Do you think you know Florida health insurance? Read these Florida health insurance study questions to test your knowledge of FL health insurance.
Getting a Florida health insurance company review is a smart move for anyone trying to select an insurer for this important and life altering investment. For Florida residents, having health insurance can save a family’s financial future.
Health insurance is a valuable asset to every Florida family because it can protect a family from financial ruin should a family member find themselves in a situation where there is a serious illness or ongoing health issue.
Florida Health Insurance Questions
When choosing Florida health insurance, individuals need to consider their family situation. Because every family is different, there are specific things a person needs to ask themselves before making a commitment to a specific Florida health insurance plan or committing to a single provider.
- How many individuals need insurance? Most plans offer three choices individual, individual and spouse, or individual and family (which will include the spouse and an unlimited number of children)
- Do you make the minimums for your children to qualify for state insurance? The State of Florida offers a plan called Healthy Kids that covers all children under the age of 19. Although the free coverage requires families to make a certain income (for example a family of six cannot make more than $52K a year) the State of Florida offers a plan for parents who make more than this that allows parents to get their children covered by insurance for a small application fee and a monthly charge of $20 per child (plus co-pays). This kind of coverage allows individuals to consider plans only for themselves and/or their spouse rather than the more expensive family plan.
- What kind of coverage does you or your family need? How much freedom do you like to have within a plan. Do you want to choose your own doctor, or do you not mind choosing from a network of doctors? Do you mind waiting for referrals, or do you want to go to a specialist whenever you feel it is necessary? Different types of Florida health insurance offers different benefits. For some there is more freedom, with more expense, and for others it is less freedom but more affordability.
- Does anyone in you family have a pre-existing condition? Having a pre-existing condition can limit your insurance choices. You need to be clear up front with Florida health insurance companies about the condition to see if you are covered under the plan you are interested in.
- How much financial freedom does your family have for deductibles, co-pays, or out-of-pocket expenses? If you can afford a higher out of pocket expense then you can get insurance that costs far lower as far as premiums go.
- Will you need a prescription plan? Prescription plans are usually not included in a standard Florida health insurance policy, however it can be added on as a rider for a small fee.
- Will you want to include dental and vision coverage? Dental and vision insurance is not included in a Florida health insurance policy, however, they are a very important type of insurance to carry. Dental costs especially can add up quickly, and adding dental (and vision) to a policy usually adds only a small additional cost.
- Do you need long term disability? Can your family afford for you (or any other working members) to be out of work for an extended period of time without pay? If the answer is no, then you need to include long term disability to your Florida health insurance plan.
Types of Florida Health Insurance Plans
Once you have decided what kind of Florida health insurance you need, you now need to determine exactly what type of insurance that you want. Again, you need to consider your families needs and you need to determine exactly how much you can afford to pay each month for your premiums. You also need to understand exactly what kinds of health insurance plans are available in Florida in order to make an educated decision for you and your family.
Indemnity Health Insurance Plan – If you like to choose your own doctor, hospital, clinics, and whatever other kind of care that you receive, then indemnity is a great choice. You can choose who your provider is, but if you are unhappy for any reason you do not have to call your insurance company to change your physician, you can change at will. The policy of the doctor’s office that you choose to go too will determine whether you pay out of pocket for your treatments to be reimbursed by your Florida insurance company, or if the office will submit a claim and contact you if something was not covered.It is important to note that some indemnity health insurance plans in Florida offer very limited benefits while others can offer comprehensive coverage just like a PPO plan. Be sure that you understand your policy and read through the details carefully before purchasing an indemnity policy. In order for an indemnity health insurance plans to be considered comprehensive then it really should require that the policy holder pay 20% of any services they receive until they reach the maximum out of pocket requirements, which is usually $500 for an individual or $1,500 for a family. After the out of pocket maximum is reached, all medical costs are covered 100% (this is a yearly maximum and the out of pocket expenses resets itself at zero every 365 days). Be sure that you speak with one of our independent Florida health insurance agents to discuss all of the different types of indemnity plans and the various companies offering them (some good and some not so good).
Basic and Essential Indemnity Policy – Less expensive than a standard Indemnity plan; you have the same flexibility when it comes to choosing your provider. However, there are many treatments and prescriptions that are not covered under this cheaper plan. You will also be required to take a physical to determine your health, and your Florida health insurance premiums will be based on that outcome as well as your age, weight, whether you smoke, and other health issues.
High Deductible Indemnity Plans – The deductibles for this inexpensive Indemnity plan choice usually cost around $1,000 for an individual and $2,000 for a family. Also, as part of this plan there is an additional out of pocket limit that does not begin to apply until after the initial deductible is paid. For example, if you have a family plan and your out of pocket maxim is $2,500, once you meet your $2,000 deductible your monies towards your out of pocket expenses begin. The big difference at this point is the fact that you will no longer be paying for all of your services up front, you will now pay 10, 20, or 30% of your services, depending on the type of plan you choose.
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) – Florida HMOs allow their policy holders to choose their doctor from a huge network. Referrals are needed in order to see any kind of specialist with the exception of an OB or a GYN. There are often limitations on the type of doctor that is accepted in an HMO, for example, a family practice that also has a specialist practicing within the practice are often excluded. To see a specialist out of network, the situation has to meet two criteria, the specialty must not be covered by any other physician within the network, and the HMO has to approve it before the person makes the appointment. HMO’s have no deductibles nor out of pocket maximums, however there is a co-pay for the services that you receive.
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) – Your Florida Health insurance company negotiates a fee with doctors within a limited network. You are allowed to go out of network without permission, however a smaller portion of the bill will be paid and the insured will be required to pay whatever the difference in price is.
Point of Service (POS) – Like an HMO a POS policy works from a large network of doctors. A POS also has no deductibles and has a co-pay for services. Like a PPO it allows for a person to go out of network by choice, however the entire amount for the services will not be covered, rather a smaller portion of the total is covered (often as little as 50%).
Finding Florida Health Insurance Company Recommendations
Once you have chosen the type of Florida insurance policy you would like to have, you now need to choose a Florida insurance company. There are many to choose from and you will most likely make your choices based on two criteria, cost and reputation. By doing a comparison online, you can determine the cost, but how do you learn which Florida insurance company is best to use. Here are a few tips:
- Ask your doctor’s office manager – most office manager’s work with insurance companies all day. They can tell you who is the most efficient with their claims, and who offers the best (or worst) coverage.
- Ask the better business bureau – the BBB lists all complaints about a company and also lists whether the complaints were resolved, and the length of time it took to resolve it (or them).
- Ask your friends and family – find out from people you trust who they use and what their personal experiences are.
- Use the Internet – the Internet is a wonderful resource for reviews. They can be found on review websites and on blogs. Just be aware, people are more willing to complain than they are to compliment. Pay attention to what the complaints are about and determine if they are important to your situation.
- Ask one of our independent agents – our agents are able to work with every single health insurance company in the state of Florida. Be sure that you let one of our FL health insurance agents help you objectively compare the pros and cons of the different plans and companies before you make a buying decision.
Comparing Florida Health Insurance Quotes Online
Reviews can be obtained from both the sources above and via independent ratings from companies like Moody’s and AM Best. If you are interested in getting a health insurance company review, start with the quote tool on the top of this page to compare multiple insurance rates at once.
This will save you time and effort because you only fill out a form once and then view quotes from all of the top FL health insurance providers.
Once you have some quotes you like you can easily use the methods above to investigate the various providers. Why not get your Florida health insurance quotes today?