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Intro
Anyone who has been injured or sick understands how crucial it is to have health insurance. However, many are uncertain what is the best plan for them. With the large number of different plans out there, it can be confusing. This guide to California health insurance will help you understand what is the best plan to meet your needs.
Today's consumers have many questions, including: how do I choose the best plan offered by my employer? What types of health plans are available in California? Do I need insurance in addition to coverage for medical expenses, like if I am too ill to work? And many over 65 have questions about Medicare coverage.
This guide will help answer these questions and more. It includes information about the basic health coverage and a checklist to compare different plans. It also answers many of the frequently asked questions on subjects like long-term care, pre-existing Conditions, Medicare supplemental insurance, catastrophic coverage and more.
If you cannot find the answer to your questions here, feel free to contact BenefitsCafe and we will gladly assist you. We are dedicated to helping you find affordable California health insurance for yourself, your family or your business
Understanding Health Insurance in California
"Health Insurance" relates to a wide range of insurance policies, from ones that cover the cost of hospitals and doctors to ones that refer to a specific need, such as disability or long-term care coverage. Disability insurance is still considered health insurance, even though it covers lost income due to an accident or illness.
When people refer to health insurance, they typically are referring to the insurance offered to employees by their company. This usually covers medical expenses like hospitalization, surgeries or other medical bills. These policies are often referred to as "major medical" or "comprehensive", since they offer broad protection. However, neither of these terms are helpful, nor are they exactly correct.
Today, this type of broad health care coverage is often referred to as "managed care" or "fee-for-service". These terms apply to various kinds of health plans, such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred providers organizations (PPOs), and point-of-service (POS) plans.
Fee-for-service and managed care medical plans have some very important differences, they are also similar since they cover a wide range of medical expenses such as surgery or hospitalization. These plans also can include and prescription drug coverage and occasionally dental insurance. Choosing the right plan for your needs depends on the important differences in coverage of what these types of plans offer.
The next page of our Buyer's Guide will introduce you to the basics of managed care and fee-for-service plans. But keep in mind: The precise differences between one affordable California health insurance plan and another can only be understood by careful reading of the insurers' materials, or consulting with a specialist from Benefits Cafe.
Continue reading the Buyer's Guide: Page 2
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