A BEGINNER’S GUIDE
TYPESOFHEALTH INSURANCE:
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)
Pointof Service(POS) Plans
High Deductible HealthPlans (HDHPs)
Catastrophic Health Insurance
WhatisHealth Insurance?
Healthinsurancecoversthecostof medicalexpenses,includingdoctorvisits, hospitalizations,andprescriptiondrugs.
Thepoliciesvarywidelyintermsof coverage,price,andbenefitsandare typicallypurchasedthroughanemployer orthehealthcaremarketplace.
UnderstandingInsurance Coverage
Insurancecoveragecanbecomplex,so it’sessentialtounderstandthebasics. Yourhealthinsurancepolicywilltypically includethefollowing:
Deductible:Theamountyoupayout-of-pocketbeforeinsurancecoverage kicksin.
Co-Pay:Afixedamountyoupayforcertainmedicalservices,suchasdoctor visitsorprescriptiondrugs.
Co-Insurance:Thepercentageofmedicalcostsyoupayaftermeetingyour deductible,typicallyasplitbetweenyouandyourinsurancecompany.
Out-of-PocketMaximum:Youwillpayout-of-pocketforcoveredmedical expensesinagivenyear.
Consideryourhealthcareneeds,budget, andpreferredhealthcareproviderswhen choosingahealthinsuranceplan.Lookat themonthlypremiums,deductibles,and co-paystodeterminetheplan’stotalcost, andmakesureyourpreferredhealthcare providersarein-network.
Enrollmentperiodsforhealthinsurance canvarydependingonyouremployeror thehealthcaremarketplace.Ifenrolling throughyouremployer,askyourhuman resourcesdepartmentforinformationon enrollmentperiodsanddeadlines.