A growing number of Americans - at least 15% of the population - don't have any health insurance coverage. Without health insurance, a single incident can cause serious financial hardship.

Some, but not all, employed individuals are covered under an employer's group benefits plan. For those people not covered, a health plan can help cover out-of-pocket medical expenses. Health plans can provide various levels of enhanced healthcare protection, depending on the needs and stage of life of the purchaser.

There are two categories of health insurance coverage: fee-for-service and managed health care. Fee-for-service plans are more expensive, but allow individuals to select doctors and hospitals based on their needs and preferences. Managed health care plans are divided into health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and point-of-service (POS) plans. All three generally charge a co-payment of $10 or $20 a visit. Managed care providers make most health care decisions, although PPOs and POSs allow some choice from the organization's network of providers and the opportunity to see physicians outside the network.

Contact us to find out more about health care insurance for you and your loved ones.