Archive for November 2010
Health Insurance Protection In Georgia
November 14, 2010 | 
Author In Georgia, state laws protect your access to healthcare even if you get sick or would not otherwise have ready access to health care. Here’s a rundown on current scenarios in Georgia’s health care system.
Group Health Plans
There is such a thing nondiscrimination in a group health plan, which means that if you are covered under a company-backed policy, you cannot be denied or be limited in your access to healthcare because of you health status. You also cannot be made to pay more because of your current state of being.
Similarly, if you are a small company trying to buy group health insurance, you cannot be turned down because of any factor that may affect the use of health services by anyone in your company. Therefore, you as an employer should be sold health plan on a guaranteed basis.
As it is, Georgia limits health insurance carriers from excluding pre-existing conditions. Of course, there are rules on what can be counted as a pre-existing condition and how long anyone must wait before a new plan begins to pay for the care of that condition. In general, if you have a new plan, your old coverage can be credited as the exclusion period of your pre-existing condition under certain conditions.
Conversion Policy
If for any reason you lost your fully insured group health plan, you have the right to buy an individual health insurance from the same company that provided the group coverage, provided that you were fully covered for six months under that group plan.
However, there are conversion policies and you can be charged premiums. Thankfully, you do not have to be slapped with a new exclusion period for pre-existing conditions.
Health Insurance Between Jobs
Even after you leave your job, you still remain in your employer’s group health plan for a period of time, which is called COBRA or state continuation coverage. This continuation helps if you are waiting for a new health plan or are between jobs.
Low To Modest Income Health Insurance
If you can’t afford health insurance, you may qualify for free health coverage or a subsidized plan. Georgia’s Medicaid program offers free health care for pregnant women, low-income families, and elderly or disabled individuals with little or no income. Median income families in Atlanta can opt for private family health insurance programs readily available in the market.
Cancer Treatment For The Uninsured Or Underinsured
If you are at risk for cancer but do not have health insurance or are underinsured, you may still avail of screening and treatment under the Georgia Cancer Screening
Program, which provides free screening for qualified Georgians. Some women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer may qualify for Medicaid through this program.
Health Insurance – Health Savings Account – HSA
Health insurance is a critical part of our health care system. For those that are lucky enough to have health insurance, they know that it shouldn’t be taken for granted. For a large number of the unfortunate who don’t have health insurance for their families, do so at great risks.
Health insurance has long been a popular political subject for our country. There are many that fill health insurance should be socialized. There are just as many feel it should be kept private. While both parties may have sound arguments, we have to accept what is available to us. So, unless you’re a government employee, or one of the dwindling corporate employees still receiving health insurance, you need to go out there and get it on your own.
There are a number of health insurance choices that should suit your specific needs. A Health Maintenance Organization, or more commonly called HMO, is one popular health insurance choice. HMOs are one of the most common forms of health insurance provided by employers. They allow you to visit a pre-selected hospital, doctors, or clinics, without restriction. This may or may not be totally covered by your employer, but usually comes at a fixed monthly cost.
The Preferred Provider Organization, or the PPO, is similar to the HMO concept. With the PPO, you are not forced to get a little dig their doctor or hospital. When you do, however, you receive a discount for doing so. This system works on the reimbursement, philosophy. Essentially, you are reimbursed by your insurance company after services are rendered. Sometimes, they will bill your insurer at the time of service.
Indemnity health insurance plans are eight other top and plan that has become quite popular these days. One reason is, you are able to choose any position or hospital you choose. The drawback to this of course is that it comes at a premium. In addition to higher costs ease typically require a larger deductible. For the hypochondriac this may not be the best choice. Those that like to make lots of visits to hospitals might find other plans more suitable. But for those that have to be on their deathbed to see a doctor, this may be an appropriate plan.
The Health Savings Account, HSA, has some similarities to the indemnity health insurance plans. As the Health Savings Account is probably most suitable to the individual that doesn’t require a lot health care, or checkups. These individuals, which most commonly are men, may find the Health Savings Account to be a good choice for them.
Health Savings Accounts are a way to both have a way to save and pay for medical expenses. Any contributions that are made to the Health Savings Account that go unused for medical purposes are retained in a savings account. This savings account can hold many popular investments, such as mutual funds. So, getting back to the individual that avoids medical care, this individual gifts for both best of both worlds. They get the protection of the much-needed health insurance. This provides protection against large medical or accident issues. But, if these funds go unused, they get the benefit of putting the money away for retirement. Any after-tax dollars that are contributed to the Health Savings Account can be detected, up to $2900 for 2008.
Choosing a health insurance plan may seem like a very confusing process. There is no open and shut method of choosing the best health insurance. Each individual is different, with different health needs. The most important step here is to get some form of health insurance. Go in without adequate health insurance puts you and your family at tremendous risks. And those risks just aren’t worth the possible consequences.
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Posted in Insurance | 
Tags: Health Care System, Health Insurance Plans, Health Savings Account, Hmo, Hmos, Hospital Doctors | 
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