As an independent Virginia Health Insurance agency,we work hard to find our customers the most affordable health insurance in Virginia.
Whether you are an individual, family, or small business, we shop for the best rates and offer free quotes for all of your long term and temporary insurance needs.
Individual and Family Health Insurance in Virginia
As employers continue to shift most of the cost of Virginia group health insurance plans to employees, Virginia individual health insurance plans have become more attractive. As health insurance costs increase, individuals are looking for ways to save and advice on how to find a low cost health insurance plan in Virginia.Here are some potential advantages of a personal health insurance plan:
Lower cost- personal health plans may provide more affordable health insurance in Virginia while leaving out coverages you don't need.
Tailor made- you can design your own plan by choosing deductibles, co-pays and optional benefits rather than the cookie-cutter employer plan.
Portability- a personal health insurance plan can go with you from job to job as your career path changes.
Does my child have to be a full-time student if over the age of 18 to remain on my plan?
A lot of insurers, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia, are now allowing adult children to remain on their parent's plan regardless of student status until age 23. The new health reform legislation will make it possible soon for children to remain on their parent's plan until age 26.
Can my premium be raised or policy cancelled if I have too many claims?
Respectable insurers never single out individuals for rate increases or policy cancellations based on claims. Rate increases are generally applied to an entire class of insureds on an equitable basis.
What options do I have if I am uninsurable due to a major health condition?
If you are eligible for Virginia group health insurance through your employer, you will probably not be required to prove insurability. If you are self-employed, you may qualify for a small group plan with as few as 1 or 2 employees. Some short term temporary plans have very limited medical underwriting to help you obtain affordable Virginia health insurance. Finally, some insurers offer "open enrollment" plans to anyone regardless of medical conditions.
You have probably heard in the health care reform debate that people with pre-existing conditions cannot get coverage.One would naturally think that those persons need the coverage more than anyone, but let's look further at this smokescreen.
First we need to define a couple of terms.What is a pre-existing condition?Most insurers define it as a condition that manifested itself and required medical treatment prior to the insurance being purchased.The other term we need to define is insurance.Insurance is the transfer of a large, uncertain potential loss to someone else (the insurance company) for a small predictable and certain loss known as a premium.If my house is on fire, can I call the insurance company and purchase a policy to cover the loss?Certainly not.If I just wrecked my car, can I call the auto insurance company and upgrade my coverage?Of course not.If a loved one in my family just died, can I purchase a life insurance policy for them?That's absurd.I think we all realize what a pre-existing condition is by these silly examples.Insurance companies are no in business to cover things that have already happened.Remember, insurance is to cover a large uncertain loss.None of us would purchase insurance until we needed it if it worked this way and all insurance companies would be bankrupt.The whole issue surrounding pre-existing conditions is easily solved by purchasing health insurance before it is needed and maintaining coverage so that it can serve the purpose intended.
These are generally PPO (network) plans whereby physicians that participate in the network have agreed to accept a set copay amount for the office visit.TIP!Most copay plans cover the cost of the office visit charge only.Other services rendered such as x-rays, lab work, etc. generally apply to the medical portion of the plan and a deductible must be satisfied.
Can I get health insurance just for my dependents?
Yes. A growing trend today is for an employee to take advantage of their employer's group health insurance plan since the employer pays part or all of the premium. Employers, however, have shifted part or all of the cost of the employee's dependents to the employee. In a lot of situations, a family can cover the unemployed spouse and children at a lower cost than the employer group insurance plan.
Is a Virginia individual health insurance plan more cost effective than joining my employer's group insurance plan?
In all likelihood, the employee would be better off on the employer group insurance plan.Since the employer is required by law to pay at least 50% of the premium for the employee, you are getting the benefit of a subsidized premium.This may not be the case for your dependents.As employers shift more of the cost burden to employees, it may be possible to shop for a personal health insurance plan that is less expensive for your dependents.Your employer is not required by law to contribute any portion of the premium for dependent coverage.Employers that do not contribute to dependent coverage have caused a recent trend of having families split their coverage between the group insurance for the employee and a personal health insurance plan for dependents.Several factors should be considered, however, such as the benefits of a family deductible, coinsurance and maximum out-of-pocket expense limits under a single plan of coverage.Other factors would include underwriting considerations and the necessity of certain coverages available under both group and individual policies. Be sure to consider the advantages of Virginia individual health insurance plans and how they contrast with group health insurance plans. You may be able to find cheap Virginia health insurance plans for dependents instead of having everyone join the employer plan.
Should I participate in my employer's group insurance plan and also cover myself under my spouse's employer plan?
It depends upon certain factors. For example, does your plan have a high deductible or gaps in coverage that would make it attractive to be on two plans? Do both employers pay all or a significant portion of the premium to make it feasible to be on two plans? Since most group insurance plans coordinate benefits and employees are having to pay part of the premium, you will need to have answers to these questions to determine if being covered under more than one plan would be beneficial.
Virginia Health insurance or medical insurance can be called by many names and variations.It is important to make sure that your core medical plan be classified as major medical or comprehensive.While these plans usually provide for day to day expenses such as doctor office visits and prescription drugs, the major medical portion of the plan covers the large catastrophic losses as the name implies.A few days, weeks or months in a hospital could cost in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.A solid major medical plan will provide no less than one million dollars of lifetime benefits per person.Most policies now provide several million dollars of benefits per person and may even restore some of the benefits that have been used in previous years during years when the plan does not pay benefits.
Solid and reputable insurers offering comprehensive plans here in Virginia, pay benefits that are both reasonable and customary for the procedure and location within the state.This language protects both the insurance company and the customer.Since charges for certain services such as a doctors office visit or hospital room change from time to time (usually upwards), it is important to have a plan that adjusts to those increased costs automatically. Virginia insurance companies use inflation factors and do extensive research on how much all procedures cost for each area of the state.For example, a heart transplant may cost more in Alexandria, Virginia than it does in Danville, Virginia.It is important to have a major medical plan that pays what is customary for the procedure rather than arbitrarily limiting procedures to a certain dollar amount.
A Virginia Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax deductible savings plan whereby the funds can be used to pay for or reimburse you for qualified medical expenses.These HSAs must be accompanied by a qualified High Deductible Health Insurance Plan (HDHP).The idea behind a HDHP and HSA is that by using a high deductible, the cost of the major medical plan would be less since you're covering catastrophic loss only.The funds that are saved in premium by using the HDHP can be deposited in the HSA and accessed as first dollar benefits for the smaller medical expenses such as doctor visits and prescription medication.In essence, you are self-insuring for the small loss and using your insurance for large losses.Isn't that the purpose of insurance anyway?The high cost of health insurance has made the HDHP and HSA increase in popularity in recent years. HSAs and HDHPs can be a solution for finding cheap Virginia health insurance plans for individuals and families. TIP!Some insurers HDHP plans, such as Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia, cover preventative care such as routine physicals, immunizations, mammograms, pap smears, colonoscopies, cancer screenings and other preventative services before the deductible.
These are consumer-driven traditional major medical health insurance plans that provide incentives in cash or merchandise for healthy lifestyle choices.Rewards or incentives are paid for things like completing a health assessment, a tobacco cessation program, weight loss program and other similar programs.
These are generally limited benefits plans attractive because of the low monthly cost.These plans, however, are not major medical plans and only pay benefits as stated in the policy according to a schedule.For example, a hospital plan may provide up to $200 per day for hospital room and board.If the actual cost of the hospital room exceeds the $200 per day limit, you are responsible for the difference.These types of policies do not use the usual and customary language found in a true comprehensive major medical plan and do little in covering catastrophic loss.TIP!If premium cost is a factor, you might be better off using a high deductible on a true major medical plan versus using a limited benefit plan.
What about the discount plans that you see advertised where you can cover an entire family for a very low cost?
As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for".Our experience has been that these plans are largely a waste of money and not worth the paper they're written on.Many times these are fly by night scams designed to rob an unsuspecting consumer.
What are mandated benefits in Virginia health insurance plans and how do they concern me?
Mandated benefits in Virginia health insurance plans are coverages that every health plan in the state must possess, regardless of whether the plan is individual or group. Mandated benefits can also include mandated offers, which must be made available and offered to add to your health policy. In Virginia, some examples of mandated benefits include coverage for dependent children, coverage of newborn children, and coverage for diabetes.
A comprehensive health insurance plan will provide coverage for the insured, with a deductible and maximum out-of-pocket limit that must be met before the insurance company will pay in full for medical expenses. Once the deductible is met, some plans have a coinsurance percentage built in, which is a percentage you must pay of a medical bill until the maximum limit is reached.
4 Things To Consider When Choosing a Virginia Individual Health Insurance Plan: By: Brandon Brooks
1. How long will you need coverage for? Short-term vs. Long-term If you will only need coverage for up to 6 months, a Virginia short-term health plan may be worth looking into. Short-term plans are good if you happen to be between jobs and you expect to pick up health coverage through an employer. Alternatively, you can purchase an individual plan for the long-term, which would be ideal if you don't have the upcoming opportunity to join an employer-sponsored plan.
2. Is your doctor In-Network or Out-of-Network? Be sure to check if your doctor participates in the health insurance plan you are interested in. If your doctor is not in the network of the insurance company, then you will have a reduced level of benefits compared to an in-network provider. In Virginia, Anthem and Carefirst Blue Cross Blue Shield provide the largest network coverage for the insured.
3. Basic Coverage vs. Comprehensive Coverage Basic: Basic health coverage will cover your catastrophes, primarily insuring you for inpatient hospitalization and outpatient surgery. The monthly premium for basic insurance plans will typically be much lower than comprehensive plans, while providing coverage for serious instances.
Comprehensive:
Comprehensive health coverage will offer additional benefits in addition to catastrophic coverage. Benefits may include preventative care, copayments for doctor visits, prescription drug coverage, dental coverage options, and vision coverage options. The monthly premiums will likely be higher than basic, and would be ideal if you intend on using your insurance regularly.
4. Maximum Out-of-Pocket Expenses Depending on your financial situation, you may have a limit on how much you can afford to spend in the event of a serious accident or illness. This is referred to as the maximum out-of-pocket expense. Once you have reached the limit, your health insurance plan will pick up and pay all additional expenses for the year. This starts over at $0 when you reach the anniversary date of the policy.
Some health insurance policies have coinsurance percentages built in, which is a percentage of the medical cost you will pay after you reach your deductible until you reach your maximum out-of-pocket. There are instances where a $500 deductible plan will have the same maximum out-of-pocket limit as a $2500 deductible plan. In the event of a catastrophe with a huge medical bill, you will pay the same amount towards the bill with either plan.
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