What type of health insurance coverage is possible?

There are three possibilities for health insurance coverage:

·        Your employer if he or she provides a health insurance plan

·        Privately paid

·        Qualifying for government coverage through Medicare or Medicaid or SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program).

 

How can you learn about the cost of health insurance?

If you have to purchase your own insurance, there are several quote services (see the section on life insurance) that are available by phone or on the Internet. Here are two sites. You will need to enter the age and gender of family members, whether you used tobacco in the last 12 months, and whether anyone is a full-time college student.

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/

This is another site that will provide a quote for health insurance on line. You will need to enter age and gender of family members, tobacco use in the last 12 months, height and weight, etc. 

https://www.netquote.com/Default.aspx

 

How can you reduce the cost of privately paid health insurance?

• Increase the size of deductibles
• Practice good health habits
• Compare policies
• Determine the options that are most important to you

Who is eligible for Medicare?

In general, a person is eligible if they or a spouse worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment and if the person is 65 years old. To enroll for Medicare, you need to go to a Social Security Administration office. You can get more information at the Medicare web site at http://www.medicare.gov  or call 800-633-4227.

 

Who is eligible for Medicaid?

To be eligible for Medicaid, certain requirements must be met.

• These may include: age, whether a person is pregnant, disabled, blind, or aged; the amount of income and resources (such as bank accounts, real property, or other items), and whether a person is a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted immigrant.
• The rules for counting income and resources vary from state to state and from group to group.

You can get information about Medicaid at the Medicare web site at http://www.medicare.gov or call 800-633-4227.

 

Who is eligible for SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program)?

The State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) offers health insurance plans for children, up to age 19, who are not already insured. Families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid may be able to qualify for SCHIP.

To learn about SCHIP in your state, call Medicare at 800-633-4277 and ask for a contact for your state or find your state on the Medicare web site at 

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/LowCostHealthInsFamChild/05OriginalSCHIPStatePlan.asp

 

 Checklist for buying a health insurance policy.

ü      What possibilities for coverage do you have?

ü      How can you reduce costs if you must purchase coverage?

ü      If you qualify for government coverage, how will you meet additional costs?