Group Health Insurance in South Carolina

Group Health Insurance – What is it and Who Does it Benefit?

Group health insurance covers an entire group of individuals in South Carolina. While offered at times by organizations or societies, group health insurance is usually an employer-sponsored plan offered by companies to their employees as an added benefit, and can be an extremely beneficial component for both the employer and the employee. A good group health insurance program offered by a South Carolina place of employment can attract qualified, long-term employees who may be willing to accept lower salaries or wages in exchange for a solid group health insurance option. Often, a company will include the added benefit of covering a portion of the monthly premiums.

How a Group Health Insurance Plan works in South Carolina

In the case of employer-sponsored plans, the company, or place of employment, will purchase a group health insurance plan in behalf of its employees, and will then offer that plan to its employees as an added benefit. For individuals who may have difficulty acquiring an individual health insurance plan due to pre-existing conditions, a company sponsored group health insurance plan is ideal. These plans base premium amounts on group rates rather than an individual risk basis. That is, all individuals within the group pay the same monthly premium, regardless of health conditions. The concept is that the monthly premiums paid by the healthy individuals in the group will help cover the expenses incurred by those individuals who may require more medical care or attention.

Available Benefits Offered Through a South Carolina Group Health Insurance Plan

While the specifics of each plan offered by various companies will differ in its benefits, the majority of company based group health insurance plans will include the following options:

•Basic Medical Insurance
Depending upon what plan the employer offers to their employees, this benefit will likely include a number of medical benefits, including costs incurred through visits to doctor’s offices or emergency rooms, hospital stays, testing or x-rays, prescription drugs, and any number of other medical expenses approved by the particular health insurance company.

•Vision Insurance
Many group health insurance plans will also offer vision insurance, sometimes at an extra cost. Vision insurance typically includes a yearly visit to an eye care provider for an eye examination. Usually, these plans will include partial to full coverage on glasses or contact lenses.

•Dental Insurance
As with vision insurance, dental insurance may be offered by the company at an additional premium, and include a portion of costs incurred through dental care, including cleanings and fillings.

•Disability Insurance
In addition to Medical, Vision, and Dental insurance, some places of employment may also offer disability insurance as part of its group health insurance plan. Disability insurance includes sick leave, long-term and short-term disability leave. This type of group plan insures a portion of the employee’s income should that individual become temporarily or permanently disabled and incapable of working.

 

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