Cinergy Health likes to advertise their health plans. They may not be on television as much as the ShamWow or OxiClean products, but Cinergy does heavily promote their medical plans in Pennsylvania.
So…Is Cinergy Health insurance worth considering. Probably not…unless you’re uninsurable with major health problems. And be prepared for some surprises when you read the fine print of the policy.
The Cinergy Health “Preferred” plans are NOT major medical insurance and are not intended to replace catastrophic health insurance or major medical insurance. The dental and prescription coverages do NOT make payments directly to you. They are “discount” plans that may reduce your out-of-pocket costs with certain providers.
The Coverage
For example…the Cinergy Health “Preferred 1000”plan pays only $100 per year (per person) of emergency room (ER) charges. Two ER visits could easily leave you with a bill of more than $2,000. Daily hospital confinement benefits are also limited to only $1,000 per day (up to 30 days per year). Hospital intensive care coverage is even less…just $1,000 per day (up to 15 days per year).
Pennsylvania Cinergy Health Plans offer far less coverage than most typical major medical plans offered by large insurers such as Blue Cross, United HealthCare, Aetna and HealthAmerica. The difference becomes quite noticeable with lengthy hospital stays, expensive prescriptions or constant visits to a specialist. A major medical claim could potentially expose hundreds of thousands of dollars of expenses that are not covered or are only partially covered.
The Cost
The Pennsylvania Cinergy Health “Preferred 1000” plan costs almost $6,000 for family coverage and about $3,700 for an individual. Add a $50 registration fee and it is quite apparent that unless you’re uninsurable, this plan may not be your best option. In fairness, this article originally was published in 2009 so it’s possible that their rates and plan options may have changed.
But If you can qualify for health insurance from one of the major health carriers, that’s probably your best option. We feel that Aetna, UnitedHealthCare, HealthAmerica, Highmark, Keystone or any of the Blue Cross plans are better and more affordable Pennsylvania health insurance options. You can request a free quote from us and we’ll provide rate and benefit information from the state’s best health insurers.