The Importance of Call Centre Staff
With the right information, comparing your health insurance plan options online can help you find a more affordable way to take care of your health.
The word "insurance" may conjure visions of high-priced premiums and out-of-pocket costs. But with the exception of some government programs, private insurers only make money if they don't have many claims from their customers. For this reason, insurers try to attract healthy people who will cost them less money in premiums and out-of-pocket expenses—and when you're looking for an affordable private health insurance plan, you're probably looking for one that is cheap but also provides a range of benefits that meets your needs and expectations.
If you need help with your expenses until you get social security disability or SSI, or have received a denial of those benefits, you might consider applying for Medicaid. In order to qualify for Medicaid, the government program that provides health insurance to low-income individuals, you generally need to be:
Before you apply for Medicaid, be sure that you understand your options and how the application process works. Â Searching online can help. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offers a full list of resource links at its site and explainer videos about getting public assistance in each state through their "Getting Public Assistance" series on YouTube . Â Read up for more tips and information about finding a Medicaid health insurance plan.
For more information about Medicaid, see the articles below:
Medicaid and the Child Health Insurance Plan: A Resource to Assist People Seeking Healthcare Coverage  (2009)
http://www.medicaid.ohio.gov/contents/content.aspx?Docid=488003&PageID=1793 Â (2010)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides online help to assist people seeking healthcare coverage at its site. Â It includes videos, a glossary of terms, resources and information on eligibility, affordable health care programs and more. Â The site also provides information about Medicaid health insurance plans.
When looking for a Medicaid health insurance plan for yourself or for your family members after you or one of them is denied Medicaid coverage or is no longer eligible, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services describes some of the other options you may have including:
If you want to learn more about the Medicaid program, see the articles below:
The following articles can provide additional resources on how to find a medical assistance program in your state.
Insurance Basics
http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/glossary/insurance-basics (2015)
EHealth Insurance is a health insurance marketplace. Â This article from their site provides an overview of health insurance, including some of the terminology related to insurance plans and coverage, comparing different kinds of plans and links to more resources on the subject. Â It also offers an introduction to the Affordable Care Act as well as its benefits for people who are obtaining health care through state exchanges, including links to the exchanges themselves, if applicable by state.
Medicaid and the Child Health Insurance Plan: A Resource to Assist People Seeking Healthcare Coverage  (2009)  (2009)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides online help to assist people seeking healthcare coverage at its site. Â It includes videos, a glossary of terms, resources and information on eligibility, affordable health care programs and more. Â The site also provides information about Medicaid health insurance plans.
The Basics of Getting Your Own Health Insurance: An Overview for People Who Do Not Have Health Insurance Through Their Employer or Other Source  (2010)  (2010)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides a brief overview of how to find a health insurance plan and how to get it started. Â Although this information is intended for people who are uninsured and are looking for health insurance, a large portion of the tips offered apply to people with employers as well.
Finding Affordable Health Insurance for Individuals: A Guide  (2015)  (2015)
The Kaiser Family Foundation provides an overview of the types of health insurance plans available in each state, as well as links to their state-by-state summary pages. It also explains the basics of connecting with the Marketplace where you can compare plans from different insurers and from different companies but without incurring high charges or hidden costs. You can also see in advance whether a plan has the doctors, hospitals and prescription drug coverage you will need.
Affordable Health Insurance for Individuals: A Guide  (2010)  (2010)
A guide from the Kaiser Family Foundation to help people choose health insurance for themselves or their families. The site includes detailed information about individual health insurance plans, including differences between HMOs, PPOs and other plans.
Health Insurance 101: How Do I Get Health Insurance? Â (2013) (2013)
Find out how to get health insurance online at this article from Investopedia . The site also provides links to other resources on finding affordable health care.