Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Florida Health Insurance Options for the Self-Employed

If you are self-employed and are looking for medical coverage, then buying health insurance in Florida can be a tricky affair. You will not have access to the benefits of group coverage and have to bear all the expenses yourself. For someone doing his own business in the state, buying health insurance Florida is the same as buying individual health plan. Hence it is necessary that the resident is careful about what he is buying.

1. Quote comparison is very important as all the costs will have to be paid by the individual. Hence he should look for a plan that offers him the maximum privileges at the lowest possible price.

2. If the resident does not need regular medical attention, then he can go in for a plan with higher deductible and lower premiums. Such health insurance Florida plans turn out to be quite cheap for those who need insurance only as a safety net.

3. If you have a spouse or a friend helping you out with your business, then you could apply for a ‘group-of-one’ coverage. This will help you get the benefits of a group insurance even though there is technically one person. However, this provision is not applicable in all states and you first need to check from the Florida Department of Insurance to confirm your eligibility.

4. Since it is an individual health plan, you can customize it according to your needs. If you are a healthy person, then you can leave out those medical facilities that you are sure not to use. This will bring down the premium considerably.

5. The last but definitely the most important thing is to check the company and the plan carefully. The plan should offer all that it promises it will, should not exclude any of the medical facilities that you are sure to need and the company should be of good repute and should have the license to sell insurance in Florida.

A self-employed in Florida does not have much option but to go in for individual medical insurance. Individual plans are by nature expensive and therefore a resident should be more careful about what they are purchasing.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Possible exclusions in your Florida health insurance plans

Your health plan may promise to cover all your medical needs, but if you examine closely, you will realize it is more of an exception than a rule. No matter how high a premium you pay or however costly your policy is, there are always exceptions – either in terms of coverage or duration or the finances.

Most health plans in Florida do not cover all healthcare needs. Some of the common exclusions include home care, convenience products, nursing care, elective abortion procedures and reconstructive or aesthetic cosmetic surgery. It is important that a resident goes through the list of exclusions in his plan before he makes a final purchase. It is also possible to reduce the number of exclusions, but then residents have to pay a higher premium for it.

Managed healthcare plans Florida come cheap but they are the ones you need to be the most careful about. There is a prescribed network of healthcare service providers and you have to be careful that the network is in your neighborhood. Also since these plans concentrate on providing on primary and preventive health services, they are not a good option for those who suffer from a particular disease and need regular medical attention.

In an indemnity plan, there are generally no restrictions at all. However, the biggest drawback is that these plans are very costly and inaccessible to most Floridians. Moreover, here one has to pay for the medical bills upfront and get it reimbursed from the insurance company later on. This is not a convenient option for most Florida residents.

In the real world of health insurance, complete coverage usually translates to ‘almost complete coverage.’ Therefore it is important that residents do a comparison study so that they can access a plan that offers the maximum coverage. It is also important that residents read the documents carefully so that there are no rude shocks in store while making claims.

There is no perfect health plan. Residents just have to look for one that perfectly suits their health needs and financial capabilities.