California health
insurance
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health insurance for California individuals
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How to choose health planHow to Choose Individual California Health Insurance
There are some important questions to ask before you run your individual health insurance quote. One of the main issue people have when they request a quote is the sheer number of health plans that come up. It can be overwhelming and cause you to doubt your choices especially if you are new to individual health insurance market in California. Below are a series of question to ask yourself which should narrow the options down to a few key plans that fit your needs. 1. HMO or PPO?
This is really a key question to address up front as the two models are very different. People usually have a strong preference for one or the other but in case you are new to the concept, here is a quick list of differences between HMO's and PPO's:
HMO's are:
Clearly, the trend today is towards PPO's as the cost of health care in general has spiraled over the past decade. HMO's tend to have richer benefits but due to this coverage, they are absorbing more of the escalating health care costs over time. Individual and Family health insurance is very different than Small Group health in that you are essentially covering yourself so it usually makes sense to keep your monthly premium down. That money is going out the door whether you use the plan or not.
HMO's might work well for people who are flexible in terms of which doctors they can see; want to keep their costs down when they get sick or hurt; and/or considering maternity.
PPO's work for people who would rather save on their monthly premium but share more when sick or hurt; cover catastrophic bills more; require flexibility in terms of doctor access.
2. Carrier strength and flexibilityThis is an important concern as your plan/rate is only as good as the carrier. Plans and rates can and do change. Carriers that do not competently manage their business show a great deal of change in both. Since health insurance is potentially a long term concern and changes in health prevent us from changing plans, you want to choose a strong carrier up front. All the major carriers offer large suites of different plans to address your health needs including HMO's, PPO's, HSA
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