|
|
 |
|
HEALTH
INSURANCE |
 How
do I Pick a Health Insurance Plan?
|
Picking
a health insurance plan should be a critical component in everyone’s
life. If you have the option of choosing a health insurance plan
given to you by your employer, it is imperative that
you understand your health insurance choices and consult
with an agent and pick a health insurance plan that is best
for you and your family. |
What
should I look for in a Health Insurance Plan? |
This
is a question only you can answer. Here are some
questions you should ask yourself before choosing a Health
Insurance Plan: |
-
How
affordable is the cost of care within the health insurance policy?
-
What
is the monthly premium I will have to pay for the health insurance policy?
-
Should
I try to insure most of my medical expenses
with a health insurance policy or just the large ones?
-
What
deductibles will I have to pay out-of-pocket
before health insurance starts to reimburse me?
-
After
I’ve met my deductible, what percentage
of my medical expenses is reimbursed within the health insurance policy?
-
How
much less am I reimbursed if I use doctors outside
the insurance company’s network in regards to the health insurance policy?
-
Does the health insurance plan cover the services
I am likely to use?
-
Are
the doctors, hospitals, laboratories and other
medical providers that I use in the health insurance
company’s network?
-
If I want to use a doctor outside the health insurance network,
will the health insurance plan permit it?
-
How easily can I change primary-care physicians
if I want to within the health insurance plan?
-
Do I need to get permission before I see a medical
specialist for the health insurance plan?
-
What are the procedures for getting care and
being reimbursed in an emergency situation,
both at home or out of town in regards to the health insurance plan?
-
If
I have a preexisting medical condition, will
the health insurance plan cover it?
-
If I have a chronic condition such as asthma,
cancer, AIDS or alcoholism, how will the health insurance plan
treat it?
-
Are the prescription medicines that I use covered
by the health insurance plan?
-
Does the health insurance plan reimburse alternative medical
therapies such as acupuncture or chiropractic
treatment?
-
Does
the health insurance plan cover the costs of delivering a baby?
- What
is the quality of the health insurance plan I’m looking
at? The following are some further questions you should consider when searching for a health insurance plan:
-
How have independent government and non-government
organizations rated the health insurance plan? For example, the
National Committee for Quality Assurance issues a Consumer Assessment of Health Plans (CAHPS)
report for every medical plan and facility.
-
What kind of accreditation has the health insurance plan received
from groups such as NCQA or the Joint Commission
on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)?
- How
many patient complaints were filed against the
health insurance plan last year and how many were upheld by state
regulatory agencies like the state insurance commission
or the state medical licensing board?
- How
many members drop out of the health insurance plan each year? State
insurance departments keep track of “disenrollment
rates.”
-
Do the doctors, pharmacies and other services
in the health insurance plan offer convenient times and locations?
- Does
the health insurance plan pay for preventive health care such as
diet and exercise advice, immunizations and health
screenings?
-
What do my friends and colleagues say about their
experiences with the health insurance plan?
- What
does my doctor say about his or her experience
with the health insurance plan?
|
|
|
|
