Social and Consumer Health: Making Good Health Choices

writing assignment iconActivity: Health Insurance DECIDE Model

In this activity, you will learn more about the various types of health insurance, and make some decisions about which kind of insurance might meet your needs.

Scenario:
You are now a married adult (it happened sooner than you thought it would, didn’t it?) As a responsible adult, you must now provide health insurance to your family. You have a spouse and two children—a 1 year old and 3 years old. You make about $30,000 a year. Your employer offers you a choice of the type of plan you want—an HMO, fee-for-service, or a PPO. Your employer will cover the cost for you, but the coverage of your spouse and your two children will be paid by you. You will have to decide.

Task:

Download and complete the Health Insurance DECIDE Model activity.

To do so, you will need to do some research. Go to the AHRQ website, and review the information in Questions and Answers About Health Insurance. Read about health insurance and then answer the questions below.

think and click 1. What is group insurance? How does it differ from individual insurance?

Most Americans get health insurance through their jobs or are covered because a family member has insurance at work. If your employer does not offer group insurance, or if the insurance offered is very limited, you can buy an individual policy. Group insurance is usually the least expensive kind, and most employers pay all or some of the expense.

think and click 2. What things should you look at as you compare?

• Costs of premiums
• Out-of-pocket costs for each treatment
• Costs of hospital care
• Services covered
• What physicians are covered

Now that you have learned about the various health care plans, complete the Activity: Health Insurance DECIDE Model to determine which health insurance plan is right for you.

When you have finished, submit your completed assignment to the Activity: Health Insurance DECIDE Model assignment link. The rubric for the DECIDE Model activities can be found within the Getting Started section.