Medical and Health Project

Private Health Insurance
One type of plan is a standard indemnity policy, which gives people freedom to visit a health care provider of their choice and make a pocket to cover the treatment. The insurance plan reimburses part of the cost to members. Another common scheme is the managed care plan. By this method, it provides necessary medical care for more economically than is available. Plan members must visit the health care providers selected by the managed care plan. In general, a co-payment charged to the patient, but sometimes all health care providers who are included in the plan coverage.

Grievances

All insurance companies have internal procedures for complaints and grievances. If you have a complaint, follow the procedures of the company. All states have a commissioner of state health insurance. Contact your state government to meet external procedures for complaints and claims in your state.

A national defense resource very useful is the National Health Law Program. Visit their website to see which states have ombudsman programs and consumer assistance and access to information on state protections for consumers of health insurance. This site also provides information relating to the choice of a health insurance plan appropriate and information on states with pharmacy assistance programs (programs that sell prescription drugs at lower cost than the market price for the uninsured or those who have limited insurance).

Other Web Sites:

* Choosing and using health insurance
The U.S. agency Research and Quality (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) provides guidance on health insurance.
* Patient Assistance Programs
American Association of researchers and pharmaceutical manufacturers (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America or PhRMA) provides an Internet directory of patient assistance programs coordinated by over forty member companies. PhRMA is the union of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
* State insurance departments
Contact your state health department to find out if this is a program of counseling on insurance in the state that can address their concerns, including information on service companies in your state and public assistance programs.