COMMERCIAL HEALTH INSURANCE:
How it works and the largest commercial health insurance companies
Commercial Health Insurance, A commercial health insurance plan is managed and controlled by a private company, not by the state or federal government.
Commercial health insurance comes in all shapes and sizes.
More information on examples of commercial health insurance, coverage, companies, and how it works can be found here.
What is commercial health insurance?
A commercial health insurance company is a company that is not run by the state or federal government.
Instead, this type of insurance is handled by a private or public company. Most Americans have commercial health insurance, according to the Census Bureau.
Because public health insurance such as Medicare and Medicaid is administered by the government,
it is not considered commercial health insurance.
Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans, on the other hand, are commercial health insurance because they are operated by private insurance companies.
Commercial health care is divided into two types: group and non-group.
Employees or employee organizations often offer group health insurance.
Individuals can purchase non-group health plans through their state’s health insurance marketplace or outside of it.
How commercial health insurance works
Medical treatment can be costly. If you don’t have health insurance, you will have to pay for all doctor’s visits,
procedures, prescription drugs, and other medical bills out of pocket, which can be prohibitively expensive.
Many people are unable to pay this amount, which is why most of us rely on health insurance to save money on health care.
Commercial health insurance is a contract between you and a health care provider that shares the cost of your care. To use the plan, you must pay a monthly fee.
The subsequent cost-sharing depends on the specifics of your plan. In fact, deductibles, copays, and co-insurances are common ways to cover some of your medical expenses.
After you enroll in a commercial health plan, you should receive a membership package that includes your insurance card and other information about the plan.
Since commercial health insurance policies cover a wide range of procedures, you should keep your documents and review them as needed. If you have any further questions, you can contact your commercial insurance company.
Be sure to take your commercial health insurance card with you to the doctor as soon as you have it. Before making an appointment, make sure the doctor is part of your plan.
Some health insurance policies restrict you to a specific network of providers, so check with your doctor or healthcare practitioner to see if they accept your plan.
Your doctor’s office will review your coverage after you arrive for your appointment. After your visit, your doctor will submit an application to your commercial health insurance company.
The claim will be reviewed by your insurance company and the amount covered will be sent to the service provider.
Examples of commercial health insurance
Commercial health insurance is provided in various forms. It is vital to know what options are available, how they work, and what are the differences between them.
Some varieties can also be mixed and matched. Flexible spending accounts and savings accounts, for example, should complement other plans by paying for expenses not covered by basic insurance.
Listed below are some of the more common types of commercial health insurance.
1. Organization of health maintenance
You must choose a primary care physician (PCP) from the HMO network. In addition to emergency care, you should consult this PCP for any health condition.
If your PCP is unable to adequately manage the problem, they may refer you to a specialist in the HMO network.
The only exception is obstetrician-gynecologists; Patients can book an appointment right away. HMOs often have the lowest premiums and out-of-pocket payments, but they also have the fewest options.
It won’t if you want to see a doctor who isn’t online. The amount of your monthly premium, deductible, and copay depend on your plan.
2 Preferred Provider Organization
PPOs, like HMOs, have a network of doctors, but policyholders have more freedom and flexibility. Your copay will be lower and more covered if you see a network doctor.
If you see an out-of-network doctor, you will still be covered, but only a percentage of the cost will be paid and you will have to pay extra out of pocket.
You do not need a recommendation from your primary care physician to see a specialist. PPOs charge monthly premiums, deductibles, and co-payments, just like HMOs. Amounts vary depending on your coverage.
3. Exclusive Provider Organizations
You must see network doctors if you have an EPO, but you do not have to go to your PCP for a referral before seeing a specialist. Because you don’t have any benefits outside of the network, you are network providers.
Most HMO and PPO policies are more expensive than EPO plans. They may be best for young, healthy people who don’t expect to need a lot of medical attention next year. You pay monthly premiums, deductibles, and co-payments.
4 Plan a point of service
POS is a hybrid plan that includes both HMO and PPO features. In addition, the PCP, which provides most services, can refer you to a network specialist if required by your POS plan.
A deductible may not be available for many PCP services. You can see an out-of-network doctor, just like with a PPO.
You will be covered to some extent, but your out-of-pocket costs will be higher. Monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments will be assessed.
5: Flexible Spending Account
Employers who provide health insurance may also offer a flexible spending account as an addition to a health benefits package.
You choose the amount that will be from your salary in equal parts from each salary during the year, without taxes.
You can use this money to cover any eligible medical or dental expenses you have during the year, such as deductibles, co-pays, over-the-counter drugs, eyeglasses, other medical equipment, and various health-related supplies.
6 High Deductible Health Plan
Most other health insurance plans have a lower deductible than HDHP. An annual deductible of at least $1,350 for an individual or $2,700 for a family is eligible.
Monthly fees are often lower than traditional HMO or PPO plans. To make the franchise more reasonable, HDHPs often have a health savings account.
This plan is best for healthy people who don’t expect to need many medical services and can afford to pay a significant amount in the event of a medical emergency.
7 Health Savings Account
A medical savings account is a good addition to a high deductible health plan. You can use the account to save money on deductibles, co-payments, and other eligible health care costs.
You don’t pay taxes on the money you put into this account, just like you would with a flexible spending account. Health savings accounts are many health insurance companies that provide HDHP, but you can also open them at most banks.
8. Private service fee
A private corporation operates a PFFS plan, which is a type of Medicare benefit plan. PFFS allows you to contact network providers without a referral.
On the other hand, physicians can decide which services to provide on a case-by-case basis. Although you can see an out-of-network doctor who accepts the terms of the plan, your out-of-pocket costs will be higher.
You are responsible for paying Medicare premiums and any co-payments on a monthly basis.
Top 5 largest commercial health insurance companies
The largest commercial health insurance companies are the organizations with the largest number of members.
Membership refers to the number of people in a health plan with a particular provider. A health insurance policy can be issued in different ways.
Your employer’s benefit plan, for example, may include commercial health insurance.
The following are the leading commercial health insurance companies.
1. United Health Group
UnitedHealthcare, a subsidiary of the UnitedHealth Group, is the largest health insurance provider in terms of the total membership.
UnitedHealthcare offers a wide range of products, from personal health insurance to full employee benefit plans for some of the world’s largest companies.
In addition, its policies are available in all 50 states. UnitedHealthcare is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
UnitedHealthcare, in addition to being the largest member, has a network of over 1.3 million physicians and healthcare professionals, and over 6,500 hospitals.
This means that if you have UnitedHealthcare, you will have a wide range of treatment options.
2. Anthem
With over 45 million members, Anthem is the second-largest health insurance provider by total members.
Large and small businesses, individuals, and the Medicaid and Medicare markets are served by the company’s commercial and business healthcare department.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association owns Anthem. This means that you may encounter BCBS-branded products when purchasing Anthem insurance on the state exchange, but you will be buying from Anthem.