Aug
20 Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
- 1
Contact a health insurance company directly. Insurance companies offer special group health insurance rates for employers. Many states mandate that you cannot be turned down for coverage as a result of your health status or the health of your employees. In this sense, group health insurance is offered on a guaranteed issue basis.
- 2
Request a summary sheet. Health plan summaries explain the costs for the insurance plan as well as the coverages. Most states have mandated coverage so you may not see a difference between what is and is not covered under your health insurance plan. Common coverages include hospitalization, doctor’s office visits and routine care, such as immunizations and checkups, as well as more serious services like surgery.
- 3
Get quotes for insurance online. Some health insurance brokers offer online quotes and will show you a health insurance summary online. You don’t necessarily need to contact a health insurer directly as an employer. In fact, if you like the online service provider, you may be able to purchase your health insurance over the Internet.
- 4
Contact your state’s insurance commissioner. Every state has an insurance commissioner. The insurance commissioner’s office normally outlines the types of insurance plans available in the state. If you are looking for a noncommercial source of information before buying insurance from an insurance company, the insurance commissioner will be able to provide you with basic information about coverages available in your state and which coverages, if any, are mandated by your state. The commissioner won’t be able to give you specific details of policies offered by insurance companies, however.
- 5
Examine the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s website. This website provides unbiased information gathered from all states about various health insurance coverages. The map on the website allows you to choose your state and show details of your its overages, policy exclusions terms, mandated coverages and employer responsibilities for group health insurance.
