You may not want to think about it, but what would happen if you suddenly became ineligible for your employer’s group health insurance plan?  It may not be something that you think about every day, but it is worth considering. Temporary health insurance in Florida may make a great alternative to COBRA for you and your family.

What is COBRA?

COBRA is the abbreviated name for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986, which states you can be eligible for extended health insurance coverage from your Florida group health insurance plan for various reasons such as:

• Legal separation or divorce from the covered employee
• Death of the covered employee
• Termination or reduction in hours worked, as long as termination reason is not for “gross misconduct”
• The covered employee becomes eligible for Medicare

What Makes COBRA So Expensive?

Though offering health insurance coverage, COBRA can become complicated and especially expensive. In some cases, you may be responsible for paying up to 102% of the group plan’s premiums. That can be a lot of money, especially if you don’t need coverage for very long. If this is simply too expensive for you, you may want to consider buying a Short term health insurance plan.  It can be a great alternative to COBRA.

How Can Temporary Health Insurance in Florida Be a Great Alternative to COBRA?

Price: Primarily, temporary health insurance in Florida may prove a great alternative to COBRA if the COBRA premiums are too expensive for you and your family to pay. Think about the portion that you paid as an employee. More than likely, it was a small fraction of what your employer paid. Combine both portions to obtain the total: Can you afford it?

No Pre-Existing Conditions: Temporary health insurance in Florida can be a great alternative to COBRA if you do not have a pre-existing condition. Generally, short term insurance plans do not cover pre-existing conditions. Therefore, the healthier you are, the better off you will be under temporary health insurance in Florida.

Creditable Coverage: Though temporary health insurance policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, some may count towards “creditable coverage.” This means that when you eventually purchase regular Florida health insurance or Florida group health insurance, you can prove you had sufficient health insurance coverage during the time since you left your prior group plan.  These conditions, if not covered, may otherwise prohibit you from becoming covered in a future long term health insurance plan.

How Much Does Temporary Health Insurance in Florida Cost?

As a great alternative to COBRA, temporary health insurance in Florida will probably cost considerably less than a traditional plan.  It can be even cheaper if you have low risk factors such as being young, healthy and a nonsmoker.

What Are Some Great Temporary Health Insurance Carriers?

Some carriers offering temporary health insurance in Florida as a great alternative to COBRA are: Celtic Life, Standard Security Life of New York, HCC Life Insurance Company, United Healthcare, Assurant, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida.

For More Information

Temporary health insurance in Florida can be a great alternative to COBRA, but make sure you discuss all your options with an experienced and knowledgeable health insurance adviser. Call us today at 888-564-7662.   If you would like more information visit our Temporary Health Insurance Plans in Florida page.  If you would like to get an instant quote visit our Florida Temporary Health Insurance Quote.

Throughout the State of Florida there are  hundreds of Florida health insurance plans.  However, there are only four basic type.  They are…

Traditional

Traditional insurance is the oldest form of Florida health insurance. Also known as indemnity or fee for service insurance. Policyholders are free to utilize the services of the doctor, hospital or medical facility of their choice. Coverage is very straightforward. The insurance company pays your medical provider’s fee, less your deductible and/or co-insurance. However, keep in mind that generally traditional insurance is very expensive and limited in its scope of coverage for ‘well-care’ i.e. physicals, routine office visits and immunizations.

Health Maintenance Organizations – HMO

Health Maintenance Organizations, also commonly known as HMO’s are quite different from traditional health insurance plans. With preventative medicine in mind, HMO’s encourage physicals, flu shots, mammograms and well baby care. The hope is that through regular medical care, serious illnesses can be prevented or treated during early stages. Small co-pays for doctor visits and prescription drugs enable patients to maintain this level of preventative care. This type of plan is becoming more and more expensive due to the unexpected high utilization rates of individuals and groups. In other words, with very low co-pays, and out of pocket expenses, individuals are less likely to be concerned with the actual costs, visiting the doctor more often, and having more diagnostic tests done.

HMO’s require patients to appoint a gatekeeper physician (referred to as your family doctor) to coordinate all medical care. Additionally, HMO policyholders must utilize a pre-determined network of doctors, hospitals and medical facilities. This aspect of HMO insurance is often the most controversial because of the availability of services in your area. There is always the concern that you may need a level of care that is not available in your HMO’s network. Whether or not coverage will be extended outside the network, is left in the hands of HMO administrators. Also, HMO’s are often more expensive nowadays than the newer hybrid plans which combine features of both the PPO and HMO plans to decrease utilization which in turn reduces the final costs to your business.

Preferred Provider Organizations, PPO

Add one part traditional and two parts HMO and you have the perfect recipe for a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). PPO’s offer policyholders a more liberal approach to managed care. You are not required to appoint a primary care physician, and can coordinate your own medical care within the PPO network. To receive the highest level of benefits, you are required to utilize the PPO’s network of doctors and hospitals. However, unlike an HMO, you are able to seek coverage outside the network. But keep in mind; you will have to pay a higher deductible and/or co-insurance for that convenience.

Point of Service plans or POS

This type of plan is somewhat of a hybrid between an HMO and a PPO.  POS plans require that there be a participating hospital in the county where you live or where your business is located.  The benefits are very much like an HMO in that the copay and out of pocket costs are relatively low compared to a PPO plan.  The premium cost for a POS plan in Florida is usually a little less than the PPO plan.  Referrals or gatekeepers are normally not required but in rare cases they may be.  Most POS plans do not require that a primary care physician coordinate your care.

Whenever considering managed care products, whether it be a HMO or PPO, there is no guarantee that your favorite doctor will be a participating physician. One other important factor to always consider is that the networks are not static. Doctors and hospitals can join or withdraw from a network at any time.  It is always best to call your insurance companies’ customer service dept to verify if a doctor or other medical provider is in the network whether it be a HMO, PPO, POS, or traditional fee for service plan.

Choosing the right Florida Health Insurance Plan is an important decision, but it often can be complicated. As with any other major purchase, it is important that you understand the options available to you.  If you have questions call and speak to one of our advisers at 888-564-7662. If you would like to obtain a free no obligations quote for individual coverage click Florida  Health Insurance Quote.  or if you have a small business (less tan 50 employees click Florida group health insurance quote small business group health quote in Florida

Why is it Important to Have Group Health Insurance in Florida?

Having medical coverage is critical. The possibility of developing an illness or becoming injured is always present no matter how old you are, where you live or what occupation you have. One of the best ways to plan for any unexpected periods of illness or injury is to have proper health insurance coverage, especially through a Florida group health insurance plan.

Group health insurance plans account for the majority of medical expense premiums because of their affordability, ease of insurability and range of covered conditions and treatments for those who are covered.

Affordability

Florida group health insurance plans are generally affordable for individuals and their dependents. Many times this is because an individual’s employer chooses to pay for most or all of the premium payments. If you do pay a premium, it is typically a minimal amount per month compared to your employer’s contribution.

Insurability

Another reason why Florida group health insurance plans are popular is because eligibility to participate in a group plan is typically less rigorous than an individual health insurance plan. Usually, general specifications do apply, such as being a full time employee working at least 25 hours each week and fulfilling a waiting, or probationary, period during which time you are not yet qualified for coverage. This may simply be a three or six month period that new employees have to wait before being able to sign on to their employer’s plan.

A major advantage of being part of a group insurance plan in Florida is that the risk is generally spread over the entire group. Unlike an individual health insurance plan, you are typically not be required to answer medical questions, and never are you asked to undergo a physical examination to determine your insurability. This is especially beneficial for individuals whose family medical history may indicate a higher chance of developing diseases or illnesses down the road.

Covered Conditions

Florida group health insurance plans are generally offered as health maintenance organizations (HMO), preferred provider organizations (PPO), point-of-service plans (POS) or traditional indemnity plans. Though there are many different types of group plans each with their individual advantages, all provide coverage for a wide range of health care services: routine physicals, diagnostic testing, treatments and surgery.

For More Information

For over 25 years, Doug Jones has provided solid advice and service on  Florida group health insurance plans . To see how our experience can help your business please visit our website at http://www.nisona.com.