to the restriction of choosing from mostly HMO network services, it’s important to check the physician listing and hospital affiliations for the HMO you are considering. If the list is extensive and you are satisfied with the hospitals used by the HMO network, an HMO may be a good choice. On average, HMOs are the least expensive health option for employers and employees. Doctor’s visits, preventive care, and medical treatment are covered by your monthly insurance premium, and there is no individual or family deductible to meet. There is generally a co-payment for each visit that varies based on the type of service provided and the plan you select, but typically no co-insurance. Most standard HMO plans do not have a lifetime maximum benefit amount. Some HMOs are starting to offer more choices in plan configuration, allowing their members to visit preferred providers outside of the network. This gives their members access to an HMO network and a PPO network at the same time, although the PPO portion usually involves deductibles and co-insurance.

Catastrophic health insurance plans—more formally known as High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs)—were created as a way to lower overall medical costs by providing a lower monthly premium in exchange for a higher annual health insurance deductible. With catastrophic health insurance plans, you pay for almost all medical care until you reach the annual deductible amount. After that, traditional health insurance coverage begins.

About High Deductible Health Plans
Under a high deductible plan, you pay out-of-pocket for most medical bills until the total of your payments reaches the amount of your annual deductible. After that, the catastrophic health plan will cover most medical expenses, although you usually have to pay co-insurance until you reach your total out-of-pocket maximum amount. If your catastrophic health plan is eligible for a Health Savings Account (HSA), you can use the HSA funds to pay the deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. Even if you don’t use an HSA, it’s smart to set aside some money each month to pay for future medical expenses that you may incur. If you never need the money, it’s a bonus.

For 2008, the IRS requires that people with tax-exempt HSAs have catastrophic health insurance plans with deductibles starting at $1,100 for an individual and $2,200 for a family. The total out-of-pocket maximum (which includes the deductible and co-payments) for these HSA-linked catastrophic health plans is $5,600 for singles, and $11,200 for families. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has more information on HSAs and high deductible health plan requirements for 2008 and 2009.