Health Insurance in Connecticut
Connecticut residents are looking for worthy health insurance plans that offer significant financial protection at a cost they can afford. Below is useful information.
There is a wide choice of quality health insurance plans for individuals and families from most of the leading health insurance companies in Connecticut like
Aetna, United Health One, Cigna, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, including Tonik health plans for individuals. The premiums for private medical insurance policies are all standardized and filed with the
Connecticut Insurance Department. This means all agencies must quote the same rates. It is suggested that private insurance holders review their policy rate every 18 months.
Connecticut also provides a high risk pool plan for the individuals and families without health insurance in Connecticut, through the Connecticut Health Reinsurance Association (HRA).
Health Insurance for Connecticut Groups and Small Businesses (2-50 employees); Medical underwriting is authorized in Connecticut. Charges are based on the community rate including age, gender, location, industry, group size, and family composition.
Connecticut offers COBRA, the Consolidate Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. Many companies with 20 or more employees that provide health insurance are obligated to offer employees and their dependents continuation coverage for remuneration that were lost owing, for instance, to job loss, decrease in hours worked, death, or divorce.
Medicaid in Connecticut is a state/federal program that pays for medical and long-term care services for low-income pregnant women, children, certain people on Medicare, disabled persons and nursing home residents.
The Husky Plan is intended to assist all children who don’t have health insurance.
Others include; short term health insurance, student health insurance, and dental insurance
Companies for Health Insurance in Connecticut
Do you pay too much for family health insurance? Maybe it's time to Check Connecticut Health Insurance Quotes.
Hospitals in Connecticut
Bridgeport Hospital in Bridgeport; Danbury Hospital in Danbury; Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich; Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk; St. Vincent Hospital - Bridgeport; Stamford Hospital in Stamford; Bristol Hospital in Bristol; Connecticut Children's Medical Centre, St. Francis Hospital, and Hartford Hospital in Hartford; Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain, and Southington; John Dempsey in Farmington; Manchester Hospital in Manchester; Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington; New Milford Hospital in New Milford; Sharon Hospital in Sharon; Middlesex Hospital in Essex, Marlborough, and Middletown; Griffin Hospital in Derby; Mid-state Hospital in Meriden; Milford Hospital in Milford; St. Mary's Hospital, and Waterbury Hospital in Waterbury; St. Raphael's Hospital in New Haven; Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven; Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London; William Backus Hospital in Norwich; Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs; Rockville Hospital in Vernon; Windham Hospital in Willimantic; Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam.
Connecticut Cracks Down on Illegal Health Insurance Plans
The state of Connecticut cracked down on a number of unlicensed
health insurance plans and agents this month. The Insurance
Department issued warnings to consumers to check the licensing
of any firm before doing business. The targeted illegal heath
plans were primarily offered to small businesses through their
professional industry associations. The health plans claimed
that since they were not fully insured and operated in multiple
states Connecticut's strict insurance regulations did not apply
to them. CT Insurance Department disagreed and closed the plans.
A list of the approximately 40 closed plans is posted on the
Department's Web site. Since the affected health plans are
offered in multiple states, consumers in other states may soon
be dealing with similar actions.
But the news is not all black and white. This crackdown closes
the door to some of the few remaining affordable health
insurance plans for many Connecticut small businesses.
Connecticut's past legislative blunders in regulating health
insurance are now costing its residents in sharply higher health
insurance premiums. The illegal low-priced health plans are
actually quite legal and well accepted in other states. The
affected consumers are more likely to be irked by the 'Big
Brother' attitude of their government than by the fact that
their health plan did not meet all applicable state laws. Most
will be unable to find replacement health coverage in the same
price range.
Tony Novak, MBA, MT, Online Adviser at MedSave.com suggests that
consumers keep in mind the simple principal 'If it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is''. There are no bargains or
great deals in health insurance. If one health insurance plan
costs less than another, that is only because it provides less
coverage. Make sure that you know specifically what coverage you
are giving up before enrolling in a low cost health insurance
plan. As long as a plan is fully insured and the agent is also
licensed and insured, then it is OK to save money by choosing a
plan that eliminates coverage that you do not need. For example,
if you don't need maternity coverage or pre-existing condition
coverage, then it is safe to buy a plan that costs only half as
much as a health plan that does include this coverage.
Novak emphasizes that these buying guidelines apply to residents
of all states, not just Connecticut. Unfortunately, too many
small businesses buy the lowest cost health plan they can find
without really understanding the reason for the cost difference
or the risks they may be taking with the lower cost plan.
MedSave.com also adds that the Connecticut crackdown did not
affect any of its health plans. All MedSave.com health plans are
fully insured and licensed in the state where they are offered.
About the author:
Tax and Benefits Adviser Freedom Benefits Association
Author: Tony Novak