Health Insurance Medical health coverage insurance comes in a variety of forms and involves the most frequency of transactions regarding claims and charges in all the insurance fields. Medical, dental and vision insurance are the three main categories of insurance provided. These three services are provided by insurers either through employer-employee relationships or as direction insurance agreements with private individuals. The vast bulk of clients received their medical coverage through employer plans. This includes the client employee, spouses, and children or legal dependents. A very small minority receive health coverage through direct plans purchased on their own. The remainder of the population obtains medical health coverage through either government plans for seniors (Medicare) or government plans for the poor (Medicaid). In some developed countries universal health coverage is practiced as a form of insurance available to everyone. The government essentially pays for the services and the population uses them as needed. In the U.S. contractual health insurance is practiced instead. Only seniors and the poor earning below specified poverty levels of annual income receive government-sponsored coverage. General health insurance provides for generic health needs and preventative services. This includes regular check-ups, dental work and exams, vision exams, etc. As medical issues become more specific and require additional services, health insurance plans begin to cap how much is covered for the service. Out-of-pockets costs begin to appear for the client as a larger share of the total expense becomes a co-pay. All these details and cost-share splits have to be provided ahead of time to clients. However, insurance plans tends to be very voluminous and detailed with technical language, so many patients don't really know what will be covered until they are in the thick of the issue with a medical provider. Health insurers also frequently try to retain the right to limit or refuse services they feel will cost too much or are unnecessary. This then sets up the patient to have to appeal the medical service need and possibly sue the insurer for coverage perceived as promised. Many a case story has been covered in the media on such issues. Some cases win for the patient, others win for the insurer. In a number of cases the process just takes too long and the patient either gives up or worse, expires from the condition. Government regulation is heavily involved in healthcare insurance, at times preventing insurers from denying coverage and at other times limiting what patients can demand from policies. In addition, as generations age and shift changes occur on how insurance coverage should be used for medical care on the basis of politics as well. Similar to homeowner's and vehicle insurance, the most basic coverage is catastrophic health insurance. This type of plan can only practically be used for traumatic accidents and injuries. It is not meant for general care or chronic conditions. Catastrophic health insurance also typically involves a very high deductible and includes a cap on how much will be covered in total for the life of the policy. College students who've left home and parents' coverage are common customers for this plan type. Insurance Site .org All Content Copyright 2011 InsuranceSite.org Next - Life Insurance Privacy Policy Introduction Business Vehicle / Auto Property Health Insurance Life Insurance Worker’s Compensation Auto, Home, Life, Health, Business - How Insurance Works