<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section does not cite any sources . Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (December 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Historically, Health maintenance organizations (HMO) tended to use the term "health plan", while commercial insurance companies used the term "health insurance". A health plan can also refer to a subscription - based medical care arrangement offered through HMOs, preferred provider organizations, or point of service plans . These plans are similar to pre-paid dental, pre-paid legal, and pre-paid vision plans . Pre-paid health plans typically pay for a fixed number of services (for instance, $300 in preventive care, a certain number of days of hospice care or care in a skilled nursing facility, a fixed number of home health visits, a fixed number of spinal manipulation charges, etc .). The services offered are usually at the discretion of a utilization review nurse who is often contracted through the managed care entity providing the subscription health plan . This determination may be made either prior to or after hospital admission (concurrent utilization review). </P> <P> There are different options available to both employers and employees . There are different types of plans, including health savings accounts and plans with a high or low deductible . The plans that have the high deductibles typically cost the employee less for the monthly premiums, but the part they pay for each time they use their insurance, as well as the overall deductible before the insurance covers anything is much higher . These types of plans are good for the people who rarely go to the doctor and need little health care . The lower deductible plans are typically more expensive, however, they save the employee from having to spend a lot of money out of pocket for services and treatment . The recent trend for employers is to offer the high deductible plans, called consumer - driven healthcare plans, because it costs them less overall for the care their employees need, but it is a lower monthly premium for the employees . </P> <P> Comprehensive health insurance pays a percentage of the cost of hospital and physician charges after a deductible (usually applies to hospital charges) or a co-pay (usually applies to physician charges, but may apply to some hospital services) is met by the insured . These plans are generally expensive because of the high potential benefit payout--$1,000,000 to $5,000,000 is common--and because of the vast array of covered benefits . </P>

Who pays the premium for private healthcare insurance