SPOTLIGHT: New insurance plan covers only unforeseen problems

Partnering for Health Services is rolling out a new plan aimed at individuals who make too little to buy regular insurance but too much to qualify for medical assistance. The plan costs $99 a month, includes no deductibles or co-pays, and doesn't exclude patients with pre-existing conditions, reports CNBC. The Pennsylvania health insurer will cover hospital inpatient services, paying the hospital a $1,000 admission fee, then $800 a day, for up to 10 days a year--whatever the illness or treatment. It also provides payment for two emergency room visits a year, some mental health coverage, anesthesia services, and up to $2,500 worth of surgical benefits. "Restricting insurance to cover only unforeseen problems--risk, not routine maintenance--parallels auto and property insurance," according to Dr. Zane Gates, director of Partnering for Health Services, who devised the plan. Coverage of routine matters unnecessarily drives up the cost of healthcare, he noted. Article