| South Florida consists of Dade, Broward and Palm | | | | Individual south Florida health insurance is |
| Beach counties, and includes the three major cities | | | | purchased by one person and usually includes the |
| of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. | | | | immediate family. Unlike group plans, coverage |
| The entire metropolitan area has a total population | | | | may be denied by the company if the risk is too |
| of about five million people. More than twenty | | | | high. There are options that an applicant chooses, |
| percent of these people have no health insurance | | | | such as the amount of the deductible, amount of |
| at all. Over fifty percent of the population is | | | | coverage, type of coverage and the copayment |
| overweight or obese, which can cause companies | | | | amount. Another option is the choice of the |
| to charge a higher rate for coverage. With soaring | | | | company. The cost of identical or similar coverage |
| south Florida health insurance rates, many people | | | | often varies from company to company. |
| cannot afford coverage. | | | | Government agencies also offer south Florida |
| There are three basic forms of south Florida | | | | health insurance. Florida Kidcare is offered to |
| health insurance: Group plans, individual plans, and | | | | qualified needy families to insure children. The cost |
| government subsidized plans. A group plan, which | | | | is usually fifteen to twenty dollars per month. |
| is purchased by an employer or the head of an | | | | Florida Medicaid participants may be able to get |
| association, provides coverage to the members | | | | Florida Kidcare for free, if they qualify. In Broward |
| of the group. The employer may pay the entire | | | | county, hospitals offer free or deep discounted |
| premium himself, or he may require that | | | | care for people with no health insurance. |
| employees (group members) contribute part of it. | | | | To find south Florida health insurance, you can use |
| Group members have no options to choose and | | | | a specialized search engine that sorts through |
| everyone gets the same coverage. No member | | | | hundreds of different policies from many |
| of a group can be excluded. Under COBRA laws, | | | | companies and lets you compare them side by |
| an employee who leaves the job can continue the | | | | side for comparison. Using this method, you will |
| group coverage for an additional eighteen months | | | | get a wide variety of choices so that you can |
| after termination, provided that premiums are | | | | find the right policy that is the least expensive. |
| paid. | | | | |