Sunday, January 18, 2009

A New Kind of Health Insurance

By Jeff Cline

Consumers are looking for a new kind of health plan and carriers are stepping up to the plate to deliver. The demands for more affordable, but functional health insurance is being met. These new fangled plans are affordable, help you control cost and help you stay healthy.

One example is a plan through the carrier UniCare. They have a fairly new plan they introduced called the Solaura HIA, or Health Incentive Account. It is fashioned much like a Health Savings account. Instead of contributing money to fund the account you earn money by improving and promoting good health.

With the Solaura plan you are automatically awarded quarterly allotments to help meet the deductible. Individuals get $125 a quarter and a family $250. Unused money rolls over year to year and there is no limit.

They also dangle incentives to earn bonus dollars in your account. You could stop smoking. Our how about sheding those extra pounds the doctor has been telling you to lose for 5 years now? Immediatly you could earn $50 just for completint a assessemtn online.

Preventative Screenings are covered at 100% in this plan. Yes 100% for the office visit, most nationally recognized screenings and many, many immunizations. The idea is an annual screenings heads off any real problems before they even start.

Many new plans are promoting similar benefits. They are focusing on early detection as a way of controlling and saving medical expense. Some offer fun incentives to change a bad habit and most of them are covering 100% of your annual preventative.

Consumers need ways to save money on health expense. Not buying into the all inclusive benefit packages that look so shiney is one way to save a bundle. Only buy what you need.

Don't let a sales agent put you in a plan that only gets 20% use. Why pay for the extra 80% if you do not need it. Tell them you want a plan that focuses on health. Not something that is expecting me to see a doctor for every bump and bruise. Because we just can not afford that these days. - 15224

About the Author: