Humana (NYSE: HUM) announced the introduction of a new portfolio of individual health insurance plans
individual health insurance plans
under its HumanaOne® brand in nine states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa,
Indiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah. In
2007, Humana introduced the individual health insurance coverage
options in 15 other states (listed below), where they have been popular
with consumers.
The variety of plans makes it easy for individuals and families to
select a plan according to their own personal preferences, lifestyles
and budgets. HumanaOne plans are designed specifically for
self-employed entrepreneurs, small-business employees, part-time
workers, students and early retirees. Humana markets HumanaOne plans
through insurance agents and brokers, as well as directly to consumers.
Health insurance quote applications for the plans are available online
or by phone.
HumanaOne's new personal health insurance plan portfolio includes a
broad spectrum of benefits -- with three in-network coinsurance levels
and 17 annual deductible choices -- organized into three, distinct
packages, for:
- People who are security-minded and want benefits like those provided by big employers
- People who want flexibility to fit their financial plan, including HSA-qualified offerings
- People who want a low-cost plan with a safety net "just in case"
The plans can be further customized with optional benefits such as
dental insurance, life insurance, and supplemental accident coverage.
"With the U.S. market for individual health insurance at 18 million and
growing, we recognize that individual health insurance plans cannot be
'one size fits all,'" said Jerry Ganoni, president of HumanaOne, Humana
Small Business and HumanaDental. "That's why we created three separate
families of plans, each tailored for a particular kind of consumer, but
at the same time highly customizable. This represents the most
significant product expansion for HumanaOne since its inception in
2002."
In 2007, Humana launched the new products in 15 other states --
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas
and Wisconsin. Soon, the company plans to introduce the new product
portfolio in the remaining two states where HumanaOne currently
operates. At present, HumanaOne serves more than 250,000 health plan
members in 26 states.
The new plans from HumanaOne are designed to appeal to a variety of
consumers -- from those who desire the security, coverage and service
commonly found in health plans from large employers, to those wanting a
simple safety net in the event of a major health problem.
The new portfolio of HumanaOne plans offers deductibles ranging from
$1,000 to $7,500 for single coverage, and from $2,000 to $15,000 for
family coverage. Premiums start as low as $30 per month for single
coverage and increase according to the plan, its features and level of
benefits.
"This new portfolio of products positions HumanaOne to serve a much
larger portion of the individual health insurance market, which we
believe will continue to grow at a rate of five to eight percent
annually over the next five years," said Steve DeRaleau, chief
operating officer of HumanaOne. "As more people leave group health
plans, retire early, become self-employed or work part-time, they will
increasingly look to individual health plans, and HumanaOne will be
there to serve them with a plan ideally suited to their distinct needs."
Humana guarantees monthly premium rates on its HumanaOne plans for one
full year after purchase, as long as the member remains in the same
area and keeps the same benefits. Thanks to Humana's large network of
doctors and hospitals, HumanaOne policyholders who move to a different
state can simply take their plan with them, and in most cases, those
who work or travel away from home can receive in-network benefits by
seeing any of the more than 400,000 Humana-contracted doctors,
hospitals and other health care providers across the country.
HumanaOne members have 24-hour access to online tools and resources,
enabling them to check claims status, medical expenses, compare
hospital, doctor and prescription costs and more. HumanaOne accepts
applications by phone or via its Website at
http://www.humana-one.com
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the
nation's largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits
companies, with approximately 11.5 million medical members. Humana is a
full-service benefits solutions company, offering a wide array of
health and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government
programs and individuals.
Over its 47-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities
to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in
consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a
better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer
portfolio.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2008
MediLexicon International Ltd