Could you explain to me exactly what is meant by self-insured medical coverage? I have heard this tossed around my office lately since my company is possibly changing insurance carriers. How would this effect my coverage since I am HIV positive?

A self-insured plan is one that is not insured by an insurance company. In an insured plan, the employer pays a premium to the insurance company and the insurance company has the liability for all claims. In a self-insured plan, the employer pays the insurance company or a third party administrator to administer the plan but the employer pays all of the claims, i.e., the administrator charges the employer an administrative fee plus the cost of actual claims.