Health Insurance Quotes in Galena, AK

Compare Health Insurance Plans in Galena, AK

Shopping for and comparing health insurance plans in Galena, AK is a daunting task. With so many different plans to choose from and various coverage options, it's hard to know what is best for you and your family. Some plans may be subsidized by your employer while others require you to pay the entire premium yourself. Some will pay your healthcare providers directly while others will reimburse you. Fortunately, MyRatePlan makes it easy to compare insurance plans and get a free online quote so you can make an informed decision about your healthcare coverage.

Health insurance comes from three primary sources. The first is from your employer. If you work full time in Galena, AK, your company may offer you a health insurance plan. Some employers will buy this plan for you while others will help make the insurance affordable by paying a portion of it for you. In some instances, you will be asked to pay all of your premiums yourself, but will be offered a discount for being part of a large group who is buying insurance services together. Think of this as a type of group discount.

The second possible source of health insurance is the government. Medicaid and Medicare programs provide insurance for the elderly and those in certain income brackets. You may also provide yourself with health insurance by purchasing a policy from an insurance agent or directly from an insurance company.

Types of Health Insurance in Galena, AK

There are several different types of health insurance in Galena, AK you can receive. They all offer varying levels of coverage, flexibility, and ease of access. A few common insurance types are preferred-provider organizations, health maintenance organizations, and point of service plans.

A preferred-provider organization (PPO) has a high level of flexibility and allows you to select your physicians from a wide array of choices, both in and out of their extensive network. With a PPO you also have the ability to see specialists without a referral from your primary care physician. Premiums and deductibles are high for this type of insurance, but if flexibility is your priority or you use healthcare regularly then this type of insurance may be for you.

A health maintenance organization (HMO) in Galena, AK has lower premiums than a PPO, but less flexibility. You must select one primary care physician that will organize the rest of your healthcare. Your primary care physician will be the one to refer you to specialists that are found within the network. HMO networks are often limited, but if affordable cost is more important to you than flexibility than this insurance is an option. An HMO could also be an option for you if your primary care provider is already serving in an HMO network or if you don't need referrals to see specialists often.

A point of service plan offers a large list of healthcare providers like a PPO does but it has low deductibles and co-payments. The plan also allows the insured individual to see doctors from outside their network but at higher costs. Primary care physicians are required to be selected from within the network, but specialists don't require a referral and can be seen outside of the network. The insured must file a claim in order to see a doctor outside the network. A POS might be the right choice for you if you want higher flexibility than an HMO and you can afford the higher costs.

People are also free to select from some additional options for health insurance in Galena, AK that can be provided. There are several forms of health spending accounts that can supplement an insurance policy, including a health savings account, a health reimbursement account, a flexible spending account, and a medical savings account. These health spending accounts are like tax-exempt savings accounts that you put money into over a period of time to help pay for medical expenses.

A health savings account allows you to put money into an account before taxes are taken out of your paycheck and you can access the funds at any time. A health reimbursement account is owned by your employer and they can deposit funds for medical care not covered by your insurance. A flexible spending account is also set up by your employer but you are allowed to contribute and you can decide when to use the funds.

Cost of Health Insurance in Galena, AK

Premiums paid for health insurance coverage in Galena, AK, whether the insurance is used or not, are non-refundable. Though the insured pays deductibles, these are not considered out-of-pocket expenses. The former refers to the minimal amount of money that the insured pays each year before policy benefits become active, while the latter refers to the amount that the insured pays before the insurer assumes 100% of the bill. Both types of payments usually begin with a clean slate every year, meaning a zero balance.

If a deductible is $3,000 a year and $2,800 is paid out of pocket, and if the plan doesn't change and renews, then everything starts over at a zero balance with no money rolling over from the previous year. There are some exceptions to this rule in Galena, AK that allow the paid deductible amount to rollover from the previous year to be applied to the deductible for the first quarter of the new fiscal insurance year.

Co-payments are not applied to deductibles. They are consistent payments for services rendered at the time and are the same for every visit. For example, every doctor visit will cost the same amount of money every time. So will hospital visits and visits to specialists, though perhaps not the same amount as the doctor visits. Co-payments may also consistent for prescription medication with the insured paying a certain amount or a certain percentage with every pick up. The plan then covers the remaining balance. Some policies carry a maximum lifetime benefit that reflects the maximum amount that the insurance company pays in all for the insured's healthcare. Once the maximum lifetime benefit is reached, the company will not honor any further claims.

The insured's employment status is in direct relationship to the type of insurance that is available to him or her. Employees of larger companies in Galena, AK are more likely to have access to group health insurance plans that offer more affordable coverage than do individual healthcare plans.

The law does not specify what type of insurance an individual must obtain. The self-employed and unemployed have access to private individual policy options, retired seniors have Medicare options, and qualified low income earners have Medicaid options.

If the insured has a particular physician in mind, then it is in the insured's best interest to determine what types of insurance plans in Galena, AK that physician accepts. He or she should also consider how changes in his or her policy may affect continued coverage with an established physician.

Get a Health Insurance Quote in Galena, AK Today

Health coverage is essential for everyone and every family, giving everyone access to the medical attention, checkups, and coverage they need. Many different factors help determine the rates and coverage of a health insurance plan, but MyRatePlan lets everyone easily and quickly get a quote regarding the best health coverage available in the Galena, AK area. Individuals can find this out simply by typing in their ZIP code.

When looking to save money, it's often tempting to sacrifice large parts of a coverage plan, cutting out parts of the coverage that seem unnecessary. However, this isn't always the best decision, as everyone should always try to anticipate their future needs. For example, if someone plans on having children, she should make sure to include a maternity package now, rather than waiting to find coverage later. No one should eliminate necessary coverage in order to save money. While many insurance programs can cost a heavy financial burden, the price of out of pocket expense is even greater. Instead, MyRatePlan offers to save individuals money by matching them to the best healthcare coverage plans in the Galena, AK area, saving them tons of money, and giving them a free online quote instantly.