Individual health insurance in Florida is taking on new importance. Employers and groups are also investigating individual health insurance options.

"Individual health insurance plans in Florida are becoming an attractive alternative to rapidly escalating group health insurance plans," observes Mary Saiz, Director of Individual Sales for Vista Healthplans. "Some employers are choosing to lower costs by eliminating the contribution of premiums towards their employee's dependant coverage.

The employee would have to pay for the difference in premiums between single and family coverage.In many cases, this difference in dependant premiums is significantly higher through the group plan than if the dependants where to purchase Individual policies."

"With 96% of Florida businesses classified as small businesses, with 50 employees or less, it's easy to see why creative approaches to Florida health insurance are of paramount importance," Saiz adds.

VISTA Healthplan of South Florida is one of the few health insurance HMO carriers that offers individual policies in the State of Florida and has the second largest individual HMO membership in the State of Florida.

"VISTA, unlike other carriers, offers the same benefits in the individual policies for group policies. The VISTA individual health insurance products include dental and vision benefits."

Saiz points out that individual health insurance policies in Florida are medically underwritten. "This means the applicant completes a questionnaire which will then be submitted through the carrier's medical underwriting department for review. The carrier will then either approve the case or decline the case based on the medical review."

"This is important to the consumer," Saiz says, "because it allows the carrier to maintain the very best rates. This is the most important and attractive factor for the individual health insurance consumer - cost.

"We want to have an educated consumer and our staff is fully prepared to carefully explain a Florida individual health insurance plan based upon the consumer's specific requirements," Saiz added.

Additional information about individual health insurance in Florida through Vista Healthplans can be obtained by calling 1-800-558-7590.