Compare Health Insurance Quotes and Plans - Insurance.com (2025)

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act gives former employees, their spouses, retirees and dependent children the right to temporarily continue employment-based health insurance coverage at group rates. The continuation is available only when coverage is lost because of a specific qualifying event outlined in the law, such as an employee losing a job.
Read more about COBRA Insurance

The amount of medical costs the patient pays after paying the health insurance plan deductible. Co-insurance is usually a percentage of the cost and is defined in the health plan. It sometimes varies according to the type of service provided.

The amount the patient must pay toward medical services that are covered in the health plan. The co-payment is a usually a flat dollar amount paid at the time of service.

A flat amount that a patient must pay each year for covered medical services before health insurance pays for services.

Exclusive provider organization. A health plan that covers only services provided by practitioners in its provider network (except in emergency situations).

Health plans offered to groups by employers and professional and alumni associations. Generally it's easier to get coverage for pre-existing conditions under a group health plan than an individual health insurance plan. Read more about Group health insurance.

A one-stop shop for comparing and purchasing insurance. Federal health care reform calls for exchanges to be set up in every state by 2014. The exchanges will be open to individuals and small businesses first, but may open to large groups in 2017. Health insurance plans sold through exchanges must meet certain federal quality standards.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. A federal law enacted to improve efficiency and access to health insurance and ensure patient privacy. The law gives workers and their families the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage when they change or lose jobs, requires confidential handling of patient health information, mandates standards for electronic billing and other processes and aims to minimize health care fraud and abuse.

Health maintenance organization. A health plan that provides coordinated and managed health care services. Members in most HMOs must choose a primary care physician who makes referrals to specialists and hospital care when necessary. In some cases, members must receive nonemergency care from providers in a network. Other HMO plans might offer reduced benefits for out-of-network providers. Most HMOs feature small co-payments and no deductibles.

Health insurance for individuals and their families. People who do not have a health benefits plan through work or a professional association purchase health insurance through the individual health insurance market.

Doctors, hospitals, labs and other health care providers who are part of a health plan's provider network. Out-of-pocket patient costs are higher for services provided by medical professionals outside the network.

Personal care services that help people with a chronic illness or disability with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing and eating. Substantial long-term care services are not covered under most health plans, disability insurance or Medicare. Coverage can be purchased through long-term care insurance.

Federally administered health insurance for people 65 or older. Medicare coverage is also available to people under 65 with certain disabilities and to people of any age who have permanent kidney failure. Legal U.S. residents who have lived here for at least five years are eligible. Medicare Part A provides hospital coverage, and Medicare Part B helps pay for doctors' services and outpatient care. Medicare prescription drug plans are known as Part D. Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) provide all the benefits of Parts A and B (known as Original Medicare) plus some additional services.

A supplemental health insurance sold by private health insurance companies to pay costs not covered by Original Medicare (Parts A and B). Officially named Medicare Supplement Insurance, the plans are standardized, with different premiums and coverage levels available. Like Medicare Parts A and B, Medigap policies offer nationwide coverage. Medigap is a separate policy from Medicare Advantage plans, which also provide supplementary coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, but are limited to specific coverage regions. Medicare Advantage and Medigap coverage cannot be combined; beneficiaries must choose one or the other if they want supplemental coverage.

The period of time each year when employees can change insurance plans offered through their employer.

Preferred provider organization. A type of a health plan that includes a network of preferred providers. The doctors, hospitals, labs and other providers in the network contract with the insurer or health plan administrator to provide care at discounted rates to members. Patients pay higher out-of-pocket costs to receive care outside of the network.

Policies that provide temporary health insurance coverage. The policies, which usually range from one to six months, provide security in case of a health crisis when there would otherwise be a gap in coverage.

A health condition for which a patient received treatment before enrolling in a health insurance plan. Individual insurance policies may exclude certain pre-existing conditions from coverage. Under health care reform, insurers will not be able to exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions starting in 2014.

A federal- and state-funded health insurance program for low-income children, elderly, blind or disabled people. Some states use their own eligibility rules for Medicaid, while others provide Medicaid to people eligible for Supplementary Security Income benefits.

A legal document between the health insurer and a group to provide benefits to eligible members. The certificate spells out the benefits, limitations and exclusions in the health plan.