The New Health Insurance Solution: How to Get Cheaper, Better Coverage Without a Traditional Employer Plan

by Paul Zane Pilzer

• ISBN13: 9780471747154
• ISBN10: 0471747157
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-09-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Since 1945, most Americans have received health insurance directly from their employer. That is about to change. Starting this Fall, employers will be telling millions of employees: " go buy your own health insurance, and we will pay for it, " or, " here is up to $5000, use it to pay for your basic medical expenses, and you get to keep any of that money you don' t spend." The problem that this book solves is that employees don' t know what Health Savings Account are, or how to buy their own health insurance, and they don' t know how to shop intelligently for doctors, drugs or health care. This trend is called Consumer Directed Healthcare, and according to a recent cover story in "BusinessWeek magazine, by next year 730f US employers will be offering health savings accounts to their employees. Next January 10 million government employees will become eligible for health savings accounts. Over the next five years it is estimated that 32 million people will sign up for some form of " consumer directed health care." What this means is that for the first time, millions of Americans will be motivated to be as smart about health care shopping as they are about grocery shopping. Paul Pilzer' s book will explain to them what their options are, why the new consumer directed health plans are better, safer, and cheaper than traditional employer-sponsored health insurance, and how th average family can save $5000 a year or more, on health care costs. This book will teach you how to: (1)Immediately save your family $5,000 - $15,000 eachyear even if you are healthy (2)Get affordable health insurance for you and your family for the rest of your life (3)Get better medical care for less money than you are currently paying (4)Save 500n prescri

Author Biography

PAUL ZANE PILZER is a world-renowned economist, and a former advisor in two White House administrations, as well as an entrepreneur, and a New York Times bestselling author. A former commentator on NPR and CNN, he is also the cofounder of a company providing individual health benefits to employees of Fortune 500 companies. His previous books include the New York Times bestseller God Wants You to Be Rich, The Wellness Revolution, Other People's Money, and Unlimited Wealth. See www.paulzanepilzer.com for more information.
For more information on this book, see www.tnhis.com.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NEW HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, SELF-EMPLOYED, AND BUSINESSES.

PREFACE.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

PART I: How to Better Protect Your Family While Saving $5,000+ Each Year: Savvy and Affordable New Health Insurance Strategies.

CHAPTER 1. You Are One Serious Illness Away from Bankruptcy: The Huge Gaps in Your Employer’s Health Insurance Plan.

CHAPTER 2. Why Buying Your Own Health Insurance Is Better, Cheaper, and Safer Than Your Company Plan.

CHAPTER 3. Your Legal Rights to Health Insurance When You Lose Your Job or Change Jobs: ERISA, COBRA, and HIPAA.

CHAPTER 4. How to Buy Your Own Low-Cost, High-Quality Health Insurance Policy.

CHAPTER 5. The Best Options for Employees with a Good Company Plan: High Deductibles, Disability, Cafeteria Plans, FSAs, and HRAs.

CHAPTER 6. Health Savings Accounts: Why You Should Fully Fund Your HSA before Putting Even $1 in Your IRA or 401(k) . . . and How to Build a $500,000+ HSA Nest Egg.

CHAPTER 7. What to Do if You or a Family Member Has a Major Health Problem.

CHAPTER 8. How to Get Affordable Medical Care When You Are Over 55: Early Retirement, Medicare, and Long-Term Care.

CHAPTER 9. How to Save 10 to 75 Percent on Your Prescription Drugs.

CHAPTER 10. How to Be a Smart Healthcare Shopper, Stay Healthy, and Keep the Savings.

PART II: How Businesses Can Fix Their Health Insurance Nightmare and Still Hire Great Employees.

CHAPTER 11. How Employers Can Save 50 Percent by Giving Employees Tax-Free Dollars to Buy Their Own Health Insurance: Defined Contribution Health Benefits.

CHAPTER 12. HSA Plans for Employers: Why Every Employer Should Encourage Tax-Free Employee Contributions to HSAs.

CHAPTER 13. HRAs for Employers: How to Use HRAs to Save $2,000 to $6,000 per Employee Each Year While Getting Your Employees Better Health Insurance.

EPILOGUE: The Future of Affordable Health Insurance in America—Who Wins and Who Loses?

APPENDIX A: State-by-State Guide to Individual/Family Health Insurance Costs.

APPENDIX B: How Americans Get Health Insurance Today . . . and What about the 45 Million Uninsured?

NOTES.

INDEX.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.