Individual health coverage offers benefits for medical care. Prescription assistance programs can be included in some programs. Some policies may possibly provide for payment of health expenses incurred on a reimbursement basis by paying benefits to the plan owner, payment on a service basis by paying those who supply the services directly, or payment of an indemnity by paying a prearranged amount regardless of the sum charged for health visits.

Health expense or hospitalization insurance could be written on an individual or group basis. Many of these plans will provide prescription help.

Though there are lots of types of benefits to be had, individual medical expense insurance might generally be categorized as basic health expense coverage, major medical coverage, comprehensive medical insurance, and special plans.

These policies ought to cover prescriptions because prescription drugs help so many patients. Most of these plans have for the most part been replaced by managed care options and are no longer sold as stand-alone policies. These types of programs have been modified and replaced in answer to changes in the health care field relative to cost control and market competition.

Basic coverage provided by an individual health expense plan includes hospital expense, surgical expense and medical expense. These three basics can be sold as one or individually. Often this is issued as "first dollar" coverage, which means it does not contain a deductible.

As the name indicates, hospital expense healthcare insurance offers benefits for visits incurred during hospitalization. Hospital indemnities are frequently classified into 2 general categories:

• Room and board, including nursing care and special diets

• Miscellaneous medical expenses, including x-rays, laboratory fees, prescription medication, medical supplies, and operating and treatment rooms

In some cases, surgical benefits may well be integrated for selected types of surgery and related expenses. Hospital expense healthcare insurance provides benefits for daily hospital room and board and various hospital bills whilst the insured individual is confined to the hospital.

The plan possibly will provide for a particular dollar amount for the daily hospital room and board benefit, although the trend is toward medical insurance of not more than the semiprivate room charge unless a private room is medically required. The room and board benefit may possibly be paid on either an indemnity basis or a reimbursement basis, depending on the particular plan.

Indemnity policies are occasionally called dollar amount policies. Room and board rates differ by geographic location, however it is not uncommon to notice room and board rates ranging from $400 to $900 per day or more.

Normally, the maximum number of days is from 3 to 400 . More commonly, room and board expenses are paid on a reimbursement basis. also called an expenses incurred basis Under this policy, the insurance will pay in one of two ways.

The actual bills for a semiprivate room are covered.

A percentage of the actual cost is paid, with no definite dollar limit.

Under the first reimbursement option, the medical insurance carrier will pay the full actual semiprivate room rate, regardless of what it is. Under the second reimbursement option, the health insurance company pays a specified percentage, regardless of what the actual charges are. A common percentage is 80%.

To recap, under the actual charges style of reimbursement policy, the health insurance will pay the actual amount billed for a semiprivate room with no regard to a specific dollar limit. Under the percentage style of reimbursement insurance, the policy might pay a specified percentage of the actual charges.