California Health Insurance Quotes and Blog

This isn’t the easiest plan to understand, but with the help of a knowledgeable health care insurance agent, you can get the best coverage for your own personal needs.
Medicare, although a good concept when it was first brought into being, has some “gaps” that just don’t cover life in the 21st century. One of those gaps is drug coverage. That’s where part D comes in. Part D is an insurance plan that helps cover the cost of prescription drugs for people with Medicare. To purchase “Part D” of Medicare you have to go to an insurance company who is allowed to sell Part D plans. Sounds good so far and there are even provisions for people with limited incomes to get extra help: Medicare will help pay for almost all of the prescription drug costs.
There are several Part “D” plans to choose from. Each insurance carrier has about 3 different plan designs. Unlike the standardized Medicare plans “A” through ”L” plans, part “D” has many different plan designs. The differences come into play with each carrier’s unique formulary list, pharmacy networks, co-pays, etc… The costs of the plans also vary depending on how rich the benefits are.
Part “D” kind of like any other prescription drug benefit that is attached to a regular health insurance plan. Your Part “D” plan may have a deductible that you have to pay before you can get your prescriptions on the co-pay. Part “D” plans with a deductible are usually the most inexpensive plans. Other plans will allow you to start buying prescription drugs with a co-pay right away. This is the most popular plan. The most expensive plans will cover your generic drugs throughout the doughnut. The doughnut is a dollar amount where the part “D” participant is responsible for paying for their own prescribed drugs out of their own pocket. Plans that give a benefit throughout the doughnut hole are usually a bit more expensive.
Buy a plan that fits your needs. If you have a lot of prescriptions you may want to buy the richest plan. Of course this will also be the most expensive but it’s worth it. If you don’t take any prescribed medication you can probably get away with the most inexpensive plan. But you do need to get a Part “D” plan when you become eligible because if you don’t, you will be penalized for signing up late. Not only that, as we age we tend to need prescription drugs to keep us healthy and everything running smoothly.
If you need help figuring out what plan would work the best for you, contact a local health insurance agent who is fully trained and qualified to sell Part “D” plans. Local agents have a good feel for the market they serve, plus the advice they give is free.

Can I hide a preexisting medical condition?

I get asked this question daily at my Health Insurance Agency. Health Insurance can be expensive in California. If you have a preexisting medical condition an insurance company can give you a higher monthly rate or just flat out decline coverage. I’ve seen 50% and even rates 100% higher than the standard rate healthy people with no medical conditions get. The inconvenience of having to pay more than the normal rate will influence many people to get creative while filling out their health insurance application. “What if I forget to mention my pre-existing medical condition on the application, will they find out that I already have a medical condition or will it lead to any trouble, etc?” I get asked. People say “I cannot be without any medical insurance. And if I mention the medical condition I have my rates will be higher than what I want to pay.” A potentially higher insurance premium makes people consider all these options.

Health insurance companies help people enjoy good health by offering wellness and preventative programs. They actually want you to stay health so that there are no giant claims to be paid. You need to buy a policy early in life while you’re healthy and keep the policy forever. Health insurance is for the big “what if I get really sick” situation. Let me give you this analogy. Do you insure your car before or after an accident? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could not have to pay any premiums for car insurance, then if we get into an accident, we can race over the local insurance broker and say “I wrecked my car and I want your company to pay to get it fixed. And here’s one month’s premium. I want to take the car into the shop as soon as I leave here. And by the way, as soon as my car gets fixed I’ll be canceling the policy because don’t like that pesky monthly premium.” Wouldn’t that be great! We’d all save tons of money! But we all know it doesn’t work that way don’t we.

You cannot conceal a pre-existing ailment to the health insurance company because it will be a pure case of deception. When you deceive the health insurance company and later file claims including the legitimate ones, the insurance company can deny the request. If the insurance company finds out that you lied on your application they will rescind your policy. Rescind means they will give you back the premiums you paid and cancel/take away the policy like it never happened. When that happens, of course the person who lied on their application calls the local news crew and tells them how unfair the insurance company was. And that’s what you usually see on the news. A liar complaining that they can’t get something for free.

Having health insurance is important. You can reduce the cost of your premium by comparing a number of quotes using independent agents like Matt at www.mattsinsurance4ca.com . The competition is high in the California health insurance sector so many companies offer several different plan designs and premiums. Get insurance while you’re young and healthy and keep it forever. If you happen to have a medical condition and you need coverage, fill out an application with a reputable carrier and see what they say. If you get a higher rating by all means take it. You might be close to being flat out declined. Take the policy and then shop around to see if you can get another policy issued at a lower rate. If you do get declined, you will be offered a HIPPA plan. If that happens you need to talk to your agent ASAP for advice. There are other options.

Medicare supplements come in many flavors. Choose the right plan for you and your spouse by talking to a qualified health insurance broker.

By definition a “supplement” is something that backs up, tops up or makes better another thing, item, situation or in the case of this article, Original Medicare. Medicare Supplement insurance policies are sold by private insurance companies and “supplement” original Medicare.

Original Medicare was not designed to cover you 100%. There are gaps in the original Medicare and these “gap” policies help fill those out of pocket medical expenses you would otherwise pay yourself.

Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement/Medigap policies work in concert to pay health care costs. Medigap policies are all standardized and have certain specific benefits. That doesn’t mean you can’t choose benefits to suit your situation, because you will have many choices. In fact you have the option to choose from 10 different plans – Plans A through J.

Without confusing the issue too much, each plan has a different set of basic and extra benefits. You can come pretty close to tailoring a plan to your medical needs by talking things over with a health insurance agent. Talking to an agent is free, and many times can save you money by pointing you in the right direction for better coverage for a lower price.

Health insurance and Medicare contracts must follow state and federal laws. This is important, it means you are protected. It makes sense then that Medicare Supplement/ Medigap policies must also follow laws.

When you’re talking to your health insurance broker, compare the different Medigap plans. Once you have found a plan that suites your needs, compare the price of that plan with all the carriers in your state. You will find that the same plan has different prices from carrier to carrier. It doesn’t matter which plan you choose, they are the same for all insurance companies. i.e. A Medicare Supplement “F” Plan is a Medicare Supplement “F” Plan wherever you go and whatever carrier you choose.

However, having said that, each insurance company makes a decision about which Medigap policies it will sell. This is another good reason to talk to a qualified local health insurance broker who knows his stuff.

If you are considering a Medigap policy, you will need to have both Medicare Parts A and B. If you go with Medigap, you will be paying a premium for the Medigap policy on top of the cost of Part “B”. If you are applying for coverage with your spouse, they must have their own Part A and B as well.

Although it might seem confusing and time consuming to pick and choose plans that suit your circumstances, with the help of a qualified health insurance broker, it will make things a lot easier.