News and Notes from The Johnson Center
Navigating Insurance: Types of Insurance
JCCHD | Thu, May 28, 2015 | [Autism Treatment]We believe that informed consumers are powerful advocates. Over the last ten years, we have often heard patients, parents, and caregivers express confusion and dissatisfaction with their experiences with their insurance carriers. Our administrative staff has put together a webinar to help you understand the ins and outs of health insurance from a consumer’s perspective.
The webinar, A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Insurance Coverage, can be viewed here. Based on your questions and requests for more information, we are providing a follow-up blog series to expand on the information in the presentation.
One of the first things we reviewed in the presentation was the language of insurance and the tools you need to cut through the fine print of your coverage. First, let’s review the types of insurance that are available on the market.
One of the most common types of insurance is private insurance offered through an employer. In this situation, your employer has negotiated a contract for you, the member, with a large insurance company like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, and the like. Often, the employer will pay a portion of the monthly “premium” and the employee may contribute a portion for themselves or their dependent family members. A private insurance plan through an employer may be offered through a Health Maintenance Organization, or HMO, which gives members access to certain doctors and hospitals within its network, or a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), which provides more flexibility when picking a doctor. Employers may offer several different plan options within the company. One employee may have different coverage than their office mate even though they both have insurance through the same employer and insurance company.
The second type of insurance is health insurance purchased on your own in the individual market. A great resource that outlines how to shop for individual insurance can be found here.
The article suggests first-time purchasers should strongly consider consulting several independent agents before buying a policy.
The third option for insurance coverage is a public insurance program like Medicaid or Medicare. Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with low income in the US. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 years or older, and certain younger people with disabilities. You can find out more about qualifying for these programs by clicking here.
Stay tuned for more information on our insurance series, A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Insurance.
