subject: How To Compare Health Plans [print this page] If you need to find affordable health insurance, it pays to do your home work. A little homework and research can save you a lot of money and frustration in the long run. It is not always easy to find a good plan that you can afford. But there are a lot of choices today, and hopefully, you will find a medical plan that will help you and your family get good medical care when you need it!
Why do you need health insurance? You have to look at your own individual situation when you shop for a medical plan.
If you do have a medical plan at work, you may be better off signing up for it. Lots of good companies will pay part of the premiums. If your employer offers major medical insurance, it may provide better benefits that you can find on the private market too. For example, it is hard to get pregnancy covered by individual health plans, but many group plans include this coverage.
Lots of working Americans do not have a group major medical plan. This may because they are self-employed, work on contract, or do not have a group plan at their company. You might be able to find a good medical plan on the private health insurance market. Start out by finding the plans for sale in your own city or town. Be sure to balance the monthly premiums against potential out of pocket costs for co-payments, deductibles, or uncovered medical services. There are also a lot of different kinds of major medical plans you may be able to buy. For example, you may need to compare the pros and cons of PPO and HMO plans. Do you understand how these health plans work? If not, you should probably learn about them. A good health insurance agent can explain the plans to you.. An experienced agent can help you figure out which kind of major medical policy will work out best for you.
Some people do get turned down by individual health insurance companies. Applicants may get declined because they have a pre-existing health condition. The insurer may think that this health issue makes these people very risky to insure. This is a tough situation to be in, but every US state has some sort of hight risk health insurance program. Your insurance agent, or state insurance department, can help you plan your next move.
You may not be able to find a really cheap health insurance policy. If you cannot afford the premiums, you should look into federal, state, and county health plans. You may also be able to find foundations and charities that assist people with specific health problems. If you have a low or moderate income, you may qualify for some extra financial help.
It is not easy to shop for medical insurance today. There are lots of choices, but most of them cost quite a bit of money. Of course, doing without health insurance is a risky choice. Hopefully, you can take the time to explore your options and find a good plan to help you and your family get access to good medical care.
