Florida health insurance plans are highly regulated. This southern state has some of the strictest regulations as far as this industry is concerned. The state web site of Florida provides a valuable service that you can use to check the name of the company you are considering. You can easily determine if it is licensed to sell insurance in the county where you reside. That should be your first step in gaining coverage. Next, you need to investigate the different options the company offers.
There are basically two main categories of Florida health insurance plans. One is major medical coverage and the other includes all of the managed care plans. Major medical coverage is also called comprehensive coverage. These types of plans generally provide more benefits than other types of plans. With a major medical plan, the insured will choose a deductible level that will have to be met before the insurance company kicks in with payments. A higher deductible amount will typically result in lower premium rates. Once the deductible is met, any medical expenses incurred will cost the insured around twenty percent of the negotiated rates.
Several types of managed care plans are available in Florida. Florida health insurance plans include preferred provider organizations (PPOs), health maintenance organizations (HMOs), point of service plans (POS), and exclusive provider organizations (EPOs). One of the main differences between the managed care plans and the major medical plans is the restriction on the choice of care providers. Each of the managed care plans will have a list of preferred network providers with whom the plans have negotiated better rates. These plans will usually have lower premiums than the major medical plans, but that lowered cost comes with less freedom to choose primary care physicians, specialists, and medical centers. Also, you will need to get referrals any time you want to get services from a provider other than your primary care physician.
When you are considering a managed care type of Florida health insurance plans, you must carefully examine the network providers. If you already have a family physician that you are pleased with, find a plan that includes that doctor. You should also check to see that the medical centers in your local area part of the network. The PPOs will offer coverage for both in and out of network providers. So, if you find that some of your preferred doctors and treatment centers are not in the network, this type coverage may be your best option for a managed care plan in Florida.