Ohio Health Insurance Rates…Some Helpful Hints

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

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.

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Ohio Health Insurance Consumer Complaints

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

Every year, The Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) publishes complaint ratio data after receiving premium information for the previous year from Ohio health insurance companies.

In 2007, the ODI received 2826 complaints about health insurance from Ohio consumers. When a complaint is received, Ohio insurers must respond in a timely manner. Each complaint is documented, investigated and resolved.

If a company’s Ohio complaint ratio is 1.0, it had one complaint for every $1 million in written premium. Therefore, the lower the complaint ratio, the better.

Some of the Ohio health insurers with the lowest complaint ratios are:

.08  Anthem

.11  United HeathCare

.13  Medical Mutual

.14  Aetna

Ohio health insurers with higher complaint ratios are:

.67  Nationwide

.47  United American

.31  Time (Assurant)

The complete listing of Ohio Complaint Ratios can be found here.

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Some Ohio Doctors Cost More Than Others

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

If you currently have an Ohio health insurance policy, then you probably pay a “copay” on your office visit coverage.  The “copay” is the dollar amount you must pay for your covered office visit. Normally, copays range from $15-$40.

If your doctor does not participate in your Ohio health insurance plan, your out-of-pocket expense will be higher.

The good folks at Humana have put together a video that provides a bit more insight to this topic. I promise…the video is quite informative and pleasantly brief.

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Ohio Individual Health Insurance Update

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

Ohio individual health insurance plans have a new addition!

Anthem Blue Cross has introduced its “SmartSense” plans, an affordable alternative to its more expensive “Premier” plan. Three PCP/Specialist office visits are covered with a $35 copay. A deductible applies to any remaining office visit.

Generic formulary, plus limited number of brand-name drugs are subject to a $15 copay or 60%, whichever is higher. Non-formulary prescription drugs are not covered.

Most Ohio individual health insurance plans include some adult preventative coverage. The “SmartSense” plan, unfortunately, only covers Mammography and Pap Tests after the deductible. Child preventative services are covered after the deductible.

For additional details, please call us at (888) 513-6446 or email service@ohioquotes.com

Instant Ohio individual health insurance quotes are available by clicking the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of this page.

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Hazardous Health Insurance Plans

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

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.

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How Safe Is Your Ohio Insurance Policy?

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

A $170 billion federal bailout is the only thing keeping insurance heavyweight AIG afloat. And many other companies are losing millions of dollars every quarter. Insurance companies invest heavily in the stock market and real-estate market…which have generated massive losses in the last 12 months.

But…don’t worry. Your policy is quite safe! The Ohio Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association was created to protect policyholders, up to specific limits, against financial failure of an insurance company licensed to sell those types of policies in Ohio.

You can read more about this Association here.

A few additional points to consider:

·        Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are not included

·        Policies sold by insurers not licensed to do business in Ohio are not included.

·        The Guarantee Association can provide this coverage because it collects money, through assessments from Ohio insurance companies.

·        The Ohio Department of Insurance regulates the Association.

When purchasing an Ohio health insurance policy, make certain the carrier is an “A” rated company and licensed to do business in Ohio. If you have any questions regarding Ohio health insurance quotes or any Ohio health company, please feel free to contact us at service@ohioquotes.com

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United HealthCare of Ohio…Affordable High-Quality Health Insurance

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

United HealthCare of Ohio (UHC) offers more than 100 different health insurance policy variations. For a single person, monthly rates can range from $30 to $500 per month. It’s important to insure the items you are most likely to use. Of course, you don’t want to pay high premiums for coverages you didn’t use.

To help you decide which United HealthCare of Ohio policy is the best fit for you, always keep this UHC plan guide handy:

High Deductible Plans

It is your responsibility to pay for any routine health care expenses until your deductible is met. Once you meet your deductible, covered health care costs are paid by the policy. Generally, your deductible is higher than most other Ohio health insurance plans. But premiums on this type of United HealthCare of Ohio policy are usually fairly low.

Plans To Consider: “Saver 80” and “Plan 80”

Traditional Copay Plans

Copay plans offer similar features and benefits as traditional employer-sponsored plans. United HealthCare of Ohio offers many plans that feature a set fee for office visits and preventative visits. Normally, 100% of your exam and history costs are covered after the deductible. Drug prescription card benefits are often included. Lifetime maximum limits are $3 million with an option to increase to $5 million.

Plans To Consider: “Copay Select” and “Copay Saver”

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

United HealthCare of Ohio offers HSAs with many deductible and coverage options. HSAs combine a high-deductible, lower-cost health insurance plan with an optional tax-favored side account.

With an HSA, you may deposit money that you have saved on premiums into your tax-sheltered account. These savings can subsequently be used to pay your qualified health care expenses. You may also use your savings to pay for approved dental and vision expenses.

Plans To Consider: “HSA 100” and “HSA 70”

Short-Term Medical Plans

If your health insurance need is six months or less, than a United HealthCare of Ohio short-term policy might be appropriate. Periods of coverage range from one to six months and policies are usually approved within 48 hours. If you are unemployed or between jobs, this type of coverage is often your best option.

Plans To Consider: “Short Term Medical”

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

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Ohio Health Care Doesn’t Need More Government Expansion

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

Expanding government health care programs must be stylish. Everybody is getting into the act. First Obama.  And now, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland wants to give health insurance to every child in Ohio. A nice gesture, but the method is quite cost-ineffective.

Marc Kilmer of “The Times-Gazette” in Hillsboro, says it best:

Much of the problem of uninsured children could be solved by simply getting those eligible signed up for coverage.

Instead, politicians like Governor Strickland want to expand coverage to those with higher incomes.

Children in families with higher incomes not only have a lower uninsured rate than children who are already eligible for the program, their parents are more likely to be able to afford private coverage.

 

The remainder of Marc’s article is found here.

 September 2009 Update: It appears that the “public option” is off the table. That’s good news for everyone.

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Ohio Medical Discount Plans

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

Ohio Medical Discount Plans

The Good: They don’t cost much. The Bad: A lot of things. The Ugly: Even more things.  You may have seen these slogans on television or online:

“No deductibles or copays”

“Discounts up to 50%”

“All pre-existing conditions accepted”

Quite simply… An “Ohio Medical Discount Plan” is not insurance since the member is responsible for paying all medical bills. These plans simply offer lower prices on services that accept these discounts.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), some medical discount plans claim to offer huge discounts for a wide range of services, including hospital stays, doctors visits, prescription drugs and dental exams. And many of these plans gladly take consumer’s money without offering much in return.

Ohio medical discount plans are also spreading. Many companies from outside of Ohio are targeting residents. To lure customers, it’s quite common they’ll make unusual promises about savings and benefits. The salespersons marketing these plans often don’t need (or have) a license or healthcare background. Mysterious upfront “administration” charges and hidden expenses also tend to show up with these types of plans.

But help is on the way. In 2007, Ohio law placed new requirements on discount medical plans in an effort to provide greater consumer protection. This law requires medical discount plans to have written agreements with network hospitals and doctors to help insure consumers received promised discounts. In fact, the Ohio Department of Insurance can investigate and take action against medical discount plans that violate the law.

In rare instances, where members are uninsurable, and the Ohio Open Enrollment plan is too expensive, an Ohio medical discount plan may be the only option. But if you are forced to consider this type of coverage, please follow these suggestions:

*Call your local Better Business Bureau to find about complaints against the company.

*Make sure that any type of “up-front fee” is completely refundable.

* If your personal medical and dental providers don’t participate in the plan, go elsewhere.

*Instead of purchasing this type of plan, you may be able to negotiate a similar discount directly with your personal providers.

Ohio medical discount plans are not the same as Ohio health insurance plans. Please…be careful!

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Ohio Health Insurance Basics

Original post from: Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

Deductibles. Copays. Co-Insurance. Maximums.  And that’s just the tip of the insurance iceberg! If you’re not confused by all of these terms, then you’re one of the lucky ones. Ohio Health Insurance basics can be learned.

It is important to understand, that a slight difference of the “co-insurance” in your policy, could save you thousands of dollars. Or…cost you thousands of dollars! Different deductibles can also have a tremendous impact on the rates.

This video, provided courtesy of Humama Insurance Company, will help you better understand some of the provisions of your Ohio health insurance policy.

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