Getting an affordable health quote if you're self employed can be a real hassle. However you can find affordable rates if you know where to look and how to structure your insurance. Here's how ...
An Affordable Health Insurance Plan
The first thing you need to do is figure out what type of plan will best suit your needs. There are four basic plans to consider:
1. FFS (Fee-For-Service) plans, also known as indemnity plans, are the most expensive health insurance plans and involve the most paperwork. With these plans you can choose your own doctor and your own hospital. Deductibles average $500 to $1,000 and you'll be responsible for 20% of the bill.
2. HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plans are the least expensive and the least flexible health insurance plans. HMOs provide you with a network of doctors which you must see. You'll be required to pay a small copayment, usually $5 to $15 for each doctor visit, and you need permission from your plan's primary care physician to see an in-network specialist.
3. PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plans cost slightly more than HMOs but are more flexible. Copayments are about the same as an HMO's, and you're allowed to see a network specialist without your primary physician's permission. If you see a non-network specialist you may have to pay the entire bill, pay the difference between network charges and what the specialist charges, or pay a deductible.
4. POS (Point-Of-Service) plans cost more than PPOs and less than FFSs, and are a combination of the two plans. These plans provide you with a network of physicians who will treat you. Your copayment is about the same as that of a PPO, but you can see a non-network physician and the plan will reimburse him or her.
Getting an Affordable Quote
In the good ol' days, prior to the Internet, you could spend half your life visiting local insurance companies or calling insurance agents on the phone to get health insurance quotes. Now, thanks to the Internet, getting quotes is a piece of cake.
You can go to an insurance comparison website, fill out a single questionnaire, and get quotes from different companies. Some of the better sites even have an insurance expert who will answer all your health insurance questions online.
By Brian Stevens Published: 4/19/2007
