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 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. Most Affordable Value Emergency Room - add $1,000 additional emergency room coverage for $1 per day for the whole family Long Term Major Medical 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. Dental Insurance Secure DentalOne - one lifetime deductible of $100 and then up to $1,250 per year coverage 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.

Vermont health insurance exchange Vermont has two HMOs and many more commercial health insurance companies that issue individual health insurance and 5 small group health insurance plans. These standard health insurance plans may not be affordable to all residents. This Web page lists the very few low cost commercial health insurance plans available in Vermont and some related benefit options. 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. Vermont insurance & benefit news Vermont had the 11th highest health insurance costs of all states in 2008 with an average family premium of $13,091 per year. (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 1st out of the 51 states (including DC). Vermont is one of four states that does not authorize short term medical insurance to cover gaps in group coverage. Short Term Insurance 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 Vermont Insurance Law The Vermont  Insurance Division Web site contains a link to the insurance laws posted on the legislative site, the state's insurance regulations and bulletins.  The Web site has not yet developed resources to help individuals find commercial low cost health plans like mini-med or core coverage, specific illness policies, supplemental insurance and basic health insurance. The state insurance department can be reached by telephone at (802) 828-3301 or by mail at 89 Main St., Montpelier VT 05620. The state children's health insurance plan (CHIP) Web site is Vermont Green Mountain Care. 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

Vermont Insurance News

2/15/2011 The proposed Green Mountain Care and the Vermont Health Benefit Exchange will set the stage to make Vermont the nation's testing ground for a split-benefit level health system where the majority of residents have state-specified health benefits while the more affluent will be able to afford higher level care only by obtaining coverage through supplemental health insurance plans for enhanced benefits not covered in the basic health insurance. Executive benefit plans are relatively rare under current commercial health insurance plans but could grow rapidly under the reform proposals. Freedom Benefits received inquiries indicating an interest in out-of-state health insurance plans for Vermont executives who may have multiple residences or travel outside of the state. Commercial insurers would be prohibited from competing against Green Mountain Care provisions so the only option available to Vermont residents who are not satisfied with the basic coverage is to purchase supplemental coverage. This basic plus supplemental insurance system is currently used in Great Britain and the impact of is covered on the Universal Health Insurance log.

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.

1/2/2011 Vermont may become the nation's testing ground for a single payer health system under direction of newly elected Governor Shumlin. A team of health experts officially begin comprehensive health reform work this month, headed by Anya Rader-Wallack who was involved in the development of the embattled Massachusetts universal-coverage system. If the Massachusetts system stumbles within the next three years before 2014 federal reforms take effect, either because of court challenges or due to runaway costs recently indicated, Vermont's enthusiasm to make it's own dramatic changes may be weakened. Freedom Benefits supports the sates' reform initiative and remain committed as s leading provider of supplemental coverage during and after reform period. In other wealthy nations that have adopted a single payer health system, the demand for supplemental health insurance increases sharply immediately for upper economic class and then for middle class several years later. We expect to see the same reaction from the residents of Vermont.

12/16/2010 Vermont Department of Insurance 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, Vermont said that it would: 1) Analyze the current insurance market to determine the quality and type of health insurance coverage, the appropriate regulatory environment for implementing the Exchange, and the potential impacts on the market of various options, 2) Assess various Exchange organizational models and the policy and fiscal implications of each, as well as resources needed to operate the Exchange, 3) Model potential funding mechanisms to achieve Exchange sustainability, and 4) Develop proposed legislation for the 2011 and 2012 sessions.

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.

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