What types of health insurance programs or options are available?
Fee-for-Service plans often are called traditional or indemnity health insurance. Here, the health insurance company pays all or a portion of the bills after services are received by the insured. Other characteristics of a fee-for-service plan include: 1) no connection between the insurance company and the people who provide health care; 2) no restrictions on the doctors or hospitals you must use to receive health care; 3) a deductible may have to be paid before the policy begins to pay; and 4) co-payments may have to be paid each time you have a claim. Managed Care plans refer to a variety of health insurance programs such as Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and Point of Service (POS). These programs vary in provider choice, convenience and costs. Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are organized systems for health care that provide comprehensive services directly to enrolled members for a fixed, periodic fee. HMOs provide or arrange for
