Health Insurance Product Reviews (BETA)
Major Carriers and High Deductible Health Plans

Vimo Editorial: Health Plan Profile

The HumanaOne monogram health plans offer rock-bottom premiums in exchange for high deductibles. They are intended for confident, healthy people who want coverage in the event of a medical catastrophe, but prize affordability.

The monogram's deductible is indeed very high at $7,500, and it even comes with a separate $1,000 deductible for prescription drugs. In short, if you are hit with a major medical calamity that requires you to purchase prescription drugs and/or requires hospitalization or surgery, you could wind up spending $8,500 in deductibles. (Keep in mind that plan benefits and deductible sizes can change over time or even vary by state. Be sure to check with a health insurance agent about the plan.)

You make up for the high out-of-pocket maximum with a big safety net. You enjoy $2 million in lifetime benefits for the plan. (You have the option to bump that up to a $5 million lifetime benefit.)

BEST FOR: Recent college grads or graduate students or young healthy people whose employer doesn't offer group health plan benefits.

CONS: For any person, young or old, $8,500 is a lot of money, and a medical emergency could still turn out to be a financial emergency, given the plan's sky-high deductibles.

PROS: Offers a wide safety net for people who want low-cost protection in case an accident happens. Humana has a nationwide health-care network, and the plan's lifetime benefit is high. As part of a trio of new plan lines introduced by Humana in 2007 – including the Autograph and Portrait plans – this also gives you the option of adding a supplemental accident benefit for accidental injuries only. This benefit isn't subject to deductible or coinsurance, and places no limit on the number of accidents per year that are covered. The plan offers up to $300 of preventive care benefits per year, not subject to the deductible.