How Much is Private Health Insurance?


Getting benefits for health has become a necessity of the current age. We all cannot afford to take our health for granted, and given the current circumstances where a pandemic has hit the world, everyone has started taking the issues of their health very seriously. Health is one of the primary assets of life, and one must take care of it whilst performing one daily routine life duties.

What is private health insurance?

Private health insurance represents any health insurance coverage that is offered by a private entity instead of government-run insurance programs.

When we work with an employer, they are liable to provide us with the necessary services. Some of them include a coverage amount that works as health insurance. Furthermore, many companies also provide their employees with the option of availing life insurance as well. However, in this article, we will focus on what it entails when you speak of health insurance and why you need to apply for it.

In general, most companies registered with the government are liable to provide a health card covering the insurance costs for its employees. However, this may not be the case everywhere, and in these situations, you are most likely required to avail yourself of health insurance on your own. This can be done when you contact the companies that work to provide health insurance.

How much is private health insurance?
Average private health insurance costs $495 per month or 5936 annually in the US in 2021. However, the health insurance price range is between $335 and $712. Please see the following US states health insurance cost per month Table for 2021:

StateMonthly costAnnual cost% change from average
Alabama51461630.0376
Alaska57268690.1565
Arizona4905877-0.0105
Arkansas4265112-0.1394
California58870560.188
Colorado3774524-0.2384
Connecticut50560620.0207
Delaware51361540.0361
Florida52863360.0668
Georgia4895874-0.0111
Hawaii4465353-0.0987
Idaho4775723-0.0364
Illinois51762030.0444
Indiana4625543-0.0668
Iowa4515411-0.0891
Kansas51161380.0334
Kentucky4705641-0.0503
Louisiana62975450.2702
Maine4315172-0.1293
Maryland3444122-0.306
Massachusetts59971840.2095
Michigan4024828-0.1871
Minnesota3624340-0.2693
Mississippi4855821-0.0199
Missouri54865720.1065
Montana4495393-0.0921
National49559400
Nebraska61573790.2424
Nevada56667920.1436
New Hampshire3354024-0.3225
New Jersey54365210.0979
New Mexico3504196-0.2936
New York70184130.4164
North Carolina52162470.0518
North Dakota4104923-0.1712
Ohio4355223-0.1207
Oklahoma53964640.0883
Oregon4675603-0.0567
Pennsylvania4495218-0.0929
Rhode Island4174999-0.1584
South Carolina4625550-0.0656
South Dakota56167300.133
Tennessee4955937-0.0005
Texas4925900-0.0067
Utah4775730-0.0354
Vermont64977860.3109
Virginia4435318-0.1047
Washington3944734-0.203
West Virginia71285400.4379
Wisconsin4615527-0.0695
Wyoming67080390.3534
National49559400

If you get the insurance cover from your company, the process is much simpler and does not require you to work through the process. You have to select a pre-given plan that may deduct a small amount from your salary monthly or on another basis. This can vary from company to company, and there can never be a one-stop plan available for every company. However, if you are looking to get a health insurance plan on your own, then you will be required to submit price money which in most cases is referred to as a premium amount. The premium amount is the money given to the health insurance company to cover this expense and provide you with the benefits. In usual circumstances, the companies take the premium amount once a month; however, it can differ depending upon what kind of plan you are opting for. They may also require you to submit some additional documents or add the name of a family member as well.

Typically, there is a limit of the amount covered when you are opting for health insurance. These companies are also registered with specific health professionals and practitioners, including specific hospitals; therefore, you need to look at them before giving it the go-ahead in most cases.
When you are paying the amount yourself, it is typically a bit complex, and you need a good eye to identify which companies do not offer scams and rip off your money as well. It would help if you were mindful about what you need and that it is a renowned company so that it has a reputation to maintain as well. Therefore, this article will tell you the dos and don’ts to follow when looking for a health insurance scheme.

Overview:
In this article, we will cover the following points about health insurance:
• You may need health insurance if you are above the age of twenty-five or just turned a year older. You may need it even though you are employed full-time or work part-time or whether you do not have a sustainable job.
• You can look for government schemes that offer health insurance as well.
• If you are above sixty years of age, you can enroll in certain government-sponsored programs that provide health benefits and cover health costs. One such program is known as Medicare. You can look for different options within it as well and pick the one that suits you.

Medicare health insurance:
Medicare is a government-registered health plan specifically targeted at people over the age of sixty. Younger people with disabilities and those with terminal cases such as renal diseases may also be eligible for the Medicare health program. Under this program, health specifics are covered, and you are likely to receive the amount. Another program is by the name of Medicaid, which targets those who do not earn as much and are on the less income side.

In this way, both these programs are good to target health insurance and benefit the citizens.
If you do not fall under both of these categories, you are likely to look for options yourself and see which works better. There are many government schemes and options that offer health benefits. However, the next section will explain to you further who should acquire the health insurance and when it becomes important to have it.

Who is eligible for private health insurance and when?
For private health insurance are eligible the following groups:

  • Those who are above twenty-five years of age: The Act states that the legal guardians or the parents cover the health insurance of young individuals until they reach the age of twenty-five. When they reach the age of twenty-six, they are likely to avail themselves of their own personal health insurance.
  •  Losing your job: If you have lost your job or are likely to be unemployed, you are eligible to receive health insurance and should apply for it as well. You can also put in the name of the dependants to ensure that the costs are covered for them. in this regard, the government is likely to pay for the health insurance of the individuals, and they are covered for you. This is a benefit that most welfare states provide their citizens with.
  • Part-time workers: When you are working some hours in the office or at a company, you are likely not to receive any funding or scheme for getting health insurance as the full-time employees have. For this reason, those working on part-time shifts are required to find a scheme themselves and get the health insurance covered for them by their own funds.
  • As a boss: If you are working as a head of a certain company, you may be required to ensure that the employees and their families receive some health benefits. You may have to find a suitable covering cost for the employees’ health and select a suitable package in this regard. Often, the corporate offices get offered a group deal or health insurance specifically for businesses and big companies. This is more of a collective effort rather than an individual one.
  • Retirement: When you are working for a company, you are getting health insurance covered by it. However, once you retire, all of your benefits, including the health card eligibility, expire. For this purpose, if you or someone you know is about to retire, it is best to look for individual health insurance plans on your own beforehand. Many government schemes such as Medicare caters to individuals who are sixty-five years old or above. They also have schemes for low-income earning Americans as well. However, you must understand that many of your family members may not be included in the scheme, as was when you had insurance given to you by your company. In this case, the family members have to get their own individual health plans to get insurance.
  • Expiry of the previous insurance: If, for some instance, your previously enrolled insurance is not working or it has expired, or maybe the company is not working anymore, then it is likely that you will be dropped out of it. In this regard, you should make sure that you find new insurance on your own. You should keep searching, and initially, when you have insurance, you should have a backup company as well. In this way, no time is wasted searching for a new company, and you can avail the benefits early as well.

Why getting health insurance important?
You may think that getting health insurance is not worth it or not really important. However, we must tell you that having good health insurance means that you are financially secure and do not have much to worry about if you face a health backlash. We all do not know what might happen in the next second and usually do not save up money for health specifically. So if you have an accident immediately and need to arrange some cash to fix a bone that has been broken, you can use your health insurance and let it take care of the issue. This is just one instance given to explain why a health card is necessary; however, you must understand the seriousness of the issue and know that having health insurance is necessary, especially during the current times. The world is already facing a deadly pandemic and having costs to cover as well. It is perfect to have an emergency cash fund in the shape of health insurance that can help you through the process of testing and getting vaccinated whenever required.

Discussing Insurance Plans:

There are many types of insurance plans available; however, you need to choose the one best suited to your needs. We will discuss some of the insurance plans in this section:
• For Healthcare: There is a health maintenance program targeted to the employees of a company by way of different healthcare professionals involved in the process. There is usually a fee that needs to be paid on a monthly or yearly basis. However, this system has a drawback that only those doctors and healthcare professionals registered with the scheme are allowed to cater to the employees who sign up with this program. For example, if you need to see a doctor who is not registered with the scheme, you will likely pay for them yourself rather than using the insurance card.
• Preferred Network: Those people involved in this scheme get the insurance at a subsidized or a lower rate than usual. You can also see the doctors apart from those registered when applying for this scheme; however, you have to pay a hefty amount to have an appointment with those doctors and medical health professionals.
• Exclusive network: The exclusive network is an amalgamation of both of the above-mentioned networks. In this, the people do not choose to see the doctors not registered on the panel; however, there can be exceptions made if there is an emergency case. You can also choose to select the practitioner who can guide you regarding any illness and make sure that you are on the right track by prescribing medicines in advance to ensure that your health is in the right direction.
• High-end plan: The highly deductible health plan is ideal for people who do not have a major illness, and healthy people can avail of this option as well. in this, there is no need to avail a medical card unless there is an emergency or any unexpected illness or mishap.

There are many other health plans available, and one must seek to look for the best suited to his/her needs. You can research well online and make appointments by learning the features of the scheme thoroughly before making a decision. Whichever scheme you choose, you must understand that getting health insurance is an important step and must not be taken lightly.

Jason Martin

Jason Martin

Jason Martin is an experienced and knowledgeable professional in the insurance industry, with over 26 years of relevant knowledge under his belt. After completing his Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Jason got Actuary Insurance Certification in 2005. From 2022., Jason writes educational insurance articles for Promtinsurance.com. Please read : Jason Martin biography Write email: jason@promtinsurance.com

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