Health Insurance Glossary – H Terms
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
H
Health Insurance
Insurance designed to pay the all or part of the costs associated with health care. Health insurance protects an individual from financial hardship in the event of significant or unexpected medical costs.
Health Insurance Quote
An option to purchase a health insurance policy for a specified amount. An individual who obtains a health insurance quote is under no obligation to accept the quote.
Health Plan Year
The period during which coverage under a health plan is in effect. The health plan year of many plans commences on January 1, but others may commence on a different date.
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
An organization that provides comprehensive health care to members for a fixed price, regardless of the type or level of service utilized.
Care is provided by health professionals and medical facilities under contract with the HMO, therefore members of an HMO plan have less flexibility in the choice of medical provider than some other types of health care plans. HMO plans tend to offer better coverage for preventive health care services, and normally do not have deductibles, but may still require co-payments for services such as doctor visits and prescriptions.
HMO plans generally require each member to select a Primary Care Physician (PCP).
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)
A Federal law that allows an individual to immediately qualify for comparable health insurance coverage if they change their employment or relationships, irrespective of preexisting conditions or health status.
HIPAA also introduced a number of other requirements related to health care. You can read more about those requirements here. A copy of the actual HIPAA legislation is available here.
Several states have modified and expanded upon the HIPAA provisions, therefore consumer protection varies from state to state.
Learn more about HIPAA.
HMO
See Health Maintenance Organization above.
