The National Association of Foreign-BornHealth Insurance Plans and Medical Insurance Guide USA
Health Insurance Plan, Health Care Plan, Health Plan Guide Overview
- An overview of the information in this Health Insurance Guide
In the United States, if you are not covered by a health insurance plan (medical insurance), you have to pay for health care services yourself, which leaves you vulnerable to enormous unexpected costs for serious illnesses.
The two major ways to obtain health insurance coverage are by paying into a group health insurance plan offered by your employer or buying an individual health insurance plan. There are a variety of different health insurance plans, but you may commonly encounter these major types:
- Fee-for-Service Health Plans
- HMO: Health Maintenance Organizations
- POS: Point-of-Service Plans
- PPO: Preferred Provider Organizations
Understanding health care plans can be very complicated. In choosing a health insurance plan, you need to compare health insurance plan benefits, costs, location of services, exclusions, and more. This health insurance guide provides a list of health insurance questions you can ask to health insurance providers, as well as a glossary of health insurance terms, to help you make an informed decision and choose the health plan that is best for you.
We also provide tips on researching the quality of health insurance plans, including how to determine if the health plan you like is accredited, and how to research and choose doctors.
Even after you purchase a health plan, it is important to learn how to use and manage your health insurance plan, so you get the most out of it. You should also be familiar with other types of health insurance plans that you may encounter or want to consider, such as Medicare, Medigap, disability insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, and long-term care insurance.
