Types of Health Insurance

Group health insurance, sometime called employee benefits, is usually the type offered to employees by employers that have large numbers of workers.  The employers pay for a large portion of the cost of the health insurance making it more affordable to the employee.  This type of insurance is usually available to permanent residents, H-1 visa holders, or other visa holders with permission to work in America and who are working for large companies. This type of health insurance is considered to be the best since you receive the highest coverage for the lowest cost to yourself when compared to individual health insurance.

Individual health insurance is purchased by an individual directly from the insurance company.  But unlike group health insurance, individual health insurance tends to be more expensive.  The reason of course is because rather than having large groups of people to spread the risk across as is the case with group insurance, individual health insurance provides far fewer people to spread the risk across, thereby making it more expensive for the insurance company. Anyone can purchase this type of health insurance.  There are insurance companies that market health insurance specifically to immigrants whether they are students, visitors, temporary workers, or immigrants.

Background
Types of Health Insurance: You are here.
Options within Each Type of Health Insurance
Buying Health Insurance
How Health Insurance Works
Glossary of Terms