One of the largest hurdles of men and women who are in business for themselves is providing medical insurance coverage for themselves and their families. Compounding the fact that pricing and access varies wildly by state, most states don\’t have any kind of standardized coverages for health insurance contracts. For most people this can really make it it hard to choose the right medical insurance contract and policy options.

Unless one is aware of all the options and all the ramifications of each option, it can be easy to make the wrong selection. Fortunately, licensed insurance professionals who specialize in health insurance plans are available in all areas.

When a young, healthy person begins shopping around for a medical insurance plan, are likely to be pleasantly surprised to discover that they can buy private coverage for LESS than they may have been paying for coverage through an employer\’s plan. In many group policies, the younger, healthier employees subsidize the older, less healthy employees. On a group contract, this can be a great deal for the older, established, less healthy employees – but not so good for the young, healthy ones.

The flip side of that is that some coverages are available on a group contract BECAUSE people, who won\’t use those options, can subsidize those who do. Coverage for pregnancy is one example of this.

For those who need maternity insurance, this is a bad thing. This coverage isn\’t available in most areas on non group contracts.

Because there is no averaging on the individual plan, it\’s nearly impossible to find maternity benefits in any state. When maternity benefits are available, the pricing in combination with the “waiting period” before conception, effectively turn it into a prepayment plan.

At this time, medical insurance is regulated on a state by state basis. When considering which type of plan is desired, it\’s crucial to look at more than just the contract premium. There is no true \”bargain\” with health care insurance; you really do “get what you pay for”, and the lower premium quotes are usually for high deductible insurance plans; supplemental insurance plans; limited benefit contracts; or even health discount plans, which aren\’t even regulated.

Some options available in many states for health care insurance include the following:

Getting coverage through Medicaid may be an option. This is not the best option for most. This is a state run insurance program for low income, special needs, or children.

Preexisting Condition Insurance Plan – The Health Reform Act mandates every state to have this new program. These plans are for people who\’ve been uninsured for at least six months, and cannot find an insurer willing to cover a preexisting condition that they have

High Risk Health Pool – state run program for people with preexisting conditions that can\’t get private coverage any other way; which is NOT Medicaid. Many states have closed their high risk health pools, in favor of the Preexisting Condition Insurance Plan, but a few still have both types of plans.

Private medical Insurance – an individual or family policy purchased either directly from an insurance company or through a licensed agent. These types of plans are best for most who qualify for them.

Insurers evaluate the medical history of each applicant separately, and create their own eligibility standards for coverage. Selecting the right contract can be a difficult undertaking for anyone not in the insurance business. At this stage, the services of a a health insurance agent familiar with the various options and the evolving medical insurance industry, can help make the process easier.

Author Bio: The author, Alston J. Balkcom, recommends shopping for family medical insurance policies on the Internet to get the best price. Disability insurance rates are available on his site as well.

Category: Finances
Keywords: dental insurance,health coverage,medical expenses