The American health care system offers an enormous range of health insurance choices starting from low-cost minimum coverage plans to highly-expensive comprehensive plans. Health insurance plans are broadly classified as Indemnity Plans, Managed Care Plans and Health Savings Accounts (HSA). These different health plans differ in the approach they use to cover medical costs which includes factors like the your control over the care you receive, the cost of the care, the network of doctors and hospitals, and insurance coverage. Indemnity and consumer directed plans offer a wider choice of doctors whereas managed care plans offer broader coverage. Check out the details of various health care plans below:Indemnity Plans: These plans are also commonly known as traditional or fee-for-service plans. These health insurance plans give insureds the full freedom to choose any doctor or hospital and they then indemnify him for the cost of the care. This means that the insurance company does not directly pay the provider unless the benefits under the policy have been assigned to the health care provider. These plans generally have a deductible before any benefits are available and will pay a percentage of the cost after the deductible has been met up to a specified limit. Indemnity Plans are usually very expensive option and are suitable for people who are willing to pay more for the freedom of choice they get to select medical providers. Managed Care Plans: Managed care plans provide 1st dollar benefits like office and prescription copays and they control the cost of health care by managing health care services. The insurance company has an agreement with network of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers that provide health care services to the insured at a reduced cost. These plans are less expensive, provide benefits for preventive care and offer less out of pocket expenses. There are three primary types of Managed Care Plans:

a) HMO or Health Maintenance Organization,

b) PPO or Point of Provider Organization, and

c) POS or Point of Service.HMO or Health Maintenance Organization

HMOs benefits are usually a copayment which varies on the type of services you are receiving and they generally have no deductibles or co-insurance expenses. Benefits are limited to services delivered by a medical provider from the HMO network except in the case of a life threatening emergency, and a referral is generally required to visit a specialty care physician like a cardiologist. HMO networks include physicians, physical therapists, psychologists, surgical centers, hospitals and other health care providers. Some include holistic and alternative medicine providers as well. HMOs include the convenience of minimal paper work when you see a network provider and a simple copayment when you get care. These insurance plans protect you against all types of health challenges and also provide health benefits like preventive care. The downside of an HMO is that you have to use their providers, which is fine when you are healthy. The challenge is when you or one of your dependents becomes catastrophically ill, and you need to see an expert who is not in the HMO. PPO or Point of Provider Organization

PPO includes benefits of both indemnity plans and managed care plans. You can visit the doctor of your choice but your benefits are much better if the doctor belongs to the PPO network. The cost of a PPO plan is also lower than an indemnity plan, and can be comparable to an HMO plan. Benefits typically include a copay for office visits and prescription drugs and you will need to pay your deductibles and coinsurance for other services and a higher deductible for out of network care. POS or Point of Service

POS plans are a hybrid between an HMO and a PPO plan. POS plans provide the highest benefits when you work within the rules of the plan but you also can receive care from medical providers outside the network, but you will have more out of pocket expenses. These plans generally require referrals for specialty care although you can visit specialists without a referral by paying the higher cost in the benefits.

Contact www.benepath.com for the most comprehensive and affordable health insurance plans. Benepath is a licensed health insurance consulting firm that offer health plans from industry leaders. Health Savings Account (HSA): HSA’s require that you buy a qualified high deductible health plan with minimum deductibles and out of pocket maximums. These plans are generally offered with an Indemnity or PPO plan design, with the PPO plans providing you with the negotiated discount for health expenses before you meet the deductible. You then can save money into the account on a tax deductible basis, and take the money out with no taxes to cover any qualified medical expenses. These plans are the most affordable plan and the best value for most consumers.

Visit www.benepath.com for more information and health insurance quotes on the most comprehensive and affordable health insurance plans. Benepath is a licensed health insurance consulting firm that works with agents across the country to offer health plans from industry leaders.

In this economy, many people have lost their jobs or are in fear of losing them. Retirement savings are down and no one seems to know when the economy will turn around. In times like these we must pay close attention to how every dollar is spent. If you’ve lost your health insurance or otherwise need to get health insurance, it’s more important than ever to get the coverage you need to protect your family’s finances without paying for coverage you don’t need.

PPO, HMO, HSA…with so many health insurance plans to choose from, how do you know which health plan is right for you? With hundreds of health plans available it can be difficult to decide which health plan is best for you and your family.

The following guidelines are provided by Jeff Breazile, owner of Benefit Studio Health Insurance Services (http://www.benefitstudio.com), a California based independent insurance agency.

To help narrow down the many choices available and find the right plan for you and your budget, it’s important to compare premium quotes from different health plans. But what benefits do you get for your monthly premium? Look beyond just the quoted premium of a health plan and consider what benefits in a health insurance plan are most important to you.

Focusing on the benefits you need most is the first step in finding a Califorrnia health insurance plan that not only offers the protection you need, but is affordable as well. The health plan with the lowest premium may not give you the financial protection you need if you get sick, have an accident or otherwise need to seek medical attention. A comprehensive health plan that covers a wide range of services and benefits may cost more in premium, but could actually save you money over a basic or “catastrophic” plan on the other end of the spectrum where you would pay a much larger share of the costs when you receive medical care.

Here are some tips to help you narrow down the list of health insurance plans when deciding which plan will be the best fit. Start by deciding which type of benefits are most important to you. What benefits have you used most in the past? How much of the medical expenses could you reasonably pay yourself if you have a major medical event? Use the following list to focus on the most important benefits. Then you can compare the plans with the benefits that best fit your needs.

PPO – Is it important to you that your plan offer a large network of participating doctors and hospitals? Do you want to be able to see a specialist without having to obtain a referral from your primary doctor? Preferred Provider Plans (PPO) offer the largest networks of participating doctors and hospitals. With a PPO you also have the option of getting medical care outside of your PPO network, although you will usually pay more if you receive care from a provider that is not in your network.

 HMO – Another option is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Although not as popular as PPO health plans, many people prefer them due to their simplicity. You can obtain most services for a low copayment and usually no coinsurance requirement. The tradeoff with an HMO is you must stay in network to receive covered medical services. HMO networks are normally smaller than PPO networks and generally a referral is required from your primary care doctor to see a specialist.

Maternity Benefits – While the cost of health insurance plans vary widely, and it’s important to choose a health plan that has the benefits you need, you may be able to save money by choosing a plan without certain benefits. If maternity benefits are not important to you, look for a health plan without maternity benefits. This alone could save you hundreds of dollars annually on your health insurance plan.

Deductible Amount – Except for services where you are only responsible for a copayment, the deductible is the amount you pay before the insurance plan pays anything. If you’re willing to pay more of the upfront costs when you need medical care, choosing a higher deductible can help keep your insurance premiums lower.

Copayment (Copay) – The copay is a flat fee you pay at the time of service. After paying the copayment, the plan usually pays 100 percent of the balance of covered services. Some California health insurance plans allow you to visit the doctor’s office for a low copay without having to meet your annual insurance deductible.

Coinsurance – In addition to the deductible, when comparing health insurance plans, pay attention to what coinsurance amount you will be responsible for after your deductible is met. Coinsurance is the percentage of the charges you are responsible to pay for covered medical services apart from any copays or your deductible.

Out of Pocket Maximum – The out of pocket maximum is the maximum amount per year you’ll have to pay for covered medical services. After reaching your out of pocket maximum, your health insurance plan pays for any additional covered medical expenses up to the plan’s lifetime benefit amount.

Prescription Drug Coverage – When it comes to prescription drug coverage, some health insurance plans keep the premiums lower by covering only generic prescription drugs. Keep in mind that while there are many generic prescription drugs available, not every prescription drug is available in generic form.

Preventive Care Services – In order to encourage healthy lifestyle habits and thereby reduce future medical expenses, many California health insurance plans offer low or no copayments or other financial incentives for preventive care services such as physical exams, immunizations, annual gynecological exams, mammograms, prostate exams and cancer screenings.

 Health Savings Account (HSA) – Are you interested in a health plan that will help you save money on your tax bill? Consider a Health Savings Account (HSA) compatible health plan. A Health Savings Account (HSA) combines high deductible health insurance with a tax-advantaged medical savings account. Withdrawals that are used to pay for qualified medical expenses, including your insurance deductible, coinsurance and co-payments are federally tax-free.

By focusing on these nine plan benefits when shopping for California health insurance, you’ll find a plan that fits your healthcare needs and your pocketbook.

When comparing health insurance quotes, make sure you are comparing similar plans. Health insurance comes in two basic forms – indemnity plans and managed care plans. Both indemnity and managed care health insurance are further broken down into several different types of health insurance so it is important to take the time and compare health insurance plans to determine what best fits your health care needs.Indemnity Health InsuranceIndemnity health plans put you in charge of choosing your doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. You pay a set monthly premium and your health insurance pays your medical care, often after you pay a deductible and possibly a percentage of the bill. A common employer-sponsored form of health insurance is a cafeteria or flexible spending plan. This type of health insurance allows employees to create a benefit package taken from a number of options. You need to contact the employee benefit department at your company for more information on the exact mix of choices available to you. If you are looking for lower cost health insurance, a “basic and essential” plan may be the best option. Do keep in mind this type of health insurance is limited in what services may be covered so it is important to carefully read the policy so you understand what treatments the plan does cover. Another type of health insurance known as catastrophic health insurance or high-deductible health plans do just what it sounds like they would. The deductible is high, but this type of health insurance protects you against catastrophic illness with a very high total cost. Health savings accounts are fairly new and an alternative to traditional health insurance. This plan involves putting money into a tax-free savings account to cover your medical expenses. Managed Care Health InsuranceThe two most common types of managed care health insurance are health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs). HMOs give you access to a group of participating doctors, hospitals and health care providers. HMOs come with fewer out-of-pocket expenses, but visits to the doctor, prescriptions and other services usually come with a co-pay or fee. PPOs are fee-for-service health insurance and medical services are paid by the insurer on a negotiated and discounted fee schedule. PPOs allow participants to choose medical providers outside the plan’s network, although this can result in higher out-of-pocket costs. One other type of health insurance is point-of-service (POS) plans. This type of health insurance is similar to indemnity plans, and your primary care physician can refer you outside of the plan without any extra costs to the insured. If you refer yourself outside a POS plan you will be charged a co-pay.

When comparing health insurance quotes, make sure you are comparing similar plans. Health insurance comes in two basic forms – indemnity plans and managed care plans. Both indemnity and managed care health insurance are further broken down into several different types of health insurance so it is important to take the time and compare health insurance plans to determine what best fits your health care needs.Indemnity Health InsuranceIndemnity health plans put you in charge of choosing your doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. You pay a set monthly premium and your health insurance pays your medical care, often after you pay a deductible and possibly a percentage of the bill. A common employer-sponsored form of health insurance is a cafeteria or flexible spending plan. This type of health insurance allows employees to create a benefit package taken from a number of options. You need to contact the employee benefit department at your company for more information on the exact mix of choices available to you. If you are looking for lower cost health insurance, a “basic and essential” plan may be the best option. Do keep in mind this type of health insurance is limited in what services may be covered so it is important to carefully read the policy so you understand what treatments the plan does cover. Another type of health insurance known as catastrophic health insurance or high-deductible health plans do just what it sounds like they would. The deductible is high, but this type of health insurance protects you against catastrophic illness with a very high total cost. Health savings accounts are fairly new and an alternative to traditional health insurance. This plan involves putting money into a tax-free savings account to cover your medical expenses. Managed Care Health InsuranceThe two most common types of managed care health insurance are health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs). HMOs give you access to a group of participating doctors, hospitals and health care providers. HMOs come with fewer out-of-pocket expenses, but visits to the doctor, prescriptions and other services usually come with a co-pay or fee. PPOs are fee-for-service health insurance and medical services are paid by the insurer on a negotiated and discounted fee schedule. PPOs allow participants to choose medical providers outside the plan’s network, although this can result in higher out-of-pocket costs. One other type of health insurance is point-of-service (POS) plans. This type of health insurance is similar to indemnity plans, and your primary care physician can refer you outside of the plan without any extra costs to the insured. If you refer yourself outside a POS plan you will be charged a co-pay.