Boy…are you in trouble! I hear you have to find health insurance for yourself and your family. And you don’t have a clue where to start, what to look for or who to ask. Well, join the thousands of consumers that are in the same boat (I’ll refrain from any more puns).

Here’s the good news. You live in Ohio, so your Ohio health insurance rates will be fairly low compared to most states. In addition, there’s a wide variety of plans to choose from.

Oh. I get it. There’s TOO many plans. They all look similar. And the guy from New Jersey tells you buy his plan and the telemarketer from Florida say she’ll tell you which plan is the best…AFTER you give him your credit card information. Sheesh! And let’s not forget the slick salesperson that quotes you a price, but can’t provide the coverages in writing.

To help you out. I have listed below 10 of the best available health insurance plans to Ohio residents. Yes, you will have to medically qualify. Also, rates will vary according to your age and zip code. And of course…if you don’t smoke, you’ll be getting a healthy discount.

So here we go…

Anthem Blue Access Plan 2 $25 Copay on office visits. No deductible on prescriptions.

Anthem Luminos HIA Health Savings Account. Top- notch with preventative coverage

Medical Mutual SuperMed One. Solid policy.

UnitedHealthCare Copay Select. No frills and straightforward.

Celtic Preferred Select. Celtic’s very best policy.

National Life No Claim Allowed. OK. I’m just making sure you’re still with me!

Medical Mutual SuperMed One has. I like Anthem’s better, but this one isn’t bad.

UnitedHealthCare has 100. Nice policy. Skip the UHC has 80.

Anthem Blue Access Plan 3. 100% coverage after the deductible.

Aetna PPO. Barely makes the list. Good policy, but not great.

Are you ready for for my Bottom 10? I have some doosies, but I’ll spare certain companies the embarrassment.

For additional information regarding Ohio Health Insurance plans, please visit http://www.majormedicalhealth.com or http://www.ohioquotes.com

McCain means business!

If you’re like myself and my family, you probably pay for your own health insurance. And thus, you also pay at least a few hundred dollars in premiums each month. And if you’re self-employed, it’s an expense that you have seem rising almost every year.

Will John McCain help you? How about Barack Obama? What about Ross Perot? Oh, sorry. He’s not running this year.

If elected, Obama says he will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. The Obama plan will feature some of the following:

1. Guaranteed eligibility. No American will be turned away from any insurance plan because of illness or any pre-existing conditions.

2. Comprehensive benefits. The benefit package will be similar to that offered through Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the plan members of Congress have. The plan will cover all essential medical services, including preventive, maternity and mental health care.

3. Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles.

4. Subsidies. Individuals and families who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need financial assistance will receive an income-related federal subsidy to buy into the new public plan or purchase a private health care plan.

5. Simplified paperwork and reduced health costs.

6. Easy enrollment. The new public plan will have simple enrollment and provide ready access to coverage.

However, John McCain says he would allow the nationwide sale of private health insurance without government oversight, similar to the bill that Rep. John Shadegg, an Arizona Republican, has introduced. While there have been Democratic cosponsors of that bill in the past, the fact that McCain is currently considering the proposal now probably means bipartisan action is unlikely for the foreseeable future. McCain’s vision also includes tax-credits for many people that buy their own health insurance. That’s one of the big features I like about his plan.
So what’s the best choice for consumers? Well…do we really want the government to become the nation’s largest health insurance company? This is what would occur under Obama’s plan. Increased competition is better for all of us, so I favor McCain’s ideas.
For more information on health insurance for Ohio residents, please visit http://www.ohioquotes.com

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

“The survey of state-level enforcement found Ohio doesn’t require insurers to sell coverage to everyone who applies for it or prohibit higher premiums based on health status, like states including New York, Massachusetts and Vermont.

However, Ohio regulators review some rate and premium increases before insurers can charge them, and the state has an external review program where consumers can appeal denials, the study said.

A spokesman for the Ohio Department of Insurance said Thursday that no one was available to discuss the study’s findings.
A December 2007 study on individual health insurance by the trade-industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans, found that 89 percent of applicants are offered coverage, and that Ohio’s average premium is $2,498 for an individual and $5,303 for a family.

My take: It’s not such a bad thing that Ohio’s health insurers can charge higher rates to those applicants that are in poor health. Otherwise, rates would dramatically increase for EVERYONE…especially those in good health. Remember…Ohio has an “Open Enrollment” for persons that may not qualify for individual coverage.
From The Dayton Daily News:

“When Ohioans don’t buy their health insurance through employers or other groups, they usually don’t have very good insurance.

 Normally, when consumers are considering which Ohio health insurance company to use, the four most common carriers are Anthem, Aetna, UnitedHealthCare and Humana. But there is an additional company that often has very competitive rates.

Meet Medical Mutual of Ohio, one of the country’s oldest and most trusted insurance company. Medical Mutual is more than 70 years old and insures more than 3.9 million customers. With more than $2 billion in annual revenue, this company seems to be financially secure.

Keep in mind that Medical Mutual will not have the most competitive rate in all areas of the state. Generally, in the Northern part of Ohio, Medical Mutual’s rates are very good. In fact, in parts of Southwestern Ohio, their rates are also worth considering. But in may other parts of the state, other companies may be a better choice.

If you need help with finding the best health insurance rate in Ohio, feel free to email service@ohioquotes.com or visit http://ohioquotes.com

If you live in Ohio, there are hundreds of websites that will give you a health insurance quote. And most will include the major companies in their searches, such as Anthem, UnitedHealthCare, Humana and Aetna.

But in many cases, the quote may not be accurate, especially if the site is using a “quote engine.” Traditionally, these “quote engines” are programmed to quote the lowest available rate (the “preferred” rate) despite the fact that the applicant will not qualify for these rates. Thus, someone with a combination of cancer, diabetes and heart disease will be quoted a rate equal to that of someone in perfect health. Quite inaccurate!

So…be careful, and here are a few tips:

• Always deal with a local Ohio broker - out-of-state agents may not know the details of Ohio plans and could very well recommend the wrong plan. Also, they may not be aware of recent changes in Ohio rates or underwriting.
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• Do NOT give anyone your billing information over the phone until you have had a chance to review the plan on your own. If you can’t see the plan in writing, then stay away from the offer. 
• Do not feel pressured. If any agent is making you feel uncomfortable or asks you for information you would rather not divulge, then seek the help of someone else.
• Ask how many years the Ohio broker has in been in the business. If the number is less than 10, move on.
• Don’t buy directly from the company. You’ll get the exact same rate from a broker, but without the bias.

For your free Ohio health insurance quote, visit http://www.ohioquotes.com