Do not approach health insurance with fear. It is true the field is complex and your options are many, but the more you learn, the safer you will feel. Health insurance is similar to healthcare itself. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By making smart choices when you select health insurance, you can avoid difficulties in the future.
When you are getting a health care plan, consider the health of your family and yourself. You might be drawn to buy insurance with a lower premium if none of you have any health issues. While this is the least-cost method right away, skimping too much on insurance coverage could put you at financial risk if sudden health problems come up.
Health Insurance
If you are a recent college graduate and you are looking into health insurance, there are a couple of options for you to consider. You may be able to get health insurance from your employer, if you have one. Those younger than 26 are still eligible to be on their parent’s insurance plan as well as a private and personal one.
To lower your insurance premiums, see if your employer offers a wellness program for their employees. Employees who are willing to go in for a checkup may be eligible for discounts. Signing up for physical fitness programs can help you save money on your insurance premiums and even lower your company’s payments for insurance.
It is important to plan for the higher cost of an individual policy versus a group policy often offered by employers. You could find yourself having to make compromises with an individual package, like paying a higher deductible or even opting for less coverage. Compare the premiums, deductibles and coverages of multiple providers.
You should review your prescription coverage every year. Health insurance companies tend to change the medications they cover, so see to it that you read the contract’s fine print each time you re-enroll. If a regular medication has been dropped and a substitute isn’t acceptable, you may need to find a policy with a different company.
Catastrophic Coverage
One way you can monetarily save on health insurance premiums is to choose catastrophic coverage instead of comprehensive. Unlike comprehensive insurance, catastrophic coverage has less coverage for routine care, and will only cover “big ticket” costs.
There are always some situations and conditions that will not be covered by your health insurance. Go over all of your policy’s coverage details thoroughly, so that you know ahead of time what the insurer covers and what you need to cover out-of-pocket. Be prepared beforehand to pay for certain things out of your pocket, such as certain medicines or treatments.
Do not volunteer personal information to health companies who call to solicit services or ask for applications. Give direct answers to their questions and nothing more. If you volunteer extra information they will make a record of it, and may use it to raise your premiums, or even deny you insurance coverage at all.
Research different types of health plans, and decide on the one that best fits your needs. There are many different plans to choose from, including PPO, POS and HMO. Consider all the options offered by each health insurance plan before deciding which one to purchase. Before you commit to any plan, make sure you can keep seeing the same doctors.
When you get injured or have an illness, you do not want to suddenly learn you are not covered for certain things. You should prepare yourself ahead of time by learning all the ins and outs of your insurance and by being aware of the alternatives available to you. You may find out that you have poor health insurance, but that is something that you can rectify at any time!