Many Ohio health insurance consumers are not aware that there are many insurance-related businesses that collect and provide medical information to health insurance companies about an individual’s health conditions and usage of prescription drugs.

Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) Director Mary Jo Hudson is recommending Ohio consumers should verify the accuracy of any health information collected by these companies.

Ohio life and health insurers routinely request medical information on applicants while underwriting a policy. Often, medical information from prior applications on the same person is used to possibly verify or confirm information.

For example, when an insurer takes an application for health insurance, the insurer may submit certain personal identifying information to one of these insurance support organizations to find out if any other insurer has had the same applicant. If the insurance support organization does have a “match,” the information is sent to the insurer, using certain codes. The insurer receiving the coded information can then question the applicant further about any undisclosed health information.

Under Ohio law, you are entitled to view and correct your personal information. You may view and copy the information in person, or have it mailed directly to you.

The complete article from the ODI can be found here.

For additional information regarding Ohio health insurance, please visit Ohioquotes.com, the premier authority in Ohio for Ohio health insurance. Instantly, you can view, compare and apply for high quality Ohio health insurance plans.

Ohio health insurance rates are quite affordable…especially if your employer is paying the premiums. However, if you’re self-employed or are paying your health care premiums yourself, they may not seem so affordable.

Consumers can reduce their Ohio health insurance rates by following some simple guidelines. Ohioquotes.com, the premier resource for Ohio health insurance plans, provides these rate-saving tips:

·        If you’re relatively healthy, always consider raising your catastrophic deductibles. The savings could easily be thousands of dollars per year.

·        Never buy an Ohio health insurance policy from an out-of state broker. They may recommend the wrong plan, and are quite likely to be unfamiliar with all of the available Ohio health care plans.

·        If any broker attempts to charge you an “application fee” or processing fee,” run away fast! The lone exception is some Ohio short-term policies.

·        If your rates have increased each of the last three years, it might be a good time to compare plans. Current Ohio health insurance rates may be less than the premium your older policy is costing you.

·        Consider an Ohio Health Savings Account (HSA). In addition to tax deductions, the savings in premiums can be deposited into a side account that pays current expenses. Potentially, you could save thousands of dollars.

·        Eliminate unneeded coverages. If you rarely visit a physician and there are no children on the policy, consider eliminating the coverage if the savings is substantial.

·        Let us review your current coverages. It’s possible there are some available discounts you’re not aware of. Also…simple “fine-tuning” instead of changing an existing plan might provide some premium savings.

Ohio health insurance rates don’t have to be high. For a free policy review, please call or email us. For an instant Ohio quote, please click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page.

Many consumers assume they have quality health care. But they don’t realize that their policy has substantial gaps in coverage, with limits and loopholes that were not adequately disclosed.

 Consumer Reports published their “Seven Signs A Health Plan Might Be Junk.” They recommend avoiding plans with these features:

·        Limited benefits

·        Low overall coverage limits

·        Bargain premiums

·        Little or no coverage for the important items

·        Ceilings on categories of care

·        Random “gotchas”

The entire article can be found here.

Here’s some good news: Ohioquotes.com NEVER uses any type of “discount” plan. As Ohio’s premier resource for Ohio health insurance plans, we are extremely particular when researching and recommending coverage. Only the highest quality policies are considered.

For an instant Ohio health insurance quote, please click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page.

If you live in Ohio and have recently lost your job…you’re not alone. The state has lost more than 260,000 jobs since 2000, 4.8 percent of all employment. The hardest hit areas have been Trumbull County, losing 20.5 percent of its jobs, and Montgomery County, losing 14.1% of its jobs.

President Barack Obama’s health care initiatives are now facing delay, when Tom Daschle, who was chosen to head the initiative, suddenly withdrew his nomination for health secretary. Health care reform has taken a back seat to more pressing concerns…such as the ailing economy and bailing out auto manufacturers and some financial institutions.

If you find yourself out of a job, between jobs, or your employer is reducing your hours, your health insurance may be affected.  In many cases, your current coverage extends for a few months (or less), and then the search for an affordable Ohio health insurance plan begins.

Cobra is one option. Under this program, Ohio workers laid off from companies with 20 or more employees can extend their employee-provided health insurance for 18 months. Of course…premiums are often extremely expensive and unaffordable. And with the current recession and no end in sight, Cobra’s premiums are not a viable health insurance option for many Ohioians.

However, if you have no significant medical issues, such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease, you may qualify for an individual Ohio health insurance policy. The application process is simple and physicals are rarely required. The most popular Ohio companies are Anthem Blue Cross, UnitedHealthCare, Medical Mutual and Aetna.

For example, in Franklin County, a nonsmoking family of four (Parents-Age 40 & Children-Ages 8 & 10), with no medical issues, can buy a “catastrophic health” plan for $120 per month. A “comprehensive” plan, which offers many more coverages, including preventative benefits, would cost between $230 and $300 per month, depending on the major medical deductible.

 Naturally, rates will be substantially less if only one person is insured. Also, existing medical conditions can raise the rate. With your own policy, your coverage is portable, so you may keep the policy as long as you want. Also…with individual coverage, unlike group coverage, your rate is not affected by a large amount of unhealthy persons in the group.

Ohioquotes.com is the premier source for Ohio health insurance. For a free quote and analysis of your options, please click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of this page.

A Health Savings Account is a tax-favored savings account that is combined with a high-deductible health insurance plan. HSAs allow you to pay for current medical expenses and save for future qualified expenses on a tax-free basis.

The first step is establishing a high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP). These plans are available through most Ohio health insurance companies, including UnitedHealthCare, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Medical Mutual. The HDHP is an inexpensive catastrophic health insurance plan that generally does not pay for the first few thousand dollars of health care (the “deductible.”). However, after the deductible, expenses are covered at 80% or 100%, depending on the plan.

You have complete control over the funds in your HSA. You also decide the types of investments to make with the money in the account in order to make it grow. Some of the funds in your HSA can come from the money you save on your insurance, since an HDHP usually costs less than traditional health care costs.

Once the HDHP is in place, the HSA can be set up through banks, credit unions and other approved companies. There are many very good Ohio Health Insurance Accounts. For specific details on rates and coverage, please click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page.

Oh…by the way…I have an HSA. And I have been very happy with its performance.