Health Insurance Daily

Individual Insurance
Individual insurance includes health insurance coverage you can purchase on your own directly through an insurance company. Many health insurance companies offer individual health coverage to people who either are self-employed or work for a business that does not offer health insurance.

All Pennsylvania residents can buy individual health insurance through the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans on a guaranteed issue basis. However, your choice of health plans may be limited and you may face a pre-existing condition exclusion period.

Other insurers that offer individual health insurance coverage can medically underwrite applicants and do not have to offer coverage to everyone who applies. You have limited guaranteed access to individual health insurance in most other states.

Employee Sponsored Group Insurance
Employer Sponsored Insurance is group health insurance coverage offered by your employer. The group health insurance coverage purchased by the employer can be through a private insurance company or coverage that is “self-funded” or “self-insured,” meaning that the employer will use its own money to pay for the health care expenses of its employees. It is important to know whether the health insurance coverage under your employer’s group policy is purchased through an insurance company or whether it is self-funded. While self-funded plans may provide excellent health coverage, they are regulated by the federal government and are not required to offer the same benefits as private insurance plans that are regulated by state insurance laws.

Source: ins.state.pa.us