Colorado Individual & Group Health Insurance Blog

While many people may complain about the recent Health Care Reform Act by calling it a form of “socialized medicine”, senior citizens in America have access to health insurance coverage that is similar in nature. If you are a Colorado senior citizen who is 65 or older, or an individual with a disability, Medicare Part A will cover hospital and inpatient services.  Medicare Part B will cover doctor’s visits and other outpatient services, however this plan will not cover everything.

Applying for Medicare is no more complicated than applying for any other form of Colorado health insurance coverage, and it doesn’t need to be confusing.  In fact, if you are receiving Social Security benefits, you will be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B automatically on the first day of the month you turn 65.  Most seniors are already aware of this well before they turn 65, because their Medicare card is usually delivered a few months before their 65^th birthday.

Where things can start to become confusing is when a senior citizen begins to look into Medicare supplemental health insurance. These plans are available in five standard healthcare plans, known simply as A, F, High Deductible F, G and N, and each includes a different level of supplemental health insurance for seniors. 

When it comes time to purchase Medicare supplemental insurance, many Colorado seniors look to the same trusted Colorado health insurance plans they have relied upon for years.  However, these companies don’t always offer the most competitive rates.  While companies like Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield are considered household names in Colorado, their rates may not be as affordable as another plan. 

Before you purchase a Medicare supplemental insurance plan in Colorado, be sure to seek help from a Colorado health insurance broker.  Michael Horvat is a health insurance expert and broker with HealthQuotes.com in Colorado Springs, CO.  If you are searching for Colorado health insurance plans or quotes, please give Michael a call anytime at 800-345-0789.

The new Healthcare Reform package has yet to make a positive impact on the lives of many Coloradoans; primarily because the plans key provision that mandates coverage for preexisting conditions does not fully phase in until 2014.  Until then, Colorado residents who have been denied coverage on Colorado health plans have another option. 

A new Colorado health insurance program will become available this month to provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.  However, the public is still a little confused about how it will work.  The reason there is some confusion about this is that Colorado already has a policy for people with pre-existing conditions.  That plan is called CoverColorado.  The new plan will use federal dollars to set up a secondary high-risk pool to cover applicants who cannot otherwise qualify for privately underwritten insurance. 

In a unique collaboration between CoverColorado and Rocky Mountain Health Plans (RMHP), Colorado resident can now apply for this coverage.  The details of the plan will be worked out between the two organizations, but applicants will still apply directly through CoverColorado.  While there is still some consumer confusion about the details of the plan, it seems like CoverColorado will be using RMHP to administrate the insurance policies while using federal funding to pay for the actual claims.  However, it could also be run as a separate program altogether, under the auspices of CoverColorado.  Either way, this plan will provide greater availability of Colorado health insurance for eligible applicants. 

A Colorado health insurance broker can help you learn more about the plan, and decide whether you can take advantage of the added benefits.  For some applicants, a better option is a high-deductible health insurance plan with a Health Savings Account (HSA) set up to help pay for out-of-pocket expenses with pre-tax dollars.  Michael Horvat is a health insurance expert and broker with HealthQuotes.com in Colorado Springs, CO. If you are searching for Colorado health insurance plans or quotes, please give Michael a call anytime at 800-345-0789.

If you run a small business in Colorado, finding the right group health insurance for your employees can be quite complex.  With so many plans available, it can be difficult to know for sure that you are getting the best rates and best coverage options.  That’s why so many small businesses choose to work with a Colorado health insurance broker.  Brokers already know which plans offer the most value for the money, which will be a lot easier than trying to figure it out on your own.

Shopping for private health insurance is not usually associated with saving money.  In fact, most people dread the thought of paying for a private plan without the group rates of an employer’s plan.  While you may be worried about the cost of buying private health insurance in Colorado, others may be choosing it intentionally.  That’s right, even if you have an employer-sponsored plan, private health care coverage may be your least expensive option.  

Investigate Your Options

Shopping for cheaper private health insurance in Colorado will require a substantial commitment of time and energy, since every insurance provider sets its own requirements based on state laws and the number of high-risk customers in a given region. The more you investigate the range of private coverage options, the more complicated it can seem; and many of the quotes you receive will still depend on the results of your physical exam.  

We always hear about how people are denied medical coverage due to a preexisting condition, but few people consider what would happen to them if they were suddenly battling cancer.  The Federal Health Care Reform bill will protect children from being denied coverage for preexisting conditions immediately, but adults will have to wait until 2014 before health insurance companies must comply. So what should Colorado residents do to ensure continued health insurance coverage during cancer treatment?

Ever since Congress passed sweeping healthcare reform legislation earlier this year, Colorado health insurance brokers have been faced with many questions about how the new reforms will affect their customers’ policies.  Some important changes will happen immediately, or in the very near future, and Colorado is working overtime to find the best ways to meet the new guidelines.

Rather than reading the entire bill, which is over 2,900 pages, the most important things to know about your Colorado health plan can be highlighted in a few paragraphs.

Most of the impact from the recent healthcare reform package will be felt by insurance companies, who will now be required to make some short term changes to their insurance plans.  For example, they will no longer be allowed to sell policies that exclude children from coverage based on preexisting conditions, or drop adults from their plans when they get sick. 

If you are looking to purchase a Colorado health insurance plan, now may be a great time to ask the insurance company how the recent reform package has impacted the price and coverage of a particular plan.  In many cases, insurers may be dropping other forms of coverage as a way to make up for the short term losses they will incur due to healthcare reform. 

Shopping for health insurance in Colorado can be a breeze if you have no health issues and you request quotes from a reputable health insurance broker.  But if you have been denied coverage or have special medical needs, finding the right plan may be a bit more complicated. 

Most Colorado health insurance brokers recommend reading up on your consumer rights before you jump into any type of health insurance plan. 

It’s that time of year again… time for all the college graduates to find a job before the student loan bills start showing up.  It is a time when many college graduates must begin searching for an individual health insurance plan.  While it is customary for employers to provide group benefits, in today’s job market it may take a while to find a full time job with great benefits. 

If you are a Colorado resident looking for an inexpensive way to insure yourself, then it pays to look closely at Colorado health insurance plans.  Many Colorado health insurance companies will try to sell you more insurance than you really need, which can make an individual health plan cost-prohibitive. 

Even with the Healthcare Reform bill in place, Colorado health insurance plan costs continue to rise.  This is because most of this cost savings provided in this new law do not go into effect until between 2011 and 2014.  Even then, not everyone will be able to take advantage of the savings. 

Hospitalization costs can exceed $1,000 per day and a serious injury or illness can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.  We all know that health insurance is supposed to keep individuals from depleting their savings in order to pay for healthcare, but the price of many Colorado health plans, insurance can seriously impact one’s quality of life.  So how can Coloradoans lower the cost of their health insurance plans?