• Aetna
• Assurant
• CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

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• HumanaOne
• Kaiser Permanente

• Supplemental Medigap Insurance
• Medicare Advantage Insurance
• CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

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• Monumental Life
• Unicare
• Universal American
• WellCare

Maryland Health Insurance Discount & Self-Funded Plans

E. Medical Discount Plans - Discount plans offer savings on various goods and services, such as prescription drugs, doctors visits, eye glasses, vision care, dental services, and lab tests. For a monthly or annual fee, the "plan member" is entitled to receive services or goods from a specific doctor or pharmacy at a discounted price. Certain plans may be marketed in conjunction with some types of insurance coverage, such as accidental death or disability. Although discount plans may be structured to look like insurance, they are not insurance and therefore, are not regulated by the Maryland Insurance Administration. However, Maryland law requires that entities selling discount medical plans (except insurers, nonprofit health service plans, health maintenance organizations or dental plans licensed to do business in the state) register with the Insurance Commissioner. If you are unsure of whether a program is an insurance plan or a discount plan, or want to know if a particular discount plan is registered in Maryland, you may contact the Maryland Insurance Administration at 800-492-6116. For more information about discount medical plans, please refer to our brochure titled, "What Consumers Need To Know About Discount Medical and Discount Drug Plans," which is available on our web site www.mdinsurance.state.md.us. Also, if you experience a problem with a medical discount plan, Maryland's Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division may be able to assist you. You may contact the Consumer Protection Division at 877-261-8807 toll-free, or online, www.oag.state.md.us and click the tab for "Consumer Protection."

F. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) - Authorized by federal law, Health Savings Accounts help individuals save for current and future qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis. Any individual who is covered by a high-deductible health plan may establish an HSA. Individuals currently eligible for Medicare may not open an HSA. Amounts contributed to an HSA belong to individuals and are completely portable. Every year the money not spent would stay in the account and gain interest tax-free, just like an IRA. Unused amounts remain available for later years.

Tax-advantaged contributions can be made in three ways: (1) the individual and family members can make tax deductible contributions to the HSA, whether or not the individual itemizes deductions; (2) the individual's employer can make tax-free contributions; and (3) employers with cafeteria plans can allow employees to contribute untaxed salary through a salary reduction plan. Funds distributed from the HSA are not taxed if they are used to pay for qualifying medical expenses. To encourage saving for health expenses after retirement, HSA owners between age 55 and 65 are allowed to make additional catch-up contributions to their HSAs. To learn more about HSAs, visit the federal government's web site, www.ustreas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa/, or contact:

United States Department of the Treasury
Office of the Executive Secretary
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20220
Telephone: 202-622-2000
Fax: 202-622-6415

G. Self-Funded / Self-Insured Plans - Some employers and labor unions provide group health benefits coverage for their employees or members through self-funded plan arrangements. Employers who self-insure employee health plan benefits are responsible for paying claims and performing certain administrative functions ordinarily handled by an insurance company under plans offered by private insurance companies. Frequently, self-insured plan sponsors contract with insurance companies or third party administrators (TPAs) to provide administrative services; however, the employer or plan sponsor is ultimately responsible for seeing that claims are paid in accordance with plan provisions and ensuring that the plan is properly administered.

Self-insured, single-employer plans are not subject to state insurance laws, and therefore, the Maryland Insurance Administration does not regulate such plans. Single-employer and union-sponsored self-funded health plans are regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration under the guidelines of the Employees' Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974.