There are a number of companies that have health insurance products for sale. These vary from large insurers that offer their products nationwide, to smaller companies that are focused on a particular area of the country. A smaller company that operates in the Michigan area is Midwest Health Plan, and for those residing in the state, Midwest Health insurance is an option to consider.
Background of the Company
Midwest Health Plan has been in operation since 1998, when it originally became licensed. The company is based in Michigan, with its headquarters located in Dearborn. It has accreditation from the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA), which it has maintained throughout its years in operation and in recent years the NCQA has rated it as excellent.
Areas of Operation
Midwest Health Plan offers their health insurance to residents in a number of counties in Michigan. These include Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, St. Claire, Livingston and Washtenaw, all of which are located in the southeast of the state. This is a limited area of operation compared to many of the other companies offering Midwest health insurance, although Midwest Health Plan is an option to consider for residents of the counties where it operates.
Products Offered
Rather than being a company that offers a variety of different health insurance products, Midwest Health Plan is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Members that join the plan are essentially provided with the same type of care as those that enroll on the federal government Medicaid program. The plan provides the same services and benefits as Medicaid and works under similar conditions. Midwest Health Plan basically contracts with a number of Primary Care Physicians (PCP) and specialist medical facilities to provide care for the members in the plan. Those that join pick a PCP to act as their first point of contact for any medical treatment, with a referral by the PCP typically required for a member to get access to the other medical services.
While the HMO plan is the major area of operation of Midwest Health Plan, the company also has the MIChild program which provides healthcare services for children in the counties that they operate, except St. Clair. They also manage the Midwest Advantage Health Maintenance Organization, which is open to those eligible for Medicare in the counties of Wayne and Oakland.
Plan Physicians
The physicians in the health insurance that is provided by Midwest Health Plan have to be licensed to operate in the state of Michigan. The plans offer access to a number of types of physician including family doctors, general practice doctors, pediatric doctors and obstetric/gynecologists. A range of specialists are also available to members, and these include cardiologists, surgeons and other consultants. This provides a wide range of treatment for members of the plans and this compares well with other health insurers.
Benefits of Choosing Midwest Health Plan
While the choice of options from Midwest Health Plan is limited to the HMO style of health insurance, there are benefits to choosing the company for residents of the counties where they operate. As indicated above there is a wide range of physicians available from which to receive treatment, and all the doctors and specialist are vetted for education, training and licensure prior to being allowed to provide treatment to members of the plan. Midwest Health Plan also works to ensure that the network is such that all members are within 30 minutes travel time of a physician, and medical services are available on a 24/7 basis.
Other advantages to choosing the plan include that there are no copayments required for any of the medical services, no copayments required for prescription medication and most commonly ordered drugs are covered by the plan. As long as the fee for the service provided is less than or equal to the current Medicaid fee, all costs for treatment will be covered by the plan. These benefits mean the plan compares well with most of the Midwest health insurance competitors in the area they operate.
Everyone should consider the requirement for adequate health insurance to ensure that they can get the treatment they need if they become ill or have an accident. There is a variety of Midwest health insurance options available, with residents in a number of counties in the southeast of Michigan having the option of purchasing health insurance from Midwest Health Plan. While the options available are limited to HMO plans, the benefits they offer mean they compare well with similar plans from competitors.