Health Insurance Plans
California Health Insurance Plans
Confused about which California Health Insurance Plans may be best for you, your family, or your small business? You're not alone! With hundreds of plans to choose from, it's difficult to evaluate all options and choose the plan that best suits you particular needs.
If you seek help directly from an insurance company, you'll only be informed of that company's products. The most prudent choice is to get professional help from a California insurance agent specializing in California health insurance plans. You pay nothing for their services since health insurance premiums are filed with the insurance department and cannot be increased or reduced.
Still, it's best if you understand some of the basics about health insurance and the following paragraphs may help.
The most common types of California Health Insurance Plans are PPO and HMO based coverage. PPO stands for preferred provider organization. A PPO will give you a much greater selection of health care providers and the freedom to choose which physician or specialist you would like to see. HMO stands for health maintenance organization and consists of coordinated care through a primary care physician (PCP). You must select one physician when enrolling in the plan. The PCP will refer you to specialists if they think you need or request to be seen by one.
Individual and Family plans (IFP) are insurance plans designed to cover an individual or family looking to have health insurance coverage privately. This would be a plan different from employer, union, or high risk insurance plans. IFP coverage requires that you be underwritten in order for you or your family to be accepted. You will be required to answer a series of medical questions that determine your eligibility for coverage. If you are declined for an individual or family plan you will need to look for another option in selecting California Health Insurance Plans.
Guarantee issue insurance is available for individuals or families who want insurance, but can't get it on their own. You can obtain guarantee issue insurance through an employer based plan or through the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP).
Employer based plans or small business insurance, is guarantee issue. This means there is no health underwriting and you will be accepted regardless of your health history or pre-existing conditions. If you really need health insurance and can't afford the high risk insurance plans, it may be wise for you to find a job with health insurance benefits or call an agent to find out how you can go about setting up your own small business. With two employees or more, you can set up your own employer based insurance plan and benefit from the guarantee issue insurance plans available through your small business.
Major Risk Medical Insurance Plans, also known as MRMIP, provides coverage for individuals or families who can't get insurance through the individual or small business insurance plans. To be accepted for MRMIP insurance you must be declined by an individual insurance company and submit your declination letter with your application. There is no health underwriting for the MRMIP plan so you may be covered regardless of your health history or pre-existing conditions. Once enrolled your may have the plan for an extended period of time. If you would like to have coverage on your effective date it's important that you provide evidence that you've had other insurance coverage within the past 63 days.