| These days, everyone is looking for ways
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| | Limited Benefit plans place severe
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| to save money. Some have found that
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| | financial caps on benefits such as
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| buying cheap health insurance is one way
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| | inpatient care, hospital room and board
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| to go. And while this has its upside, you
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| | and other critical services. One of the
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| should be careful, because you may end up
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| | bigger selling points for Limited Benefit
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| with a health crisis.
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| | plans, however, is that they often cover
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| For many folks in Dallas, Houston or
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| | at least part of the insured's everyday
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| throughout Texas with no health
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| | medical expenses. Still, even with
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| insurance, a policy known as "Limited
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| | respect to every day care, the policies
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| Benefit" sounds like an appealing choice.
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| | have restrictions such as waiting periods
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| Premiums are as low as $10 a week. But
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| | for "wellness checks" and exclusions for
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| there's a big catch: these policies pay
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| | the treatment of pre-existing conditions.
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| as little as $1,000 a year or $10,000 for
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| | Limited Benefit plans typically also have
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| a lifetime - so little that some health
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| | deductibles that policyholders must pay
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| insurance experts question whether they
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| | each year before benefits kick in.
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| really amounts to health insurance at
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| | Some insurance companies have tried
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| all.
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| | offering low-cost policies that cover
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| Even insurance industry executives and
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| | "catastrophic" health costs. But industry
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| agents are highly skeptical of such
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| | officials say low-income employees
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| plans. At one insurance-company meeting
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| | haven't shown much interest because such
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| last year, a roomful of agents burst into
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| | plans require high deductibles - perhaps
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| laughter when an executive described a
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| | a couple of thousand dollars - before
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| Limited Benefit plan. But plan defenders
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| | coverage kicks in. Low-wage workers are
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| say the simple act of giving low-income
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| | more interested in something that covers
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| workers an insurance card can encourage
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| | basic expenses.
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| them to seek routine preventive care.
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| | While many employers who sponsor Limited
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| They contend that some measure of health
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| | Benefit health plans for their employees
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| coverage, however small, is better than
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| | reluctantly concede that the plans offer
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| none.
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| | little to no help with a serious illness,
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| Currently, Limited Benefit policies are
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| | the employers and their insurance agents
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| among the fastest-growing health
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| | say that they make sure workers
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| insurance offerings for temporary and
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| | understand what this particular insurance
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| hourly workers. Sold by half a dozen
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| | will and will not do.
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| insurance companies, they cover an
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| | Enrollment in Limited Benefit health
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| estimated 750,000 employees and family
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| | plans has grown about 20% in each of the
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| members. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., McDonald's
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| | past few years. Employers make them
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| Corp. and Lowe's Cos. are among major
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| | available mostly to hourly workers,
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| companies making them available to their
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| | either full- or part-time, and collect
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| employees. For the nearly 47 million
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| | the premiums through payroll deduction.
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| uninsured people in the United States
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| | Many companies in the service sector
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| today, having Limited Benefit health
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| | typically find that 10% to 30% of
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| insurance would be better than having no
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| | eligible workers elect to purchase the
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| coverage at all.
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| | Limited Benefit coverage.
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