| What can supersede the importance of health? Good | | | | provide complete care to you and your family. This |
| health is one of the most precious assets of a human | | | | also includes the visits of doctors, hospital stays, |
| being. Thus it is not just important but mandatory to | | | | emergency care, surgery, lab tests, x-rays and other |
| insure and thus secure your biggest asset against all | | | | therapies. |
| kinds of threats. | | | | • POS plan- many HMOs offer an |
| Health insurance can be defined as a policy that will | | | | indemnity-type of option known as a POS plan. |
| pay a fixed amount of money for medical expenses | | | | Those who opt for POS plan can refer to doctors |
| and treatments. Health insurance is basically a way to | | | | and medical assistance outside the plan and still get |
| ensure protection against any sickness or injury. | | | | some coverage. If a doctor makes a referral out of |
| Health insurance includes various types of insurance | | | | the network, the plan pays all or most of the bill. |
| such as accident insurance, disability income insurance, | | | | • PPO- Preferred Provider Organization- is |
| medical expense insurance, and accidental death and | | | | basically a combination of fee-for-service and an |
| dismemberment insurance. | | | | HMO. As in HMO plan, in PPO too the options are |
| Health insurance is your best friend in the hours of | | | | confined to a set of doctors and hospitals. Medical |
| need. It is a great support to your family when hefty | | | | expenses are covered by the PPO only when the |
| medical bills fall over their heads and there is immense | | | | insured person resorts to the preferred or network |
| expenditure on recovery of the person concerned. | | | | providers. |
| Based on the needs and requirements of people | | | | • EPO- Exclusive Provider Organization- is |
| there are different kinds of health insurance policies | | | | akin to HMO except that it is regulated by the |
| available- | | | | California Department of Insurance and generally |
| • Fee-for-Service Plans- is that where the | | | | pays physicians and other health care providers |
| insurance companies pay fees for the services | | | | differently. EPOs will meet your expenditure only if |
| offered to the insured people. The insurer only pays | | | | the physician you opt for is within EPO's network. |
| for part of your doctor and hospital bills and pays | | | | However exigency situations can be considered as |
| monthly fee called premium. Before the insurance | | | | exceptions. |
| payments begin, a specified amount of money in the | | | | Prior to opting for a plan it is better to ponder over |
| form of deductibles is to be paid. After paying the | | | | your needs and family requirements. You may even |
| deductible for the year you share the bill with the | | | | want to use the checklist of the agency through |
| insurance company and then your part is known as | | | | which you are purchasing the policy and ask for more |
| 'coinsurance'. Fee-for-service comes in two ways- | | | | information from the health benefits manager at your |
| Basic protection and Major medical. | | | | workplace or a health plan representative. You can |
| • Health Maintenance Organizations- these | | | | also seek advice from your physician who is already |
| organizations are prepaid health plans. HMO members | | | | familiar with all health plans and your medical history. |
| pay a monthly premium in return of which the HMOs | | | | |