National General (Allstate Health Solutions) Health Insurance Review
Editor's Rating
National General moved its health insurance policies to its parent company, Allstate. The coverage is now offered by Allstate Health Solutions. The policies that Allstate Health Solutions sells aren't designed to be your primary insurance policy. These policies might fill coverage gaps for some consumers, but they don't give you coverage for as many medical situations.
Allstate Health Solutions: Our thoughts
Allstate Health Solutions offers specialty health insurance products, but they don't cover many common health issues.
Health insurance through National General, now Allstate Health Solutions, can be a good choice if you need short-term health insurance. Allstate Health also sells supplemental insurance, which is designed to be purchased in addition to your main health insurance policy.
A few different health insurance companies provide the coverage for Allstate Health Solutions policies. These companies have below-average customer satisfaction. National General is likely not a good fit for people who value good customer service.
Allstate Health Solutions short-term health insurance
National General offers short-term medical plans that cover a limited number of health care services. Short-term health insurance can be a good way to get coverage if you are between jobs or only need a policy for a short period of time. But the plans don't cover the same amount of medical care that standard health insurance policies do.
Short-term policies can be a good option if you need temporary coverage.
Short-term plans aren't sold on the federal marketplace or state marketplaces. You can purchase a short-term health insurance plan directly from National General, and you don't have to wait for open enrollment.
You might want to consider National General short-term health insurance if you:
- Missed open enrollment to buy an individual health insurance policy
- Switched jobs and are waiting for your new benefits to begin
- Are a student and are losing your parents' coverage
- Need temporary health insurance for any other reason
National General short-term health insurance provides coverage for doctor visits, preventive care, hospital care, ambulance coverage and emergency surgery. These are only some of the essential health insurance benefits. It doesn't cover pregnancy, prescriptions or preexisting conditions.
Depending on where you live and what policy you choose, National General short-term health insurance plans use the Aetna or Cigna health insurance network. Both companies have fairly large networks, which means there are likely doctors near you who will accept National General short-term health insurance.
National General short-term health insurance options
National General offers several different options for short-term health insurance. You'll start by choosing between a Guaranteed Issue, Essentials, Enhanced or Copay Enhanced policy. The main difference between these policy types is the total amount that the plan can pay out. This is called the maximum benefit.
Plan name | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed Issue | $100,000 |
| Essentials | $250,000 |
| Enhanced | $1,000,000 |
| Copay Enhanced | $5,000,000 |
Options in Chicago. Different areas of the country may have different options.
Once you've chosen which maximum benefit is right for you, you'll choose between more policy options. Each plan type has different options for deductibles, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximums.
Your health insurance deductible is the amount you'll pay before the insurance will start paying out. Coinsurance is how you split the bill with the insurance company after you hit your deductible. Having 80/20 coinsurance means that the insurance company will pay 80% of your medical expenses and you'll pay 20%, for example. The out-of-pocket maximum is the most you'll pay during the policy period. After that, National General will pay 100% up to the maximum benefit amount.
Plan name | Deductible | Coinsurance | Out-of-pocket maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed Issue | $3,500 | 80/20 | $10,000 |
| $5,000 | 90/10 | $10,000 | |
| Essentials | $5,000 | 60/40 | $12,500 |
| $10,000 | 60/40 | $17,500 | |
| $25,000 | 60/40 | $32,500 |
Cost of National General short-term health insurance
The average cost of a National General short-term health insurance policy is $223 per month. Your cost will vary depending on your age, location and the policy option you choose.
Find Cheap Health Insurance in Your Area
Typically, the lower your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum are, the higher your monthly cost will be. You'll also pay more for coinsurance types where the health insurance company pays more of your medical bills.
National General short-term health insurance costs
Plan name | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Essentials | $92 |
| Enhanced | $200 |
| Copay Enhanced | $298 |
| Guaranteed Issue | $446 |
Average monthly rate across all plan options for a 30-year-old man in Chicago.
Allstate Health Solutions Medicare products
Allstate partners with a few online health insurance brokers that sell Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement policies. A broker can help you compare Medicare options, choose a company and buy a plan. You can also buy a plan that combines dental, vision and hearing coverage.
Allstate Health Solutions costs for Medicare coverage depend on the type of policy you buy and the company you choose. Nationally, a Medicare Supplement policy costs an average of $155 per month. The average cost of a Medicare Advantage plan is $28 per month.
Find Cheap Medicare Plans in Your Area
Other Allstate Health Solutions insurance options
Allstate also sells dental, dental and vision, accident, and critical illness insurance policies. These policies can be good for some people, but they shouldn't be used as your primary health insurance. Supplemental policies are designed for specific medical situations and provide limited coverage.
Allstate Health dental and vision insurance
National General offers multiple dental PPO plans ranging from $16 to $57 per month. Dental plans use the Aetna Dental Administrators Network or Careington network, depending on the state.
Most Allstate Health dental plans don't have a waiting period for preventive services, which means you can get a cleaning right away and have coverage.
Not all plans cover major dental services, like a root canal or oral surgery. If you need a major dental procedure, you'll pay the entire cost yourself. The plans are preferred provider organizations (PPOs), which means you can use an out-of-network dentist, but you'll pay more.
You can also combine your dental plan with a vision insurance plan. A combined dental and vision plan costs between $31 and $76 per month. Most plans have a deductible between $0 and $50. You can also choose between a $1,000, $2,000 and $3,000 maximum benefit. A few plans have no maximum benefit, which means your coverage doesn't stop after a certain amount. Vision plans use the Avesis network of doctors.
Allstate Health accident insurance
Accident insurance can help you pay for costs that aren't covered by your health insurance company when you're hurt or sick because of an accident. Allstate's accident insurance ranges in price from $12 to $118 per month. Plans have either a $250 or $500 deductible, and maximum benefits range from $2,500 to $17,500.
Instead of paying your doctor or a hospital, accident insurance pays you directly. If your accident is covered, you'll get a payout from the accident insurance company, and you can use the money toward your deductible, to replace income if you can't work or for other costs that aren't covered by your health insurance.
You can also add extra coverage. The extra coverage for sickness hospitalization has no deductible and doesn't restrict you to any network. If you're hospitalized with an illness, your policy will pay you a lump sum on the first day of your stay. With the extra coverage for cancer and heart disease and stroke, your policy will pay you if you are diagnosed with cancer or have a qualifying heart attack or stroke.
Allstate Health critical illness insurance
Critical illness insurance is similar to accident insurance. Allstate Health's plans pay you a lump sum of cash, rather than paying a doctor or medical office for certain procedures or services. Allstate Health's plans only cover cancer, heart attacks and strokes. If you're diagnosed with one of these illnesses, your plan pays out a lump sum to help you cover expenses that health insurance doesn't.
There are four levels of coverage to choose from. None of the plans have a deductible, so you'll get a payout right away if your diagnosis qualifies.
Plan name | Maximum benefit | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer & Heart/Stroke 25K | $25,000 | $13 |
| Cancer & Heart/Stroke 30K | $30,000 | $14 |
| Cancer & Heart/Stroke 50K | $50,000 | $21 |
| Cancer & Heart/Stroke 75K | $75,000 | $30 |
Average monthly rate for a 30-year-old man in Chicago.
Member resources and benefits
When you buy a National General short-term health insurance plan, you automatically get a LIFE Association membership. This program has several perks, including discounts on medications and vitamins, access to telemedicine, discounts on chiropractic adjustments, and savings on gym memberships and fitness classes.
LIFE Association can also help you with hospital costs. You could save up to 60% on some diagnostic scans, like MRIs, CT scans and PET scans.
Customer reviews and ratings
National General has poor overall customer satisfaction reviews.
Two of the companies that offer coverage for Allstate Health Solutions have higher-than-average complaints, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The National Health Insurance Co. has nearly five times as many complaints as the baseline. And the American Heritage Life Insurance Co. has almost twice as many complaints as expected.
However, Allstate Health is a financially stable company, which means that your claims would likely be paid if they are covered. The Allstate Corp. has a financial strength rating of A+ from AM Best, which means that the company has historically been financially stable. AM Best says the outlook for the company's financial strength is stable, meaning it's not likely to change.
Frequently asked questions
Is National General Insurance owned by Allstate?
Yes, Allstate finalized the purchase of National General in early 2021. National General health insurance is now Allstate Health Solutions.
Is short-term health insurance a good way to save money?
It depends on what your goals are, but for the most part, it's not. If you just need health insurance for a short period of time, a short-term policy can help protect your finances from the cost of medical bills. But if you're using short-term health insurance as your primary coverage for longer than six months to a year, you might be putting yourself at risk. A traditional health insurance policy might cost more, but more of your medical bills will be paid for. That means there's less of a chance that a medical issue will wipe out your savings.
What is the difference between short-term and individual health insurance?
Individual health insurance just means a policy that you buy from an insurance company rather than from the government. Short-term health insurance is a type of individual health insurance. Short-term health insurance is typically cheaper when compared to a traditional health insurance plan. But short-term policies usually don't cover all the required health situations, which means you might have to pay for more of your medical bills yourself.
Methodology and sources
National General rates for short-term health insurance, dental, dental and vision, accident, and critical illness policies are for a 30-year-old male in Chicago. The average short-term rates are averages across all plan options. Rates and plan options will vary by state and other personal metrics.
Other sources for this article include Allstate Health Solutions, AM Best and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.