Find the Indiana Health Insurance Plans Right for You
Indiana health insurance plans are usually available in many forms, but most health benefits packages fall into one of three main categories. There are Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) programs, Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans and Indemnity programs, each with its own benefits and restrictions. Each of these packages offers acceptable health coverage for most families, but the programs differ in restrictions, approved health providers and premium pricing.
In an HMO, only health care received from an approved network-affiliated health care provider will be reimbursed, and all specialized health services must be referred by the assigned primary physician in order to be covered. In a PPO, health care is covered at a higher level when you go to a network provider with pre-negotiated network rates, but you may also use out-of-health network providers and receive a lower level reimbursement of your expenses. With an Indemnity plan, you may visit any health care provider you wish, and you will receive a fixed percentage reimbursement of your covered expenses. Of these programs, HMO network plans will have the lowest premium rates, while Indemnity insurance plans are quite comprehensive and come with equally high premium rates.
When choosing between HMO, PPO or Indemnity plans, you should first evaluate whether your preferred doctors and hospitals are covered in the HMO or PPO network. Next, you should decide how much choice you would prefer in choosing health care specialists should the need arise. Finally, you will need to evaluate the trade-off between having more flexibility in choosing physicians, specialists and hospitals versus the significantly more expensive premium prices associated with having more flexibility.