As graduates across the country are preparing for new adventures and responsibilities, the importance of affordable health insurance is becoming a reality. In a new poll released by UnitedHealth Group, Inc, over 2/3 of young adults in the US know they need affordable medical insurance, but over half of them say they don't have the information they need to choose the right type of coverage to meet their needs.
1,000 young adults were polled and 67% of them haven't made any plans for medical insurance coverage. While these 18 - 21 year olds know they need insurance coverage, they aren't clear about the coverage they have through their parents and don't even know when that coverage will end.
Young adults are in the largest and fastest growing group of the 46 million uninsured people in the US. This alarmingly large group of Americans, along with the 25 million underinsured, is facing incredible risk by not having appropriate coverage in the case of a medical need.
When you need affordable health insurance and you cannot get coverage through your employer, it can be confusing how to even begin the process of finding coverage on your own.
Determine your insurance needs: Before you can find the most affordable medical insurance, you need to understand how insurance policies work. When it comes to cost, there are two things to understand -the deductible and the co-pay. Nearly all insurance plans have both a deductible and co-pay you are responsible to pay.
The deductible is the amount of medical expenses you have to pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. The co-pay is the portion of each individual charge you must pay, in addition to the insurance company's portion. For example, if you have a $500 deductible, you are responsible to pay the first $500 of medical expenses per year, before your insurance company pays anything. With the co-pay, you must pay a percentage of each charge, often at the time of your service.
To help keep your health insurance affordable, you have options how you pay these expenses. If you are in reasonably good health, choose a lower deductible and higher co-payment. If however, you go to the doctor fairly often, you pay be better off with lower co-payments, but a higher deductible. Once your annual deductible is reached, you will have less expense through out the year. For the most affordable health insurance premium, choose both higher deductibles and higher co-payments. This will at least spread your costs out over a length of time.
You can compare rates and plans for medical insurance online. This way you can look at several different types of policies from different companies and take your time deciding the best option for your medical insurance needs.
It is very important for young adults to have a good understanding of the type of insurance they need. With the large number of health insurance companies, as well as the variety in policies and coverage, the only way to find the most affordable health care coverage is to do some research and compare your options. Most importantly, however, is to avoid going with non health insurance at all so you don't wind up with huge expenses you cannot afford to pay.
Check out our free medical insurance plan quote tool at www.BestHealthcareRates.com to get your affordable medical insurance quotes from top companies in your region. 1-877-812-5111.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
When to Consider a COBRA Alternative
Whether you have been laid-off from work or have quit your job and are looking for another one, it is time to take a look at COBRA and COBRA alternatives. An acronym for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act that became a law in 1986, COBRA allows you to maintain group health insurance benefits, even after you have experienced a job-loss or employment-hour reduction. Because COBRA health care continuation coverage can be costly, people often want to consider their options, including COBRA alternatives, before making a decision about coverage during this time of transition.
The number of employees losing their jobs and, thus, their employer group health plans has been on the rise during these times of economic struggle in the United States. Workers in these job loss or job transition situations typically have health care options, which allow them to make a choice regarding affordable health coverage, even if they are unemployed. Costs and coverage vary between these options, which include the following:
COBRA Continuation Health Coverage — If your employer or company has more than twenty employees and provides employer group health plans, they are required by law to offer continuation coverage to workers and dependents who are no longer eligible for the group coverage. However, if the insurance company terminates coverage or if the employee terminates coverage prior to signing up for continuation coverage, COBRA is no longer an option. The cost of COBRA prevents many from being able to use it, but it may be a good option for employees or dependents who are facing serious medical problems or who need considerable medical services.
COBRA Alternative — Short-term medical coverage provides a good alternative to COBRA for many employees and dependents. It provides protection against the financial burden of unexpected medical expenses while in between jobs and employer group health plans. It is a more affordable health coverage than COBRA and one can often obtain coverage easily online. Typically, a COBRA alternative short-term medical plan can cover necessary medical treatment without referrals.
No Coverage — A surprising number of employees who lose their jobs opt to go without health insurance due to lack of available funds as well as a lack of information about affordable health insurance coverage. The result is often families who experience extreme financial hardship and even bankruptcy due to unexpected medical problems during a time of non-coverage. Another risk of electing no coverage is that you lose the continuation of coverage and any health problems can become pre-existing conditions for which an insurance company can deny coverage in the future, even if you again become part of an employer group health plan.
It pays to research your options and be prepared for what may happen if you lose your job or your employer group health plan. Staying abreast of issues surrounding COBRA and COBRA alternatives will arm you with the knowledge you need to keep you and your family protected and secure during uncertain economic times.
Check out our free quote tool at www.BestHealthcareRates.com to get an affordable medical insurance quotes from top companies in your region.1-877-812-5111.
The number of employees losing their jobs and, thus, their employer group health plans has been on the rise during these times of economic struggle in the United States. Workers in these job loss or job transition situations typically have health care options, which allow them to make a choice regarding affordable health coverage, even if they are unemployed. Costs and coverage vary between these options, which include the following:
COBRA Continuation Health Coverage — If your employer or company has more than twenty employees and provides employer group health plans, they are required by law to offer continuation coverage to workers and dependents who are no longer eligible for the group coverage. However, if the insurance company terminates coverage or if the employee terminates coverage prior to signing up for continuation coverage, COBRA is no longer an option. The cost of COBRA prevents many from being able to use it, but it may be a good option for employees or dependents who are facing serious medical problems or who need considerable medical services.
COBRA Alternative — Short-term medical coverage provides a good alternative to COBRA for many employees and dependents. It provides protection against the financial burden of unexpected medical expenses while in between jobs and employer group health plans. It is a more affordable health coverage than COBRA and one can often obtain coverage easily online. Typically, a COBRA alternative short-term medical plan can cover necessary medical treatment without referrals.
No Coverage — A surprising number of employees who lose their jobs opt to go without health insurance due to lack of available funds as well as a lack of information about affordable health insurance coverage. The result is often families who experience extreme financial hardship and even bankruptcy due to unexpected medical problems during a time of non-coverage. Another risk of electing no coverage is that you lose the continuation of coverage and any health problems can become pre-existing conditions for which an insurance company can deny coverage in the future, even if you again become part of an employer group health plan.
It pays to research your options and be prepared for what may happen if you lose your job or your employer group health plan. Staying abreast of issues surrounding COBRA and COBRA alternatives will arm you with the knowledge you need to keep you and your family protected and secure during uncertain economic times.
Check out our free quote tool at www.BestHealthcareRates.com to get an affordable medical insurance quotes from top companies in your region.1-877-812-5111.
Protecting Your Own with Family Medical Insurance Plans
It is a huge responsibility to care for a family, and choosing the right family medical insurance is a significant part of this. There’s so much to worry about from where to send your children to school and the appropriate age for sleep-overs to discipline issues and caring for your child’s health and well-being. At least when it comes to family medical insurance, the decisions are more straight-forward. With a little information and education, you can be confident in your choice and feel good knowing you and your family are covered if illness or injury occurs.
In order to become as informed as possible, conduct a health insurance plans comparison and really delve into the details of the plans you consider so you know what you are getting yourself into. It is unfortunate when families do not get enough coverage to effectively keep their families protected, leaving them vulnerable to significant financial hardship and even bankruptcy due to medical debt.
Contrary to popular belief and misinformation, it is possible to obtain affordable health care coverage that appropriately meets the medical needs of your family. Whether you are searching for a stricter yet often more affordable HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plan or a more lenient PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) Plan or even a simple Fee for Service plan with low premiums, it makes sense to analyze the history of your family’s medical services usage and predict as best you can what services you may utilize in the future. By doing this, you can match up your medical insurance needs with the plan that provides similar coverage.
Medical Insurance - Pitfalls to consider
In this day of economic struggles, it is all too common for families to try to cut corners when it comes to family medical insurance plan costs. Of course, you want to spend as little money as possible, but the danger of striving for the lowest premium amount is that your coverage will be lacking. Then, when there is a medical need in the family, the funds have to come from the budget, which is already very tight. And since fewer families are keeping up savings accounts, there is nothing there to provide back-up when financial times get tough. The truth is sometimes the lowest premiums can result in problems for lower to middle class income families.
Another potential problem is that the medical health insurance plans with the lowest premiums may not provide preventative care. Things such as immunizations and well-child check-ups for kids and mammograms for women can be life-saving. Furthermore, without them, the result can be dependents with more serious health problems and higher medical costs.
Medical Insurance - The ultimate goal
The goal when it comes to family medical insurance plans is making an informed decision that takes into consideration not only your budget but also your potential medical needs for each family member. In some cases, it makes more sense to choose a slightly higher premium to save costs on medical care in the long-run. Your family will thank you when you make choices that will help them to receive the medical care they need while maintaining financial security.
Tom Carolan is the Director of Client Services at http://www.BestHealthcareRates.com. Check out our free quote tool to get an affordable medical insurance quotes from top companies in your region.1-877-812-5111.
In order to become as informed as possible, conduct a health insurance plans comparison and really delve into the details of the plans you consider so you know what you are getting yourself into. It is unfortunate when families do not get enough coverage to effectively keep their families protected, leaving them vulnerable to significant financial hardship and even bankruptcy due to medical debt.
Contrary to popular belief and misinformation, it is possible to obtain affordable health care coverage that appropriately meets the medical needs of your family. Whether you are searching for a stricter yet often more affordable HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plan or a more lenient PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) Plan or even a simple Fee for Service plan with low premiums, it makes sense to analyze the history of your family’s medical services usage and predict as best you can what services you may utilize in the future. By doing this, you can match up your medical insurance needs with the plan that provides similar coverage.
Medical Insurance - Pitfalls to consider
In this day of economic struggles, it is all too common for families to try to cut corners when it comes to family medical insurance plan costs. Of course, you want to spend as little money as possible, but the danger of striving for the lowest premium amount is that your coverage will be lacking. Then, when there is a medical need in the family, the funds have to come from the budget, which is already very tight. And since fewer families are keeping up savings accounts, there is nothing there to provide back-up when financial times get tough. The truth is sometimes the lowest premiums can result in problems for lower to middle class income families.
Another potential problem is that the medical health insurance plans with the lowest premiums may not provide preventative care. Things such as immunizations and well-child check-ups for kids and mammograms for women can be life-saving. Furthermore, without them, the result can be dependents with more serious health problems and higher medical costs.
Medical Insurance - The ultimate goal
The goal when it comes to family medical insurance plans is making an informed decision that takes into consideration not only your budget but also your potential medical needs for each family member. In some cases, it makes more sense to choose a slightly higher premium to save costs on medical care in the long-run. Your family will thank you when you make choices that will help them to receive the medical care they need while maintaining financial security.
Tom Carolan is the Director of Client Services at http://www.BestHealthcareRates.com. Check out our free quote tool to get an affordable medical insurance quotes from top companies in your region.1-877-812-5111.
Conducting Health Insurance Plans Comparison
When it comes to finding affordable health coverage, it pays to do a health insurance plans comparison. After all, you want to make the most informed decision possible; one that will leave you feeling certain that you have made the right coverage choice for you and your dependents. Comparing and contrasting plans allows you to take a closer look at the details, pros and cons of each medical plan, so that you will know what to expect from the coverage once you make your decision.
Look at it this way; you are unlikely to purchase a new car without first comparing it to other makes and models to determine if it has exactly what you need or if another vehicle better suits your needs and preferences. So why would medical coverage be any different? It is an important decision that is worthy of your research, time and consideration.
How to compare and contrast medical health insurance plans
Look at it this way; you are unlikely to purchase a new car without first comparing it to other makes and models to determine if it has exactly what you need or if another vehicle better suits your needs and preferences. So why would medical coverage be any different? It is an important decision that is worthy of your research, time and consideration.
How to compare and contrast medical health insurance plans
While it may not be incredibly exciting, conducting a health insurance plans comparison is easier than you may think. First, you will want to line up the different types of plans available to you. In most cases, you are going to be choosing between the following types of insurance plans:
· Preferred Provider Organizations or PPOs—designed to provide comprehensive medical coverage through a variety of different doctors and specialists as well as hospitals and clinics without the need for referrals. You can even go outside of the PPO network for care, but your out-of-pocket costs will be higher.
· Health Maintenance Organizations or HMOs—are quite commonly considered the most affordable health care coverage. They also provide comprehensive coverage, but it is important to stay within the network and with a particular primary care physician who refers the patient if any other specialist services are needed.
· Health Savings Accounts or HSA accounts—offer high-deductible coverage, so you may have to pay more up-front for medical care and premiums are lower. However, the HAS accounts also include a tax-free medical savings account to help cover your out-of-pocket costs.
· Fee for Service or FFS plans—provide an even more affordable option, but typically do not provide comprehensive coverage and things like preventative care. You pay for all medical appointments and services and then the FFS plan will reimburse you a certain, pre-determined percentage of your cost.
Lining up these types of accounts side by side, you will then want to make a list of the medical services you have received in the past two years as well as predict the services you may be utilizing in the coming year. Also, take into consideration your budget. Are you able to pay higher premiums in an effort to save on out-of-pocket medical costs, or does it make more sense to go with lower premiums and risk the possibility of having to pay more out-of-pocket if an unexpected illness or injury occurs? Would you have the funds to cover these kinds of unexpected costs?
Really looking closely at your unique medical needs as you conduct your health insurance plans comparison is the best way to choose the plan that is right for you. As you arm yourself with the information you need to make an informed choice, you can know that you have taken responsibility for the medical and financial health both of yourself and your family members.
Lining up these types of accounts side by side, you will then want to make a list of the medical services you have received in the past two years as well as predict the services you may be utilizing in the coming year. Also, take into consideration your budget. Are you able to pay higher premiums in an effort to save on out-of-pocket medical costs, or does it make more sense to go with lower premiums and risk the possibility of having to pay more out-of-pocket if an unexpected illness or injury occurs? Would you have the funds to cover these kinds of unexpected costs?
Really looking closely at your unique medical needs as you conduct your health insurance plans comparison is the best way to choose the plan that is right for you. As you arm yourself with the information you need to make an informed choice, you can know that you have taken responsibility for the medical and financial health both of yourself and your family members.
BestHealthcareRates.com has helped thousands of families and businesses to find the most affordable medical insurance. Providing medical insurance quoting and research tools BestHealthcareRates.com makes it easy to find the most affordable medical plans. BestHealthcareRates.com is an "A+" rated website for online reliability.
Making the Best Choice for Individual Medical Coverage
Once upon a time nearly everyone received health care coverage through employer group health plans, but these days many are turning to individual medical coverage to ensure they have access to the medical services they need. Issues such as unemployment, self-employment and companies cutting-out group health benefits are requiring people to brush up on their insurance knowledge so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their dependents.
With medical costs increasing, it is more important than ever to have the right coverage to meet medical needs. When you are in charge of selecting your individual medical coverage, how can you know if the plan is right for you? And is it even possible to find affordable health coverage outside of an employer group health plan?
It is worth your time to wade through the information to determine what individual medical coverage is best for you and your budget. To make it easier for you, below is a compilation of the information you need to make solid decisions about your coverage choice.
Breaking down the insurance lingo
While some of the insurance terms may be familiar to you, others may seem like part of a foreign language. Here are some terms you will likely need to know:
· Premiums—this is the money you pay to receive individual medical coverage. You may pay it monthly or yearly. Insurance companies base the amount of your premium on factors including age, level of health, medical history, lifestyle and occupation.
· Deductible—this is the money you will have to pay out of your own pocket prior to your medical coverage kicking in. Typically, you can select your deductible to fit your medical and financial situation. For example, a lower deductible requires a higher premium, while a higher deductible will allow you to keep your premiums low. Still, a high deductible isn’t always best if you know you will be using medical services often.
· Coinsurance—this is a percentage of the medical bill that you will pay. For example, some medical plans will offer a coinsurance rate of 75/25, which means you will pay 25% of the medical costs while the insurance will pick up the other 75%.
Understanding the types of individual medical coverage plans
Once you are more familiar with the language of health insurance, you will want to familiarize yourself with the different individual medical plans offered. These are the most common:
· HMO—Standing for Health Maintenance Organizations, HMOs are designed to be a more affordable health insurance coverage. They provide comprehensive medical coverage through a network of hospitals, doctors, clinics and health care professionals. If you have a particular doctor or hospital you prefer, it is important to make sure they are included in the HMO network, as these types of individual plans are quite costly if you go outside of the network for care.
· PPO—Standing for Preferred Provider Organizations, PPOs are different from HMOs in that you can have coverage from a variety of different doctors and specialists without referrals. Still, there is typically a PPO network of doctors and hospitals that offer you more coverage, but you have the freedom to choose outside of the network and receive partial coverage.
· FFS—Standing for Fee for Service, the FFS plan, also known as indemnity insurance, is a very simple, straight forward individual medical coverage through which you obtain the medical care you need from any doctor, hospital or health care professional, pay for the fees yourself, and then receive a reimbursement for a specific percentage of what you paid. This is not a comprehensive plan and it does not cover preventative care, but is one option for an individual who does not plan to receive a lot of medical care and cannot afford higher premiums.
· HSA—Standing for Health Savings Account, the HSA account offers coverage that works as a catastrophic medical plan with a high-deductible and lower premiums. The account also includes a savings account that is tax-free and allows you to save money to pay for the more routine medical care yourself.
Conducting a thorough health insurance plans comparison is a wise way to choose the best plan to meet your needs. It makes good sense to research the plans, so you are fully aware of the cost and coverage and know what to expect.
With medical costs increasing, it is more important than ever to have the right coverage to meet medical needs. When you are in charge of selecting your individual medical coverage, how can you know if the plan is right for you? And is it even possible to find affordable health coverage outside of an employer group health plan?
It is worth your time to wade through the information to determine what individual medical coverage is best for you and your budget. To make it easier for you, below is a compilation of the information you need to make solid decisions about your coverage choice.
Breaking down the insurance lingo
While some of the insurance terms may be familiar to you, others may seem like part of a foreign language. Here are some terms you will likely need to know:
· Premiums—this is the money you pay to receive individual medical coverage. You may pay it monthly or yearly. Insurance companies base the amount of your premium on factors including age, level of health, medical history, lifestyle and occupation.
· Deductible—this is the money you will have to pay out of your own pocket prior to your medical coverage kicking in. Typically, you can select your deductible to fit your medical and financial situation. For example, a lower deductible requires a higher premium, while a higher deductible will allow you to keep your premiums low. Still, a high deductible isn’t always best if you know you will be using medical services often.
· Coinsurance—this is a percentage of the medical bill that you will pay. For example, some medical plans will offer a coinsurance rate of 75/25, which means you will pay 25% of the medical costs while the insurance will pick up the other 75%.
Understanding the types of individual medical coverage plans
Once you are more familiar with the language of health insurance, you will want to familiarize yourself with the different individual medical plans offered. These are the most common:
· HMO—Standing for Health Maintenance Organizations, HMOs are designed to be a more affordable health insurance coverage. They provide comprehensive medical coverage through a network of hospitals, doctors, clinics and health care professionals. If you have a particular doctor or hospital you prefer, it is important to make sure they are included in the HMO network, as these types of individual plans are quite costly if you go outside of the network for care.
· PPO—Standing for Preferred Provider Organizations, PPOs are different from HMOs in that you can have coverage from a variety of different doctors and specialists without referrals. Still, there is typically a PPO network of doctors and hospitals that offer you more coverage, but you have the freedom to choose outside of the network and receive partial coverage.
· FFS—Standing for Fee for Service, the FFS plan, also known as indemnity insurance, is a very simple, straight forward individual medical coverage through which you obtain the medical care you need from any doctor, hospital or health care professional, pay for the fees yourself, and then receive a reimbursement for a specific percentage of what you paid. This is not a comprehensive plan and it does not cover preventative care, but is one option for an individual who does not plan to receive a lot of medical care and cannot afford higher premiums.
· HSA—Standing for Health Savings Account, the HSA account offers coverage that works as a catastrophic medical plan with a high-deductible and lower premiums. The account also includes a savings account that is tax-free and allows you to save money to pay for the more routine medical care yourself.
Conducting a thorough health insurance plans comparison is a wise way to choose the best plan to meet your needs. It makes good sense to research the plans, so you are fully aware of the cost and coverage and know what to expect.
BestHealthcareRates.com has helped thousands of families and businesses to find the most affordable medical insurance. Providing medical insurance quoting and research tools BestHealthcareRates.com makes it easy to find the most affordable medical plans. BestHealthcareRates.com is an "A+" rated website for online reliability.
Going Without Major Medical Insurance Plans: Is it worth the risk?
While sometimes living on the edge can be an adventure, people going without major medical insurance plans can end up with far more risk than they bargained for. The number of people declaring bankruptcy as a result of extreme medical debt is astounding. As medical costs rise and rise seemingly every year, while incomes in many parts of the U.S. remain stagnant, there is a great potential for financial disaster, especially if people are going without medical coverage.
Both financial experts and insurance experts agree that it is better to cut costs in other areas before cutting out major medical insurance plans. Does it feel like there is nothing you can cut out of your budget? Consider some of the following ways to whittle it down, so there is enough money for affordable health coverage premiums.
Seek Free Entertainment
Although we are in economic crisis in the U.S., people are still spending their hard-earned money on all kinds of entertainment. While entertainment like movies and professional sports outings are enjoyable, is it more important than having a family medical insurance plan? Rather than spending money on pricey entertainment, consider free sources. Go to the theatre in the park, the local art museum or check out your city’s community website for other free family events. Rent a movie from the library and have family movie night. There are many ways to cut costs in the realm of entertainment that will save you big bucks and allow you to allocate the savings to your medical coverage.
Brown Bag It
Working professionals spend hundreds even thousands of dollars a year on lunches out on the town. Rather than going to the local café or deli on your lunch break, take a brown bag lunch: a sandwich, fruit, carrot sticks and maybe some chips and a cookie. You’ll be amazed by how much money you will save in a year—probably more than enough to cover your health care coverage premiums. You may even lose some unwanted pounds!
Cut Down on the “Extras”
You know, those things that aren’t really required in life: pedicures, monthly hair coloring, expensive perfume, your daily cup of gourmet coffee, a new book when you can borrow one from the library. Cutting back on these things will help you to free up money to put towards your major medical insurance.
Nearly everyone is feeling the pinch of the economy and there are always ways to cut back on costs, but removing health insurance coverage from your budget is not the best way to save. In fact, in the long-run you are more likely to wind up with huge medical costs that would have been covered had you made the effort to pay premiums toward a major medical insurance plan.
While you may think that there is no way you can afford the coverage you need, it is worth your time to take a look. There are a plethora of different plan types and premium levels from which to choose. It’s possible to find affordable health care coverage that can provide you with the medical and financial security you need to protect you and your family in shaky economic times.
Both financial experts and insurance experts agree that it is better to cut costs in other areas before cutting out major medical insurance plans. Does it feel like there is nothing you can cut out of your budget? Consider some of the following ways to whittle it down, so there is enough money for affordable health coverage premiums.
Seek Free Entertainment
Although we are in economic crisis in the U.S., people are still spending their hard-earned money on all kinds of entertainment. While entertainment like movies and professional sports outings are enjoyable, is it more important than having a family medical insurance plan? Rather than spending money on pricey entertainment, consider free sources. Go to the theatre in the park, the local art museum or check out your city’s community website for other free family events. Rent a movie from the library and have family movie night. There are many ways to cut costs in the realm of entertainment that will save you big bucks and allow you to allocate the savings to your medical coverage.
Brown Bag It
Working professionals spend hundreds even thousands of dollars a year on lunches out on the town. Rather than going to the local café or deli on your lunch break, take a brown bag lunch: a sandwich, fruit, carrot sticks and maybe some chips and a cookie. You’ll be amazed by how much money you will save in a year—probably more than enough to cover your health care coverage premiums. You may even lose some unwanted pounds!
Cut Down on the “Extras”
You know, those things that aren’t really required in life: pedicures, monthly hair coloring, expensive perfume, your daily cup of gourmet coffee, a new book when you can borrow one from the library. Cutting back on these things will help you to free up money to put towards your major medical insurance.
Nearly everyone is feeling the pinch of the economy and there are always ways to cut back on costs, but removing health insurance coverage from your budget is not the best way to save. In fact, in the long-run you are more likely to wind up with huge medical costs that would have been covered had you made the effort to pay premiums toward a major medical insurance plan.
While you may think that there is no way you can afford the coverage you need, it is worth your time to take a look. There are a plethora of different plan types and premium levels from which to choose. It’s possible to find affordable health care coverage that can provide you with the medical and financial security you need to protect you and your family in shaky economic times.
BestHealthcareRates.com has helped thousands of families and businesses to find the most affordable medical insurance. Providing medical insurance quoting and research tools BestHealthcareRates.com makes it easy to find the most affordable medical plans. BestHealthcareRates.com is an "A+" rated website for online reliability.
How to Find Affordable Health Care Coverage that Fits Your Budget
With nearly 50 million uninsured Americans, it is obvious the United States has a significant problem to face, namely the lack of affordable health care coverage. Medical costs continue to rise faster than incomes, creating a domino effect of financial struggles for Americans needing medical care.
Although it may seem like the issue of affordable medical health insurance is a lost cause, it is still possible to find the right plan to suit your needs, keep you covered and fit your budget. The through-the-roof cost of health care today means that an unexpected illness or injury could result in significant financial hardship or even bankruptcy for someone who does not have health insurance coverage.
If you are not covered by an employer group health plan, seeking out individual medical coverage is a necessity. Furthermore, if you are between jobs make sure you are covered by COBRA continuation health coverage or a COBRA alternative.
What is the best way to conduct a health insurance plans comparison to identify the coverage to meet both your medical and financial situation? Consider your lifestyle, potential medical usage, income and expenditures to first identify your personal needs.
Below are some tips to help you make the right choice when it comes to affordable health care coverage:
· Know your budget—In our tough economy, the family budget seems to be getting tighter and tighter and it may seem like there is not enough room for even one more cost; however, it will pay dividends in the long run if you can cut back in all other areas to make sure you have enough money for quality health coverage.
· Know what kind of coverage you want—Once you have the dollar number you can spend on premiums, your goal is to determine the type of policy you need and prefer. You can choose from HMO policies, where you have a primary doctor who has to approve your entire medical, or PPO policies through which you can choose from a larger variety of providers with fewer restrictions on doctor choice and care.
· If you have a doctor you love, make certain he/she is on the plan—Wanting a certain doctor or hospital can help you to quickly narrow down the right individual health insurance policy.
· Determine the types of services you need your plan to cover—Do you know if you will need maternity coverage? Or what about yearly check-ups and immunizations for children? Look ahead the next year and try to identify what medical services you will need, so that you do not end up with medical coverage that does not cover the services.
· Carefully conduct the medical insurance plans comparison—Take an in-depth analysis of the plans you are considering, and you will be able to narrow your options down to the affordable health care coverage that meets the majority of your medical needs while fitting into your budget.
Taking a proactive approach to your health insurance needs will help you to care for yourself and your family as well as avoid unnecessary financial burden in the future. Finding affordable health coverage is possible and can give you security and peace of mind, even during uncertain economic times.
Although it may seem like the issue of affordable medical health insurance is a lost cause, it is still possible to find the right plan to suit your needs, keep you covered and fit your budget. The through-the-roof cost of health care today means that an unexpected illness or injury could result in significant financial hardship or even bankruptcy for someone who does not have health insurance coverage.
If you are not covered by an employer group health plan, seeking out individual medical coverage is a necessity. Furthermore, if you are between jobs make sure you are covered by COBRA continuation health coverage or a COBRA alternative.
What is the best way to conduct a health insurance plans comparison to identify the coverage to meet both your medical and financial situation? Consider your lifestyle, potential medical usage, income and expenditures to first identify your personal needs.
Below are some tips to help you make the right choice when it comes to affordable health care coverage:
· Know your budget—In our tough economy, the family budget seems to be getting tighter and tighter and it may seem like there is not enough room for even one more cost; however, it will pay dividends in the long run if you can cut back in all other areas to make sure you have enough money for quality health coverage.
· Know what kind of coverage you want—Once you have the dollar number you can spend on premiums, your goal is to determine the type of policy you need and prefer. You can choose from HMO policies, where you have a primary doctor who has to approve your entire medical, or PPO policies through which you can choose from a larger variety of providers with fewer restrictions on doctor choice and care.
· If you have a doctor you love, make certain he/she is on the plan—Wanting a certain doctor or hospital can help you to quickly narrow down the right individual health insurance policy.
· Determine the types of services you need your plan to cover—Do you know if you will need maternity coverage? Or what about yearly check-ups and immunizations for children? Look ahead the next year and try to identify what medical services you will need, so that you do not end up with medical coverage that does not cover the services.
· Carefully conduct the medical insurance plans comparison—Take an in-depth analysis of the plans you are considering, and you will be able to narrow your options down to the affordable health care coverage that meets the majority of your medical needs while fitting into your budget.
Taking a proactive approach to your health insurance needs will help you to care for yourself and your family as well as avoid unnecessary financial burden in the future. Finding affordable health coverage is possible and can give you security and peace of mind, even during uncertain economic times.
BestHealthcareRates.com has helped thousands of families and businesses to find the most affordable medical insurance. Providing medical insurance quoting and research tools BestHealthcareRates.com makes it easy to find the most affordable medical plans. BestHealthcareRates.com is an "A+" rated website for online reliability.
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