Insurance

Employer sponsored insurance benefits are not just limited to health insurance.  Additional coverages of dental, life, and disability are also available in the employer's packages.  This page will allow you to research the various components of insurance coverages available through employer packages which may be helpful to you in making an informed decision about your particular insurance needs.
 

Insurance.com Frequently Asked Questions About Health Maintenance Organizations Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Bizbuyer.com blairm@nku.edu General Disclaimer:  This site has been created by a group of Northern Kentucky University students and is intended for informational purposes only.  There is no guarantee as to the accuracy of the information contained herein or within linking sites.  Presence of a link does not indicate endorsement by Northern Kentucky University. Copyright 2000

Although Insurance.com is an affiliate of Fidelity Investments, it provides unbiased and accurate information regarding health, life and disability insurance coverages common in the United States.   The site is designed for individuals who are seeking information to assess the various insurance options available to them (as well as other insurance coverages such as home and auto, which are outside the scope of the website you are currently viewing, A Guide to Wages and Benefits in the Workplace.) There are some commercial aspects to the site as it provides insurance quotes upon a viewer’s request.   However, overall the information is impartial and provides the viewer with helpful hints in assessing life, health, and disability insurance needs. It explains the basics of each of the insurance coverages and defines common terms found in the insurance industry, such as beneficiary, term life, indemnity plans, managed care, and short-term disability.  The site contrasts the advantages and disadvantages of health insurance plans, such as HMO, PPO, and POS, and offers advice on what an individual should consider when choosing a plan for himself and/or family. Considerations with respect to the effect of employer and employee contributions to the cost of insurance premiums are discussed along with explanation of how to best evaluate the overall insurance benefits being offered by an employer.  The site recognizes that insurance options for self-employed individuals may differ from those for employees in a group plan and therefore advises how to obtain individual coverage.  Once you have linked to Insurance.com, you will find on the right hand side of the page a list of the insurance topics (life, health, disability, etc.) covered by the website.  Simply click on the topic of your choice and you will be taken directly to the area which is of interest to you.  Each topic is broken out by subjects such as Overview, The Basics, Coverage Amounts and Planning Considerations. Frequently Asked Questions About Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) is a web site that helps the reader to clearly understand how an HMO within the United States is generally organized and operated for purposes of determining the type of health care benefits that a person should expect to receive under an such a plan.  Common components of an HMO such as health care provider networks, payment methods and typical restrictions are explored within this website.  Although the content within this website is relatively limited, the reader is still able to obtain a wealth of information regarding HMOs by linking to the recommended sites within Frequently Asked Questions About Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs).   By linking to these excellent recommended sites, additional facts are available which enable the reader to answer questions he or she may encounter when choosing an HMO or obtaining benefits under a chosen HMO plan.  For example, the reader will find specific linked sites which offer glossary of terms, legislative updates and data relevant to HMOs.  There are also other linking sites which will provide the viewer with polls, articles and personal accounts of experiences with HMOs including information from government resources (Senate debates) and health care professional associations (American Medical Association).  These web sites focus on the types of covered medical services, choices of primary care physicians, and costs associated with HMOs such as deductibles, copay and premiums.  The reader will even find tips on choosing a primary care physician, which is almost always a requirement of an HMO.  The primary goal of Frequently Asked Questions About Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) is to provide the reader with enough information that will allow for an informed and intelligent decision about whether the structure, limitations and benefits of an HMO are appropriate for the reader’s particular medical care needs. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is a scientific research agency operating under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services arm of the federal government.  The agency has several directives including conducting research which will improve the quality of healthcare in the United States, promote patient safety, and advance the use of information technology for coordinating patient care.  Another objective, which pertains more to the topic of the website you are currently viewing  (A Guide to Wages and Benefits in the Workplace), is the agency’s commitment to research on the use and co st of healthcare services in the United States.  As part of that commitment, the agency has developed a consumer guide, “Choosing and Using a Health Plan,” which gives a step by step approach to factors that should be considered in choosing a health care plan such as covered services and provider networks.  Among the suggestions in the guide, you will find tips on how to compare insurance plans by looking at deductibles, copayments and coinsurance.   Advice is also given on the type of criterion that should be used by a person when choosing a physician or other health care provider as required by a plan. You will find detailed explanation and definition of the types of medical services that are usually covered by insurance plans and those which are not.  The guide is accessed by clicking on the link below.  Once you have entered the website, scroll midway down the page to the category named “Health Plans.”  From there, you will click on “Choosing and Using a Health Plan” which will take you directly to the guide, which is outlined in a simple manner through the use of a Table of Contents. By clicking on a subject in the Table of Contents, you are directly linked to that subject.  There is one other area of the website which may also be useful when making decisions about the health care insurance plan that is best for you.  Directly under “Choosing and Using a Health Plan”, you will find another document entitled “Checkup on Health Insurance Choices.”  This is another guide for your use which explains the differences between group and individual health insurance and discusses the various ways (fee for service, customary fees, etc.) in which health care providers are paid by an insurance plan.  BizBuyer is a e-commerce site dedicated to the connection of U.S. businesses and vendors by providing quotes and information related to an array of services and products.  The site contains “buying guides” which are general categories of various products and services such as office furniture, long distance and computers.   However, one buying guide in particular is designed for business professionals shopping for benefit packages for its employees.  Although not directed toward employees, the guide actually provides information which you, as the employee, may find helpful in your use of insurance benefits as it defines group disability, group health and group life plans and further details how these plans generally work for the employer and the employee.  The guide is relatively easy to use.  Once inside the site, just click on your preferred topic (group disability, group health or group life) under the category, “Employee Benefits.”   You will then be taken to the page which details your selected type of coverage.  For instance, under Group Disability, you will find a contrast of the differences between long term and short term disability coverage and will be provided an example of how your salary may be paid to you through insurance benefits in the event you should become disabled during your employment.  Under the Group Life section, you will find information regarding basic life insurance coverage and optional provisions within life insurance policies, including accidental death & dismemberment and waiver of premium.  The group health insurance section includes a table for your comparison of various managed health care plans such as HMO, PPO and POS plans.  Additionally, links to other sites are available from within the guide and include direct links to reliable sources such as various states’ insurance departments.