Having health insurance protection is important for everyone. As an agent with BHI, I offer residents of Sacramento, and the surrounding communities, a choice when it comes to their health care options.
Health Insurance in Sacramento
According to the most recent figures, Sacramento has a population of 501,334. Sacramento County has over 112,000 residents who are currently uninsured. During the open enrollment period for Covered California, people have the opportunity to examine their health coverage to make sure it will meet their needs for the following year.
Health Insurance Available in Sacramento
Covered California is the state-governed health insurance marketplace. It offers different levels of benefits to its residents; due to large premium increases many have changed to a new health insurance company or to a more affordable option than their current insurance company. Covered California in Sacramento is administered through four providers:
- Blue Cross
- Health Net (only in certain areas)
- Kaiser Permanente (only in certain area)
- Western Health Advantage (only in certain areas)
All four offer HMO coverage, while Blue Cross also offers a PPO.
Health insurance plans under Covered California function in the same manner when it comes to treatment – they pay a fixed amount of money agreed upon by both them and a physicians group to manage costs. What will distinguish different types of plans is the tier of coverage and price:
- Bronze – 60%
- Silver – 70%
- Gold – 80%
- Platinum – 90%
Individual health plans can be bought for a single individual, a parent, dependent children, or even a family. Individual health plans under Covered California provide basic health coverage plus some mandated extended features such as maternity care.
While it is possible to provide individual health plans to each member of a family, it is often more economical to have a family health plan under Covered California. Individual plans that cover families will have deductibles for each person covered. A family plan will have that same individual deductible, but also have a family deductible. Meaning if one or two individuals within the family plan meet the family deductible, then the rest of the members of the family plan will not need to meet their individual deductible. Some family plans also offer a flat family plan rate rather than counting the individuals within the family.
The average income of a Sacramento resident is approximately $55,000. Covered California enables residents to obtain assistance if your income is within certain levels. You can qualify for these subsidies that will aid the financial burden of obtaining medical insurance. For instance, if your income is below 400% FPL, which is approximately $47,000 for one person or $98,000 for a family of four, this could qualify you for premium assistance.
Additional Options
BuyHealthInsurance.com offers alternatives to the marketplace plans offered under Covered California. One can participate in a HealthSharing plan. A HealthSharing plan is a group of people that share like values who commit to pay medical expenses that members of that group have incurred, on a monthly basis. HealthSharing Plans, like Aliera, typically have no restrictions on doctors or hospitals.
Child health plans usually have strong preventive care coverage. They typically are cheaper than normal individual health plans. They may or may not be less expensive than including a child in a family plan. The experts at BuyHealthInsurance.com can help weigh individual considerations, which will dictate which option is more economical.
Final Thoughts
Depending on your specific situation, there will be better options for you to examine depending on your health needs and your status as an individual or a family. What is good for a single person would be inadequate for a family of five. Consider whom you need to cover, their ages, their situations, and their general health.