| Looking for a health insurance plan in | | | | * Fee-for-service plans (also known as |
| Minnesota that won't cost you an arm and a | | | | indemnity plans), which pay for all or most |
| leg? Here's how to find low cost Minnesota | | | | of your doctor fees, hospital fees, and |
| health insurance with a reliable carrier. | | | | prescription drug costs after you pay a |
| | | | deductible (usually $500 to $2,000). These |
| Minnesota State Health Insurance | | | | plans let you choose your doctor and hospital |
| | | | and are the most expensive of the health care |
| Minnesota has a number of state-sponsored | | | | plans. |
| insurance programs for low income individuals | | | | |
| and families. These include: | | | | * Managed health care plans, including HMOs, |
| | | | PPOs, and POSs, which pay for your your |
| * The Minnesota Medical Assistance program, | | | | doctor fees, hospital fees, and prescription |
| which provides health care for low income | | | | drug costs after you pay a co-payment |
| Minnesotans. This program is different than | | | | (usually $5 to $10 per doctor visit). With |
| Medicare which is a federally sponsored | | | | these plans you are assigned to a network of |
| program for people over 65 and people with | | | | doctors and hospitals. PPOs and POSs let you |
| disabilities. | | | | use a non-network doctor or hospital for an |
| | | | additional fee. HMOs are the cheapest of all |
| * The Minnesota General Assistance Medical | | | | the health care plans, followed by PPOs and |
| Care program, which provides health care for | | | | POSs. |
| low income Minnesotans who are not eligible | | | | |
| for state sponsored or federally sponsored | | | | Low Cost Health Insurance |
| health care programs. | | | | |
| | | | To get low cost health insurance you need to |
| * The Minnesota Care Plan, which provides | | | | shop rates. The easiest way to do that is to |
| health care for low income, uninsured working | | | | go online to an insurance comparison website. |
| Minnesotans. | | | | |
| | | | Visit or click on the following link to get |
| For more information about these Minnesota | | | | low cost Minnesota health insurance quotes |
| health insurance programs call your county's | | | | from top-rated companies and see how much you |
| human services agency, or go to the | | | | can save. You can get more insurance tips in |
| Minnesota Department of Health Website at: | | | | their Articles section, and get answers to |
| health.state.mn.us/healthcare.html. | | | | your questions from an insurance expert by |
| | | | using their online chat service. |
| Private Health Insurance | | | | |
| | | | The author, Brian Stevens, is a former |
| There are two types of health insurance plans | | | | insurance agent and financial consultant who |
| that are available in Minnesota. They are: | | | | has written a number of articles on how to |
| | | | get low cost Minnesota health insurance. |