We will explain available health insurance plans in understandable terms. Also, important to the process is a review of your expectations of health insurance, i.e. what role it needs to play for your finances, security, and general care.

We have a wide selection of individual and family health insurance plans, available from the major insurance companies in Texas. We'll do the shopping for you to find the best value for your individual health insurance needs and a plan that fits your budget.

• PPO A Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) is an alternative type of health plan that has quickly become the most commonly recognized and available type of plan offered by insurance companies. PPO’s have a specific group of doctors and hospitals selected by the insurance provider, referred to as "preferred providers," because these doctors and hospitals have contracted with your insurance company to provide services to their plan members at predetermined and discounted rates. You can choose to visit any physician within their network of doctors and do not need to select a primary care physician. However, if you choose to visit a physician or medical facility that is not part of the PPO's list of preferred providers, you will be required to pay a higher coinsurance percentage and may need to file you own claim form to receive reimbursement from the insurance company.

• HMO Any medical treatment under an HMO plan must be received within the network of physicians that is operate by the insurance carrier, or from a medical group that has a contract to provide health care for that insurance company. These medical professionals are paid a monthly capitation fee by the insurance company for accepting new members under the HMO plan and must provide you with the required care that is outlined in your HMO plan contract. Except for some medical expenses, such as emergency medical treatment, services you receive outside of this specified network of physicians and medical facilities will not be covered. With an HMO plan, you choose a primary care physician that oversees all of your health care needs and make any necessary referrals to specialists within his medical group. Since these physicians that are under contract with the individual health insurance company receive a fixed monthly capitation fee from the insurance company, it is in their best interest to keep your health care costs down. The health care costs and regular visits from plan members are absorbed by the physician or his medical group, even if the cost of treatment exceeds his compensation from the insurance company. For these reason, many affordable HMO health insurance plans focus on preventive health care and regular screenings in order to catch a treat an illness quickly .

• H.S.A. An HSA health plan is a medical health insurance policy that meets the guidelines for qualifying for a Health Savings Accounts (HSA). An HSA is an account to which individuals, family members and employers can make tax-deductible cash contributions, similar to an IRA. These funds can then be used to reimburse the individual (tax-free) for qualifying medical expenses such as deductibles, co-payments, dental and vision care. Withdrawals from the account are exclusively for the purpose of paying qualified medical expenses of the account beneficiary. In order to open an HSA, you must first been enrolled in a health plan that meets the federal guidelines. If you purchase and HSA qualified health plan, you are not required to open, or make deposits, into an HSA account. There are penalties for early withdrawal if the money is not used for eligible health care expenses. You can make an additional deposit into this account every year.