Insurance companies making it easier for Alabama Residents to Buy Private Medical Insurance.

Large well-known insurance companies are responding to the needs of the nations uninsured. More and more companies are now offering sale of affordable health insurance policies to individuals in many states that once had few if any such options, and Alabama is no exception. Recently Humana Inc began making HumanaOne insurance products available to residents of the Heart of Dixie.

HumanaOne is one of several plans that provide accessibility to private medical insurance to individuals who are not covered with medical benefits by employers. The line also consists of policies designed for those who are self-employed and in need of private medical insurance, small business owners, students and anyone else in need of affordable individual medical coverage. Since being introduced by the company in Illinois in 2002 access to the program continues to spread nationwide, Alabama is now among 23 other states that have found the need to offer their residents the ability to purchase this comprehensive private medical insurance plan.  States like Alabama traditionally offered consumers far less choices when it came to buying private or individual insurance, introduction of the Humana product is good for consumers, as it comes in with competitive rates, and gives medical insurance consumers more control and more ability to shop around for a health insurance plan that suits their particular needs. Large companies like Humana are now realizing they can use there size and volume buying power to obtain good rates on health services from top doctors and hospitals and pass these savings on to consumers in the way of affordable private medical insurance policies.

Products offered under the program include traditional major medical protection, and also for greater savings, a high-deductible low premium plan coupled with a qualifying Health Saving Account.  In either case Alabama residents who purchase private medical insurance through Humana also leverage the power of one of the largest provider networks nationwide, with access to over 300,000 healthcare providers located throughout the country.

The introduction of these programs is just another part of Alabama's continuing efforts to provide for the medical insurance needs of its population. Alabama is also home to the Child Caring Foundation a not profit agency that was established in 1988 that works with large insurance companies like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama to provide access to health insurance for children of poor families that do not qualify for Medicaid, but are too poor to otherwise afford to purchase private medical insurance.  Since the programs inception the number of children without adequate medical insurance in Alabama has dropped from around 230,000 in 1988 to approximately 70,000 today.