In: Economics
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical
expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of
health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop
a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll
tax, to ensure that money is available to pay for the health care
benefits specified in the insurance agreement
Just because you are self employed or don’t work for a company that
offers group health insurance, that doesn’t mean you can’t get
it.
Depending on the state you live in, there are ways to get group
health insurance through associations and membership
organizations.
Group health insurance plans are categorized as either indemnity
plans (also known as "traditional indemnity," "fee-for-service," or
"FFS" plans) or managed care plans. Indemnity and managed care
plans differ in their basic approach. Put broadly, the major
differences concern choice of providers, out-of-pocket costs for
covered services, and how bills are paid. You will typically have a
broader choice of doctors (including specialists, such as
cardiologists and surgeons), hospitals, and other health care
providers with an indemnity plan while you will typically have less
out-of-pocket costs and paperwork with a managed care plan.
Indemnity plans once dominated the American health insurance
market, but are no longer as popular as they used to be. They are
most common on the east coast. Managed care plans now take up a
much larger share of the general health insurance market and are
especially dominant in the western parts of the country. There are
three basic types of managed care plans: PPOs, HMOs, and POS plans.