Tired of paying too much for health insurance in Pennsylvania? Is the idea of looking for cheap health insurance overwhelming? We’ve got you covered: Benzinga found the cheapest health insurance options in Pennsylvania for you.
the best health insurance in pennsylvania:
- Compc health plan
- geisinger
- highmark bcbs
- best for national coverage: independent bcbs
- best
- Premium: Your premium is the amount you pay each month for your health insurance plan. most premiums are paid monthly.
- Deductible: A deductible is a set amount of money you must pay out of pocket before your insurance company pays. For example, let’s say your deductible is $3,000 and you receive a $4,000 treatment. you pay the first $3,000 out of pocket and your insurance company covers the remaining $1,000.
- Coinsurance: Coinsurance is the amount you pay for a particular service or treatment as a percentage of the cost. You may have 20% coinsurance for a doctor’s visit. you cover the first 20% of the cost and your health plan pays the last 80%.
- Copayment: A copay is similar to coinsurance in that it represents how much you will pay out of pocket for a medical service. Instead of a percentage, a copay is a fixed price. a regular doctor visit may have a $20 copay.
- Provider Network: A provider network is a group of doctors and health care facilities that have a contract with your insurance company. It’s almost always cheaper to see a doctor who’s in the network. some plans even require you to visit an in-network doctor for the insurance company to cover the visit.
- Out-of-pocket maximum: The out-of-pocket maximum is the maximum amount for covered services that you must pay in a given period of time, usually one year. premium payments do not count toward your maximum out-of-pocket amount. Some plans count copays and coinsurance toward the maximum, so be sure to check with your insurance company.
- age
- location
- tobacco use
- get a catastrophic plan. these plans are available if you are under 30 years old. they are designed to cover medical emergencies, like an accident that leaves you with thousands of dollars in medical bills. You’ll have to meet a high deductible and pay for most services out of pocket, but you’ll pay less in monthly premiums.
- Quit smoking. You can reduce your health insurance risk and costs by quitting tobacco products.
- Choose a higher deductible. Even if you don’t qualify for a catastrophic plan, you can choose a plan with a higher deductible. high-deductible plans often have lower monthly premiums.
- Go to network doctors. Going to a doctor in your provider network could save you a lot of money on out-of-pocket medical expenses.
- hmo: hmo plans require you to choose a primary care provider from the provider network. this is the doctor or health care facility you will visit each time you need to see the doctor. You will need to get a referral from your PCP to see a specialist. HMO plans are usually cheaper than PPO plans. when you see the doctor, you will pay a copay for the services and your insurance will pay the rest. Suppose you visit a doctor outside the provider network: You will pay the full amount out of pocket.
- ppo: ppo plans are more flexible than hmo plans. You generally do not need to choose a primary care provider and can see a specialist without a referral. You can also visit any doctor, even out-of-network ones, and still receive insurance benefits. expect to pay a little more for an out-of-network provider than you would for an in-network doctor.
- prescription drugs
- laboratory services
- emergency services
- outpatient hospital care
- preventive and wellness services
- hospitalization as overnight stays
- pregnancy, maternity and newborn care
- mental health and substance use disorder care
- pediatric services, including dental and vision coverage for children
- rehabilitative or habilitative devices and services
- aesthetic survey
- fertility treatments
- over-the-counter medications
- surgery or weight loss programs
- alternative care, such as acupuncture
best health insurance in pennsylvania
It’s a good idea to understand how different plans work as you shop for the best health insurance. you may want to choose the plan with the lowest monthly premium. however, the cheapest premiums often have high deductibles that could cost you more in the long run. Consider how much insurance you use to help you find the cheapest plan for your situation.
Reading: What is the best health insurance in pa
1. umpc health plan
umpc offers health insurance plans for many parts of pennsylvania.
The company has some of the cheapest plans available. In addition to reasonable monthly premiums, Silver plans and above come with affordable deductibles.
umpc is among the best insurance providers in pennsylvania, according to the 2019 j.d. power health plan satisfaction study.
2. geisinger
geisinger offers some of the most affordable health plans in pennsylvania.
The service area extends through many rural areas of the state. You may not be eligible for a Geisinger plan if you live in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.
however, if you live within the geisinger service area, you can enjoy some of the best coverage and benefits at affordable costs.
3. highmark bluecross blueshield
highmark bluecross blueshield serves western pennsylvania including pittsburgh.
if you live within the region, highmark offers you one of the best provider networks. A unique and useful service offered by the company is a medical questionnaire.
You complete an online questionnaire that matches your personality to an in-network provider.
4. independence blue cross blue shield
independence bluecross gives you access to a large network of providers in pa.
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It doesn’t offer the cheapest health insurance options, but independence plans come with extra benefits that might be worth it to you. for example, your plan may reimburse you for gym memberships.
You can also use the remote behavioral health benefit for mental health visits over the phone.
5. ambetter of pennsylvania health and wellness
ambetter offers affordable health plans and you may also have access to affordable dental and vision insurance.
many ambetter plans offer the option to add dental and vision coverage to a health insurance plan.
You’ll also have 24/7 access to a nurse advice line. you can call anytime and get answers to your health questions.
what is health insurance?
Health insurance covers the cost of medical services and health care treatments. When you visit the doctor, your insurance company pays for part of your services or treatments. this helps you avoid huge medical bills that could take months or years to pay.
this is how it could work. Let’s say you accidentally cut your hand while cooking. you head to the emergency room for treatment. after the doctors treat him, he discovers that he owes the hospital several thousand dollars in medical bills. your insurance company covers part of the bill when you have health insurance. you must come up with the money yourself if you don’t have health insurance.
health insurance terms you should know
Before we delve into how to find affordable health insurance in Pennsylvania, you may want to know some specific jargon. Here are some of the most important health insurance terms to know before shopping for insurance:
average cost of health insurance in pennsylvania
Before considering the cost of insurance, it’s important to know how to obtain health insurance. Usually, you’ll get health insurance as a benefit of your job or when you buy an individual plan. The plan you land on ultimately affects your health insurance costs.
Many employers offer group insurance plans to employees. An employer or group health insurance plan helps lower the cost of insurance for employees. your employer pays most of the premium. your portion of the premium is usually deducted from your paycheck.
On the other hand, you may need an individual health insurance plan if you’re self-employed or your employer doesn’t offer insurance benefits.
The average price of an employer health insurance plan in Pennsylvania is $6,769 a year, about $564 a month. the average cost to employers is $5,418 annually or about $451 per month. Employees can expect to pay $1,351 a year for health insurance on average, or about $112 a month.
See also: The Best Age to Add a Child to Your Dental Insurance – Dental Health Society
Individual health insurance plans in Pennsylvania cost an average of $459 per month. You’ll probably pay around $5,500 a year for health insurance in Pennsylvania if you need an individual plan.
health insurance costs in pennsylvania: factors to know
There are 3 factors that affect the cost of your health insurance:
The more likely you are to need expensive medical treatment and services, the greater the risk you pose to an insurance company. As you age, you’re more likely to experience health problems, which is why your insurance premiums go up as you age.
Premiums are also higher if you use tobacco products. Smoking and other tobacco products are known to cause serious health risks. Insurance companies often charge tobacco users a higher rate to account for this risk.
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You probably won’t find discounts for health insurance like you would for other types of insurance. For example, you can get a discount on your car insurance if you’re a good driver. To lower your health insurance costs in Pennsylvania, you can:
types of health coverage
You will need to choose the type of plan you want when you sign up for health insurance in Pennsylvania. The two main types of plans you’ll see are health maintenance organization and preferred provider organization plans. Both types of health insurance plans use a network of providers to help you save on medical costs.
what does health insurance cover?
The specific insurance plan you choose determines what treatments and services are covered. if you have questions, you should contact an insurance company representative.
Health insurance must provide coverage for certain services. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to cover these 10 essential benefits:
what does health insurance not cover?
Health insurance plans vary widely in what is and is not covered. check the exclusions to coverage for any service or treatment you need or think you may need. Most health insurance plans do not cover treatments that are cosmetic, experimental in nature, or not medically necessary. this means that a new treatment for a chronic condition may not be covered until it is proven to work.
Services not typically covered by health insurance include:
find health insurance in pennsylvania today
Remember, the lowest monthly premium plan isn’t always the least expensive. If you plan to visit the doctor frequently, a higher premium with a lower deductible may be best for you. start looking for health insurance in pennsylvania – gather and compare some quotes today.
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