One common method that employers and individuals use to purchase health insurance plans is by ordering a plan through an insurance carrier’s website. This assignment will provide you with a hands-on view of available insurance plans and how the health insurance industry works.
Below is a list of the primary private health insurance companies that service Michigan individuals and employers. Choose TWO insurance companies from the list and visit their websites.
Pretend that you are searching for health insurance plans, both as an individual consumer and as an employer (group) looking for a group insurance plan for your employees. Look at the information and materials provided online for those plans, and assess (in essay form) your research experience. Discuss what you discovered about the different insurers’ offerings and how information is presented to potential customers.
Focus on what you found and your experience finding it, not the details of pricing, specific covered services, or other plan information.
Answer the following questions in your assessment:
• How difficult/easy was it to find information about plans?
• How organized and understandable was the provided information?
• What kinds of plan documents/materials were accessible online? Were they helpful?
• What were any noticeable differences/similarities between the websites and plans?
• What differences did you experience between searching for individual and group plans?
• Based on this experience, from which company would you rather purchase insurance? Why?
• What did you find interesting about your experience? What bothered you?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan www.bcbsm.com
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) www.hap.org
United Healthcare www.uhc.com
(Employer plans) www.uhc.com/employer
Physicians Health Plan www.phpmichigan.com
Priority Health www.priorityhealth.com
Total Health Care www.thcmi.com