If you really want to know what stress is than you should try to live a few days without health insurance. You will begin to worry about every little cough or sniffle. Health insurance is one of those investments that just makes sense, both for yourself and for every member of your family.
When considering your health insurance options, take a look at a hospital only policy. Such policies do not cover regular doctors visits, but will take care of you in the event of an emergency that lands you in the hospital. The benefit is a lower cost premium, but the trade off is no day to day medical coverage.
If you’re self employed and looking for health insurance, you may find that an individual health plan is cheaper than a group plan. Group plans often cost twice as much as individual plans, since they have to cover everyone, regardless of health status. If you’re in good health, an individual plan may save you money.
If you are student, check and see if you can still stay covered under your parent’s insurance plans. New laws have now made young adults eligible to stay under a parent’s plan until the age of 26. The premiums for this coverage can increase so offer to help your parents out with some of the premium costs if you can afford to.
Many states offer inexpensive health insurance for people who fall into lower incomes, like the unemployed. This may actually save you money compared to joining the COBRA plan, and will definitely be comparatively inexpensive compared to a private insurer. Check with your state’s Health Department to see if they offer this service.
Beware of the trade off between higher deductibles and lower premiums. If you choose higher deductibles, be sure to either have a FSA or HSA that has enough to cover the deductible or that you have enough money stashed in an untouched savings account to cover the higher deductible so that your decision does not cause you unanticipated financial hardship.
Increase out-of-pocket expenses. If you are in general good health, and don’t anticipate any large medical expenses in the near future, think about choosing a plan with larger out-of-pocket expenses most health insurance companies offer an option of reduced monthly premiums if you agree to pay a yearly deductible and co-pay for certain service and medications.
Many consumers do not realize the importance staying healthy has, when applying for health insurance. Insurance companies obtain information from the Medical Information Bureau, a company which keeps track of all medical records. The MIB, as it is known in the insurance industry, has a record of all doctor visits, prescriptions and hospitalizations. When someone applies for health insurance, their premium is partially based on this medical history report.
With the prices of medical procedures at the astronomical highs that they are, and the poor quality of the public health services, you surely want to have the best health coverage you can get. The tips in this article should have prepared you to understand more about health care and how to use it to your advantage.