Published on December 17, 2009 at 5:06 AM
Today eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH)
released a new comparison of subsidized individual COBRA premiums and
non-group health insurance
premiums for individuals using data derived from eHealth's December 2009
Cost and Benefits Report and a Families USA Foundation report released
in January 2009.
The data in the eHealth (www.ehealthinsurance.com) report, when compared to
COBRA subsidy data released by Families USA on January 9, 2009, show that
the average individual premium of $161 is twenty-five dollars ($25) more
expensive than the average subsidized COBRA premium of $136, and $227 less
than the average unsubsidized COBRA premium of $388.
Premiums are an important element of health insurance policy, but the
benefits provided by that policy are critical to gauging the value of any
coverage purchased. According to the data in the eHealth report, the plans
that individuals elected to purchase provided access to many important
benefits. They include Labs & X-rays (99.0 percent); E.R. visits (99.9
percent); prescription drugs (89.6 percent); OB/GYN coverage (93.0
percent); periodic exams (89.5 percent); Well Baby coverage (87.7 percent);
and chiropractic care (74.2 percent).
Maternity benefits were covered in 22.1% of policies surveyed, with nearly
half (46.6 percent) of primary policy holders being women. Seven states
(NY, NJ, MA, MT, MN, OR and WA) mandate that every non-group major medical
insurance policy sold cover maternity benefits. In most other states
maternity coverage is an optional benefit consumers can elect to purchase
if needed. Maternity benefits are not always available in every state.
SOURCE: eHealth, Inc.