Oxford New Jersey HMO members now have access to all the health benefits of the UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus Network. These members will enjoy the same in-network benefits that they receive in the tri-state area which is great news for college students and travelers. Members who have employees outside the tri-state area will still need to purchase an Oxford USA plan for those employees.

Oxford USA is available to New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Lehigh Valley employers through the United Choice Plus Network. All of the Oxford USA health plans are of high quality, flexible, and streamlined. The Choice Plus plans provide one of the largest directly contracted physician and hospital networks in the United States. No referrals are necessary to see a specialist with an Oxford USA plan.

Oxford USA plans include service associates that stand ready to assist members by providing timely and accurate information and services. Their health promotion includes Healthy Mind Health Body magazine, Healthy Mother, Health Baby program, and access to their Self-Help Library, in order to help members be healthy and stay healthy.  Healthy Bonus^SM recognizes the beneficial impact of health and fitness therefore members are offered discounts on gym and exercise facility memberships.

For in-area members, access to over 70,000 physicians and 200 hospitals make it easy to find health care when needed. Out of area employees have access to the United Choice Plus Network which includes over 400,000 providers and 4,000 hospitals.

UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus plans give employees the opportunity to access non-network physicians. Benefits of the plan include access to a network of physicians, hospitals, and specialists without designating a primary physician or obtaining a referral. Emergencies are covered anywhere in the world. Prenatal care, routine checkups, immunizations, and vision and hearing screenings are all covered as well.

All New Jersey Oxford HMO members will have in-network access to the national UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus network and health benefits, effective January 1, 2009.

But were too afraid to ask!

According to Lesson 16 from CNN’s Money 101, there are a few things to know about health insurance:

A lot of people who think they are healthy may believe that having no insurance saves them a lot more money than having insurance. But what if there’s a catastrophe? You may get into a car accident and get hurt or get hurt on your yearly skiing trip. You may be a healthy person but no one can avoid accidents or unexpected illnesses. A major illness can even push you to bankruptcy.

Make sure you compare plans. Benefits vary from plan to plan and comparing plans can help you find the plan that fits your specific needs.  Also know that a low premium doesn’t always mean cheaper health coverage. A low premium usually means a higher deductible. This means that you must reach this deductible before the insurance starts paying.

In the event you lose your job, COBRA can protect you from losing your health coverage. COBRA usually has higher premium costs but expensive health insurance is better than none at all. COBRA fills the gap while you are looking for an individual plan, getting on your spouse’s insurance, or finding another job.

Indemnity plans v. Managed Care plans

Indemnity plans allow you to go to any primary care doctor, specialist or hospital. You or your employer pays the premium and there is a deductible that needs to be met before insurance kicks in. After your deductible is met, your health plan pays for a percentage of your health care expenses, usually 80%.  Indemnity plans offer the best choice of a provider but usually have more expensive premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance.

Managed Care plans consist of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), and Point of Service plans (POS). HMOs have the least expensive monthly premiums but offer the least choice of a provider.  HMOs manage both the financing and delivery of a broad range of healthcare services. HMOs focus on prevention and primary care. You usually pay a small copayment for each doctor’s visit instead of a deductible and coinsurance.

PPOs allow you to go to out of network providers but you receive better benefits if you stay in network. You usually have direct access to specialists but some PPO plans require you to obtain a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) before seeing a specialist.

POS plans are a combination between HMOs and PPOs. You can choose how to access the plan each time you need treatment. You can stay in network or go out of network but will have to pay deductible and coinsurance charges if you choose to go outside the HMO network.

To make an informed decision, compare many plans before diving into a health plan that looks good. Check out providers; compare deductibles and premiums, and the benefits associated with the health plan.  A good health insurance policy covers hospital expenses, surgical expenses, and physician’s expenses. Some additional benefits are prescription drugs, preventive care, vision care, and maternity care. The best health insurance plan gives you flexibility at a low cost. Make sure you know the health services that you need because you want your plan to cover the health services you need.

HealthAmerica and HealthAmerica Advantra’s HMO, POS, and Medicare Advantage plans rank among America’s top 20 health plans. This ranking was made by U.S. News & World Report in conjunction with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). HealthAmerica was ranked 12^th among 287 commercial plans and HealthAmerica’s Medicare Advantage plan, Advantra, was ranked 18^th among 216 plans nationally.

So why were they ranked among America’s top 20 health plans? For 13 consecutive years, HealthAmerica’s HMO product and HealthAssurance’s POS product were both awarded “Excellent” accreditation from the NCQA. They’re HMO and POS are number 1 in 8 of 15 key measures. They have received the highest scores in:

• Well-child visits for members 3 to 6 years old
• Well-child visits for members over 6 years old
• Beta blocker after a heart attack
• Prenatal care in the 1^st trimester
• Cervical cancer screening
• Screening and testing of adults with diabetes
• Controlling hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Cholesterol screening for patients with cardiovascular conditions

HealthAmerica provides its members with a greater combination of health benefits and services for their money suitable to their needs and wants. They offer more health benefits, like coverage for most preventive health services, including periodic checkups, coverage for hospital and surgical care, emergency care worldwide, and chiropractic services. They offer access to over 35,000 providers in Pennsylvania and Ohio and more than 350 hospitals.  As a member, you are also entitled to the WellBeing program. This program offers free wellness programs and discounts on a wide range of products and services such as:

• QualSight LASIK Discount Program
• Weight Watchers
• GlobalFit fitness network
• Healthy Living and Wellness
• Health Education Reimbursement
• Wellbeing fitness clubs, acupuncture, and massage discounts
• Personalized Health Improvement
• EyeMed Vision Care Vision One EyeCare Discount Program and LASIK Vision Correction

With your health plan you also get 24 hour assistance. You can call and talk to a Member Service Representative and get answers about any question you may have with convenient hours during the week and on the weekends. The website is always available for health information. My Online Services is a feature that allows you to manage your personal health care transactions anytime it’s convenient for you.

They have a wide variety of other products, employee health benefit plans, and value-added services. With the ability to customize benefit programs that meet your needs, you can choose from HealthAssurance Coordinated Care PPO (POS), HealthPass/HealthAssurance PPO, HealthAssurance FlexChoice, and HealthAmericaOne Individual plans.

HealthAmerica’s health insurance plans can help you get the coverage you need. They are known nationwide for their service and quality and in result they have achieved the recognition of top rank in health plans. HealthAmerica’s commercial plans were rated higher than the national average in all 15 key measures of medical services and member satisfaction. The plans were also ranked higher than the Pennsylvania state average in 12 of the 15 key measures.