The day comes that you lose your job and, along with it, you lose your health insurance. Fortunately, interim health insurance is something that can keep you afloat until you find a new job. An interim health insurance policy will cover your health care needs from the time you lose your job until you are eligible for benefits from your new employer.
Where should you begin to look for a short-term health insurance policy? Like many people today, your first stop will probably be one of the internet search engines and these will produced a laundry list of directories. These directories each provided a list of companies that offer interim health insurance and even a few that will actually tell you exactly what it is. Knowing what interim health insurance is and, just as importantly, what it is not will help you shop for the right policy and keep you from being scammed.
First of all, each state has its own brand of interim health insurance policy to help you hold onto the health insurance from your previous employer. In Minnesota it is called a Cobra Plan and covers you until you have a new job. Incidentally, state law also requires your employer to notify you of your eligibility for Cobra coverage.
Commercially available interim health insurance policies generally run from one to twelve months, although many providers limit their policies to six months, and will offer most of the same benefits that are provided on their long-term counterparts. The biggest difference you will see is that the policy is non-renewable and if you want to keep your coverage you will need to arrange a further new policy. Keep in mind that this type of policy is only intended for short-term use and not for long-term use.
Some things that will probably not be covered are wellness checks and preventative care. They will also not normally provide cover for dental or optical care. They are also very strict on denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. You can get coverage extended to cover your spouse and children. You will find also that most policies will range in price from around $25 to $100 per month.
Keeping these things in mind, you can begin to look through the results of your search. Examine the lists of companies and find one that will meet your needs. Another good place to turn for cover, because of the fee-for-service nature of the policy, is to your own home or car insurance provider as it is likely that they will also carry a health insurance policy that you can get. If you are purchasing the policy through your own insurance company, there may be an additional discount available to you for having multiple policies with them.
Your local phone book may also list a number of places for you to get interim health insurance coverage in your area. This can be an advantage if pre-approvals are needed. With a knowledge of what interim health insurance is and where you can find it, you will now be able to secure a policy that will best meet your needs.
By: Donald Saunders
Posts Tagged ‘Preventative Care’
Finding An Interim Health Insurance Company
March 21st, 2010Short Term Health Insurance
March 5th, 2010
Short term health insurance is a medical insurance option ideal for people in transition. As the name implies, this policy is a temporary solution. Normally, short-term health insurance is purchased for a short period of time. This allows the policy to be dropped quickly.
Short term health insurance generally covers only catastrophic health problems (major health problems). People between jobs, recent college graduates, and part-time and temporary employees are among the most likely consumers of short-term health insurance. Short term health policies are normally sold to people under the age of 65.
A short term health insurance policy is generally included in the “indemnity” plan. This gives you the freedom to choose any doctor or specialist you wish. The policy covers surgery, hospital care, emergency services, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, and follow-up office visits. Short term health insurance has several sub-limits and special conditions. Some offer limited mental health care in their short term health policies. Due to its low cost, the policy does not finance routine preventative care like physical exams, immunizations, and PAP tests.
The important point to remember when buying a short-term health plan is that this affordable plan?s coverage does not include any pre-existing conditions. This limitation is one of the reasons that the monthly costs are so low for this sort of insurance coverage. A pre-existing condition is a health condition or symptom that you had during the three years prior to the start of coverage.
In recent years, sales of short term health insurance plans have grown in popularity because of their low monthly cost, high coverage limits, and fast purchase process. Today, many insurance companies offer short term health policies throughout the U.S. This is the only type of coverage that possesses the shortest application in the health insurance business. Short term health insurance policies are available in both individual short term health insurance and group short term health insurance. Many insurance companies now offer credit card payment schemes. There are a lot of limitations and exclusions to short term health insurance policies. So before you buy a policy, take time to study those limitations thoroughly.
By: Kristy Annely
Health Insurance and Children
February 9th, 2010The cost of health care is sky high in the United States and ensuring that your health is taken care of in the event that you become sick can be quite costly. This especially holds true for children and in such an expensive climate it can become desperate, especially if the child does not have health insurance. With over 47 million uninsured Americans, the number of children should be staggering. This article will set out to address children who do not have health insurance and why it is extremely important for them to have it.
Health insurance for children is very important as it is during the formulative years that the child is most open to sickness that could affect their lives. Health insurance provides the basic aspects of medical care that every child should need. These are doctor visits, immunizations, hospitalizations and emergency room visits. These are very important to children as it helps with their development and they are able to find any problems that could be easily treated. Uninsured children do not have the same benefits. They do not get the proper care that is needed and often end up being sick for something that could be prevented.
A lot of children who are uninsured often miss school or perform poorly. With no insurance, a child may fall victim to a lot of treatable illnesses. Preventable illnesses like asthma are something that could be easily treated if a child had insurance. Often time children with asthma and no insurance end up in the hospital for severe asthma attacks; ones that could be helped if they had the preventative care that goes along with full health insurance. These same children who have these treatable illnesses also underperform at school. This is because they often spend so much time in the hospital that they miss out. This could also be that many have vision problems and because it isn’t treated, many can’t see or read the board properly and fall behind.
Despite many children not having health insurance, this does not mean they are denied health services. The only issue with this, it is very costly and inefficient. If the child has a serious condition and has to go to a public hospital, then the cost of treatment would be left on the parents. Health insurance circumvents this as the child would be covered. Many parents can’t afford the cost and that means it is passed along to taxpayers.
In the end what is pointed out is that it is very important for children to have health insurance. They are at a disadvantage if they become sick and have no form of protection. With health insurance they get basic health services, which should enable them to develop properly. When they are insured, it is proven that they will perform better than those who are uninsured for many reasons. Public health care is not up to par with care that could be provided if they had health insurance. It is also very expensive and not only leaves the child, but society at a disadvantage.
