Health Insurance

You can purchase health insurance individually or through a group plan. Normally, premiums are significantly lower under group setups. Health insurance can also be obtained from insurance companies, through local hospitals and medical service plans, health maintenance organizations and through various other organizations.

There are five types of health insurance:
- Hospital expense insurance - which pays the hospital bills
- Surgical expense insurance - which helps pay the doctor's fees for operations
- Physicians expense insurance - which helps pay the physician for services other than surgery
- Major medical insurance - which provides for the heavy costs of a very serious or prolonged illness
- Disability insurance - which provides an income if you are unable to work because of sickness or injury

The ideal family health insurance plan gives adequate protection according to the needs and situation of your family. To figure out how much coverage you need take into account:
- How much money you have available for emergencies
- How much do hospitals and doctors charge in your community

Medical expense policies are usually family policies which specifies who is primarily insured and who is eligible for dependent coverage.
When you decide to purchase health insurance it is wise to find out as much as you can about the company. If you do have any complaints you can contact your State Insurance Department.

This information is general in nature and is not intended as a reliability report on any company, product, or service.