How To Pick A Good Health Insurance Company

By John Hasson, Jr.

What good is life if you can't enjoy it? Health insurance helps ensure that you will be able to live your life fully. So, health insurance is very important indeed. There is no perfect plan already set up and there is no one single perfect provider. What you need to do is choose the plan that is perfect for you (your personal needs given your situation) at the lowest price. That is the best deal out there for you.

What Coverages Will Be Best For Me?

If you are not worried about paying out of pocket for doctor visits and such, and they are few and far apart, and you are young and healthy, then perhaps all you need is a catastrophic health insurance plan. Catastrophic coverage will only cover, yep, you guessed it, things that are catastrophic. Your coverage plan will have a detailed list of things considered catastrophic such as you get your head smashed in a car wreck or you wake up one morning and discover you have cancer. This type of coverage is the cheapest but obviously, very needed for everyone.

Additional Coverages

Usually when one thinks about what one wants covered, we remember to take into consideration doctor visits, injuries, illnesses, lab work, hospital stays, and those kinds of fun things, but there are many additional things that many do not think about that requires additional coverage. Suppose you needed a root canal, or your mind was no longer quite there, or, you became pregnant? You would need health care for those things along with, I am sure, plenty of prescription drugs to go along with it which also, by the way, usually requires additional coverage as well unless you plan on paying out of pocket.

So, never assume you are covered for something. Have the whole coverage list in front of you so you won't forget to cover yourself for something you may regret in the future. For example, did you realize that some plans have additional options called wellness benefits that can help you pay for classes to help you stop bad habits hazard to your health, memberships to help you stay in shape, and consultations for your nutritional needs? There are usually more options than people realize, so make sure you know them all, then pick and choose from the entire list of options to tailor your plan exactly how you need it to be.

The Best Way To Protect Yourself Through Your Coverages

It is especially important to make sure all your needs will be met if you have your health insurance through your employer. Do not assume that any health insurance through your employer will be good enough for you. You may need to add additional benefits to your insurance to get the proper coverage that you need. And, of course, one must be honest on all the forms. It would be horrific to be denied coverage after paying premiums for so long only because of a question on the form answered dishonestly. Remember, your coverage is based on the forms you fill out, so be as detailed and accurate as possible. The coverage only covers the person on the form, not anyone else!

Should I Get An HMO Plan Or A PPH Plan?

HMO (health maintenance organizations) or also known as managed care, are typically less expensive but you are limited to using only their very specific network of doctors and therefore, hospitals as well. If you go anywhere else for your care you will have to pay full price. Your main doctor (primary care physician) will refer you to a specialist if the need is present. You will not simply be able to go wherever. However, many HMO plans now offer more choices to help ease the burden of being so constricted.

PPH (preferred provider health insurance plans) are more flexible in that you can choose from many more doctors and hospitals because they usually have many other providers also registered with them, but you also pay more for that flexibility.

So, you must decide which is more important to you, more flexibility or paying less for insurance. Once you decide that you will be able to decide on the plan.

How Can I Save On My Health Insurance Plan?

First of all, if you can get your health insurance through your employer, then chances are that that is going to be the best deal for you financially because your employer is going to be paying part of that cost and usually, insurance companies give good discounts for many purchased all at once. That is not to say that that is going to be sufficient coverage for you, as mentioned earlier, but you can always add onto that insurance plan as needed. The older you get the more expensive health insurance will get, so it will be especially good to get any kind of discount you can, especially when you are older.

If both spouses work with each spouse on a different insurance covered through their work, depending on the insurances, it may be cheaper to have both on one. That you will need to figure out to see which option is cheapest for you.

Another great way to save money, just like auto insurance, is to up your deductible (the money you are required to pay before your insurance will help you out). The larger your deductible, the lower your premiums (your monthly payments to stay insured). Just make sure that you will be able to pay your large deductible should the occasion arise (if something major happened).

How To Pick A Good Health Insurance Company

Call their customer service with as many questions as you can think of and see how they handle it! And, see how long you are on hold for. If calling them seems like a nightmare than chances are they are not the right company for you!

Of course, there is always word of mouth too, which works great, and there are many forums on-line to read about what others have to say. Ratings are good to look at too. Experiences from friends and relatives are among the most important ways to tell how a company will treat you as well. You can compare quotes online at http://www.foxquotes.com

FoxQuotes provides competitive insurance quotes online. You fill out a simple form and compare quotes. FoxQuotes also provides helpful articles for choosing your insurance and live chat when available. http://www.foxquotes.com

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