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Monday, May 4, 2009

Know the Different Small Business Health Insurance Types

By Caressa Waechter

Small companies or groups provide various kinds of health protection. The medical plans offered to workers usually cover a wide range of health care necessities that comprise of medical check-ups, hospital treatment and prescribed medicines.

Company owners must know exactly what health protection suits the needs of the employees. Of course, the budget should be considered, too. The information below is given to help owners decide which the best plan for their situation.

Indemnity plans - These main medical plans normally include a deductible - the insurance company will start to pay the benefits after the insured person have paid the amount. Once the covered expenses go beyond the deductible amount, benefits are often paid as a fraction of the actual expenditures, which is usually 80%. These plans typically offer the best flexibility in selecting where to get medical care.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans - These main medical plans typically allow the insured person to decide on a PCP (Primary Care Physician) from a directory of network providers. A PCP is in charge of handling the health care of the insured person. If he/she requires treatment from any out-of-network provider, they need to obtain a referral from their PCP.

Medical attention must be obtained from the provider if you want the claim to be compensated through HMO. If you have been treated outside the provider, chances are you will be paying for the expenses or it may be covered, but at a reduced level.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan - This plan is when the insurance provider makes an agreement with chosen doctors and hospitals to provide services at discounted price. If you are a PPO member, you can seek medical care from a hospital or physician who is not from the network, but you are most likely to compensate a co-payment or larger deductible amount.

Point of Service (POS) plans - These main medical plans are a combination of HMO and PPO plans. It has better flexibility compared to HMOs; however, it needs the insured person to choose a primary care physician. Comparable to PPO, the insured person can seek treatment from a non-selected provider and pay additional cost, but if the insured person was referred by the primary care physician to a non-selected physician, the insurance company will shoulder the expense.

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