I am looking for the best ppo plan and the best company for me and my family in Texas.?

Question

I have researched alot of the different coverages and it seems that ppo is the best option.

We live in Texas, my wife and I and our 2 year old daughter, I need a solid/excellent insurance company, that is also affordable. Because we are far from being rich.

Is bluecross blueshield too expensive, they seem to be what medical doctors prefer.

Is it best to get a low deductible? Please walk me through this.

Answer 1

www.assuranthealthsales.com

Get a network that your doctor is in. The network advantages and discounts make it affordable to pay for the visits even if you have a higher deductible. They are the most inexpensive company I know of with the most insurance available out there.

Answer 2

The is Joe Stevens, as indicated by another responder - my website is www.txinsurance.com

There are important considerations when choosing a plan.

1.  Your health.

Not all plans have to accept you in Texas, or accept your conditions, or prescriptions.  The fact that you may or may not have had insurance previously is irrelevant in Texas.

2.  Price

Pricing varies WIDELY.  In general BCBS of TX has the best pricing in 99% of Texas - I am not sure the motivation of the previous responder - but BCBS on CO-PAY or non CO-PAY plans will beat the competition hands down.

3.  Network

Does your doctor accept this insurance?  With BCBS Texas as you suggested the answer is 90% or greater YES.  BCBS also has the lowest contract rates on services in Texas meaning if you have a service performed the bill will likely be less than other companies.

I disagree with the recommendation of Assurant, their rates are some of if not the worst in Texas.  You can do better with about 6 other companies.

If you need any help check out my site or call.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Yep. I agree with Blue Cross Blue Shield. They have PPO providers in everstate and even worldwide. You should call the local BCBS in your state and ask to speak to someone in the direct pay or individual health products area. They will be able to give you prices.

Answer 4

Most BCBS plans are cost-prohibitive for most families, and one of the primary reasons doctors/clinics prefer these plans, is because with BCBS, YOU are responsible for paying for your 'portion' (even if you've satisfied your HUGE family deductible), then sending in your claim form yourself (so this means less work for the physicians).   Then you have to continuously monitor your mail for additional information they'll want before they pay anything . . so unless you are good at monitoring paperwork, and can afford to have one parent stay home to do that, I would STRONGLY advocate against BCBS :-(.  

Humana is an EXCELLENT insurer, and MUCH MORE REASONABLE than BCBS, and they do have plans / policies that you can purchase independent of any employers offerings.   Best part is, they're much easier to deal with, and they'll make you do less - and your physicians do more of the paperwork :-) - a BIG plus in my eyes.

Answer 5

I readily admit that I'm located in Ohio and don't handle Texas.

However...I highly recommend http://www.txinsurance.com/.

Joe Stevens, the owner, is quite knowledgible, unbiased and represents all of the major carriers.

I have known him for a fair amount of time, and he has been quite helpful to me.

Good luck!

Ed Harris

http://www.ohioquotes.com

Answer 6

BCBS is an excellent company, but there are many other choices as well.  

Do you want an excellent company to make sure you have everything you need, or is there a pre-existing health condition?  If there's a condition, your costs will be higher or the condition may not be covered for a while.

There are a bunch of ways to help make health insurance more affordable.  One of the ways is to get a higher deductible.  Honestly most people don't spend a ton of money on medical care each year, unless there's a problem.  

So if the insurance company knows you'll pay the first $2500 or more towards your care, they know their likelihood of having to pay out is much lower, so they can charge you less.  Same thing goes with a higher co-pay.  So if you can afford to do a higher deductible and co-pay, your premium will be less.

If you do get a high deductible plan, it is possible to get an individual health savings account (HSA).  This works like a savings account that you can use to for co-pays, prescriptions, even aspirin.  You can also roll the money over each year.

The best thing to do is shop around to compare rates and coverage.  You can get a bunch of free quotes through sites like ehealth.com or insurance-rates-online.com.  They also have more ways to save money on your rates.

Are you planning on having more children?  Make sure there's maternity coverage.  It will cost more to have a policy which includes it, but it's important to have if you plan to use it.

Make sure your doctors are included in whatever plan you choose.  I've been burned on that one before!