Health insurance companies at a glance

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, April-May, 2005

Although some of the previously mentioned companies offer both life and health insurance coverage, the most popular health insurance companies are, by and large, exclusively dedicated to offering health care coverage. Here are a few of them, including some of the previously mentioned ones.

American Family Insurance

American Family's history is a remarkable story that started with a single idea. A struggling insurance salesman named Herman Wittwer believed a company could make money selling auto insurance to Wisconsin farmers. Wittwer understood that farmers presented lower risks compared to city drivers because they drove less often and put their cars up on blocks for the winter. Armed with this customer knowledge, he opened Farmers Mutual Automobile Insurance Company on Oct. 3, 1927. Over the years, the market grew from rural areas to small towns, suburbs and metropolitan areas. Today, the company is known as American Family and it offers vehicle, property, life, health, business and farm/ranch insurance, plus annuities and consumer loans in 17 U.S. states.

Aetna Corporation

Aetna Corporation is based in based in Hartford, CT, where it was founded in 1850. The company provides benefits through employers, many of whom are Fortune 1000 companies, in all 50 states, along with individual benefits in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington D.C. Health care, dental care, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care insurance fall under the umbrella of Aetna's offerings. Its recent awards include the Stevie award for "Best Business Turnaround" in 2004 through the American Business Awards competition, and the 2003 Best Disease Management Program in Managed Care from the Disease Management Association of America for its Healthy Outlook, Caring for Chronic Heart Failure program.

To get a quote, please visit: www.amfam.com

BlueCross[R] BlueShield[R] Association

Often regarded as uniquely American because of its grass-roots organization, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield system is a network of independent, locally operated insurance companies whose growth has fluctuated with broader economic, social, and political changes and with the national search for cost-effective health care. BlueCross[R] and BlueShield[R] Association is a trade association for the independent and locally operated BlueCross and BlueShield plans. In existence for 75 years, BlueCross/BlueShield insures 88 million people across the 50 states. The company boasts contracts with more physicians than any other insurer.

Humana Inc.

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 7 million medical members located primarily in 15 states and Puerto Rico. Humana offers coordinated health insurance coverage and related services--through traditional and Internet-based plans--to employer groups, government-sponsored plans and individuals. Humana offers a wide range of products and services designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses, too. Small employers can choose from a broad spectrum of cost-effective health plans. With Humana, small businesses enjoy the convenience of having a single source of employee benefits, along with expert advice to get the most from their benefit dollar.

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is an organization that continually works to elevate the state of health care with progressive products, services and advancements. The company evolved from industrial health care programs for construction, shipyard and steel mill workers during World War II. Its founders were Sidney Garfield, M.D. and Henry J. Kaiser who became partners in advancing the concept of pre-paid health care. Today, they are the largest nonprofit health care organization in the United States, serving approximately 8.2 million people in nine states and the District of Columbia.

Health Insurance Coverage

American Family

American Family has two dominant forms of major medical insurance. The policies, AmChoice and AmChoice Plus, give you a choice of deductibles to best suit your needs ($500-$10,000, once per calendar year per person). The most outstanding feature of the plan is the policyholder's freedom to choose a doctor or hospital. These policies allow a lifetime maximum benefit of $2 million. Preexisting conditions are not covered by the policies, however there is a discount for non-tobacco users and for attending a hospital or doctor that participates in the American Family network. American Family also offers a short term health insurance policy, called LimiTerm. The deductibles range from $250 to $1,000. Beyond the deductible, the policyholder is responsible for 20% of the incurred medical costs up until $5,000. This policy is only available for those people 65 and younger For those enrolled in Medicare, American Family offers a Medicare Supplement Insurance that provides outpatients services and hospital benefits that Medicare does not cover.