| Description: | Health insurance is coverage that pays for surgical and medical expenses incurred by an insured individual. With health insurance coverage, you can receive reimbursement for any expenses incurred due to an injury or illness, or the insurance provider can pay the doctor or hospital directly. Sometimes, health insurance is included by your employer in a benefit’s package. This helps to encourage employees to work for a certain company because the premiums are partially covered by the employer. Today, selecting a health insurance plan can be confusing. That is because of all the rules and regulations related to in- and out-of-network services, co-pays, deductibles, and more. Since the passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, insurance companies were unable to deny medical coverage to a person with any type of preexisting conditions and allows children to remain covered on their parent’s plan until the age of 26. There are also public health insurance plans, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program or CHIP and Medicare. These provide coverage for children and older individuals. Medicare can also provide coverage for people with certain disabilities. With the prevalence of COVID-19, digital health has become more popular and some insurance providers are offering coverage for Telehealth visits for their members. Some of the health insurance providers that may cover virtual health services include Delta, National General, United, BlueCross Blue Shield, Humana, Cigna, Aetna, and others. MEDICARE/OVER 65 YEARS OLD : Medicare is a specialty type of health insurance coverage designed for older individuals. If someone is over 65 (or if they are turning 65 in the upcoming three months) and not receiving benefits from Social Security, you must sign up for Medicare Part A, which is hospital insurance along with Part B, which is medical insurance. It is important to note that you will not receive Medicare automatically. If you currently receive benefits from Social Security, you will receive Medicare Part A and Part B automatically when you become eligible. In this situation you do not have to sign up for the coverage. Instead, Medicare will provide you with a “Welcome to Medicare” packet about three months before you reach your 65th birthday. You can receive Medicare in different ways, and you will receive information to help you decide what you need. You can choose Original Medicare, which includes Part A and B and you have the option to join the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, which is Part D, separately. This helps to cover the out-of-pocket costs, such as the 20% copay that is required. You also have the option to purchase supplemental coverage, such as Medigap. Another option is Medicare Advantage, which is essentially an “all in one” option that include Part A, Part B, and in some cases, Part D. |
