Your Health Insurance Choices
You are faced with a plethora of health insurance
choices. We offer the information below to help
you choose the plan that is right for you. Whether
you are buying health insurance for the first
time, or are considering changing plans. Married
or single, children or no children, this information
will help you to find a health insurance plan
that best suits your needs and your budget.
Definitions of the health insurance terms used
are included in the section called Understanding
Health Insurance Terms.
Contents
Thinking About Health Insurance
Choices
Why Do You Need Health Insurance?
Where Do People Get Health
Insurance Coverage?
Group Insurance
Individual
Insurance
What Are Your Choices?
Which Type Is Right for You?
Managed Care:
A Way to Control Costs
Types of Insurance
Fee-for-Service
What Is
a "Customary" Fee?
Questions
to Ask About Fee-for-Service Insurance
Health Maintenance
Organizations (HMOs)
Questions
to Ask About an HMO
Preferred
Provider Organizations (PPOs)
Questions
to Ask About a PPO
Checklist: What's Most Important
to You?
Worksheet: What Is Your Best
Buy?
Other Types of Insurance
Medicare
Medicaid
Disability
Insurance
Hospital
Indemnity Insurance
Long-Term
Care Insurance
A Final Word
Understanding Health Insurance
Terms
Thinking About Health
Insurance Choices
Which of these statements best describes your
thoughts on health insurance?
"I already get health insurance
through my job, so I have all the coverage
I need...I think"
Many employers offer a choice of plans. The
information provided will help you figure out
the plan that's best for you.
"I know I need health insurance,
but I don't know how to find the best coverage
at the lowest cost."
You're not alone. Many people have questions
about how to select a health insurance plan.
The information provided will help you find
some answers.
"I just can't afford health
insurance right now. I have too many bills
to pay and other things I need to buy."
Health insurance is one of your most important
needs. Without it, one serious illness or accident
could wipe you out financially. The information
provided will help you decide which is the best
plan you can afford.
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Why Do You Need Health
Insurance?
Today, health care costs are high, and getting
higher. Who will pay your bills if you have
a serious accident or a major illness? You buy
health insurance for the same reason you buy
other kinds of insurance, to protect yourself
financially. With health insurance, you protect
yourself and your family in case you need medical
care that could be very expensive. You can't
predict what your medical bills will be. In
a good year, your costs may be low. But if you
become ill, your bills could be very high. If
you have insurance, many of your costs are covered
by a third-party payer, not by you. A third-party
payer can be an insurance company or, in some
cases, it can be your employer.
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Where Do People Get Health
Insurance Coverage?
Group Insurance
Most Americans get health insurance through
their jobs or are covered because a family member
has insurance at work. This is called group
insurance. Group insurance is generally the
least expensive kind. In many cases, the employer
pays part or all of the cost.
Some employers offer only one health insurance
plan. Some offer a choice of plans: a fee-for-service
plan, a health maintenance organization (HMO),
or a preferred provider organization (PPO),
for example. Explanations of fee-for-service
plans, HMOs, and PPOs are provided in the section
called Types of Insurance.
What happens if you or your family member leaves
the job? You will lose your employer-supported
group coverage. It may be possible to keep the
same policy, but you will have to pay for it
yourself. This will certainly cost you more
than group coverage for the same, or less, protection.
A Federal law makes it possible for most people
to continue their group health coverage for
a period of time. Called COBRA (for the Consolidated
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985),
the law requires that if you work for a business
of 20 or more employees and leave your job or
are laid off, you can continue to get health
coverage for at least 18 months. You will be
charged a higher premium than when you were
working.
You also will be able to get insurance under
COBRA if your spouse was covered but now you
are widowed or divorced. If you were covered
under your parents' group plan while you were
in school, you also can continue in the plan
for up to 18 months under COBRA until you find
a job that offers you your own health insurance.
Not all employers offer health insurance. You
might find this to be the case with your job,
especially if you work for a small business
or work part-time. If your employer does not
offer health insurance, you might be able to
get group insurance through membership in a
labor union, professional association, club,
or other organization. Many organizations offer
health insurance plans to members.
Individual Insurance
If your employer does not offer group insurance,
or if the insurance offered is very limited,
you can buy an individual policy. You can get
fee-for-service, HMO, or PPO protection. But
you should compare your options and shop carefully
because coverage and costs vary from company
to company. Individual plans may not offer benefits
as broad as those in group plans.
If you get a noncancellable policy (also called
a guaranteed renewable policy), then you will
receive individual insurance under that policy
as long as you keep paying the monthly premium.
The insurance company can raise the cost, but
cannot cancel your coverage. Many companies
now offer a conditionally renewable policy.
This means that the insurance company can cancel
all policies like yours, not just yours. This
protects you from being singled out. But it
doesn't protect you from losing coverage.
Before you buy any health insurance policy,
make sure you know what it will pay for...and
what it won't. To find out about individual
health insurance plans, you can call insurance
companies, HMOs, and PPOs in your community,
or speak to the agent who handles your car or
house insurance.
Tips when shopping for individual insurance:
- Shop carefully. Policies differ widely in
coverage and cost. Contact different insurance
companies, or ask your agent to show you policies
from several insurers so you can compare them.
- Make sure the policy protects you from large
medical costs.
- Read and understand the policy. Make sure
it provides the kind of coverage that's right
for you. You don't want unpleasant surprises
when you're sick or in the hospital.
- Check to see that the policy states: the
date that the policy will begin paying (some
have a waiting period before coverage begins),
and what is covered or excluded from coverage.
- Make sure there is a "free look"
clause. Most companies give you at least 10
days to look over your policy after you receive
it. If you decide it is not for you, you can
return it and have your premium refunded.
- Beware of single disease insurance policies.
There are some polices that offer protection
for only one disease, such as cancer. If you
already have health insurance, your regular
plan probably already provides all the coverage
you need. Check to see what protection you
have before buying any more insurance.
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What Are Your Choices?
There are many different types of health insurance.
Each has pros and cons. There is no one "best"
plan. The plan that's right for a single person
may not be best for a family with small children.
And a plan that works for one family may not
be right for another.
For example, if your family includes just two
adults, it may be less expensive for each of
you to have individual coverage than for just
one of you to have a family plan. If you have
children, or if you might have children soon,
you need a family plan. Because your situation
may change, review your health insurance regularly
to make sure you have the protection you need.
Choosing a health insurance plan is like making
any other major purchase: You choose the plan
that meets both your needs and your budget.
For most people, this means deciding which plan
is worth the cost. For example, plans that allow
you the most choices in doctors and hospitals
also tend to cost more than plans that limit
choices. Plans that help to manage the care
you receive usually cost you less, but you give
up some freedom of choice.
Cost isn't the only thing to consider when
buying health insurance. You also need to consider
what benefits are covered. You need to compare
plans carefully for both cost and coverage.
Although there are many names for health insurance
plans, the information here groups them as three
main types:
- Fee-For-Service (or Traditional Health Insurance).
- Health Maintenance Organizations (or HMOs).
- Preferred Provider Organizations (or PPOs).
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Which Type Is Right for
You?
For each group, choose the statement 1 or 2
that best describes how you feel:
- Having complete freedom to choose doctors
and hospitals is the most important thing
to me in a health plan, even if it costs more.
- Holding down my costs is the most important
thing to me, even if it means limiting some
of my choices.
- I travel a lot or have children that live
away from me and we may need to see doctors
in other parts of the country.
- I do not travel a lot and almost all care
for my family will be needed in our local
area.
- I don't mind a health insurance plan that
includes filling out forms or keeping receipts
and sending them in for payment.
- I prefer not to fill out forms or keep receipts.
I want most of my care covered without a lot
of paperwork.
- In addition to my premiums, I am willing
to pay for the cost of routine and preventive
care, such as office visits, checkups, and
shots. I also like knowing that I can get
an appointment for these services when I want
one.
- I want a health plan that includes routine
and preventive care. I don't mind if I have
to wait for these services to be scheduled
for an available appointment with my doctor.
- If I need to see a specialist, I probably
will ask my doctor for a recommendation, but
I want to decide whom to go to and when. I
don't want to have to see my primary care
doctor each time before I can see a specialist.
- I don't mind if my primary care doctor must
refer me to specialists. If my doctor doesn't
think I need special services, that is fine
with me.
If your answers are mostly 1: You want to make
your own health care choices, even if it costs
you more and takes more paperwork. Fee-for-service
may be the best plan for you.
If your answers are mostly 2: You are willing
to give up some choices to hold down your medical
costs. You also want help in managing your care.
Consider a health maintenance organization.
If your answers are some 1's and some 2's:
You might want to look for a plan such as a
preferred provider organization that combines
some of the features of fee-for-service and
a health maintenance organization.
The differences among fee-for-service plans,
HMOs, and PPOs are not as clear-cut as they
once were. Fee-for-service plans have adopted
some activities used by HMOs and PPOs to control
the use of medical services. And HMOs and PPOs
are offering more freedom to choose doctors,
the way fee-for-service plans do. By studying
your health insurance options carefully, you
will be able to pick the one that provides you
with the coverage you need, no matter what it
is called.
Managed Care: A Way to
Control Costs
Managed care influences how much health care
you use. Almost all plans have some sort of
managed care program to help control costs.
For example, if you need to go to the hospital,
one form of managed care requires that you receive
approval from your insurance company before
you are admitted to make sure that the hospitalization
is needed. If you go to the hospital without
this approval, you may not be covered for the
hospital bill.
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Types of Insurance
Fee-for-Service
This is the traditional kind of health care
policy. Insurance companies pay fees for the
services provided to the insured people covered
by the policy. This type of health insurance
offers the most choices of doctors and hospitals.
You can choose any doctor you wish and change
doctors any time. You can go to any hospital
in any part of the country.
With fee-for-service, the insurer only pays
for part of your doctor and hospital bills.
This is what you pay:
- A monthly fee, called a premium.
- A certain amount of money each year, known
as the deductible, before the insurance payments
begin. In a typical plan, the deductible might
be $250 for each person in your family, with
a family deductible of $500 when at least
two people in the family have reached the
individual deductible. The deductible requirement
applies each year of the policy. Also, not
all health expenses you have count toward
your deductible. Only those covered by the
policy do. You need to check the insurance
policy to find out which ones are covered.
- After you have paid your deductible amount
for the year, you share the bill with the
insurance company. For example, you might
pay 20 percent while the insurer pays 80 percent.
Your portion is called coinsurance.
To receive payment for fee-for-service claims,
you may have to fill out forms and send them
to your insurer. Sometimes your doctor's office
will do this for you. You also need to keep
receipts for drugs and other medical costs.
You are responsible for keeping track of your
medical expenses.
There are limits as to how much an insurance
company will pay for your claim if both you
and your spouse file for it under two different
group insurance plans. A coordination of benefit
clause usually limits benefits under two plans
to no more than 100 percent of the claim.
Most fee-for-service plans have a "cap,"
the most you will have to pay for medical bills
in any one year. You reach the cap when your
out-of-pocket expenses (for your deductible
and your coinsurance) total a certain amount.
It may be as low as $1,000 or as high as $5,000.
Then the insurance company pays the full amount
in excess of the cap for the items your policy
says it will cover. The cap does not include
what you pay for your monthly premium.
Some services are limited or not covered at
all. You need to check on preventive health
care coverage such as immunizations and well-child
care.
There are two kinds of fee-for-service coverage:
basic and major medical. Basic protection pays
toward the costs of a hospital room and care
while you are in the hospital. It covers some
hospital services and supplies, such as x-rays
and prescribed medicine. Basic coverage also
pays toward the cost of surgery, whether it
is performed in or out of the hospital, and
for some doctor visits. Major medical insurance
takes over where your basic coverage leaves
off. It covers the cost of long, high-cost illnesses
or injuries.
Some policies combine basic and major medical
coverage into one plan. This is sometimes called
a "comprehensive plan." Check your
policy to make sure you have both kinds of protection.
What Is a "Customary"
Fee?
Most insurance plans will pay only what they
call a reasonable and customary fee for a particular
service. If your doctor charges $1,000 for a
hernia repair while most doctors in your area
charge only $600, you will be billed for the
$400 difference. This is in addition to the
deductible and coinsurance you would be expected
to pay. To avoid this additional cost, ask your
doctor to accept your insurance company's payment
as full payment. Or shop around to find a doctor
who will. Otherwise you will have to pay the
rest yourself.
Questions to Ask About
Fee-for-Service Insurance
- How much is the monthly premium? What will
your total cost be each year? There are individual
rates and family rates.
- What does the policy cover? Does it cover
prescription drugs, out-of-hospital care,
or home care? Are there limits on the amount
or the number of days the company will pay
for these services? The best plans cover a
broad range of services.
- Are you currently being treated for a medical
condition that may not be covered under your
new plan? Are there limitations or a waiting
period involved in the coverage?
- What is the deductible? Often, you can lower
your monthly health insurance premium by buying
a policy with a higher yearly deductible amount.
- What is the coinsurance rate? What percent
of your bills for allowable services will
you have to pay?
- What is the maximum you would pay out of
pocket per year? How much would it cost you
directly before the insurance company would
pay everything else?
- Is there a lifetime maximum cap the insurer
will pay? The cap is an amount after which
the insurance company won't pay anymore. This
is important to know if you or someone in
your family has an illness that requires expensive
treatments.
Health Maintenance Organizations
(HMOs)
Health maintenance organizations are prepaid
health plans. As an HMO member, you pay a monthly
premium. In exchange, the HMO provides comprehensive
care for you and your family, including doctors'
visits, hospital stays, emergency care, surgery,
lab tests, x-rays, and therapy.
The HMO arranges for this care either directly
in its own group practice and/or through doctors
and other health care professionals under contract.
Usually, your choices of doctors and hospitals
are limited to those that have agreements with
the HMO to provide care. However, exceptions
are made in emergencies or when medically necessary.
There may be a small copayment for each office
visit, such as $5 for a doctor's visit or $25
for hospital emergency room treatment. Your
total medical costs will likely be lower and
more predictable in an HMO than with fee-for-service
insurance.
Because HMOs receive a fixed fee for your covered
medical care, it is in their interest to make
sure you get basic health care for problems
before they become serious. HMOs typically provide
preventive care, such as office visits, immunizations,
well-baby checkups, mammograms, and physicals.
The range of services covered vary in HMOs,
so it is important to compare available plans.
Some services, such as outpatient mental health
care, often are provided only on a limited basis.
Many people like HMOs because they do not require
claim forms for office visits or hospital stays.
Instead, members present a card, like a credit
card, at the doctor's office or hospital. However,
in an HMO you may have to wait longer for an
appointment than you would with a fee-for-service
plan.
In some HMOs, doctors are salaried and they
all have offices in an HMO building at one or
more locations in your community as part of
a prepaid group practice. In others, independent
groups of doctors contract with the HMO to take
care of patients. These are called individual
practice associations (IPAs) and they are made
up of private physicians in private offices
who agree to care for HMO members. You select
a doctor from a list of participating physicians
that make up the IPA network. If you are thinking
of switching into an IPA-type of HMO, ask your
doctor if he or she participates in the plan.
In almost all HMOs, you either are assigned
or you choose one doctor to serve as your primary
care doctor. This doctor monitors your health
and provides most of your medical care, referring
you to specialists and other health care professionals
as needed. You usually cannot see a specialist
without a referral from your primary care doctor
who is expected to manage the care you receive.
This is one way that HMOs can limit your choice.
Before choosing an HMO, it is a good idea to
talk to people you know who are enrolled in
it. Ask them how they like the services and
care given.
Questions to Ask About
an HMO
- Are there many doctors to choose from? Do
you select from a list of contract physicians
or from the available staff of a group practice?
Which doctors are accepting new patients?
How hard is it to change doctors if you decide
you want someone else? How are referrals to
specialists handled?
- Is it easy to get appointments? How far
in advance must routine visits be scheduled?
What arrangements does the HMO have for handling
emergency care?
- Does the HMO offer the services I want?
What preventive services are provided? Are
there limits on medical tests, surgery, mental
health care, home care, or other support offered?
What if you need a special service not provided
by the HMO?
- What is the service area of the HMO? Where
are the facilities located in your community
that serve HMO members? How convenient to
your home and workplace are the doctors, hospitals,
and emergency care centers that make up the
HMO network? What happens if you or a family
member are out of town and need medical treatment?
- What will the HMO plan cost? What is the
yearly total for monthly fees? In addition,
are there copayments for office visits, emergency
care, prescribed drugs, or other services?
How much?
Preferred Provider Organizations
(PPOs)
The preferred provider organization is a combination
of traditional fee-for-service and an HMO. Like
an HMO, there are a limited number of doctors
and hospitals to choose from. When you use those
providers (sometimes called "preferred"
providers, other times called "network"
providers), most of your medical bills are covered.
When you go to doctors in the PPO, you present
a card and do not have to fill out forms. Usually
there is a small copayment for each visit. For
some services, you may have to pay a deductible
and coinsurance.
As with an HMO, a PPO requires that you choose
a primary care doctor to monitor your health
care. Most PPOs cover preventive care. This
usually includes visits to the doctor, well-baby
care, immunizations, and mammograms.
In a PPO, you can use doctors who are not part
of the plan and still receive some coverage.
At these times, you will pay a larger portion
of the bill yourself (and also fill out the
claims forms). Some people like this option
because even if their doctor is not a part of
the network, it means they don't have to change
doctors to join a PPO.
Questions to Ask About
a PPO
- Are there many doctors to choose from? Who
are the doctors in the PPO network? Where
are they located? Which ones are accepting
new patients? How are referrals to specialists
handled?
- What hospitals are available through the
PPO? Where is the nearest hospital in the
PPO network? What arrangements does the PPO
have for handling emergency care?
- What services are covered? What preventive
services are offered? Are there limits on
medical tests, out-of-hospital care, mental
health care, prescription drugs, or other
services that are important to you?
- What will the PPO plan cost? How much is
the premium? Is there a per-visit cost for
seeing PPO doctors or other types of copayments
for services? What is the difference in cost
between using doctors in the PPO network and
those outside it? What is the deductible and
coinsurance rate for care outside of the PPO?
Is there a limit to the maximum you would
pay out of pocket?
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Checklist: What's Most
Important to You?
Insurance plans vary. Before choosing a plan,
decide what is most important to you. This checklist
can help. Put a check in front of those services
that are important to you. Then see how many
of these services are in Policy #1, Policy #2,
and Policy #3. On the checklist, write in the
coinsurance or copayment rate, if there is one,
and any limits on service.
Remember that the most important service to
be covered is hospitalization. If you are not
covered for hospital care, then one sickness
could cost you thousands of dollars, even hundreds
of thousands of dollars.
Service Policy
#1 Policy
#2 Policy
#3
-Hospital care
-Surgery (inpatient
and outpatient)
-Office visits to
your doctor
-Maternity care
-Well-baby care
-Immunizations
-Mammograms
-Medical tests,
x-rays
-Mental health care
-Dental care,
braces and cleaning
-Vision care,
eyeglasses and exams
-Prescription drugs
-Home health care
-Nursing home care
-Services you need
that are excluded
Other issues that are
important to you:
-Choice of doctors
-Convenient location of
doctors and hospitals
-Ease of getting
an appointment
-Minimal paperwork
-Waiting period before
coverage begins
Which policy is best for you?
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Worksheet: What Is Your
Best Buy?
It is difficult to determine exactly what you
will spend a year on health care. You do not
know whether you will be sick 6 months from
now and need an operation. Hopefully, you will
not.
Using this worksheet, you can begin to make
some rough estimates. Much will depend on what
service you need or want, how many people are
in your family, your age, and other factors.
Do you need to have your eyes tested this year?
Will you have a mammogram or other cancer screening
test? Does your child need immunizations?
Look at your medical and insurance records
from last year as a guide to what services you
might use this year. Add up the actual costs
to you, including premiums. Estimate what you
might spend on your health care in terms of
deductibles, coinsurance and/or copayments,
and services that are not covered.
Compare Policy #1, Policy #2, and Policy #3
to determine which is the best buy for you.
What is your monthly premium?
Policy
#1 Policy
#2 Policy
#3
Individual:
Family:
Multiply by 12 for annual cost:
What is your deductible?
(if there is one)
Individual:
Family:
What is your coinsurance rate
or copayment, if there is one?
(Note if there is a higher rate
for special services, such as
outpatient mental health care.)
Are there any annual limits for
days or services covered and
the amount spent on you?
What is the maximum you will have
to pay out-of-pocket each year?
What is the lifetime limit,
if any,that you will be
reimbursed?
Total estimated yearly cost
to you:
Now look at the checklist of services that
are important to you. Is your best buy
the same policy that gives you the most services
you need?
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Other Types of Insurance
Medicare
Medicare is the Federal health insurance program
for Americans age 65 and older and for certain
disabled Americans. If you are eligible for
Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits
and are age 65, you and your spouse automatically
qualify for Medicare.
Medicare has two parts: hospital insurance,
known as Part A, and supplementary medical insurance,
known as Part B, which provides payments for
doctors and related services and supplies ordered
by the doctor. If you are eligible for Medicare,
Part A is free, but you must pay a premium for
Part B.
Medicare will pay for many of your health care
expenses, but not all of them. In particular,
Medicare does not cover most nursing home care,
long-term care services in the home, or prescription
drugs. There are also special rules on when
Medicare pays your bills that apply if you have
employer group health insurance coverage through
your own job or the employment of a spouse.
Medicare usually operates on a fee-for-service
basis. HMOs and similar forms of prepaid health
care plans are now available to Medicare enrollees
in some locations.
The best source of information on the Medicare
program is the Medicare Handbook. This
booklet explains how the Medicare program works
and what your benefits are. To order a free
copy, write to: Health Care Financing Administration,
Publications, N1-26-27, 7500 Security Blvd.,
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850. You also can contact
your local Social Security office for information.
Some people who are covered by Medicare buy
private insurance, called "Medigap"
policies, to pay the medical bills that Medicare
doesn't cover. Some Medigap policies cover Medicare's
deductibles; most pay the coinsurance amount.
Some also pay for health services not covered
by Medicare. There are 10 standard plans from
which you can choose. (Some States may have
fewer than 10.) If you buy a Medigap policy,
make sure you do not purchase more than one.
You need to shop carefully before deciding
on the best policy to fit your needs. You may
get another booklet, Guide to Health Insurance
for People with Medicare, to help you in
making the right choice. To order a free copy,
write to: Health Care Financing Administration,
Publications, N1-26-27, 7500 Security Blvd.,
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
Another good source of information on the same
topic is The Consumer's Guide to Medicare
Supplement Insurance. To order a free copy,
write to: Health Insurance Association of America,
555 13th St., N.W., Suite 600 East, Washington,
D.C. 20004.
Medicaid
Medicaid provides health care coverage for
some low-income people who cannot afford it.
This includes people who are eligible because
they are aged, blind, or disabled or certain
people in families with dependent children.
Medicaid is a Federal program that is operated
by the States, and each State decides who is
eligible and the scope of health services offered.
General information on the Medicaid program
is given in the Medicaid Fact Sheet.
For a free copy, write to: Health Care Financing
Administration, Publications, N1-26-27, 7500
Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244-1850. For
specifics on Medicaid eligibility and the health
services offered, contact your State Medicaid
Program Office.
Disability Insurance
Disability insurance replaces income you lose
if you have a long-term illness or injury and
cannot work. This is an important type of coverage
for working-age people to consider. Disability
insurance does not cover the cost of rehabilitation
if you are injured. Check your major medical
insurance to see if it is covered there.
Some employers offer group disability insurance
and this may be one of the benefits where you
work. Or you might be eligible for some government-sponsored
programs that provide disability benefits. Many
different kinds of individual policies are also
available.
The Consumer's Guide to Disability Insurance
explains disability insurance and sources of
disability income to help you decide if you
need this coverage. It will also help you compare
your choices of policies. For a free copy, write
to: Health Insurance Association of America,
555 13th St., N.W., Suite 600 East, Washington,
D.C. 20004.
Hospital Indemnity Insurance
This insurance offers limited coverage. It
pays a fixed amount for each day, up to a maximum
number of days. You may use it for medical or
other expenses. Usually, the amount you receive
will be less than the cost of a hospital stay.
Some hospital indemnity policies will pay the
specified daily amount even if you have other
health insurance. Others may coordinate benefits,
so that the money you receive does not equal
more than 100 percent of the hospital bill.
Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-term care insurance is designed to cover
the costs of nursing home care, which can be
several thousand dollars each month. Long-term
care is usually not covered by health insurance
except in a very limited way. Medicare covers
very few long-term care expenses. There are
many plans and they vary in costs and services
covered, each with its own limits.
More detailed information is given in A
Shopper's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance.
Contact your State Insurance Department or write:
National Association of Insurance Commissioners,
120 W. 12th Street, Suite 1100, Kansas City,
MO 64105.
Another good source of information is The
Consumer's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance.
For a free copy, write to: Health Insurance
Association of America, 555 13th St., N.W.,
Suite 600 East, Washington, D.C. 20004.
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A Final Word
There's no doubt that choosing among health
insurance plans takes time and effort. Now that
you have read this information, you know what
questions to ask so you will be able to carefully
compare various plans and find the one that
best fits your needs.
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