There are two types of health insurance in the US, private and public. Most people use a combination of both. The US public health insurances are Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, keep reading…

How to Choose a Good US Health Insurance Plan:

When looking up for a good health insurance plan, make sure you ask yourself questions like:

• Does that plan grant you the right to go to any doctor, hospital, clinic, or pharmacy you choose?
• Are specialists such as eye doctors and dentists covered?
• Does the plan cover special conditions or treatments such as pregnancy, psychiatric care, and physical therapy?
• Do the plan cover home or nursing home care and medications a physician might prescribe?
• What are the deductibles?
  Are there any co-payments?
• What is the most you will have to pay out of your pocket to cover expenses?

Make sure you also understand how a dispute about a bill or service is handled by your provider, as in some plans, you may be required to have a third party decide how to settle the problem. We recommend the GeoBlue Xplorer plan for foreigners in the United States.

How the U.S. Health Insurance Works:

Health care in the United States can be costly. A doctor’s office visit may cost several hundred dollars, and an average three-day hospital stay can run tens of thousands (or even more) depending on the type of care provided. Most of us cannot afford to pay such large sums if we get sick, especially since we don’t know when we might become ill or injured or how much care we need. Health insurance offers a way to reduce such costs to more reasonable amounts.

The way it typically works is that the consumer (you) pays an upfront premium to a health insurance company and that payment allows you to share “risk” with lots of other people (enrollees) who are making similar payments. Since most people are healthy most of the time, the premium dollars paid to the insurance company can be used to cover the expenses of the (relatively) small enrollees who get sick or are injured.

As you can imagine, insurance companies have studied risk extensively, aiming to collect enough premiums to cover the enrollees’ medical costs. There are many different types of health insurance plans in the U.S. and many different rules and arrangements regarding care.

What is Health Insurance:

Health insurance in the United States is any program that helps pay for medical expenses, whether through privately purchased insurance, social insurance, or a social welfare program funded by the government. Synonyms for this usage include “health coverage,” “health care coverage,” and “health benefits.”

Health Insurance Requirements for Foreign Visitors in the US:

Though the United States Authorities have not made health insurance mandatory for short-term travelers, as B-1/B-2 visa holders, it is highly recommended that every traveler get insurance before their trip to the country.

The main reason you should get insurance is that healthcare in the US is costly, and even a check-up for a simple headache will cost you hundreds of dollars, while a broken limb will cost you thousands.

Health incidents are never foreseen. Therefore, it is best to be prepared for it and get insurance, so in case of need, you save yourself money.

Special Considerations for Health Insurance:

I remember President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law in 2010. In participating states, the act expanded Medicaid, a government program providing medical care for low-income individuals.

In addition to these changes, the ACA established the federal Health Insurance Marketplace.

It also prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage to patients with preexisting conditions and allows children to remain on their parent’s insurance plan until they reach age 26.

The Marketplace helps individuals and businesses shop for quality insurance plans at affordable rates. Insurance available through the ACA Marketplace is required to cover ten essential health benefits.

What is the Affordable Care Act?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obamacare or Bidencare, was implemented to help make health insurance easier for people. Marketplace or ACA plans are sold on the health care Marketplace or Exchange. They focus on preventive care, cover pre-existing conditions, and provide benefits like doctor visits, prescriptions, and lab tests. If you’re looking for Marketplace coverage, you usually need to enroll during the established enrollment period. Check into UnitedHealthcare Individual & Family ACA Marketplace plans to find various affordable, quality coverage options.

What is COBRA?

COBRA stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), a program that may help if you need coverage between jobs. If you lose your job, become furloughed, or experience reduced hours, which changes your health insurance coverage, you may look into COBRA for health care coverage. With COBRA, you can continue the coverage you had when you were employed. That includes medical, dental, and vision plans.

Types of Health Insurance:

There are two main types of health insurance: private and public, or government. There are also a few other, more specific types. The following sections will look at each of these in more detail.

Private health insurance:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that the U.S. healthcare system relies heavily on private health insurance. In the National Health Interview Survey, researchers found that 63.7%Trusted Source of people under the age of 65 years in the U.S. has a type of private health insurance coverage.

Public or government health insurance:

With this type of insurance, the state subsidizes healthcare in exchange for a premium. Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Indian Health Service are examples of public health insurance in the U.S.

Other types:

Some people may also define an insurer by how it administers its plans and connects with providers. Here are some examples of the types of plans available.

Managed care plans:

With this plan, the insurer will have contracts with a network of providers to provide lower-cost medical care to its policyholders. Penalties and additional costs will be added to out-of-network hospitals and clinics, but they will provide some treatment.

The more expensive the policy, the more flexible it is likely to be with the network of hospitals.

Indemnity, or Fee-for-Service, plans:

A Fee-for-Service plan covers treatment equally among all providers, allowing the insured to choose their preferred place of treatment. The insurer typically pays 80% of the costs on an indemnity plan, while the individual pays the remaining costs as a coinsurance.

Health Maintenance Organization plans:

These are organizations that provide medical care directly to the insured. The policy usually has a dedicated primary care physician coordinating all necessary care.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans will usually only fund treatment referred by a family doctor and will have negotiated fees for each medical service to minimize costs. This is usually the cheapest type of plan.

Health insurance can be tricky to navigate in the U.S.

So-called managed care insurance plans require policyholders to get their care from a network of designated healthcare providers. Patients seeking care outside the network must pay a higher percentage of the cost. The insurer may even refuse payment outright for services obtained out of network.

Many managed care plans—for example, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and point-of-service plans (POS)—require patients to choose a primary care physician who oversees the patient’s care, makes recommendations about treatment, and provides referrals for medical specialists.

Preferred-provider organizations (PPOs), by contrast, don’t require referrals but do set lower rates for using in-network practitioners and services.

Insurance companies may deny coverage for certain services that were obtained without preauthorization. They may refuse payment for name-brand drugs if a generic version or comparable medication is cheaper.

All these rules should be stated in the material provided by the insurance company. It’s worth checking with the company directly before incurring a significant expense.

Medicare:

Medicare is a federally funded and operated health insurance program initially designed for 65 or older. Throughout the years, Medicare has expanded to include disabled people under 65 and those with particular circumstances. The program is divided into four parts: A, B, C, and D, and it is the same nationwide.

Medicaid:

Medicaid is a federal and state program that helps people with limited income and resources to cover medical costs while covering benefits typically not covered by Medicare, such as nursing home care and personal care services.

It is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for low-income people in the United States. Data shows that the US provides health insurance to 71 million people with low income or disabilities, 23% of the total US population.

Children’s Health Insurance Program:

Formerly known as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), this program covers health insurance for children of families with a modest income that is not low enough to qualify for Medicaid.

Health Insurance Requirements for Foreign Visitors in the US:

Though the United States Authorities have not made health insurance mandatory for short-term travelers, as B-1/B-2 visa holders, it is highly recommended that every traveler get insurance before their trip to the country.

The main reason you should get insurance is that healthcare in the US is costly, and even a check-up for a simple headache will cost you hundreds of dollars, while a broken limb will cost you thousands.

Health incidents are never foreseen. Therefore, it is best to be prepared for it and get insurance, so in case of need, you save yourself money.

Conclusion:

US Health insurance is essential for all America-based citizens.
Congratulation, now that you have gotten your health insurance, feel free to contact us or drop us a comment in case of questions or what you fill we would have added; we are here for you 24/7. Good luck!