Affordable Health Insurance
Affordable Health Insurance
According to America’s Health Rankings of the healthiest states, Wisconsin ranks 4th in the nation in terms of percentage of population lacking health insurance, with only 8.9% of its population lacking health insurance.
Wisconsin’s health insurance companies determine rates for individual insurance policies based on geographical location, age, medical history and other rating factors. Individual insurance policies are subject to medical underwriting and can deny coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions for 24 months.
You need to pursue individual health insurance if all of the following are true:
a) If your employer does not offer health insurance benefits
b) If you cannot be named as a dependent on another person’s insurance policy
c) If you are not a member of a professional or a trade organization that offers health insurance
a) Indemnity Policies (Traditional Fee for Service Health Insurance)
Indemnity Policies offer tremendous freedom with respect to choice; one is free to visit any provider in Wisconsin for covered medical services.
b) Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
A Preferred Provider Organization provides a list of contracted providers; one receives the best services at the lowest cost if one restricts oneself to the limited list of providers in Wisconsin for their health insurance needs.
c) Health Maintenance Organization (HMOs or Managed Care)
HMOs require members to obtain their medical services from doctors and hospitals affiliated with the particular HMO their Wisconsin health insurance needs.
d) Self-Insured Health Plans
Large employers in Wisconsin often have self-insured health insurance plans where all contributing employees pool in their contributions to pay for the medical services for the members of the plan.
Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP) offers health insurance to Wisconsin residents who either are unable to find adequate health insurance coverage in the private market due to their medical conditions or who have lost their employer-sponsored group health insurance.
Wisconsin Badger Care Plus is a Wisconsin health insurance program designed to provide coverage to all children irrespective of income level and pregnant women.
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (Wisconsin-COBRA) is federal law that extends one’s current wisconsin group health insurance under certain qualifying events such as termination of employment or reduction of hours to part-time status. To be eligible for COBRA, the employer needs to have more than 20 employees.
Wisconsin has a mini COBRA law that provides COBRA provisions for employers less than 20 employees which provides coverage under certain qualifying events such as termination of employment to employees for a period of 18 months.
Consumer Guide to Getting and Keeping Health Insurance in Wisconsin – a comprehensive guide from Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute.
Wisconsin Health Care Association – a Health Care Advocacy Group in Wisconsin dedicated to promoting and advancing the interests of Wisconsin’s nursing facilities providing long-term care.
Based on the US News Rankings for the Best Health Insurance Plans Nationwide 2009-10, the following are the scores (max. 100) for some of the top ranked health insurance carriers in Wisconsin:
1. Humana Wisconsin Health Organization Insurance(HMO/POS) – 83.7/100
2. UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin (HMO/POS) – 82.9/100
3. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Wisconsin (HMO/POS) – 81.6/100