State Health Care Plans Defined - According to Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau splits all insurance coverage into two groups. It is either private coverage or coverage through the government. These two groups have divisions within each group. There are three divisions in the private coverage group; and likewise, three divisions in the governmental group.

The government insurance coverage is classified as Federal Health Care Plans, State Health Care Plans and Local Health Care Plans. Each plan is funded by the government at that level. In addition to these three classifications, there are six categories of government insurance coverage. They are Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, Military Health Care, State-specific plans and Indian Health Service.

Most people know that Medicare is for people sixty-five and over and for some people with disabilities who are under sixty-five. Many people have heard of Medicaid, and know that it is Health Care for low income but are not really sure what the coverage area includes.

Medicaid is one of the State Health Care Plans which is administered by the state and was developed for low or no-income families. This insurance is not for individuals or people who are married with no children, unless they are blind, disabled or aged and are in financial need. Depending on the state, Medicaid may be called by a different name.

SCHIP or the State Children's Health Insurance Program is one of the State Health Care Plans that is given matching funds from the federal government so that health insurance may be provided to families with children. SCHIP was created to give health insurance to families with children who have income that is high enough they do not qualify for low income programs such as Medicaid and have no other source of insurance for their children.

Tips For Finding a Cheap Baltimore Health Insurance Plan

Low income residents of Baltimore can find a cheap Baltimore health insurance plan through Baltimore HealthCare Access, Inc. If you're not eligible for government assistance, however, you can still find a cheap Baltimore health insurance plan by using an online quote tool to compare competitive rates.

Baltimore HealthCare Access, Inc. was established by the Baltimore City Health Department in 1997. It provides various health education, outreach programs, and insurance services to qualified residents of Baltimore. Their newest health insurance program is Medical Assistance for Families, which was introduced in 2007. It offers full health coverage for Maryland families that earn $25,600 or less annually. Other plans are also available for individual assistance.

If you are not eligible for any of the programs offered through Baltimore HealthCare Access, you can still find cheap health insurance plans in Baltimore by using online quote tools to find competitive rates. You can use the tool to compare health plans available in Baltimore and determine the maximum amount of benefits you can reasonably afford. The more quotes you obtain the better chance you have of finding a low cost plan!

High-Risk Health Insurance Plans Have Surprisingly Low Enrollment

One of the aims of the Obama administration's healthcare reform law is expanding coverage to nearly all Americans. Eventually, health insurance companies will be forbidden from denying coverage to individuals based on their health status. However, the legislation gives health insurers time to adjust their business models. They will not be required to accept all comers until 2014, the same year that the controversial individual mandate is set to take effect. The mandate would bring more younger, healthier people into the fold to pay premiums--making up for the increased cost of patients with pre-existing conditions they would previously avoid.

As a stopgap measure, high-risk insurance pools were created by the law. These are heavily regulated programs that allow those with serious pre-existing conditions to buy health insurance coverage. Some subsidies for the program were also funded by Congress.

Over 20 states have agreed to create their own high-risk health plans that comply with the federal law, while the rest have refused to participate (due to financial and/or political concerns). The latter states are directing their residents towards the federal high-risk pool (which has the ironic effect of giving the federal government even more control over the program). Some states already have their own high-risk pools, although they may not comply with the legislation as a result of their high costs and limits on enrollment. Granted, the new program also has its own limitations: patients must provide proof that they were rejected by at least one insurer, and have to have been uninsured for the past six months.

Personal Health Insurance Plan

If you're like millions of Americans, finding a personal health insurance plan that you can afford has been a difficult task...and it's getting harder and harder each day. The insurance companies keep increasing premiums, covering less, and if you have a pre-existing condition, you can pretty much hang up any chance you had at grabbing onto some strand of relatively ineffective insurance. Many people that used to be able to get reasonable insurance through their employer have seen rates skyrocketing, the coverage dwindling, or the option of providing health coverage disappearing altogether.

Long waits for health care are becoming more commonplace. Haggling with your insurance company over needed or recommended procedures are another every day occurrence, not just concerning the time frame and coverage, but whether or not they'll cover it at all. With medical costs going through the roof, and little or no relief in sight, there are estimated to be 45 million Americans without health insurance. And countless others that are seeing household budgets strained by trying to keep up their premiums in today's economy. It's not uncommon to find households paying between $300 and $600 a month just for health insurance!

Can you imagine, in today's struggling economy...without any type of health coverage...the relief and peace of mind of finding an affordable alternative for the entire family?

Believe it or not, there is such an alternative available! While many people aren't aware of such programs, there are programs available that are NOT insurance companies, but rather professional medical savings programs, that require no medical exams and that accept anyone (including those with pre-existing conditions!). If you find the RIGHT professional medical savings program, the benefits they offer often rival, or exceed, the "coverage" provided by many far more expensive insurance companies!