Affordable Ohio Health Insurance Plans

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Healthcare Coverage For Ohio Children And Infants – Best Plans

Ohio child-only health insurance plans are now easy to find. Most companies offer this type of coverage due to some of the changes implemented with Obamacare. Previously, most carriers required an adult to be the primary applicant before any dependents could be added. This created many scenarios that forced babies and young adults to be uncovered or accept inferior benefits until group coverage could be obtained. Prior to the Affordable Care Act legislation, Assurant offered these types of plans A full description of the policy with details is shown below. But times have indeed changed, since Assurant no longer offers child-only health insurance policies in Ohio (or any other state!), and many low-cost options are now available through Anthem, Medical Mutual, Aetna, Premier, SummaCare, and many other companies. It is also important to understand that placing your dependent on a parent’s policy may actually result in a lower premium. For example, if a household’s family income qualifies for a federal subsidy, when compared to a single policy, rates could be lower, and deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses may also reduce. Assurant Plan Details (No Longer Available) The Assurant “Short-Term” policy will approve a “child-only” policy (assuming the application is accepted and underwriting guidelines are met). Since it is a temporary policy, typically you can keep...

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Buy Ohio Catastrophic Or Comprehensive Health Insurance?

What type of Ohio health insurance should you buy? Catastrophic or comprehensive coverage?  Catastrophic plans  cost substantially less, but typically place a deductible on most benefits, often have higher out-of-pocket expenses, and limit the number of times times you can visit a physician with just a copay. Comprehensive plans are less expensive, and feature low copays on primary-care physician  and specialist office visits, Urgent-Care,  and prescriptions. Also, federal subsidies (if you qualify) can drastically reduce the rate for comprehensive plans. Catastrophic-tier options are not eligible for the instant tax-credit. So…What’s the answer? Based upon my 35 years of experience in the healthcare business, you would expect an easy explanation. It actually is not so simple. To accurately answer that question, we need to somehow accurately predict your medical expenses for each calendar year. Since there is no psychic in the house, perhaps utilizing actual rates and family scenarios will help determine the most cost-effective choice. Case Study Comparison Perhaps comparing specific rates and coverage would help. So we created a hypothetical family to use in our calculations. Both husband and wife are 40 years old and they have two children (ages 10 and 12). There are no pre-existing conditions and they live in the Columbus area (Franklin County).  The total household income...

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You Just Lost Your Ohio Group Health Insurance At Work. Now What?

You just lost your group health insurance at work. Now what? Well…Don’t panic because help is on the way. There are many Ohio private medical coverage options to consider, and most of these plans offer office visit, prescription and preventive benefits. If you recently lost healthcare benefits, individual and family policies are very affordable in most areas of the state. We are located here in Ohio, so we completely understand the situation you are facing. We have designed this website to specifically help persons that may be losing coverage or have just had a policy terminated. Most of the plans can be paid month-to-month so your immediate out-of-pocket expenses are reduced. You may not be able to duplicate the exact coverage your employer provided, although in some situations, you can obtain more comprehensive coverage at a reduced rate (assuming you qualify for a federal subsidy). Most likely, your group health care benefits were very rich in benefits, with low deductibles on hospital visits and low copays on covered office visits and prescriptions. Also, any emergency room visit probably featured low copay. Although you can duplicate your benefits with an individual policy, the cost would be very high with most carriers. For that reason, other alternatives should be considered. Short-Term Options If you’re concerned with only securing coverage for a few months (perhaps...

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What About Ohio After Federal Judge Declares National Health Care Law Unconstitutional

The national health care law, that affects all Ohio citizens, (Obamacare) is unconstitutional, according to a ruling this week by Federal District Court Judge Roger Vinson in Florida. So far, four federal judges have ruled on the constitutionality of forcing citizens to purchase health insurance. Two have upheld the law and two have ruled against it. Here in Ohio, individual and family  coverage remains unaffected (for now). The recent required preventive benefits mandate will remain in place along with a few other changes that had been made, such as the elimination of lifetime maximum limits. Rates continue to be a “good buy” compared to almost every other state. Of course, if the bill is allowed to pass, most experts agree that rates will increase (perhaps substantially) in 2014. Currently, e(5-23-2012), we are still waiting to hear the Supreme Court’s ruling on the mandate forcing consumers to buy health insurance. Of course, this will have a big impact on the entire “Affordable Care Act.” If approved, the “Affordable Care Act” will continue. If the mandate is deemed to be unconstitutional, it is expected that all carriers will face major profitability challenges, and would exit the Marketplace. My Opinion Based on my 30 years in the health care business, I expect (and any others agree), that we will see a Supreme Court decision in 2012 to determine the fate of the bill....

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Will Obamacare Raise Your Taxes? Fact Check Says Yes

As the US House of Representatives prepares to vote on the repeal of Obamacare, I thought it may be important to review the many tax increases Americans will face, unless Obamacare is changed or repealed. The good folks at atr.org have put together a comprehensive list (see below) that is worth reading. We need healthcare reform, and many of the recent changes, such as mandatory 100% preventive benefits, are quite beneficial. But at the same time, the country can’t afford all of the proposed mandates, and unless changes are made, we may face a very gloomy scenario. Perhaps increased utilization of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) may be where we should be focusing most of our attention. Another concept to consider is adding additional funding to State Risk Pools that help persons that can not qualify for a policy. Along with Open Enrollment, the Risk Pools are sometimes the lifeline for folks with serious health conditions. And in many states, they have provided guaranteed medical coverage to persons that could not qualify for an underwritten policy. Here Are Affordable Care Act Legislation Taxes! Individual Mandate Excise Tax (Jan 2014): Starting in 2014, anyone not buying “qualifying” health insurance must pay an income surtax according to the higher of the following 1 Adult 2 Adults 3+ Adults 2014 1% AGI/$95 1% AGI/$190 1% AGI/$285 2015 2% AGI/$325 2% AGI/$650 2% AGI/$975...

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Ohio High Risk Pool Plans – Affordable Health Care Coverage For The Uninsured

Medical Mutual Of Ohio has been selected by the Ohio Department Of Insurance to administer and manage the “High Risk Pool.” They will manage claims, handle the application process and provide customer service support. The Federal government has provided $152 million to subsidize costs that exceed premium payments collected by new enrollees. It is possible that there will be a waiting list if enrollment limits are met. A separate “Open Enrollment” option is also offered but rates are higher. You should NOT apply for High Risk Pool coverage unless you have major health conditions. Since prices are significantly higher than standard rates, an underwritten contract is a better option if there are no ongoing medical issues. The Ohio Risk Pool and Medical Mutual of Ohio, provide affordable healthcare to Buckeye State residents that have major pre-existing conditions and that have previously been denied coverage. The two available plans have no annual or lifetime limits and no exclusions. Also, out-of-pocket costs will be limited to comply with recent national healthcare reform. Qualifications To qualify for the Ohio High Risk Pool, some of the eligibility requirements include: Ohio resident at the time you apply for coverage Be without coverage for six months Have a qualifying pre-existing condition Not be eligible for coverage for Medicare, the Ohio Medical Assistance program, ...

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Ohio Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) Plans For 2012

Ohio Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are one of the most popular policy options that will reduce your health insurance rates in 2012. We can help you compare the top HSA plans that are available to individuals, families and any Ohioan who is self-employed. Preventive benefits are always provided with no deductible, coinsurance or waiting period. And “Network repricing” can substantially reduce your  out-of-pocket costs on items that are subject to a deductible. In 2012, the minimum allowed deductible is $1,200 (individual) and $2,400 (family). The highest allowed contribution is $3,100 for an individual and $6,250 for a family. Of course, you can always make lower contributions into your account or simply make no deposits at all. There are cost-of living adjustments and also a special “catch-up” contribution of $1,000 provided if you have reached age 55. What Our Website Does This website specializes in providing Ohio Health Savings Account rates and coverage information. We allow you to easily view and compare all of the  plans from the top carriers. But more importantly, with 30 years of experience, we’ll research all of your options and present you with the choices that are best for you. We’re local experts on these types of policies, located here in Ohio,  and we closely research any changes or trends that may affect you. A Health Savings Account is a combination of a...

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Ohio Medical Insurance Scams – Beware Of Fake Health Insurance Plans

Beware of Ohio medical insurance scams and discount plans. Fraudulent and dishonest healthcare coverage in the Buckeye State seems to be increasing, as many Ohioans are out of work or without benefits. These scams come under the disguise of providing “real health insurance benefits,” when typically, they are nothing more than cheap discount plans. Often, these plans are sold from companies that are not local, and you are pressured from the beginning of the conversation to buy the program as quickly as possible. Recently, many state insurance departments have been cracking down on these questionable companies, and in some instances, seizing property and closing them down. Unlicensed discount prescription cards and fraudulent claims are two of the most common misrepresentations. Actually, it is likely that you may know someone who has purchased one of these plans. Of course, they may not want to admit it. Medical Discount Plans Occasionally, a medical discount plan may be helpful, especially if you are uninsurable, on an extremely tight budget, and missed the Open Enrollment deadline, which is typically January 31st. Assuming you do not qualify for an SEP (Special Enrollment Period), your options will be very limited, unless you obtain full-time employment with a company that offers group medical benefits. But since “discount” plans are NOT health insurance, you can expect to...

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