The increasing cost medical care is of great concern to many people. The cost is so high that many healthy are choosing to have no coverage at all. This proves costly to the state of Colorado and to its medical providers because the non-insured is treated for emergencies regardless of coverage.
There is state run programs in Colorado hat offer free medical benefits if one qualifies. But, for the most part, if your employer does not offer health insurance, you will probably need to purchase an individual plan. These plans are offered by various companies who have the right to turn you down if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Other companies might accept you, but there could be restrictions and your premium will be higher. There is no such thing as a standardized policy in Colorado. This means insurance companies can make their own stipulations. However, all plans have to cover certain screening and prevention programs. You need to research any insurance company you are thinking of purchasing individual coverage from.
When buying individual health insurance coverage you must consider several options like how much do you want to pay out of pocket for doctor visits; do you want medications covered under the policy and what are the co-pays for office and emergency room visits?
For those looking for ways to reduce their taxes, a higher deductible health insurance is the way to go. There are policies designed for families of all incomes.
Colorado is designed to help those who are having a hard time finding affordable health insurance coverage. For further information you may contact the Colorado Division of Insurance.
By: Peter Emerson
Posts Tagged ‘Doctor Visits’
Colorado Individual Health Insurance
April 25th, 2010Colorado Group Health Insurance
April 9th, 2010
In Colorado, group health insurance is designed to meet the health care needs of employees of large and small companies. In Colorado, a single person who owns a business could, in some circumstances, qualify for group health insurance benefits. If your employer offers group health plans paying only a portion of the premium, then you are responsible for the rest. This is true for individual and family coverage. Whether the employer pays all or a portion of the cost, Colorado insurance laws dictate that you cannot be refused, or asked to pay more because of your medical condition. Also, your group health insurance can never be cancelled, even if you get sick.
An important point to remember is if you leave your job, you cannot take your group plan with you. You can continue coverage by paying out of pocket for a plan called “state continuation coverage” or COBRA. This coverage usually lasts for three months. It also helps cover any waiting period you may have once you get a new job and new coverage. Keep in mind however; your new coverage may not include medication coverage for a pre-existing condition for up to one year.
Most group health plans in Colorado offer flexibility to companies in choosing plans. Companies usually offer employees several plans to choose from. A good plan will offer benefits like coverage for “out of the network” doctor visits by the members.
In cases where employees contribute to the plan, there are often times a savings plan benefit to employees. Check with your employer to see if one is offered and how it works.
By: Peter Emerson
No Cost Or Low Cost Alternatives For Individual & Family Health Insurance
March 25th, 2010
Many individuals and families have taken a big hit over the past couple of years because of the high cost of health insurance coverage. Many small businesses that used to be able to provide individual and family health insurance have had no choice but to discontinue offering benefits because the costs were simply too much for them to pay. This has left many people without health coverage and without a lot of option either. If this has happened to you or someone you know, here are a few simple options that might help you out at some point.
#1. Buy private insurance. I understand how expensive this can be. If you do this you may want to consider just carrying a high deductible and paying cash for doctor visits. By raising your deductible you’ll lower your monthly payments by quite a bit. As I said, this is only an option.
#2. Try to find a doctor that will see you for a lower fee in exchange for cash. This is not out of the question at all. Many doctors have to wait several weeks before they are reimbursed for certain insurance claims so even if you had to see someone on a space available basis it might be worth your time to look into it. I know that this is fairly common in smaller towns in some parts of the country.
#3. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to seek public assistance by either applying for government aid or by visiting a free clinic. Hey, you can think whatever you want of me personally, but if one of my children are sick that pride nonsense goes out the window. If I or my wife were sick and were unable to see a doctor we wouldn’t be able to provide for our kids. If you’re a single person then you need a helping hand to get back on your feet. Folks, we’ve got to stick together, especially now. Don’t be passing judgment on anyone that needs help because they or their kids are sick or hungry.
#4. Veterans should visit the closest VA Hospital or clinic. You don’t have to be combat related to be seen and you may qualify for health care at no charge if you are without income, low income or have no insurance.
There may be other alternatives available within your community that you could look into. The best thing that I can recommend other than what I already have is to grab a few free family health insurance quotes online and see what you can come up with there. You just never know what might fit into your budget.
By: Joe Stewart
