The Benefits of Group Health Coverage
Group Health Insurance California

Having a comprehensive group health insurance plan in California is beneficial to both the insured and the group, usually an employer, providing the insurance. For the California employer, they can attract the best and brightest employees if they have a good health insurance package to offer. Potential employees take the health-care plan into account when job-hunting now. If two companies are competing for an employee and offering similar salaries, sometimes the deciding factor for the applicant is the benefits package, a large portion of which is health insurance for the employee and possibly also his or her family. This is because privately purchased health insurance is often cost-prohibitive for Californians.

As a company, your bottom line is of utmost importance. And that bottom line depends on the quality of employees. To attract and keep the best ones, make your company stand out with its health insurance package. For the employee, the reality is that the health insurance coverage is often as much or more of a deciding factor in taking, keeping or switching jobs as the salary and love of the job.

Getting the best quotes for group health coverage often can take some time and effort. One place to start is California-Health-Insurance.com, a site that gives employers quotes from companies such as Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield, HealthNet and PacifiCare. Not only can you get quotes, but you can learn a lot about what makes up a group health insurance plan on the site’s FAQ page. Here, you’ll learn the definitions of individual health insurance, family health insurance, PPO (Preferred Provider Organization), HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), a POS (Point of Service) Plan, an Indemnity Plan, a HAS (Health Savings Account) Plan, co-payments, deductibles, co-insurance, and in-network providers versus out-of-network providers.

Many health insurance companies offer special plans for small businesses and even the self-employed. Another option for the self-employed is trade associations or unions, which often offer group insurance if you meet certain criteria. One need look no further than the increasing uninsured rates in California to realize how important a group health insurance plan is to Californians. At approximately $90 billion, California’s health-care market is one of the largest in the world. But the uninsured rate hovers around 20 percent. Part of the reason for the high rate is the fact that around a quarter of the state’s population are immigrants. As a result, the state government has been trying to hash out a universal health insurance system for all Californians. To get the latest information on where this legislation stands, visit Health Care for All— California’s site at .