Colorado Health InsuranceIndividuals and Families
Health Plans for Individuals & Families
Health Insurance Glossary of Terms - Part 1
Access Fee
An "access fee" is a specific amount that a person covered under the policy must pay each time certain services are used or received. The access fee is not part of the deductible amount, and is not usually reimbursed by the health insurance carrier.
Catastrophic Health Insurance
Catastrophic health insurance is a type of health insurance that typically has very high deductibles. The coverage for a catastrophic policy does not kick in until you have paid your share of the deductible amount in the policy.
"High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs)" are catastrophic health insurance policies created as a way to lower overall medical costs by providing a lower monthly premium in exchange for a higher annual health insurance deductible. With catastrophic health insurance plans, you pay for almost all medical care until you reach the annual deductible amount. If eligible, some people combine a high deductible health policy with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Read the policy carefully to understand what will be covered and how much your share of the costs will be if you need medical treatment.
Co-insurance
After you have met the deductible for the covered period of time, your health policy may have a "co-insurance" that provides the patient will be responsible for a certain percentage of medical costs after the deductible has been met.
Contestability
An individual health insurance policy may have a defined contestability period, so if the insured person becomes seriously ill during that time the health insurance carrier may check for any fraud or deception in the person's application and medical history. This is intended to protect the carrier from individuals who may buy health insurance policies knowing they are in poor health and who may be misrepresenting themselves during the application process.
Co-pay
A "co-pay" is a fixed payment amount that is the responsibility of the patient. For example, a health policy may state that the patient must make a $25 co-pay for each doctor visit, and/or that the patient must pay $15 co-pay for each covered prescription medication that is purchased. (These amounts are examples, your policy may have different co-payment amounts.) The patient, or covered person, must make the required payment each time covered services are used. The amount of any required co-pays should be specified in the policy you select.
Deductible
A deductible is a specific amount of money that you agree to pay before you receive any benefits for covered services from the health insurance carrier. Deductibles can vary, but if your policy has a $1,500 deductible, and you receive doctor's care and medication that costs $1,200, you must pay for all of it. The carrier is not responsible for the amount of the covered service or medication you pay for up to the amount of deductible.
In addition to the monthly premium, or cost to be covered by insurance, you must also pay for all covered services until you reach the deductible amount. Generally, the higher the deductible is, the lower the monthly premium will be. If you agree to pay a $10,000 deductible, your premium would be lower, but if you are sick or injured, you will have to pay $10,000 worth of medicine and treatment before the carrier pays anything. (Check your policy to see what the options are.)
The entire deductible has to be met before your carrier will cover many of the services you could need, including hospital stays.
After you reach the deductible amount during a specific period of time, the carrier will begin reimbursing for covered medical services and treatment as specified in the policy. This may be at 100% co-insurance or could be another percentage, such as 50% of your medical treatment and services.
Once you meet your deductible then you're done for that calendar year or for the period specified in your policy. The following year, or next deductible period, you have to start satisfying the deductible all over again.
Disclosure (of medical history and status)
When applying for individual health coverage, you will be asked to "disclose" any existing medical conditions, existing medications and past medical history. You must answer the questions truthfully. If the health insurance carrier learns that you have not provided all requested information about your health status, the policy may be cancelled and your coverage denied.
Discount Health Plan
A "discount health plan" refers to a type of "buyers' club" that specifically markets reduced-rate health care services. The Plan typically charges a membership fee in exchange for a list of health care professionals who will provide services at a discounted rate to members of the Plan. Plans may be marketed to consumers as a way to save money on various health services, such as medical, dental and vision care, as well as pharmacy and/or chiropractic services.
Be aware that state laws protecting consumers of insurance will not protect people who buy Discount Health Plans. For example, health insurance laws that guarantee access to providers, do not apply to these plans. Discount Health Plans do not qualify as "creditable health insurance coverage." This means that if you drop your health insurance after purchasing a Discount Health Plan and later decide to purchase health insurance again, your new insurance may not - and probably will not - cover pre-existing conditions for a period of time.
