For all the millions of people in the world who don’t work, freelance, or are semi self employed, they take on the ultimate responsibility of finding their own family health care insurance.
Unfortunately we live in a society nowadays where any and all medical care is somehow influenced by what sort of health insurance you either do or don’t have. To not have insurance at all can devastate your finances.
If you can afford great insurance, then you have nothing to worry about. Anything that happens – you’ll be covered.
But if you’re looking for insurance on your own, how do you know you’re getting the kind of coverage you should have? How do you know if you’ve selected a terrible provider? Choosing poor service could end up costing you thousands of dollars out of pocket unnecessarily.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you choose your family health care coverage wisely:
Don’t Under-Estimate the Unknown:
Sure – you might be in good health now and not have to go to the doctor too often. But what about 5 or even 10 years from now?
- What if you end up needing some sort of medication?
- What if you or your spouse becomes pregnant?
- What if you’re hurt at work and it requires a lot of medical exams?
- What if one of your children needs regular medical attention?
When thinking about how many benefits you need and how much you plan to use them, make sure you pick the right balance of medical benefits. You’re going to want to leave yourself enough cushioning for the worst without having to spend an arm and a leg to protect yourself.
Be Sure to Know Exactly What You’ll Be Responsible for Paying:
Co-pays and deductibles can sometimes be complicated. And that can become a killer if they end up becoming really high for you.
For example you don’t want to have to pay $100 every time you go to the clinic or have a follow up exam. Make sure you pick rates that won’t bleed you try if there ever was an emergency. Any reputable health care insurance provider should be able to provide you the exact details of how much you would owe. Try out a service provider and see for yourself just how much coverage will cost you.
Make sure to weigh out the pros and cons of how much you can afford versus how much you stand to lose out of pocket should you have to use your benefits more than you planned.
Is Anyone Around You in the Network?
You might come across what you think is a deal on insurance – until you find out that the nearest participating doctor’s office is 30 miles away. That’s certainly not going to help you if there’s ever an emergency!
Make sure you check which doctors are covered within the network this health insurance provides. Be aware of which ones are close, which ones are open at non-traditional times, and what sort of reputation or reviews the medical practitioners for that network have.
Make Sure Your Family Health Care Plan Includes Dental and Vision:
Your medical bills aren’t the only thing that can stack up. Fillings and other common dental procedures could easily add up into the hundreds. And then if you have any serious surgeries, you could be looking into the thousands out of pocket.
Your eyes are another thing that could become a huge burden if anything were to happen to them. Prescription eyeglasses can cost you hundreds of dollars; and that’s probably not even including the exam. With any decent family health care package, it pays to make sure your dental and vision are covered as well.
Featured image courtesy of Flickr – Quinn Dombrowski
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