Health Insurance purchased “Off Exchange” is simply not enrolling on the Government’s “Marketplace” website.
HMO is a Health Maintenance Organization which is a type of health insurance plan that has a group of local doctors and hospitals for you to choose from. You must choose a “Primary Care Doctor” (General practice, Internal Medicine, Family Practice, OB/GYN, Pediatrician) as your primary doctor to visit, and you must see your primary and get referrals to see specialists from your primary doctor to have any tests or procedures done. A HMO usually has lower monthly premiums than a PPO. A HMO may be right for you if you’re comfortable choosing a primary doctor, also called a PCP, to coordinate all of your health care.
An EPO, is an Exclusive Provider Organization, which is a type of health plan that offers a local network of doctors and hospitals for you to choose from. An EPO can be described as somewhat of combination of a PPO and HMO. You don’t have to select a primary care doctor, and you may see any of the providers in the EPO network, but there are no out of network benefits. If you choose to get care outside of your plan’s network, you will pay full price, there is no coverage, unless it’s an emergency. If you’re looking for lower monthly premiums, and are okay with using local doctors and hospitals, but don’t want to have to get referrals for specialists, you may want to consider an EPO plan.
A PPO, is a Preferred Provider Organization. It’s a type of health plan that offers a larger network (generally speaking), so you have access to more doctors and hospitals. Your out-of-pocket costs can be higher with a PPO than with an HMO or EPO plan. You will have network doctors and hospitals (depending on the network) which are contracted with the insurance company to accept lower payments. Or, you may see providers that are out of the network, but you’ll pay more for out of network providers. You can see providers in and out of a network if you choose.
All major medical plans that will be sold from 1/1/2014 and on that sell on or off the “Exchange” (Marketplace) and the “SHOP Exchange” or in the private marketplace must comply with all the rules and regulations in order to be a “Qualified Health Plan”. All health insurance plans for families and individuals MUST cover these 10 items called “Essential Health Benefits.” These 10 benefits must be covered without any lifetime or annual limits on the “Essential Health Benefits.”
From 1/1/2014 and beyond, all new health plans (insured small group and individual health insurance plans) must cover the 10 bulleted benefits below. These are the plans you’ll want to have in order to cover pre-existing conditions, maternity, prescriptions, and much more. They are “qualified health plans”. These “Essential Health Benefits” will be covered.
Dental for “Pediatrics” means anyone under the age of 19. Check the plan “Summary of Benefits” to see if a dental plan for children under the age of 19 is already built into the plan. ON Exchange pediatric dental is offered for purchase separately, OFF Exchange there may be a plan built into the health plan or not. You’ll need to look at the “Summary of Benefits” in your plan.
Vision for children under the age of 19 is covered, 1 visit per year, 1 pair of glasses per year are covered. The pediatric vision has to be covered ON and OFF of the exchange.
Your insurance company must also allow members to request to have a drug covered that they need that the insurance company does not cover.
State or Federal Health Insurance Plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, VA, Tricare, CHIP etc., or part of an Employer Group that provides benefits, or are “Grandfathered,” are all considered Qualified Health Plans.
What are “Essential Health Benefits”? If your plan does not cover these services, it is not a “Qualified Health Plan”:
♦ Ambulatory patient services (clinics, doctors office, same-day surgery centers, etc.)
♦ Emergency services
♦ Hospitalization
♦ Maternity and newborn care
♦ Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
♦ Prescription drugs
♦ Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
♦ Laboratory services
♦ Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
♦ Pediatric services
Dental for “Pediatrics” means anyone under the age of 19. Check the plan “Summary of Benefits” to see if a dental plan for children under the age of 19 is already built into the plan. ON Exchange pediatric dental is offered for purchase separately, OFF Exchange there may be a plan built into the health plan or not. You’ll need to look at the “Summary of Benefits” in your plan.
You’ll have to act relatively quickly from the date of your “Life Event”. You’ll only have 60 days from the time of your Life Event to enroll into a health insurance plan. This 60 days is your “Special Enrollment Period”.
Some examples of a Life Event are:
A deductible is an amount you pay before the Insurance Company starts paying. Health insurance plans will have different deductibles. Low deductible examples might be a “Gold” plan, with example deductibles of $500, $1,000, $2000, etc. An example of a “Silver” plan might have a higher deductible such as $4,000, $5,000, etc. A higher deductible would be seen in a “Bronze” plan at a deductible of about $8,700. But still, what is a deductible?
Think of it like getting to 1st base in a game of baseball. You start on home plate, and when you get your first medical bill, you’d start running towards 1st base. Beginning to pay towards meeting your deductible. You’ll be expected to pay the whole medical bill out of your own pocket until you’ve paid your deductible, or in other words, reaching 1st base using our analogy.
The very good news is, no matter what the deductible is, you will most likely pay what the insurance company has “negotiated” with the doctor or hospital, even before you’ve paid off your full deductible. As an example, if you have a $1,000 doctor bill because you visited a dermatologist for burning off a wart, the insurance company may have a negotiated a price of about $300 with that doctor, instead of having to pay the full $1000. That $300 you pay will apply to your deductible. So, if you have a $4000 deductible, now you’d have $3700 left of your deductible. Make sense?
Once you’ve paid all your deductible, you are standing on 1st base, using our baseball analogy. Until you’ve paid all $4000 using our deductible example, you’ve not reached 1st base yet. But once you’ve come out of pocket the full $4000, now you’ll begin to move towards 2nd base – “Co-Insurance”. During this time, co-insurance is where you and the insurance company split the medical bills. Some examples, 70/30, 80/20 or 60/40. Make sure to look at your health plan to see what your deductible and co-insurance are.
So, using our $4000 deductible scenario, and dermatology bill, if you have already paid the $4000 earlier in the year, and you are standing on 1st base and now heading for 2nd base, now you’ll pay a split with the insurance company. If your co-insurance was 30%, you’ll pay using our example of $300 (negotiated price of the $1000), you’d pay 30% of $300 which is $90. So, heading to 2nd base, called “co-insurance”, you’ll pay a split of an already discounted price. Usually, the insurance company will pay the larger amount (70%) and you’d pay the lesser amount.
Your next step is 3rd base or your “Out of Pocket Maximum”. This is the maximum YOU have to pay in a year, not the insurance company. Once you’ve paid the “out of pocket maximum”, there will be no additional charges, including cost of medications. The insurance company will pick you up on 3rd base and carry you to home plate. You are all done paying for the year. Please check the details of your plan for deductible, co-insurance and out of pocket maximum.