The increasing costs of health care have made health insurance an absolute necessity. Health insurance is more useful for people who have bad health records, addictions like alcohol or smoking ,or who are likely to have future health problems. But everyone should have a health insurance policy to meet any kind of a health care need in the future.

There are many different kinds of Illinois health insurance plans available today, to suit all kinds of people and their requirements. There are plans from private insurance companies. Some are long-term plans, while others are short-term plans. Some plans are suitable only for children or the elderly. There are also group plans and schemes such as Mediclaim provided by employers, and group health plans for very small businesses. Then there are plans which allow tax deductions and savings. The top Illinois health insurance companies are: UniCare, Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Illinois, Humana One, Fortis Short-Term Medical, Celtic, American Medical Security, MedPlan Access, Genesis Health System, GE Long Term Care Insurance, and Fortis Student Select Health Insurance.

The Illinois Department of Insurance provides several public plans for people who cannot be covered under private polices. The Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) is a state program that provides insurance to thousands of individuals who cannot be otherwise insured. The various deductible options under CHIP are: $500, $1,000, $1,500, $2,500, and $5,000. The different plans under this are Plan 2, Plan 3 and Plan 5. CHIP covers hospital services, professional medical services, second surgical opinions, outpatient prescription drugs and medicines, Orthoses or prostheses other than dental, diagnostic services, emergency services, skilled nursing facility care, home health care, hospice care and many others, depending upon the plan.

Illinois has special programs like KidCare and FamilyCare. Illinois is the first state to offer health insurance coverage for all the children in the state. The FamilyCare health insurance program covers all medical care, including doctor visits, dental care, hospital care, emergency care, specialty medical services, prescription drugs and others. The family has to meet certain limits to be eligible for this scheme. The qualifying annual income is up to 185% of the federal poverty level, or about $36,000 for a family of four. FamilyCare Assist, FamilyCare Share, FamilyCare Premium and FamilyCare rebate are the plans under this, depending upon the family income. The family can pay small monthly premiums ranging between $15 and $40, depending upon the number of family members. The state of Illinois offers a “safety net” program for individuals who have been denied health insurance. Those who are currently insured but are paying a higher premium, or those whose present insurance has a rider attached or is rated, are also eligible to apply.

In today’s world of skyrocketing medical costs, health insurance is a necessity. But you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get it. Here’s how to get the best rate on Illinois health insurance.

Types of Health Insurance

There are two types of health insurance plans – indemnity plans (also known as fee-for-service plans), and managed health care plans (HMOs, PPOs, and POSs)

Indemnity Plans

Indemnity allow you to use the doctors and hospitals of your choice. These plans reimburse you for all or most of your medical expenses after you pay a deductible of $500 to $2,000. Indemnity plans are the most flexible health insurance plans and the most expensive plans.

Managed Health Care Plans

Managed health care plans assign you to a network of doctors and hospitals that you must use for your medical care. These plans pay for all your medical expenses, and you’re responsible for paying a co-payment of $5 to $10 per doctor visit. Managed health care plans are the least flexible and the least expensive health insurance plans.

Which Plan is Best?

The best health insurance plan is a plan that will give you the coverage you need at a price you can afford. Before you purchase a health insurance plan make sure it pays for:

* Visits to a doctor’s office and for a doctor’s hospital visits.

* Hospital room and board plus other hospital expenses.

* Surgeons fees and surgical costs.

* Prescriptions drugs

* Any medical expenses you now need or think you may need in the future.

Best Rates on Illinois Health Insurance

In order to get the best best rate on Illinois health insurance, you need to shop around and get several rate quotes from different companies. The easiest way to do that is to go to an insurance comparison website.