I don’t know about you, but when I see the term “low cost,” I immediately assume the product is of very little use and limited quality. And when I see the Infomercial king Billy Mays pitching a health insurance policy…well…I know there’s something wrong. And there is.

The policy he’s peddling is like Swiss cheese. Full of holes…and full of something else as well! Consider these policy provisions on the 1100 Series policy:

$100 application fee. Sorry…but you NEVER should pay an application fee.
Only $1000 of surgery coverage per year. Seriously…I’m not kidding!
Limit of $20 per blood test of lab test.
Limit of $220 for an MRI.
Only $1100 of your hospitalization charges are covered per year.
Anesthesia charges limited to $250 per surgery (that’s about 10 minutes, folks!).
NO outpatient surgery coverage.
Inpatient hospital expenses such as lab work, blood tests, medications etc…are NOT covered!

And it keeps getting better! For Ohio residents, the cost is NOT $50 per month, as you might expect. Try $159 per month and a whopping $269 per month for an entire family.

At those prices, you should get a food dehydrator, a knives and cutlery set, a pasta maker, a pocket fisherman and an autographed picture of Lebron James.

Granted, this plan is a little better than the dreaded “discount plans” that have flooded the market. But, there are many inexpensive major medical health insurance plans that are a much better option than Billy’s overpriced product.

A few of these options include UnitedHealthCare’s Copay Saver plans, Anthem’s Value plans and Aetna’s Value plans.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) would also be a much better alternative to may of these infomercial-style health plans. An HSA gives you major medical health coverage at an extremely affordable rate. Although most expenses are subject to a deductible, you will receive network-negotiated discounts and in some cases, preventive coverage at little or no out-of-pocket cost. There are also tax advantages to many HSA policyholders.

To be eligible for a Health Savings Account, an individual must be covered by a HSA-qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and must not be covered by other health insurance that is not an HDHP.

You are only allowed to have automobile, dental, vision, disability and long-term care insurance at the same time as an HDHP. You may also have coverage for a specific disease or illness as long as it pays a specific dollar amount when the policy is triggered. Wellness programs offered by your employer are also permitted if they do not pay significant medical benefits.

To view high quality Ohio health insurance plans, please click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page.

June 2009 UPDATE- Sadly, Billy Mays passed away yesterday. I know we’ll all miss him.

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

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat. BMI can also be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that could possibly lead to health problems.

Of course, the BMI can be very subjective, and in fact, each health insurance company interprets the figures in a different way.

For example, a 5-9 male weighing 201 pounds is considered a “preferred” risk with Anthem. Yet, according to the BMI Index, this same person is just two pounds away from being considered “obese.” Yet, UnitedHealthcare will assign a “standard” risk classification to the same person.

As an Ohio broker, part of my job is to take into consideration the BMI of the applicant (along with other factors), and determine which carrier can offer the most comprehensive policy at the most competitive price.

To determine BMI, there are many online sites that will allow you to perform the simple calculation.

One such site is http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

For additional information on Ohio health insurance plans or obtaining an Ohio health insurance quote, please click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page.

Medical Mutual of Ohio offers extremely competitive health insurance rates in Ohio.  Although comprehensive plans are the most popular Medical Mutual plan, Health Savings Accounts have been growing in popularity every year.

Meet Medical Mutual of Ohio, one of the country”s oldest and most trusted insurance company. The company is more than 70 years old and insures more than 3.9 million customers. With more than $2 billion in annual revenue, this company is financially secure. In fact, they were chosen to handle Ohio”s high risk pool under the nation”s health care reform program.

Medical Mutual will not have the most competitive rate in all areas of the state. Generally, in the Northern part of Ohio, Medical Mutual rates are very good. In fact, in parts of Southwestern Ohio, their rates are also  among the lowest in the area.  We specialize in finding the company the offers the most affordable rates while at the same time, featuring coverages that meet your current needs.

If you need help with finding the best health insurance rate in Ohio, feel free to email eharris@ohioquotes.com or click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page.

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 Blue Cross, UnitedHealthCare, Humana, Medical Mutual and Aetna. We represent the major companies and strive to provide you with accurate Ohio health insurance quotes. And since we”re located in Ohio, we”re familiar with what carriers will offer the most affordable coverage in specific areas of the state.

Many other websites are strictly designed to sell your information to other companies and brokers across the country. So instead of getting an instant quote, you get dozens of unwanted emails and phone calls. We will never do that.

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.
• 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, please click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page.