Friday, February 27, 2009

Health Insurance Ratings To Help Pick A Provider

By Michelle Jackson

The moment one decides to buy health insurance, the question of which health insurance company to approach comes to mind. One of the best ways to choose the right health insurance company is to compare the ratings of the different health insurance companies.

For starters, when looking for health insurance, you should go to health insurance comparison websites. There you can find quick comparisons between quotes from A rated companies by filling out one simple form. Once you fill out the form, usually, you get a return of different companies that match the queries you put into the system. From there you can start to compare.

When you compare, you can see the differences between the strength of the companies financials, benefits, and changes in industry. You can also find out how well the company is suited to being able to pay future claims and other member benefits. If a company does not look poised to pay in the future, then it is not a viable option.

When you do your checking, you will find that there are a few bench mark ratings that people tend to give the most weight to. Some of the top rated companies that do ratings are companies like Fitch Ratings Insurer Financial Strength Ratings, and the well known Standard and Poor's Financial Strength Rating. Again, the financial strength of the company tells you how well a company will be able to make sure it can pay out it's benefits, and again, financial strength is very important to making a good insurance company.

Companies are rated from a scale of AAA all the way to CC. If a company has a NR, it means the company has not yet been rated. A tripe A rating is a strong measure of a companies financials, while a CC means that there are opportunities for improvement.

When looking, ratings from BBB+ and higher are considered to be decent. A rating of less than BBB+ leaves you open to vulnerability. The + or the minus sign after a rating just shows the relative standings for the major categories. If you see a DDD rating, that means that there has been a failure to make payments, and there has been some regulatory intervention. Again, by sticking to companies with a BBB+ rating or better should keep you in good company.

It should be borne in mind that the health insurance company ratings do not take into account deductibles, surrender or cancellation penalties, nor the likelihood of use of fraud to deny claims. They also do not take into account the potential of foreign exchange restrictions preventing financial obligations from being met.

When there are any changes in the insurance companies positions, the ratings can and usually change. If something drastic happens, it can also be suspended or even withdrawn. Once you have a company chosen, it is not a bad idea to periodically check to see whether or not your insurance company continues to hold onto it's ratings. - 15224

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