When selecting a health plan, after getting an online health insurance quote, it is important to know the main differences between a group plan and an individual plan. The savings offered from a group plan can be significant with the right number of people. The insurance company accumulates the information received from health insurance quotes and then creates an individual plan which will include the right amount of coverage that is custom designed to fit people's health requirements. The most important differences between a group health insurance plan and an individual one is that individual plans are more selective, more difficult to qualify for, and generally more expensive.

Individuals who have pre existing medical conditions and have been diagnosed with health problems generally have a more difficult time finding an individual health plan. These people are considered to be too high risk for insurance companies and they are generally rejected right after receiving their health insurance quote. A group insurance plan is less selective and anyone can qualify. Group insurance coverage is offered with several different options including long term care, disability care, prescription drug coverage, and some offer dental and vision.

Individual coverage is specifically designed for people who are unemployed, self employed, or are not offered health benefits from their job. The most common problems people have with the structure of individual plans is that a large percentage of people have pre-existing health problems and are excluded, or they cannot afford the high monthly premiums of individual health coverage. Many people are electing to select a group plan because the groups can be as small as two people and there are online health insurance quotes for group plans for as little as one dollar a day. It is very common for one to pay hundreds of dollars a month for an individual health plan that has a very high deductible.

Group plans are traditionally offered to small businesses, member associations, and unions. While individual plans are only regulated by state laws which vary, a group plan is subject to both state and federal laws. Although group plans are legally not allowed to discriminate against people with health problems, a group's insurance rates for health coverage depend on several factors including medical history and what type of work the group will be doing. In many states maternal coverage is required by law to be included in a group plan while with individual coverage maternal coverage is entirely optional. Getting a group plan instead of an individual plan means that one will probably have more coverage and pay much less. The difficulties facing strict regulations for individual plans may someday change so these plans are more like group plans.