Personal professional enrollment support is available for all of the benefit plans listed on this page. Send your question by e-mail for fast OnlineAdviser response. Limited telephone support (800) 609-0683. Office hours posted daily on Twitter @FreedomBenefits   Most Liberal Eligibility Basic Health Insurance - the least expensive plan in the exchange with the lowest level health benefits Core Health Insurance - the nation's most popular defined benefit health plans with guaranteed acceptance from US Fire Insurance Company Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan - a temporary government-sponsored plan available to citizens/residents who have  been uninsured for more than 6 months due to a pre-existing medical condition. Value 24 Hour Accident - up to $10,000 of supplemental health insurance coverage for emergency treatment of injuries at a cost of about $2 per day. Can be used as a stand-alone coverage or added to other insurance. Value Emergency Room - add $1,000 additional emergency room coverage for $1 per day for the whole family Most Affordable Basic Health Insurance - the least expensive plan in the exchange with the lowest level health benefits Secure Lite STM - the lowest priced major medical insurance for 1 to 12 months Secure Saver STM - $2 million maximum coverage for 1-12 months at an ultra-low rate Value Med Insurance - 3 question simple medical eligibility and immediate approval for supplemental doctor and hospital benefits Long Term Major Medical Celticare - well-known renewable individual major medical insurance for discriminating healthy applicants Celtic Basic Health Insurance - a trim version of Celticare at a lower price Dental Insurance Secure DentalOne - one lifetime deductible of $100 and then up to $1,250 per year coverage UnitedHealthOne Dental & Vision - national PPO network of more than 73,000 providers Online Life Insurance Great Start Child Life Insurance - inexpensive permanent insurance that can be gifted by parents and grandparents Guarantee Trust term life Insurance - fast, easy and inexpensive online term insurance coverage up to $250,000 International Term Life - up to $2 million coverage issued by Lloyds online specifically for those who spend time outside of the US Simple whole life insurance - the fastest way to get affordable permanent coverage up to $50,000. Online underwriting, no exam. Smart term life insurance - up to $500,000 coverage directly online without an exam or blood test QuoteIntelligence Term life insurance - find the lowest rates, compare features & eligibility requirements and then apply online with the best insurance companies in less than 30 seconds.

Florida health insurance exchange More than 200 commercial insurance companies offer some type of health insurance and 20 companies issue small group insurance in Florida including one comprehensive and six supplemental guaranteed issue insurance plans available to applicants with significant pre-existing medical conditions. Florida does not have a high risk health insurance pool but does participate in the federal Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan. This Web page lists some of the state's most popular low cost commercial health insurance and related benefit plans. All of these policies offer secure online enrollment and professional OnlineAdviser personal enrollment support. Please note that while many of these choices could be included in more than one of the suggested usage categories, each plan is listed only once for the sake of brevity. Your enrollment adviser is available to discuss suitability of any plan for your specific situation. Florida insurance & benefit news Florida had the 18th highest health insurance costs of all states in 2008 with an average family premium of $12,697. (The average annual premium for a U.S. family covered under an employer-sponsored health plan in 2008 was $12,298 according to The Commonwealth Fund report. The overall quality of health care ranked 44th out of the 51 states (including DC). Florida regulates the benefits required for both individual major medical and group health insurance plans, known as "mandated benefits". Short Term Insurance Celtic Insurance - competitive rates from a well-known insurer Markel Smart STM - popular and affordable short term major medical insurance with fast online approval Secure STM - along with its 12 month and 36 month options, this may be the highest quality short term coverage Intermediate Term Inbound Immigrant - up to five years of liberal health insurance coverage after immigration including maternity coverage, emergency and other essential benefits Supplemental Insurance Smart Accident Insurance - supplemental coverage for emergency treatment of accidents and injuries for as little as $20 per month. Can be used as a stand-alone accident plan or to increase other insurance benefits. Value Access Guarantee - everyone qualifies for this plan that pays in addition to any other insurance Florida Insurance Law The state's insurance statues are available online in a consumer-friendly format. Florida Division of Consumer Service provides assistance and protections for health insurance buyers.  The Department's Web site includes a compilation of consumer insurance complaint statistics and an online complaint form.  Florida insurance law allows self-employed residents buy group health insurance for a one person business. This enrollment must be completed in August for an October effective date. The Florida Department of Financial Services can be reached by telephone at 877-693-5236 or by mail at 200 East Gaines St., Tallahassee, FL 32399. The state children's health insurance plan (CHIP) Web site is Florida KidCare. Non-insurance Discount Plans Careington PPO Discount Plans - the nation's leading network PPO discount provider allows a no-risk trial of any discount plan for only a $20 processing fee Drug Card America - a free prescription drug card that an be used nationwide Essential Dental Solutions - simple, inexpensive, no waiting period, up to $500 treatment per year Rx Pay Card - $10, $20, or $30 payments for hundreds of popular prescriptions. See International Coverage and Travel Insurance Listings

Florida Insurance News

2/12/2011 With dozens of health plans choices available online offering a wide range of pricing and benefits, how do you find the best combination of price and benefits? Celtic Insurance realizes that the choices can be overwhelming; the company offers more than 40 possible health plan designs in many parts of the United States. A new feature called "Help Me Choose" lets users easily and quickly select the benefits they value most and narrows the list down to a few of the best choices. No personal information is required other than zip code and date of birth.

2/7/2011 The state's pre-exisitng condition insurance plan (PCIP) monthly premium rates (per person):

PCIP will cover a broad range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care, and prescription drugs. All covered benefits are available for you, beginning on your coverage effective date, even if it’s to treat a pre-existing condition - there are no waiting periods. PCIP applicants who are approved to participate in PCIP can choose from three plan options, with different levels of premiums, calendar year deductibles, prescription deductibles and prescription copays. The HSA Option provides an opportunity to open a Health Savings Account, a tax-exempt account where you can deposit funds for eligible medical expenses. Each of the three PCIP plan options provides preventive care (paid at 100%, with no deductible) when you see an in-network doctor and the doctor indicates preventive diagnosis. Included are annual physicals, flu shots, routine mammograms and cancer screenings. For other care, you will pay a deductible before PCIP pays for your health care and prescriptions. After you pay the deductible, you will pay 20% of medical costs in-network. The maximum you will pay out-of-pocket for covered services in a calendar year is $5,950 in-network/$7,000 out-of-network. There is no lifetime maximum or cap on the amount the plan pays for your care. If you apply for PCIP coverage on the governemnt Web site, you will be billed for the premium once your application is approved. You will need to send in your payment in order for your coverage to be effective. Please do not send in the premium before you are billed. Note that your premium may increase if you age into a higher rate tier, or if PCIP adjusts its premiums to any changes in the commercial market.

2/3/2011 Florida halted the development of a public health insurance exchange following the recent federal court decision to nullify the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act of 2010 in its entirety. In a statement issued yesterday, Florida's insurance commissioner did not say what use would be made of federal funds already received for the development of the insurance exchange. This announcement is not expected to affect the development of commercial insurance exchanges like Freedom Benefits that are not dependent on the federal grant for development or implementation. Consumers will likely be affected by the lack of uniformity in interpretation of the health reform law's provisions while an appeal of the decision is pending before the Supreme Court.

1/30/2011 Patients with health insurance and a credit card now have access to VIP treatment when care is needed at a hospital emergency room. University Community Hospital-Carrollwood in Tampa, Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, and MedFast Urgent Care Center in Port St. John joined the growing list of hospitals that allows patients to use InQuickER, a reservation system that books appointments and reduces waiting time in the emergency room. The reservation system makes check-in easier by recording your insurance and payment information in advance. The service costs $15 to $25. Of course the nature unpredictable medical emergencies mean that the service cannot absolutely guarantee that you'll be seen immediately at your appointment time, but you get a full refund if not treated within 15 minutes after arrival. The InQuickER service works in conjunction with any of the private health insurance plans listed here at FreedomBenefits.net but is not available to uninsured patients.

12/16/2010 Florida Agency for Health Care Administration officials met representatives of 44 other states and numerous employees of the federal Health and Human Services Department in Washington DC this week for a two-day working meeting to discuss the next steps in establish a government-run health insurance exchange under the American Health Benefit Exchange Model Act. Their attendance at this meeting was paid for by a $1 million federal grant awarded by HHS in September to the state for research how to set up an insurance exchange. Two states (Alaska and Minnesota) declined to participate, saying that it was a waste of taxpayer money. Four other states (not identified in press reports) that received federal grants did not send representatives to the meeting. Attendees included representatives of 16 states that are suing the federal government in an attempt to overturn the federal health reform law; specifically the requirement that forces individuals to buy health insurance on the insurance exchange or pay a hefty tax fine.

In its initial federal grant request for the insurance exchange project, the Agency for Health Care Administration said that it would: 1) Research the estimated number of currently uninsured individuals as well as those entitled to tax credits, cost sharing through the Exchange, those eligible for Medicaid or employer-sponsored coverage, 2) Create a Technical Advisory Work Group to assist the implementation of the Exchange and how it will build upon current State and Federal programs, 3) Address whether Florida should have its own Exchange, join a regional Exchange or elect to have a Federal Exchange, and 4) Identify legislative and regulatory needs.

The meeting reportedly did not address the role of the commercial health insurance exchanges on the implementation of new competing government systems. The model act does not address inter-state insurance exchange proposals nor insurance sales across state lines. Federal officials admitted that they may not be able to provide further guidance until 2012. Meanwhile, most states are motivated to continue to meet requirements to obtain additional funding promised by the federal government for the establishment of insurance exchange by 2014. Freedom Benefits has previously voiced the opinion that the huge amount of money being spent to set up alternate insurance sales system technologies could be better used providing health benefits to the public. We proposed on the Universal Health Insurance blog that adequate commercial insurance sales systems are already in place that could be modified in a public/private partnership to make health insurance more affordable.

12/5/2010 Fifteen commercial insurance companies recognized by the state to provide individual major medical health insurance plans in Florida in 2011. These are Aetna Life Insurance Company, American Republic Insurance Company, Best Life and Health Insurance Company, Celtic Insurance Company, Continental General Insurance Company, Fidelity Security Life Insurance Company, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Humana Health Insurance Company of Florida, John Alden Life Insurance Company, Mega Life & Health Insurance Company, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of TN, Time Insurance Company, United American Insurance Company, and World Insurance Company. Most individual policies are medically underwritten through an out-of-state group master policy and may not be included on any insurance exchange. Contact the Department of Financial Services Consumer Services Division at 1-877-693-5236 to confirm whether a company is licensed to issue any other type of coverage.

9/14/2010 A new blog post titled "Fast Facts on Forida KidCare Insurance" summarizes the four programs available and explains how it can be supplemented to improve overall coverage to address a common concern with these public insurance programs.

5/14/2010 Diabetes Coverage: A new resource to help find health insurance for diabetics in Florida is now available at Freedom Benefits.

3/23/2010 Florida is leading ten other states including Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington in a joint legal challenge to the federal health reform bill on the basis that it improperly usurps state sovereignty over health insurance and that requiring health insurance is an illegal and improper government action.