Santa Cruz is all about staying active. But while staying active is the best thing you can do for your health, a good health insurance policy can keep you from being devastated by a "financial wipeout".
Health Insurance for
Santa Cruz County Residents
Customized Plans to Fit Your Budget and Lifestyle
It is no secret that the cost of healthcare is skyrocketing; in fact rates have dramatically increased over the past five years. Christensen & Ebert can help you understand all the plans that are available to you here in Santa Cruz, and match you with a plan that local doctors will accept, and one that matches your budget.
Health Insurance for the Individual
Individual health insurance plans are subject to underwriting, which means your health history will be researched to look for potential health risks. We are currently writing individual policies with Anthem Blue Cross, and Aetna. There is a wide range of individual policies available to the public from ‘catastrophic’ coverage to HMO’s.
Even within families the needs from one family member to the other can be vastly different and it is important that your family has the coverage they need, without paying high premium dollars for services they will never use.
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)
An HMO is a health maintenance organization. It is a type of managed care where the health care is carried out through specific hospitals, doctors, and specialist where the HMO has a contract. For HMOs members will select a primary care physician who they must see first for any medical needs. The PCP (primary care physician) will then refer the policy holder on to a specialist but only if the HMO guidelines are met and it is deemed a necessary course of treatment.
PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
PPO or Preferred Provider Organization offers the most flexibility. You can choose your doctors and manage your own health care. No matter what doctor you choose they will pay percentages of eligible medical expenses after you meet your chosen deductible. Although you have the choice to see a non contracted provider it is financially beneficial for you to use doctors and hospitals that are considered “in network”. There are a wide variety of health insurance policies to choose from, and the premiums vary based on the amount of coverage you choose.
In the last couple of years a new option has become available in Santa Cruz under the PPO umbrella. They are known as an HSA or Health Savings Account. These PPO policies allow you to put money aside in a specialized bank account. The HSAs work very similar to an IRA account. You can deposit the money pretax. Money spent on eligible medical expenses will remain “tax free”. You are only penalized for withdrawing money if it is not spent on qualified medical expenses. We consider ourselves HSA experts at Christensen and Ebert Insurance, so if you have any questions please call us.
For Group Quotes please call us for a quote.
For an individual quote click here