| The changing healthcare and health
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| | surprised down the road if a claim is
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| insurance landscape in the United States
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| | denied. This is important whether you
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| has resulted in more individuals and
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| | are purchasing a standard medical,
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| families purchasing health insurance
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| | temporary, or student health insurance
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| coverage on their own. Rather than touch
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| | policy.
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| on the number of reasons why this is the
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| | 6. Does the insurance company you are
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| case, I would like to provide individuals
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| | considering have a substantial network of
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| and families finding themselves in this
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| | preferred doctors and hospitals in your
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| position with ten basic ideas to assist
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| | area? In addition to family doctors,
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| them with getting the best health
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| | what type of access will you have to
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| insurance policy for their specific
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| | specialists and the best hospitals in the
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| situation. Below is a combination of ten
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| | event you or a family member is diagnosed
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| questions and suggestions that will
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| | with an illness that requires specialized
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| provide the tools necessary to get a
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| | care? Also, what are your options for
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| medical insurance policy that will best
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| | preferred health care providers when
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| work for you and your family.
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| | traveling?
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| 1. What are your typical health and
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| | 7. If you need to go "out of network",
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| medical care expenses in a calendar year?
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| | will you still have coverage? Most
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| Most people are surprised when they go
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| | insurance policies will have coverage in
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| through this exercise to learn that they
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| | the event you need to go outside of their
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| would be financially better off in most
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| | network for care. However, review how
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| years to purchase a high deductible
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| | these out of network claims will be paid.
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| health insurance plan and use the premium
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| | Will there be an additional deductible?
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| savings to directly offset heath care
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| | How are reimbursement levels determined
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| expenses throughout the year.
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| | for out of network claims? What is your
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| 2. How long do you anticipate needing the
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| | maximum out of pocket for out of network
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| health insurance coverage? For example,
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| | claims?
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| many companies sell temporary policies
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| | 8. Are you looking for an opportunity to
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| that can be put in force for 1-6 months
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| | reduce your taxable income? If so, make
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| and they are relatively inexpensive. If
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| | sure your plan qualifies as a high
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| you are in between jobs or in a waiting
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| | deductible health plan and look into all
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| period for employer coverage, this may be
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| | of the aspects of a Health Savings
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| your best option.
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| | Account. In the right situation, HSAs
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| 3. What is your budget? If your budget
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| | can be an excellent way to pay for
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| is tight, having a $1000, $2500 or even
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| | eligible health care expenses, reduce
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| $5000 deductible is better than having no
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| | your taxable income and save for
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| coverage at all. The ability of doctors
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| | retirement.
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| and hospitals to save and prolong life in
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| | 9. What are the financial ratings of the
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| the United States is in many cases
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| | insurance company you are considering?
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| extraordinary. However, their treatment
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| | A.M. Best, Standard & Poor's, and Moody's
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| is not free and going without health
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| | are organizations that rate the financial
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| insurance coverage can in some cases
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| | stability of insurance companies.
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| result in you and/or your family losing
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| | 10. What type of customer service will
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| an entire life's worth of savings and
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| | you get from your insurance agent? Do
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| assets.
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| | they specialize in health insurance? Do
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| 4. Be careful to choose a plan that
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| | they have a staff that is willing and
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| covers the "big stuff". It is nice to
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| | able to assist you in the event you have
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| have a policy that covers items such as:
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| | a claim, billing, or other customer
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| physician office visits, routine
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| | service problem?
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| physicals, outpatient testing, and blood
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| | If you do not have the time or patience
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| work. However, it is essential to have
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| | to look into all of the items mentioned
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| coverage for major services such as
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| | above, develop a relationship with an
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| cancer treatment, transplants, critical
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| | independent insurance agent that
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| illness, traumatic accidents, and
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| | specializes in evaluating and servicing
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| infectious diseases. Find out the
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| | health insurance policies. A good
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| lifetime maximum amount as well as if the
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| | independent insurance agent will be able
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| policy contains "internal" dollar limits.
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| | to save you time, money, and be an
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| 5. Always carefully read and understand
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| | excellent resource for evaluating all of
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| the pre-existing condition clause and
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| | the items mentioned above.
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| policy exclusions so that you will not be
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