Insurance Buyer Beware

While it's a good thing to be able to access lots of Illinois health insurance quotes online, it doesn't always mean that what the consumer sees online will suit them.

It's a smart choice to find health insurance quotes online because it saves time. However, saving time and finding out what a person really needs to know doesn't always work when surfing the Internet. There's definitely a plethora of information about various Illinois health insurance plans, but is "all" the information there?

People may even apply for insurance online in the convenience of their own home, thinking they will avoid speaking to an Illinois health insurance broker. This is where people begin to fall through the cracks. Even if they are offered multiple Illinois health insurance quotes to compare online, no online insurance quote is able to completely answer all the questions a health insurance shopper may have.

Furthermore, even if an online shopper uses the single engine quoting technology, it doesn't mean they will get quotes on all the plans that are actually available. This largely depends on the state where the consumer lives, who the insurance carriers are, and which plan options that particular Illinois health insurance agency offers. Since these Illinois health insurance quotes can't give everyone every last plan they have online, most carriers will ask for contact information.

Once personal information is given, then in most cases, insurance companies are able to directly contact the consumer, if they want that kind of contact. There is an understandable reluctance to provide personal information by this method (quoting software) as there are some companies (even though they do provide quotes) that really only want the personal information to re-sell it.

A person who suddenly gets a whole slew of emails and phone calls from businesses vaguely related to Illinois health insurance will know their personal information was passed on. This is highly frustrating to people just wanting a quote and to talk to an agent for further clarification.

The other insurance marketing reality on the Internet is the tech companies who work it so their websites specifically gather names and contact info. The thing is that insurance agents or agencies do not own these sites; they belong to a company who sells leads to Illinois health insurance agents. The lesson is that if someone is searching for health insurance information, check the authenticity of the site by placing a call to the agent listed on the site.

To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

For Those Who Need Insurance Now

When it comes to denying Illinois health insurance for pre-existing conditions, or having to sit out a waiting period, Americans are wondering what's the point in having insurance.

If someone does have a pre-existing condition and gets declined by an Illinois health insurance company, or in the alternative, gets told they could have coverage, but only after sitting out a waiting period, what good is health insurance? "People in these situations need Illinois health insurance now, not later. The plain facts of life are that if an individual is forced into a waiting period before getting coverage, it might be too late," said Randy Gillespie of the Focus Insurance Group in Liberty, Illinois.

It's downright amazing the kind of creative excuses that some Illinois health insurance companies use to not pay claims. While this is somewhat amusing, those who are currently pregnant might not be so thrilled with the fact that pregnancy is classified as a pre-existing condition. That means some insurance companies may deny you coverage if you are pregnant when you apply for insurance.

As unfortunate as this kind of behavior may be, it is the result of a free market populated with private health care companies. All of these private health care companies also have one thing in mind – the bottom financial line. If they think someone will cost them money, they may try and find a way to not offer Illinois health insurance. However, that does leave some people in a major bind.

There is a way around situations like this and that is to shop for guaranteed issue Illinois health insurance. "This means a person won't be denied health insurance – period. It means everyone gets approved, no matter what their medical history happens to be, whether or not they have pre-existing conditions, or are a higher risk for certain diseases or conditions. It's definitely possible to find guaranteed issue health insurance for those with pre-existing conditions," added Randy Gillespie of the Focus Insurance Group in Liberty, Illinois.

To find out more information about guaranteed issue health insurance for pre-existing conditions, contact an experienced Illinois health insurance broker who will not only explain how guaranteed issue works, but what its benefits are and how to sign up for it, if that is the decision.

To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

Would Someone Please Explain Co-Insurance?

There aren't too many people who really understand the concept of co-insurance.

This isn't to say that some people "do" get the idea of what co-insurance really involves. There are, however, many more that get a nasty surprise when they leave a company for which they worked and had a group plan, a low deductible and a low doctor's office visit co-pay. Co-insurance has actually been around for quite a long time; it's just that managed care began to take over in the form of PPO and HMO plans.

In order to tackle the rising costs of health care, co-insurance came into being and varied by company and the plan they chose. It's used to be the good old standby of 80% and 20% for the next $10,000. This isn't to say that doesn't still exist, but there are now newer options to cut Illinois health insurance premiums. The low-end co-insurance range is 50% / 50% to the upper end of 100% with the co-insurance coming in at zero dollars to $50,000.

Would you want a 50/50 split? That depends on how you feel about taking risks and also takes into consideration one's budget and how healthy they happen to be. To be on the safe side, most savvy Illinois health insurance brokers will recommend the 80/20 or 60/40 percentages of the next $10,000 to $15,000.

So, to get to the meat of the matter, just what is co-insurance? Co-insurance is the amount of money you pay for medical services after you meet your deductible in a calendar year. A co-payment is a fixed dollar amount and co-insurance is a percentage. Let's look at a quick example: there are quite a number of insurance plans with a 20% co-insurance of the next $10,000 "after" the deductible for hospital expenses, diagnostic tests, x-rays and lab work. This means "you" pay the 20%. Remember however, that the amount is capped per calendar year.

So let's just use the example that you happen to have a $2,000 deductible in your calendar year with an 80% / 20% of the next $10,000. If you do the math, you will see that out-of-pocket expenses for that year would be $4,000 (for an individual) for covered services. Since a lot of this insurance lingo may be confusing, contact an Illinois health insurance expert to help you make some sense of co-insurance and what will work for you.

Randy Gillespie is with Illinois health insurance agency, Focus Insurance Group. To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

COBRA and HIPAA Save the Working Day

If you've lost your job, then you're likely worried about medical coverage.

Losing a job these days in this recession seems to be far more common than we would like it to be. Those who still have jobs may even be thinking about quitting to work somewhere else with more stability, but are scared their health insurance provider won't take them on because of a pre-existing condition. In either of these situations, you can rely on COBRA or HIPAA. Both of these protect coverage if you are switching workplaces.

For those of you not familiar with the acronyms COBRA and HIPAA, they stand for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reduction Act and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. In terms of COBRA it will let workers extend health coverage when their employer's policy ends.

There are a number of reasons why that may happen, including your job is terminated, if you were covered but coverage is stopped because of legal separation or divorce, and in the event of a disability. There are other reasons as well, but it is best to speak with a qualified health insurance broker and have everything laid out in plain English.

Generally speaking, in most states, this kind of coverage is limited to workplaces with 20 or more workers. Having said that, there are states that have the minimum amount of employees, two. You need to ask an insurance expert what is applicable where you live.

Let's say you're out of a job. You now have 60 days to continue coverage under COBRA. If you choose to go that route, you then you have 45 days to pay your retroactive premiums. Once the premiums are caught up you will have coverage unless and until you cancel it, you stop paying premiums, become eligible for another policy or Medicare, or the COBRA continuation period has maxed out. Again, you really need to check all this out with an expert insurance agent who will be able to outline what you need to do and what will happen in various situations.

On the other side of the coin, HIPAA lets people switch companies and get approved whether they have pre-existing conditions or not. It's pretty straightforward and simple. The company you go to must accept you. Again, there are a multitude of things you will need to know about HIPAA protections; e.g. pregnancy/prenatal health problems are not pre-existing conditions.

Also speak to your insurance broker about acknowledging credit for prior insurance polices in the previous 12 months, etc. Rather than be confused, take the time to consult with a knowledgeable health insurance agent who can help you keep your health coverage while switching employers.

Randy Gillespie is with Illinois health insurance agency, Focus Insurance Group. To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com