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Indemnity Health Insurance: The Basics

by Daniel Wright

Traditional health insurance plans are often called indemnity health insurance plans. These plans can be expensive, but they often cover the most health problems that may occur. Other insurance plans can exclude some illnesses or diseases from coverage. There are disadvantages to indemnity plans, however, such as they do not usually cover preventative health care like physicals. And these health plans often cover only a percentage of your bill, resulting in a co-pay. You should research the advantages and disadvantages of various coverage options when you are considering health insurance for you and your family.

Indemnity health insurance plans have numerous advantages which offset their very real problems. Yes, you will probably pay a higher premium and some upfront costs. You willl also need to submit paperwork when you make a claim. These irritations come with pluses, too, however. You will have broader coverage and it will be easier to manage your deductions. Indemnity plans also usually cover medical expenses which other plans exclude.

Another benefit of indemnity health insurance plans that many people desire is the freedom to choose your own physician. While other health insurance plans offered by the insurance industry limit your choice of physicians and hospitals to a list of preferred providers, indemnity insurance will cover any physician or hospital. This benefit may seem unworthy of mention, but there has been more than one instance where a mother finds that her son or daughter's pediatrician is not in their preferred provider network and has to search for another pediatrician. This also means that you can see a specialist without having to consult with your primary care physician first.

While preferred provider organizations (PPOs) or point-of-service (POS) plans limit the physician you can see to a list of network physicians and hospitals, the freedom of choosing any physician is nationwide with indemnity health insurance plans. This means that if you are traveling across the country and have an accident or a medical emergency, you can go to the nearest hospital or see the closest physician without worrying about the expense. There have been instances where hospitals or physicians will either refuse to treat patients or treat them only minimally because the hospital or physician is not inside the plan's preferred provider network - meaning that the patient's health insurance will only cover a small part of the expense and the patient is liable to pay the rest of the bill. This is a risky financial situation for the physician and/or hospital since patients are often unable to fully pay costly medical bills. With indemnity health insurance plans, this is almost never the case. Consider this and the other benefits of indemnity health insurance when choosing the plan that is right for you. Overall, indemnity health insurance plans also offer you the best emergency medical coverage in the industry.

Those persons who are considering the purchase of indemnity health insurance will find it beneficial if they use the internet to find those companies which offer instant health insurance quotes for this product. The companies which provide this online service usually request a few relevant details about your health and physical condition so that they can generate a quote. After the information is input, representatives of these companies will offer quotes for several insurance plans. Then, the prospective buyer can compare both the level of coverage and the price of each premium to determine which plan offers the best value for the necessary level of coverage.

Compare up to 5 FREE quotes from national health insurance companies by completing our short 4-minute form! Instant-Health-Insurance-Quotes.com works with major insurance companies around the nation to help you compare quotes fast and efficiently. We've made it easy with our exclusive 4-minute form. Just a few minutes of time now could save you thousands of dollars in just the next couple years!

Published January 1st, 2008

Filed in Health