|
With group health insurance, a single policy covers the
medical expenses of many different people, instead of covering just one person.
Unlike individual insurance, where each person's risk potential is evaluated to
determine insurability, all eligible people can be covered by a group policy,
regardless of age or physical condition. The premium for group insurance is
calculated based on the characteristics of the group as a whole, such as average
age and degree of occupational hazard.
How do you get group health insurance?
Find out whether you are eligible
Many employers offer group health insurance as part of
their employee benefits package. Other groups that may offer insurance coverage
include churches, clubs, trade associations, chambers of commerce, and
special-interest groups.
Apply for coverage
Although your individual health is generally not evaluated when you apply for
group health insurance, you must apply during the specified eligibility period.
For employer-sponsored health insurance, this is often the first 30 days of your
employment, or the first 30 days following your initial probationary period. For
associational insurance, this may be the first 30 days of your membership in the
group.
If you fail to enroll during this period, the insurance
company has the right to treat you as though you were applying for individual
insurance. This means you will probably have to answer extensive health
questions, and go through a physical examination. The insurance company can then
decide whether or not to insure you.
The purpose of the eligibility period is to reduce insurance
costs by preventing people from waiting until after they discover a health
problem to sign up for coverage. Both employers and associations may also have
an open enrollment period each year, during which you may sign up for coverage,
modify your existing coverage, or add dependents to your coverage.
What are the benefits of group coverage?
You don't need a physical exam
Under a group health insurance arrangement, the insurance company agrees to
insure all members of the group, regardless of current physical condition or
health history. The only condition is that the group members must apply for
insurance within the specified eligibility period. Clearly, this is better for
those with chronic health conditions, who might be unable to get individual
insurance.
It's cheaper than individual insurance
Because only one policy is issued for the entire
group, the initial cost of establishing group coverage is lower than the cost of
issuing a separate policy to each person. Also, group insurance is somewhat less
risky for insurers than individual insurance, since the risk is spread out among
a larger number of people. Within a fairly large group, it is almost certain
that the good insurance risks will equal or exceed the bad insurance risks.
Since group insurance costs less for the insurance companies to establish and
administer, it generally costs less to purchase.
You might get a break on premiums
In many cases, your employer or association will pick up some or all of the
group insurance premium. This can make group insurance even more affordable.
What are the drawbacks to group coverage?
You can't customize your policy. In a group insurance situation, the provisions
of the policy are negotiated between the insurer and master policyowner (usually
an employer or association). You may not have the freedom to have provisions
included or excluded, and your deductible amount and co-payment percentage are
determined in advance. In some situations, however, you may be able to choose
between two or more insurance plans.
|
