Health is the greatest of wealth of one and all. Irrespective of the class, gender, age and sex, everybody is (or should be) constantly aware of his or her respective health condition and be prepared for any emergency situation that may arise in the future which may require you to raise a sizeable amount of money in a short time.

Health insurance plays an important part in such a scenario. As nobody can be certain of the future, everyone should have some sort of a medical cover. There is no dearth of companies who offer different types of insurance policies keeping in mind the varied interests and wants of the people. The question is to find the right company and the policy which you think is the best suited to you. Private insurance companies, though they offer a wide range of programs to choose from which also may be more flexible in their processing and paper works, will be costlier than the government funded policies. However, when you go for a private health insurance, you will have to pay your premiums yourself instead of your employer paying a part of it.

As there are a large number of people who have to go for private insurance as they will be either self-employed or under employers who don?t pay for the insurance of their employees. However, if you have a clear idea of your needs and are prepared to be patient to go through the different policies on offer in detail, then there is a very good chance of you getting the right policy for yourselves.

Choosing the right policy: Before you start your search for the right policy for you, you should at first make an assessment of the amount of insurance that you and your family need. Although the policy, for which you pay a high premium for, will pay you back handsomely, you should only go for considering your needs and not go for the most expensive one available.

Once you have got a clear idea about the basic nature of the insurance coverage you need, you have to go through the different offers that are available make the right choice. As there are more and more companies which publish their programs and policies online, the best way to make your search is through the internet. This saves you time and effort and allows you to make a decision faster and easier.

Other methods you can employ for you\'re your search by contacting the companies that you think suit you over phone and getting the relevant information. The thing to bear in mind while talking to the insurance people is that they may use certain terms relating to the insurance world, which you have to have a clear idea about to get a complete picture of the program they are offering you. for example, one such term, deductible, is the amount you have to pay, before the company pays the amount you are eligible for. That is, if you have $500 deductible for hospital stays, you have to pay $500 first after which your insurance starts functioning.

The important thing you should make sure while you go around gathering information is that you ultimately end up with the best suited policy you need, and you are not paying premium for a policy that doesn't benefit you to the extent that you hope it would.

Top companies to choose from : Here is a brief description about the top health insurance providers whose services are available for the residents of Jacksonville.

1) Aetna Inc.

Aetna, amongst the top health insurance provider in the US offers services through HMOs (health maintenance organizations), PPOs (preferred provider organizations), POS plans (point of service), health saving accounts, traditional indemnity coverage, dental, vision, behavioral health and Medicare plans. It covers more than 15 million people under its health insurance programs.

2) Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

The blue cross and the blue shield association, being one of the front runners in the field, have about 40 chapters to provide health insurance cover to about 90 million people across the country through HMOs, PPOs, POS, and free for service plans. It also offers Medicare plans for the federal government.

3)CIGNA corporation, through its varied plans which includes PPO, HMO, POS AND consumer directed products,provides health insurance coverage to an excess of 9 million people. It also offers coverage for dental, vision, pharmacy and behavior health as well, in addition to general health.

4) UnitedHealth group Incorporated: operating through four segments. It offers its customers various plans and services. In addition to the HMO, PPO and POS plans, it also manages Medicare and Medicaid policies. Of its segments, Uniprise undertakes health plans for large companies, whereas specialized care provides plans for dental, vision and other services. Ingenix deals with providing health information consulting and publishing, together with clinical research and drug marketing services.

Wellpoint, Inc. being the largest insurance provider in the country, WellPoint provides health coverage, principally under the name of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield, to an excess of 34 million people. It is a Blue Cross licensee in 14 states and works under the name Unicare in other parts of the country. It offers plans including PPO, HMO, indemnity and hybrid programs to individuals and employers in addition to providing Medicare and Medicaid.

Some of the local companies in Jacksonville which could be approached for getting information are :

Byrne Johnson Inc- ph: (972) 830-7300, Irving TX

Melvin ehlert Jr & AssociatesInc- ph: (979) 836-2659, Brenham, TX

Hunt enterprises, ph: (806)372-4000, Amarillo, TX

Premier health link- ph: (210) 737-9556, San Antonio, TX

Chapron Insurance Agency- ph: (936) 327-4094, Livingston, TX

Ashford Associates-ph (903) 592-2198, Dallas TX

Boland Mike &associates-ph :( 972) 412-6002, Rowlett, TX

Healthy America ?ph: (936) 273-8899, Magnolia, TX

Accountable health plans - ph: (817) 640-1397, Arlington, TX

Triple T Enterprises ? ph: (210)641-7694, San Antonio, TX.

Laws and Regulations: HIPAA or the health insurance portability and accountability act was enacted by the congress in 1996, which was aimed to protect private health information from being disclosed without the consent of the individual. Barring a few exceptional circumstances, a written consent form the individual is required. This law is, however not applicable in certain situations such as treatment, for reporting to public health agencies, research and other emergency situations.

The law provides the individuals with various rights such as access of

1) notice of the health provider?s privacy practices

2) request restrictions about who is allowed to access their health information

3) to have access a copy of their personal health information

4) request an accounting of all disclosure of their health information

5) request corrections or amendments to their health information

Accordingly, the health care providers are required to

1) provide security for the individual health information

2) establish a complaint process to investigate complaints

3) Train the staff on the law.