There’s just one person to insure and you need cheap medical coverage. You have good news! Affordable healthcare for individuals has never been less expensive or easier to purchase. The combination of reform changes along with the creation of State and Federal Exchange marketplaces, provide increased access to millions of Americans. Great family options are also available for households with children.
Prices of many private medical plans are now below $20 per month for both single and family households. With a large federal subsidy, your policy could have a $0 premium. Of course, there are still likely to be copays, coinsurance and/or a deductible, but your premium could be payed by the Obamacare instant tax credits. Larger families are eligible for increased financial aid. Medicaid has expanded in many states, and now provides cheap health insurance for millions of Americans. The subsidy is recalculated each year, and can change, depending upon your age, household income, and number of eligible applicants.
Medical coverage is offered by the most reputable and highly rated carriers. They include UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UPMC, Highmark, Kaiser, Cigna, Health Net, Ambetter, Molina, CareSource, Medica, and many other regional companies. During Open Enrollment, rates are determined by a variety of factors including age, zip code, nicotine use, and of course, the type of coverage requested. Medical conditions do not factor into the calculation of the monthly premium or policy availability.
Private Coverage Growing
Since group rates have been steadily increasing, private plans have become more popular, and in many areas, quite a bit less expensive. And buying a policy online is now extremely easy. Not only is it quick and safe, but also very secure. Underwriting decisions are made quickly so you can secure coverage by the time you need it. When purchasing private Exchange plans, you don’t have to spend endless hours on the government website. We simplify the process for you.
We find high-quality low cost insurance for individuals. We research hundreds of plans and identify which policies will provide the coverage you want for a price that justifies the benefits. The “Get Free Quotes” button is a powerful tool that quickly compares your options. The internet allows us to bring you the most competitive policies available for easy purchase. Each carrier provides a pdf file for consumers to view specific benefits. A hard copy can also be sent through the mail.
Private Healthcare Coverage Can Be Very Inexpensive
Our site also provides expert guidance, so you can view information and make an informed decision regarding which choices to purchase. The online quote process is our specialty and there are never any costs for using our service. And behind the scenes, you have more than four decades of experience that understands the confusion of effectively trying to purchase the best policy. Regardless, if you are a student, Senior, or someone purchasing coverage for the first time, we can help you save money.
Underwritten Plans Prior To “The Affordable Care Act”
Most personal health insurance plans are no longer underwritten. An “underwritten” policy is a plan that requires you to answer medical questions about your present health situation and your past medical history. Prior to 2014, most applications asked you approximately 20-50 questions that would determine if you were going to be approved and how much you were going to pay. And of course, unless you had prior coverage, pre-existing conditions were probably not going to be covered, and an underwriting declination was possible.
If no conditions were present, then usually a “preferred” rate was offered. Otherwise, the existence of medical conditions possibly increased the premium and possibly forced the insurer to reject the application. Often, however, these increases were not substantial, and could have been less than 10% of the entire premium. And occasionally, the increase was 200%, especially if the condition was chronic. Denial of coverage was also allowed.
Non-Underwritten Plans Avoid asking Medical Questions
Now, during Open Enrollment (OE) and other “Special Enrollment Periods” (SEP), you don’t have to answer any medical questions, and regardless of your overall health, you won’t be surcharged, denied or offered a plan with limitations and waiting periods. All policies through the Marketplace are required to have 10 “essential health benefits” that were not previously contained in all plans. Office visits, prescriptions, emergency-room, hospitalization, maternity, and many other coverages are now automatically included.
Instead of underwriting-related questions, much of the information required for enrollment is based on your eligibility for the federal tax-credit subsidy. To determine the amount of money the government will pay towards your policy, household-income related questions may be asked, along with how many dependents you claim on your tax return. Occasionally, household income sources need to be verified. Ample time is provided to provide needed documentation. Proof of citizenship or legal residency is occasionally required.
Generally, the lower your income and the more dependents you have, the greater the subsidy. Even if you are not providing coverage for one of your children, if they are listed as a dependent on your federal tax return, and they reside in your household, you will receive a credit. However, in many states, Medicaid eligibility has expanded, which can impact the type of coverage available. For example, if dependents qualify for CHIP, no Marketplace financial assistance we will be offered to the children. Finding COBRA benefits is also much easier, since you can obtain coverage online or through the mail. Benefits are guaranteed so you do not have to medically qualify.
Broker Help
One of the major advantages of working with a broker is that he/she will be very familiar with the contract specifics and provider-network of each company. Since each policy may have different coverage and a unique set of covered doctors and hospitals, a broker can easily determine which company will issue the best plan for your situation. There are no fees to pay, and you can choose someone that is local, experienced, and familiar with your unique set of needs.
About 10 years ago, many companies started to utilize smaller networks, to help pay for the increased pre-existing conditions they had to start covering. We verify which doctors, hospitals and related facilities are closest to you, and show you which companies include all of your requested providers. If you need a national network because of travel, many options are available through major carriers.
Utilizing this website will allow you to have access to brokers who will know which policy is the most appropriate. Every person has their own personal needs and we will find the plans that are the best fit for you and your budget! Instead of painstakingly attempting to compare 20-50 policies, we’ll show you the 3-5 contracts that combine the best price and comprehensive coverage. However, you can also view ALL plans available to you from each carrier.
Guaranteed Issue
Limited-Benefit Health Plans May Leave You With Big Medical Bills
Occasionally, some carriers in specific states will offer “Guaranteed Issue” Limited Benefit plans. This type of coverage often contains few or no medical questions and is not underwritten. Acceptance is virtually guaranteed, although you may have to reside within a certain area or county. Rates tend to be higher (sometimes substantially higher) and there may be a waiting period before pre-existing conditions are covered. By selecting higher out-of-pocket costs, you can reduce the cost of these types of plans.
They are not compliant with the new Affordable Care Act guidelines and do not contain many of the benefits that are now required by law. For persons that missed Open Enrollment and do not qualify for a special exception, these types of policies provide some coverage (which we reluctantly admit, is better than no coverage). The Obamacare 2% household income tax, however, is no longer applicable, since in the opinion of the federal government, even though you don’t have adequate healthcare, the penalty has been waived.
An example of a pre-2014 non-medically underwritten plan that was a very good option, was the “Personal Choice” PPO Guaranteed Enrollment plan. Offered by Independence Blue Cross, it was available in the Philadelphia area. Many states offered High Risk Pool policies before 2014 that also were not medically underwritten. National health care reform created the state risk pools to offer coverage to persons that could not qualify for coverage and had been without benefits for more than six months.
Risk Pools
Rates for “risk pool” plans were often much lower than other options offered from standard insurers. It was important, however, that you met all of the requirements in order to qualify. Among the requirements was having been denied coverage by two different companies.
However, the “Risk Pools” were eliminated when Exchange plans became available in 2014. The Marketplace, of course, allows the purchase of coverage without having to qualify medically. Therefore, the need and value of “high risk pools” abruptly ended.
This website is designed to provide information about medical plans for individuals or families. We closely examine the premium, deductibles, coverage limits, rate-increase history and provider Network to ensure you have the opportunity to view the best possible options in an easy-to-understand format.
Typically, applying for coverage is not time-consuming and acceptance is guaranteed for most plans. We closely monitor changes in the industry and update rate and coverage information every day. If you need low-cost private health insurance, we’ll show you the best options and help you enroll.