Graduates Needing Health Insurance Have Cost-Effective Options

Saturday, Jul 11,2009, 10:36:11 AM Click:

College graduates in the region are in a serious situation: less than 20 percent of graduates in 2009 who asked for employment received job offers, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. And, no work can result in health insurance (see also health insurance).

Accordingly, many recent graduates are faced with the "I'm not insured" reality. And this is not necessary, "said Scott Post, Vice President of marketing administration at the Independence Blue Cross ( IPC). Adults and parents of young adults can have peace of mind that makes health coverage. Independence Blue Cross offers a solution: each Keystone Health Plan East medically underwritten options within six HMO plans. Three of these plans high deductible, which helps keep monthly premiums low - as little as $ 76, or the daily cost of a coffee at the coffee corner.

"In Pennsylvania, 1.2 million or close to 10 percent of our population is uninsured, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. We are pleased to offer affordable health plans to help people find the security that goes with being insured -- for those individuals who might otherwise worry every day about what will happen if they need health care," said Post. "We expect these new insurance plans, now available with low-cost preventive care services, will empower people to take better care of themselves, and offer the education and tools they need to be wise and informed health care consumers."

IBC's individual HMO plans are designed to keep monthly premiums affordable and offer preventive health visits with reasonable copays that are not subject to the deductible, which is $1,500 to $5,000. The deductible is applied to services like hospitalization and surgery. Once the member has paid the amount of the deductible, then the policy provides coverage.

These individual HMO plans offer many of the same features that employer-sponsored HMO plans offer. For example, IBC's individual HMO plans include access to urgent care anywhere in the world, routine eye exams and prescription benefits, including money-saving mail order options for 90-day supplies. They also offer the convenience of no claims forms, disease management, and decision support. The member's primary care physician, as with all of IBC's HMO plans, coordinates patient care. Also included are the popular Healthy Lifestyles(SM) programs such as cash reimbursements for fitness clubs, smoking cessation, weight management, and other rewards.

Offered through Keystone Health Plan East, Inc., a subsidiary of IBC, these individual HMO plans may also be ideal for sole proprietors, early retirees, and other individuals not covered by a group plan. IBC recently developed a website to help individuals explore which health insurance options may be most appropriate for them: www.ibx4you.com.

A December 2008 survey conducted by DSS Research shows that nine out of 10 individual Keystone Health Plan East HMO members would recommend their plan to a friend, indicating a high level of member confidence and satisfaction.

Later this year, insurers such as IBC provides an option for customers of the group to extend dependent coverage for parents to cover their children until adulthood through 29 years under parents' group health plans (plans sponsored by employers and health and welfare funds.) This new option is provided in Act 4 of the Senate recently passed Bill 189, which allows employers choose to provide coverage to dependent adults through their schemes that are renewed or entered into after December 7, 2009. Adult dependents must meet certain eligibility criteria. Parents and their adult children want to compare the costs of this option against the offered plan.