The rising cost of medical care is placing a great deal of pressure on health insurance premiums. This makes health insurance your most important subject if you want your medical expenses covered at a reasonable cost. Our present health insurance system is quite complex and constantly changing at a rapid pace.

   Basically there are two kinds of health insurance - Fee-for-Service and Managed Care. Although these two plans are different they both cover a wide range of medical, surgical and hospital expenses. Most, but not all, cover prescription drugs and some also offer dental and vision.

   Fee-for-Service plans pay a fee for each service provided to the patient. The patients choose the doctor they want and the claim is generally filed by the medical provider.

   Managed Care plans cover more than half of all Americans. There are a variety of plans that work differently and can include: health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and point-of-service (POS) plans. These plans offer comprehensive health services and offer financial incentives to the members who use the providers in the plan.

   Here are some questions you should ask yourself when choosing a health insurance plan:

1. Is the cost of care affordable?
2. Does the plan cover services I would use?
3. What is the quality of the plan? To check quality click on
   www.ncq.org or www.jcaho.org
4. If I change jobs or become unemployed, can I keep my health
   coverage? You have the right to carry your group health insurance
   coverage for up to 18 months under ( COBRA ) the Congressional
   Budget Reconciliation Act. You must fill out the appropriate forms
   from your empoyer's benefits department within 60 days of leaving
   your job. If you do not act within that time frame, you may be denied
   coverage.
5. Where can I get more information regarding health insurance? For
   information on Medicare click on www.medicare.gov. Information
   for various health insurance plans, which presently exist, is available
   from three reputable insurance trade associations. They are:
   
   
   • American Association of Health Plans
     1129 20th Street, NW - Suite 600
     Washington, DC 20036
     www.aahp.org
     
     
   • Life and Health Foundation for Education
     2175 K Street, NW - Suite 250
     Washington, DC 20037
     www.life-line.org
     
     
   • Health Insurance Association of America
     555 13th Street, NW - Suite 600 East
     Washington, DC 20004
     www.hiaa.org

Our associates are ready to assist.

With Kindest Regards,
Bob Puckett