Individual/Family Health Insurance Article

Affordable Health Insurance in Florida

Florida Health Insurance Fast Facts:

Despite the fact that it really is possible to find affordable health insurance in Florida, there are well over 3.5 million uninsured individuals in the Sunshine State.  That’s almost 24% of the state’s population walking around without health insurance coverage, which is well over the national average of 17.4%.  These high numbers may be attributed to Florida’s 8.1% unemployment rate, which ranks higher than the national average. Many unemployed people face the high cost of COBRA, or may not even have COBRA as an option if their former employer has shut down.  However, nearly a million people in Florida have discovered that there are affordable health care plans available online, and that applying for these plans can actually be a much simpler and faster process than they’d expected.

Do I Really Need Florida Health Insurance?

Some young, healthy individuals think that they do not need insurance because they don’t take prescription medication, see the doctor, or have any major health issues.  This is risky behavior for several reasons.  First, nobody plans to get sick or have an accident and it is impossible to predict when you or a member of your family could need urgent medical help.  More than 12 million Americans are rushed to the emergency room each year for accidents alone.  Of these, over 22% are otherwise healthy people with serious sports or recreation-related injuries.  And if you apply for health insurance after you are sick or injured, many Florida health plans will turn you down based on your pre-existing condition.  Second, medical bills are expensive and the uninsured pay the highest rates for health care.  This is because health insurance companies pool their members into a big group and then negotiate much lower rates for health services on behalf of their members.  If you’re not a member, you don’t get their negotiated rate.  And in some cases that non-negotiated rate can be as much as FIVE TIMES higher than the negotiated rate.  Finally, being uninsured is financially very risky.  According to a 2007 study, 62% of all personal bankruptcies in America were due to medical bills individuals or families simply could not pay.

Get Informed About Health Insurance in Florida

If you aren’t one of the Floridians covered under a public or private health plan, you need to know that there are other options available that can meet your needs and your budget.

Public Assistance

One thing to consider when looking for affordable health insurance in Florida is whether you qualify for any sort of public assistance. People who are below a certain income level can usually qualify for this assistance, as long as they meet a certain criteria. While the insurance that you receive might not be the best in the country, it will certainly be better than having no health coverage at all.  Check Florida’s state government website for information.

Individual / Family Health Insurance

One of the best options around is for you or a member of your family to be offered health insurance that is paid for in part or in full by your employer.  If that is not an option for you, or if you are self-employed, you will need to shop for what is called individual or family health insurance.  In order to save money on health insurance in Florida and find the best match for your personal or family health care coverage needs, you’ll need to compare different plans offered by different health insurance providers and see the price quotes offered by each plan.  Visiting a general site like Medicoverage allows you to do just that so you can choose from a broad range of Florida health insurance companies and see how their plan rates and benefits stack up against each other.  When you visit a site like that, the only required fields should be for zip code, gender, birth date, and possibly smoking status.  This site and many others also may ask for contact information, but this should be optional.  Also, no site can truthfully advertise that they offer lower prices on specific plans than any other site.  By Federal law, no website or insurance broker can offer any one plan at a lower price than any other website or broker.  In other words, if it is the same plan offered by the same health insurance provider, it can only be sold at the same price, no matter who is selling it.

Getting Started Finding Affordable Florida Health Insurance

Because things can sometimes take a turn for the unexpected, finding affordable health insurance in Florida should be at the top of the savvy person’s to-do list.  Though it’s not free, being insured in Florida is a less risky decision in the long run—for both your health and your finances.  The guidance at Medicoverage.com is easy to understand, plus it offers plenty of simple advice on health insurance and a quick and easy quote engine to get and compare Florida health insurance plans in as little as 10 seconds.  Click here to try the Medicoverage quote engine.