| It began with phasing company funded
| |
| | generally offers coverage for routine and
|
| retirements out and phasing 401ks in. Now
| |
| | preventive services with little to no
|
| the new trend in corporate America is for
| |
| | co-payments. Medical visits may be
|
| employees to purchase their own health
| |
| | limited to four to five annually, and
|
| insurance benefits. In fact, there are
| |
| | benefits may be capped at as little as
|
| some businesses in Dallas and Houston
| |
| | $2,000 a year. If medical services, such
|
| that have begun replacing employer paid
| |
| | as surgery and hospitalization are
|
| healthcare benefits with "voluntary"
| |
| | involved, they most probably aren't
|
| individual coverage.
| |
| | covered or they also have low benefit
|
| Because of the increasing financial
| |
| | caps.
|
| burden placed on businesses, from large
| |
| | While limited-benefit plans are an
|
| to medium to small, experts are
| |
| | affordable alternative to not having
|
| predicting that eventually Texans will
| |
| | health insurance, many people are
|
| have to buy many of the health benefits
| |
| | critical of these plans because there is
|
| they currently get at little or no cost
| |
| | a risk of catastrophic hospital bills
|
| through their employer.
| |
| | when medical care goes beyond the
|
| In the meantime, it's hard to beat the
| |
| | policy's offerings. Industry experts
|
| typical cost of an employee's share of
| |
| | recommend this plan only if comprehensive
|
| healthcare benefits offered by employers.
| |
| | coverage is unaffordable or can't be
|
| So consumer advocate experts recommend
| |
| | obtained through a spouse, parent or
|
| that employees consider the pros and cons
| |
| | another source.
|
| of employer benefits versus individual
| |
| | Other benefits attracting some attention
|
| health coverage. Many experts are
| |
| | are insurance policies that pay cash
|
| advising a move to Health Savings
| |
| | benefits for specific conditions, such as
|
| Accounts, or HSAs, where qualified
| |
| | cancer, heart disease and stroke. These
|
| high-deductible health insurance policies
| |
| | policies pay a one-time benefit upon
|
| cover large medical bills and an
| |
| | first-time diagnosis if, for example, a
|
| investment account is used to withdraw
| |
| | worker is diagnosed with skin cancer.
|
| money tax-free for medical care..
| |
| | Such a policy pays limited cash benefits
|
| Another area of voluntary health benefits
| |
| | for treatments and nursing care. Consumer
|
| that's quickly growing is a downsized
| |
| | groups, as well as financial advisors,
|
| version of a health plan called
| |
| | recommend not buying these policies to
|
| limited-benefit medical insurance. This
| |
| | replace a comprehensive medical or
|
| kind of individual health insurance is
| |
| | disability plan because of their
|
| typically offered to part-time or
| |
| | specificity. These types of policies also
|
| temporary workers who aren't eligible for
| |
| | have long waiting periods and a variety
|
| a company's comprehensive group medical
| |
| | of exclusions for pre-existing
|
| benefits. This stripped down version
| |
| | conditions.
|
