Part of the reason for the outrageous health insurance premiums in Florida is that no one shops their medical procedures.  This means that if you need a colonoscopy you call your doctor he tells where, when, and who to go to.  This will mean that your health insurance company will end up with the brunt of this expense, or you will and it will be applied toward your deductible. 

health costs rising

Nowadays due to the escalation of health insurance premiums we all have very large deductibles, this means that you are paying for all your medical procedures in most years and since you are paying as opposed to your employer and/or insurance company you better get smart and start shopping!  This will make everyone more honest and help keep premiums down and thus make more people eligible for medical coverage. 

Firstly if you going for blood work or a more advanced treatment or diagnostic make a few phone calls yourself or use the internet to make sure the test is even necessary as many doctors simply don’t care.  Secondly, after getting pricing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida has released the following tool which will make it easier to shop your procedure.  The following is from an email from blue cross describing a tool that we already have ECHealthInsurance.  If you are unsure of a given procedure’s cost call us at 888 803 5917 so we can tell you how much it is in your county from various facilities and more importantly from the neighboring counties which will can be sometimes 30% cheaper with a distance of only a few miles! 

Using Care Comparison, members can access total estimated cost ranges associated with approximately 39 specific medical procedures performed at more than 2,800 local hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, free-standing radiology facilities or other medical facilities. In addition, BCBSF will soon be adding another 23 procedures to this already extensive listing. With the addition of this innovative tool, BCBSF and the other participating Blue Plans can now offer access to valuable quality and cost information to more than 48 million Americans. Your clients and customers will now be able to make more informed health care decisions based on this extensive repository of claims quality and cost information.

Additionally, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has selected Care Comparison as its standard methodology for a national transparency solution that will be made available to all Blue Plans.

You can access all our shopping tools by calling us at 888 803 5917 or by visiting our soon to be updated section on this.

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Come meet ECHealthInsurance.com at the Miami Lakes Fair and Expo for children. We will be there to promote the new Miami Dade Blue plan and feel free to call us at 888.803.5917 for more information.

Miami Dade Blue Cross

ECHealthInsurance.com at the Miami Lakes Expo 8/8/09 Its Going to Get Wild!

Saturday August 8, 2009

Miami Lakes Optimist Park

6411 NW 162nd Street
Miami Lakes, Florida 33014 Get Directions
Child & Youth Fair, including a fair, and a booth with the New Miami Dade Blue plan which for many Miami residents will be the most affordable health insurance solution

Website: http://www.miamilakes-fl.gov/calendar/display.php?day=8&mont…
25.9209270000 -80.3053570000

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FloridaAetnaQuote.com

Aetna Florida Health Plans at www.FloridaAetnaQuote.com, Aetna clients are among the most satisfied of any Florida Health Insurance Company, their new health insurance plans are fanastic in that they are more competitively priced, and truly they are a pleasure to work with and their reputation is the best of any company on this page.

Florida Avmed Health Plans

Individual Health Insurance Plans From Avmed Currently in Broward and Dade Exclusively, Challenging Blue Cross in Price and Local Service in South Florida is the best!  Avmed is non profit and pay their brokers literally nothing which means that their plans are more inexpensive then the other carriers.  They have been in Florida as a group insurer longer then I have been on this earth and I trust them to take care of my clients.  I will take this company any day over the companies that pay the high commissions, which is why ECHealthInsurance doesn’t sell Assurant, Freedom, Mega, or Midwest, etc.

Florida Blue Cross

The New Miami Dade Blue Cross as well as the rest of the Florida Blue Plans are always your first choice when shopping Florida Individual Health Insurance, as they are also non profit and like Aetna do not pay their brokers very well, nor do they let us advertise which is why you read about them on my blog more then my main page.

www.FloridaCigna.com

Just released their Individual Health Plans in Most of Florida in February 2009, great pricing, decent benefits. Many times are the least expensive carrier in the most demographics.  If someone wants the cheapest plan comparitively I quote Cigna first.  In fact, right now there is no company as disorganized as Cigna, due to the fact that their pricing was so low that reputable brokers like ECHealthInsurance pounded them with applications even with the lower commissions because they were so inexpensive and it was a recession.  Cigna was not set to handle this output and ended up taking a month to underwrite every case.  But this doesn’t matter as their infrastructure is sound once you are enrolled and the premium savings are very real.  Their benefits are not as rich as Vista or Blue Cross, but they make up for it in price.  They are the price leaders, and they are not non profit which makes me wonder…

Coventry PPO Florida

Recently bought Vista Health Plan and released their own amazing PPO, very benefit rich plan not always the least expensive except in Palm Beach where they are incredible.  Like Vista and Blue Cross they have an ER Copay which to me and anyone that knows health insurance can tell you is so important for healthy people.  If you live in West Palm Beach and Northern Florida you must consider Coventry.

Humana One Florida

Humana One in Florida is usually always in the top 3 in pricing in every county, textbook health coverage no small print, they do exactly as they should.  Very much like Cigna, and if it is a decision between the two take the cheaper one.  If they are the same price, go with Cigna as Humana is an EPO in Florida which is a sneaky way of getting out of paying certain claims. 

United Health Golden Rule

Great prescritpion plan and in many counties the price leader and perhaps the best network in Florida Health Insurance.  They could stand to lower their commissions though and pass the savings on to the consumer.  But that being said I have this plan myself and know that is good.  Doesnt’ have the ER Copays etc but once you meet your deductible you are fine.

Vista The Best HMO in Florida

Go Try Their HMO as it amazing, available in South Florida Individual Health Plans usually the most benefits for the least money. This plan will save you thousands of dollars each year in unexpected medical costs.  My wife switched to this plan and we overpay for it due to her demographics being not well priced but we wouldn’t consider switching her as this plan gives people the freedom to get their checkups and testing done as they cover everything.  If you are in Broward or Dade and a male you should definitely always look at Vista and Blue Cross for benefits, if you are a female over 40 for some reason their plans become more competitive, due to the pregnancy issues.

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Follow Up To Article on Florida Health Insurance Reform

If I have to tell another 60 year old divorced female to go apply for medicaid or to try to get coverage through the county, I will go nuts. If you’ve been following the news then you know that everyday the health reform that is being discussed is seeming less and less likely. The only good news is that 30% of the uninsured Florida are probably eligible for social assistance and either don’t know how to get or or our too embarrassed to try. If you think you might be eligible for these plans then you should run to our website and call your South Florida county plan as well the medicaid and other program information that I’ve listed. Nearly every city in the South Florida tri county area has a free clinic which most of you don’t know.
Every day at http://www.ECHealthInsurance.com we get calls from people that want Florida Health Insurance coverage but can’t afford it, and more frequently cannot even get health coverage due to preexisting conditions. I want health reform alright, but I don’t want it for kids, or middle aged people, the people that need it the most are 60-65 and are middle class or are just “medically undesirable”, and can’t afford $1500 a month for a decent health insurance plan.
If you live in Florida we have compiled a list of every free and subsidized county plan so if you are don’t want to call us at 888.803.5917 you can visit our blog about Florida subsidized care @ http://www.echealthinsurance.com/blog/readthispag/
We are also promoting the new Miami Dade Blue plan and other low priced alternatives for people that want coverage but can’t afford the current policies in South Florida. We will even do a free one or two man group plan for you which pay no commissions or give you the papers to fill out for the Florida Health Insurance Company of your choice. August is open enrollment in Florida for 1 man groups, and I can tell you the individual health insurance companies hate these plans but they have to take you! So please get yourself coverage! For a free health insurance quote visit our quote page at http://www.echealthinsurance.com

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obama ramming us

In Florida where health insurance is so expensive we are literally in the trenches everyday and at least 40% of the people that call us or submit their health insurance information, for quotes are ineligible for health insurance.  Half of our business is referring people for free to the county health plans which are usually much more accessible then people think, and then pregnant women and immigrants get medicaid and then that’s called government.
www.ECHealthInsurance.com (888.803.5917) has all the latest health plans from private insurance companies in Florida and the county plans and all of their information online for free if you qualify.
Before health care reform can pass the first thing that needs to happen is to fix Medicare/Medicaid, how can you add a new government health insurance program when the first ones don’t work.  In fact, left alone according to the GAO, Medicare will bankrupt this country in the next 10 years as the baby boomers reach 65.  At the current situation plays out in Washington, should any legislation pass, all I can think is that it will be such a compromise and so watered down that it will make the current situation worse, which is very possible.  Just the way the Bush prescription plan added trillions of dollars to our future budget deficits and national debt.  If I’m a betting man, I’m betting against the US dollar and I would certainly not count on any health plan from Washington.  But at the same time if you are putting off getting health insurance waiting for Obama to give you some, you might end up qualifying for Medicare age anyways as you will be very old by the time any new health insurance plan from the government actually is available.

floridas healthy kid program

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Preexisting Conditions and Health Insurance

www.echealthinsurance.com

Preexisting condition is a term with which many insurers and insured individuals are familiar.  This type of condition relates to a medical issue which was present prior to an individual obtaining their health insurance policy.  There are often negative connotations associated with the term preexisting condition as it is something which may prevent you from obtaining health insurance coverage or make it more likely that you will pay a costly premium when coverage is obtained.  However, those who are interested in obtaining health insurance coverage and do in fact have a preexisting condition will feel better in knowing that there are insurers who will provide them with coverage although there may be certain restrictions.  East Coast Health Insurance works with all the major carriers and will shop each one to help you obtain the best coverage at the best price.  And we will not stop there either we will keep shopping you when you have been turned down by every carrier and get you coverage with our government plan contact information or our county health plan phone list that has been amassed over 7 years of working with the uninsured and uninsurable in Florida.   If you should still fail to qualify we will write a 1% commission product from the health insurance company of your choice by setting up a one or two man group.  We are so experienced in this particular arena that every August during one man group enrollments in Florida, our normal revenue stream drops in half because we are doing so many pro-bono one man group plans.   If you think you need our help this is the time to call as August is almost here.  1.888.803.5917 if you haven’t seen our contact phone numbers and banner ads everywhere.   This is what separates East Coast Health Insurance from the pack in Florida, we don’t stop until you have medical coverage or health insurance.

Types of Preexisting Conditions

There are various forms of preexisting conditions.  Some of the more common ones our agents see frequently include pregnancy, obesity, arthritis, diabetes, depression and fibromyalgia.  Each individual insurance company will compile their own list of preexisting conditions and have their own standards when it comes to providing insurance coverage for those who are stricken with these conditions. Get in touch with a licensed agent at East Coast Insurance to see what your health plan options are.  Health Insurance companies in Florida have a few choices when they see these conditions the most common unfortunately is outright denial.  The second most common is the rate up, and two companies will stop here, but most will also add the rider as not to cover the condition from anywhere from one year to the lifetime of the policy.  This is the last option some companies will rider out the condition permanently without a rate-up though this is the more rare situation.  The blame for this situation should not be pointed solely at the health insurance company though as you are also complicit in that y0u are taking expensive medications in brand name sometimes when if you didn’t have health coverage you probably would just take better care of yourself.  This is called moral hazard and is really costing us in our health insurance premiums.  The other factor of course is the private jets and million dollar bonuses the health insurance companies get but we can’t control that.

If you have a rider on your policy or are paying too much for a condition that is not critical or that you take a generic medicine for, for example maybe your cholesterol is a bit high and you just switched to Simvastin from Lipitor this is the time to call us so we can shop your policy.  Indeed if your premiums have gone up or your medical situation has improved or even if you just want to spin the wheels of the Florida Health Insurance Companies then call East Coast Health Insurance and we will apply with up to eight carriers at once!  All without a fee or any money down, as we only sell  plans that are free to apply with.

Florida Health Insurance

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Health insurance in Florida for individuals and families has never been more difficult for consumers.  But this is a good thing believe it or not because it is because we have so many new health insurance companies here and so many new plans designed to competitive from the old providers.  Perhaps you have gotten another premium increase from your Florida health insurance company and you are wondering how it is possible to keep raising  prices during a recession. At East Coast Health Insurance at least we will have no idea how to stop this trend but we are going to try to show you how to deal with it.

Common sense economic laws say that the dollar should be deflating as people are just not doing their normal health exams and skimping on many of their medical procedures even including prescriptions because they simply can’t afford it.  In turn this should make doctors and hospitals lower costs to attract more customers like most businesses are doing (last night I had a full rack of ribs for only $10!).  But instead, not only are your health insurance premiums in Florida rising exponentially but so are everyday medical costs such as blood tests or even heart transplants.  On the other hand of course, our government is extremely skilled at printing money and then spending that money, which should act in the opposite direction by inflating the currency that I use to buy that $10 rib dinner.  In the end after reading several leading economic books I have determined that no one can answer these questions and the only thing that is certain now besides death and taxes is rising health costs!

East Coast Health Insurance in Deerfield Beach, Florida is not going to try to solve that problem today as it is beyond the scope of this article, its most likely beyond the reach of the President Obama!  But we will try to save you money on your Florida medical premiums by shopping your exact plan with our eight health insurance companies including Avmed, Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Cigna, Coventry, Humana, United, and Vista.  There are some positive developments in health insurance as well, such as the addition of the new Blue Cross Blue Shield plan called Miami Dade Blue which is available exclusively to Miami residents and can really revolutionize health insurance in the state of Florida.  With most plans actually costing $100 per month or less coupled with the amazing plan benefits, the future of health insurance might really have arrived.  This plan is slowly being rolled in additional counties in Florida throughout this year and next year.  Of course there is no free lunches in health insurance and the plan’s only drawback is its smaller network which is still growing.  But part of the compromise of affordable health coverage in Florida is going to have to come from both parties including the consumer.

Other news for people replacing their health insurance in Florida is that Aetna, United Health One, Cigna, and Avmed also released new plans this year or finally launched their own individual health insurance lines in Florida in the case of Cigna and Avmed.  These three companies are still the price leaders in most of Florida for full benefit and full network plans.  In fact based on your demographics of course any of these three carriers can be the best plan for you should you meet their plan’s target demographic.  For instance single mothers of multiple children in Miami Dade have the best pricing with Aetna.  This might seem like a strange fact but this is the kind of information that you need an experienced Florida medical insurance agent to explain.  Another great example of this to stay in Miami Dade county is the Avmed individual plans for children which are simply the most for the least in terms of benefits for premiums.  Another way of saying this could be which Florida health insurance carrier give me (and my family if applicable) the most health insurance for the least amount of money?  And although this might seem a simple question there is many moving parts to consider such as coinsurance and out of pocket maximums.

Coventry, a national PPO health insurance company recently purchased Vista Healthplan in South Florida, this was followed by Coventry releasing their own PPO plan now available in much of Florida.  East Coast Health Insurance has always felt that Vista’s HMO plan was the most benefit rich plan in Florida period but many people can be turned off by the word HMO, if not then Vista might be the plan for you.  But since this article is about saving money the first thing to do is call East Coast Health Insurance at 1.888.803.5917 and see if you are eligible to switch companies as many times we send people to the many great county health plan that are available for free or even Medicaid as we have logged many hours collecting phone numbers and websites for government health insurance plans for the people that can’t afford or qualify for individual health plans in Florida.

East Coast Health Insurance prides itself on the number of providers and plans we represent. Often times with changing health conditions, annual rate increases or new family members it may become necessary to revisit your Health Insurance plan. Our agents are here to make this change as seamless as possible and whether you are a new or existing customer our agents and support staff will engage your current carrier and new carrier to ensure there is no lapse in coverage or double payments.  We will never advise you to take a policy without understand all clauses.  We are currently marketing all major health carriers in Florida and you can quote them yourself at our website or go to individual pages for each health carrier.  The new Miami Dade Blue plan can be viewed at the Miami Dade Blue website.

When changing providers a plan will stay active for as long as 60 days past the due date for the premium that month.  By signing up with a new carrier you will make an initial payment which will only be processed after you’ve been approved for the future effective date of your choosing. This in essence will save you a month’s premium or in other words we can get you ”a free month.”

Our support staff will issue the cancellation letter if necessary to the old carrier as well as maintain a watchful eye on ensuring the policy is setup for the correct effective date. Additionally we will notify you as soon as you are approved as our agents are fully committed to ensuring our customers are satisfied with our service.

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Visit our new website at www.floridacigna.com for the latest information and health quotes from the Cigna Health Plans for individuals and families in Florida.

CIGNA Individual and Family Plans

Whether you’re self-employed, a recent graduate, or you or your dependents don’t have group coverage, we can help. CIGNA offers a full range of medical and pharmacy plans to help keep you and your family well. Things To Consider Before Applying For Individual Health Insurance in Florida Published on 17 July 2009 by echealth in Health Insurance Education 0 Florida Health Insurance Quotes Before applying for individual health insurance in Florida It is Important To Consider These Things: Prior to Applying Applying for individual coverage with most Florida Individual Health Insurance Companies is a simple process, but it helps to be prepared. Please review the instructions below. Note: You can save your application at any point in the process and return later to complete it. To be considered for coverage: Applicant and enrolling spouse must be between the age of 18 and 64 ½ . Dependent children of applicant or enrolling spouse must be under age 19, or under 26 if a full-time student. A dependent child under the age of 2 months of age must have had a first well-child exam after release from the hospital. For a Child-only policy, a child must be between 2 years and 17 years of age. If more than one child is applying, all children must reside in the same household. The Applicants primary residence address must be inside the  Individual Health Servicecoverage area at least 6 full months of the year. Applicants that are not U.S. Citizens may be considered for coverage if they have been a legal resident of the United States for a minimum of one year and have a valid Resident Alien Card (green card), or unexpired VISA in force through the next 18 months (a copy of the card will be required). A U.S. physicians visit within the past two years is required. Individuals, age 55 or older, must have seen a physician within the past two years. Share this Post Continue Reading Storefronts Look To Invade Individual Health Insurance Market Published on 17 July 2009 by echealth in Health Insurance News & Views 1 Stores begin selling health insurance policies Blue Cross Blue Shield plans to sell health insurance from storefronts as insurers push individual coverage during the recession. East Coast Health Insurance (that’s us currently offers Florida health insurance at our office right now in Deerfield Beach, Florida.  Additionally, we will set an appointment with you to go to your house to offer you one of our eight Florida health insurance companies in person so you don’t have to feel pressure to just buy one company in light of the fact that there is a company for everybody and every family.  No two families unless they are the same age in the same zip code will ever choose the same plan as there is so many subtle nuances that we definitely recommend a Florida health insurance broker to help you navigate your purchase and application process. BY JOHN DORSCHNER jdorschner@MiamiHerald.com As laid-off workers lose benefits and the nation’s leaders discuss sweeping healthcare reforms, one insurer plans to sell health insurance the same way others market cellphones or iPods — through retail stores. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, which already had a storefront operation for more than a year in Pembroke Pines, is preparing a major expansion of five to eight new stores around the state, including several in South Florida. ”Health insurance is complicated and we know it,” said Blue Cross spokesman Doug Bartel. “Some people like face-to-face interactions, and that’s what we’re providing.” Blue Cross and many other insurers are pushing hard on individual health plans, the type sold in the stores, because the recession has caused many to lose employer-based group coverage. Aetna reports individual plan sales are up 22 percent in Florida for the first six months of 2009. Blue Cross saw an increase of 15 percent in individual policy requests over the past eight months. Many are opting for less expensive, high-deductible policies. Aetna’s most popular individual plan this year has a $5,000 deductible. Blue Cross reports its most popular carries a $1,500 deductible, followed by 100 percent coverage. One such policy for a healthy family of four (45-year-old parents, kids 11 and will cost $920 a month in Miami-Dade and $973 in Broward. In fact, even before the recession, insurers say this region was crucial for individual plans. ”There’s no secret that South Florida is one of the top individual insurance markets in the country,” said Eric Cormier of Aetna. The reason: The region has many small companies that don’t provide health benefits. Still, individual policies have serious limitations. They ”are usually the least cost-effective ways of getting health insurance,” said Ron Pollack, president of Families USA, a Washington-based healthcare consumer advocate. ”Those policies have much higher administrative costs and as a result you get less for your premium dollar that you would with group plans,” Pollack said. “Additionally, individual plans are the ones most likely to discriminate against people with pre-existing health conditions.” About 15 to 20 percent of an individual premium goes to the broker’s commission, said AvMed Vice President Javier Mendoza. “Some go as high as 25 percent.” Even so, AvMed’s individual policies has seen ”a good amount of activity” since the Miami-based insurer started marketing them in January. At present, BCBS rejects 13 percent of individual applications, Humana 15 to 20 percent. Many of these applicants have expensive chronic diseases. ”You can’t insure a house that’s on fire,” said Amy Powers of Humana, “but I don’t think we should be portrayed as always rejecting a sniffling nose.” For the young and the healthy, individual plans make sense. At the Florida Blue store in Pembroke Pines this week, Edwin and Viviana Rosario came to get a family policy. They talked to a sales rep while their children, 9 and 5, played nearby on a store-provided video game. ”I love the Web, but I wanted the one-on-one,” said Viviana about their trip to the store after she had tried the 1-800 number and the Blue Cross website. She recently left her job at Sony, which had provided their health coverage, and her husband is a self-employed electrical engineer. They decided on a high-deductible policy to keep their costs down while getting protection from catastrophic illness. The Pines office, in muted blues and beiges, is designed much like a cellphone store, Bartel said. A concierge greets people at the door. Salesmen have glass-enclosed offices for privacy. One area has computers on pedestals, so sales reps can show customers how to navigate the Blue Cross website to find providers or check on claims. ”We’re still working out what’s the right mix — service, information, sales,” Bartel said. Consumers can also check their blood pressure. The location gets about 50 visitors a day, he said. Near the end of the year, it will be filled with seniors learning details about enrolling in Medicare health maintenance organization plans. Like most health insurers, Blue Cross is heavily committed to the Web. ”But different people like different ways of getting information, so we’re offering alternatives,” Bartel said. AvMed has a storefront in Hollywood aimed at Medicare seniors and is considering more retail stores for younger customers. ”The whole industry, especially the individual side, is emerging and evolving, with more options for consumers,” Mendoza said. Cormier at Aetna said the company is happy working through brokers and doesn’t feel the need for storefronts. Humana has about a dozen Guidance Centers, including one in Tamarac, that are aimed at the Medicare crowd, but sees no need to expand the concept at present. Many insurers say they are keeping their options because it is uncertain what healthcare reforms will bring. ”We’re ready for anything,” Bartel said. Continue Reading 1 2 3 » Health Insurance Links Return To Our Home Page Quote, Compare, and Save with Instant Health Insurance Quotes Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner More Fun Let Caroline Answer Your Underwriting and Health Insurance Questions Right Now. 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