Samuel Said:

Do health insurance companies get a discount with health care providers?

We Answered:

The insurance company has what they call "Allowed amounts" or "usual and customary", which is the amount that they will pay on a service. Your copay or percentage/ded is part of that amount. The health care providers who are contracted as In Network Providers sign a contract with the health insurance to become part of the network. Those providers agree to take the allowed amount as payment in full for the services. Any amount they charge that is over that allowed amount is a write off for them. If the providers are not contracted with that insurance company, they can legally bill you for the amount over the allowed amount. The providers who are contracted get the advantage of advertising from the insurance company because they will be listed in your provider booklet or on your insurance company's provider directory on the website. They will get more patients from those searches than if they were not contracted, so the amount they have to write off is not a problem.

Nancy Said:

How soon until we see Discount Health Insurance providers like we see with Car Insurance?

We Answered:

You won't see anything like a car insurance market w/ health insurance unless our Federal gov't enforces the rules written in the Constitution to allow such free market.

Unfortunately they haven't had much incentive to enforce the rules for the last 200+ years... i don't see that changing anytime soon (might have something to do w/ campaign contributions by insurance companies).

Sandra Said:

looking for health insurance not discount?

We Answered:

Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)

In March of 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The law was enacted in two parts: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010 and was amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act on March 30, 2010.

The law creates a new program – the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan -- to make health coverage available to you if you have been denied health insurance by private insurance companies because of a pre-existing condition.

Read about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP); then use the PCIP Map to learn more about how the program works in your state. Use this link to learn about the PCIP in your State:

http://www.healthcare.gov/law/provisions…

Guy Said:

How much of a discount a small group employer get on my health insurance?

We Answered:

Group plans are fundamentally different from individual plans. An employer can "shop around" for quotes from several health insurers based on the size of it's "group." This is what commercial insurance brokers do. The employer is not going to buy the same individual plan you were offered.

Evelyn Said:

What do you think about the likely passing of mandated discount health insurance (or pay a fine)?

We Answered:

I have been asked for my opinion but not by media nor the political class. Note that it will not be discounted for everone, many will be paying much more.

Janet Said:

the name,toll free telephone number, location of a discount health insurance company in the state of maryland

We Answered:

There's no such thing as a discount health insurance company. The closest thing you can get, is WELFARE health insurance, subsidied by the taxpayer.

Or, you can get a discount health PLAN, not insurance, where you buy a list of providers that might give you a discount on services. But that doesn't PAY anything.