Types of South Carolina Health Insurance Plans

What Types of Health Insurance are Available?

Major Medical Plans

This type of policy is usually effective in covering serious illness or injury where costs are high. Hospital care, drugs and doctors' visits are usually covered. These benefits can be delivered in several different ways:

  • Indemnity plans - These major medical plans typically have a deductible - the amount you pay before the insurance company begins paying benefits. After your covered expenses exceed the deductible amount, benefits usually are paid as a percentage of actual expenses, often 80 percent. These plans usually provide the most flexibility in choosing where to receive care.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans - In these major medical plans, the insurance company enters into contracts with selected hospitals and doctors to furnish services at a discounted rate. As a member of a PPO, you may be able to seek care from a doctor or hospital that is not a preferred provider, but you will probably have to pay a higher deductible or co-payment.
  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans - These major medical plans usually make you choose a primary care physician (PCP) from a list of network providers. Your PCP is responsible for managing all of your health care. If you need care from any network provider other than your PCP, you may have to get a referral from your PCP to see that provider. You must receive care from a network provider in order to have your claim paid through the HMO. Treatment received outside the network is usually not covered, or covered at a significantly reduced level.
  • Point of Service (POS) plans - These major medical plans are a hybrid of the PPO and HMO models. They are more flexible than HMOs, but do require you to select a primary care physician (PCP). Like a PPO, you can go to an out-of-network provider and pay more of the cost. However, if the PCP refers you to an out-of-network doctor, the health plan will pay the cost.

Limited Benefit Plans

These types of policies provide limited coverage for a particular health care setting, ailment or disease. Some of the options that may be available to you are:

  • Basic Hospital Expense Coverage - Covers a period of usually not less than 31 days of continuous in-hospital care and certain hospital outpatient services.
  • Basic Medical-Surgical Expense Coverage - Covers costs associated with a necessary surgery, including a certain number of days (usually not less than 21 days) of in-hospital care.
  • Hospital Confinement Indemnity Coverage - Covers a fixed amount (usually not less than $40) for each day that you are in a hospital. The benefits paid are not based on your actual expenses.
  • Accident Only Coverage - Covers death, dismemberment, disability or hospital and medical care caused by an accident. Specified accident coverage that covers only certain accidents may also be purchased.
  • Specified Disease Coverage - Covers diagnosis and treatment of a specifically named disease or diseases, such as cancer.
  • Other Limited Coverage - You may purchase insurance covering only dental or vision or other specified care.

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