Let’s face the facts, health insurance is about as interesting as college level calculus. You never really think twice about it until you need it the most. Many choose to go without health insurance because they cannot afford it or have pre-existing health conditions. Worse yet many have not yet found out the harsh reality of what it is like to be stuck with expensive medical bills and will go with out coverage even though they are healthy!
If you have applied for individual health insurance before and experienced frustration with the medical underwriting process then you may want to look into going with a California short term health insurance plan.
Here are some important things you may not have known about short term health coverage:
Coverage is effective the next day from when you apply
Yep you heard it right. Your health insurance policy will go into effect the next day from when you submit a short term application. With individual coverage it can take up to a month or sometimes longer depending on the extent of your medical history. It is important to keep in mind that a short term health health plan is catastrophic only coverage meaning you preventive care is not covered. In the long run it is better to have a short term policy than nothing at all simply because going with out health coverage can leave the door open for bankruptcy to creep in!
The application is much simpler
You will have anywhere from 10-12 eligibility questions to answer on a short term application. If you’ve ever filled out an application for individual coverage than you understand it can be frustrating. If you don’t have medical records handy that contain specific dates of past medical services then you can’t complete the application unless you have an unbelievable photographic memory! Bottom line, the short term application brings with it much less stress.
Short term health plans offer excellent catastrophic coverage
Like individual coverage, short term health plans offer great coverage for major accident or illness. The only downside is that these plans are on a limited term basis so if you run out of coverage and need to apply for a new policy you are on the hook for any pre-existing conditions. Yes, that broken arm was covered quite nicely on your previous short term plan but now if you find yourself needing physical therapy and were able to transfer into a new policy, the physical therapy will be considered pre-existing and not be covered! While a short term health plan is excellent catastrophic coverage we recommend you get an individual or group insurance plan if they are available. This way you will save yourself the hassle of dealing with pre-existing conditions.
Delta Dental has strived to improve the oral health of Americans around the nation. For those that live in the golden state, Delta Dental of California provides California dental insurance to people on a group and individual basis. With every individual having slightly different needs, you will want to read on to see what plans you qualify for and best suit you!
Delta Dental of California PPO Plan
It is important to note that the Delta Dental PPO plan is only offered to Californians on a group basis. If this plan is not offered through your or your spouse’s employer unfortunately the policy will not be available to you.
Since the PPO has a much larger network of dentists chances are your dentist is a contracted dentist with Delta.
From a coverage standpoint the PPO plan should usually cover preventive care immediately at no charge to you. Preventive care includes your semi-annual teeth cleaning visits and x-rays. Be advised you can have up to a year waiting period for basic services such as fillings and a 2 years waiting period for major services including orthodontics. As a standard, the PPO plan brings with it an annual coverage maximum of $1,000 per member. Sometimes the coverage maximum can be slightly lower or higher depending on the contract with the employer.
Deltacare USA HMO Dental
This California dental insurance plan is offered on an individual basis which means any Californian can apply. This plan is great coverage but the only downside is that you will more than likely not be able to use your regular dentist. The HMO network of contracted dentists is significantly lower than the PPO. If this is not an issue for you this plan is worth the affordable premium of $91 a year.
The plan brings with it and unlimited coverage maximum. You can get as much care as you require! Preventive care for semi-annual teeth cleanings runs $20 per visit. One of the best parts about the Deltacare USA plan is there are absolutely no waiting periods so you may receive care immediately.
For more information on Delta Dental of California fee schedules including more plan details please contact us anytime!
A guide to setting up your small business health insurance in California!
Are you looking to give your employees the advantage of health benefits? Whether you have two or thirty employees they’ll find value in small business health insurance California. Not only that, employees will be healthier and require less sick days when medical professionals are easily accessible. Regardless of pre-existing health conditions employees will be accepted because small business health insurance is guarantee issue under California law AB 1672.
Here are some things you may want to prepare before talking to your California health insurance agent:
- How many employees do you have and how many would like to accept coverage? There are employee participation requirements required for getting small business health insurance. Most carriers require 75% participation to be considered for group plans.
- How much are you willing to pay for each employee premium? You’re required to pay a portion of each employee premium, sometimes as little as 25% or a flat dollar amount as low as $50.
- Do you have at least two employees? Most carriers require you to have two full time employees as shown on the DE 6 or quarterly tax and wage statement. With some carriers, limited liability companies (LLC) aren’t required to show payroll records if they can provide LLC documents with an operating agreement.
- Do you have your employee’s personal information readily available? Most insurance agencies require a date of birth, height and weight, home address, dependent details, and other pieces of information to get an accurate quote. It’s a good idea to have a completed group census before calling your agent.
- Are the employees not accepting group health insurance considered an eligible waiver. Employees not qualifying as eligible waivers may put your small business below the employee participation requirements for obtaining group insurance.
- And finally, do you have an agent who can answer all your questions and relay missing information from insurance carriers to you in a timely manner? Getting small business health insurance can be a long process if you’re not working with the right people. JC Lewis Insurance Services has been helping small employer’s get affordable employee benefits for over thirty years.
For more information on obtaining California group health insurance for your small business please give us a call toll free at 866-745-9555. We’ll get you set up in no time!
