10 Important Questions Which You Ought To Ask Whenever You Are Buying Health Insurance
Author: Donald Saunders
Category: Finance
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If you are purchasing a health insurance plan the details of the plan are very important and there several questions which you have to ask. Merely considering the premium which you are being asked to pay is not enough and you need to look at various different things including any limitations, exclusions, additional payments and fee requirements, restrictions on where treatment can be sought and a number of other things.
Here are a few very important things which you should always look at whenever you are purchasing health insurance:
1. What deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses will I need to pay? Your premiums are just the start and almost all plans will require you to meet your bills up to a certain amount before your insurance plan kicks in. After that, you will normally also have to make a payment towards the cost of each individual bill.
2. Does the plan cover health screenings and medical exams? Look carefully to ascertain whether the plan covers you for routine medical exams including such things as mammograms, breast exams and pap smears for women.
3. How are specialist care treatments and referrals handled? Look at the procedures you need to follow if you have to be referred for specialist treatment and whether there are any special rules for meeting the cost of such treatment.
4. What cover is given for hospital treatment or emergency care? {Take a close look to see if you will have to have prior approval for hospital or emergency treatment. It might seem crazy but some policies will not allow you to seek emergency treatment without the prior approval of a designated physician.
5. What cover is given for prescription medication? Many plans will limit the medications which can be prescribed often stating that a list of generic drugs rather than brand name drugs must be prescribed. You should also look very carefully at what percentage of any cost that you will have to meet for medication.
6. Is vision and dental care provided? Most plans do not provide cover for vision and dental care at all while some limit treatment to just routine annual dental and eye checkups.
7. Is psychiatry, psychotherapy and other mental health care cover provided? Not all insurance plans will cover these areas and when cover is given you need to look very carefully at the extent of the cover being offered.
8. Is hospital, home and nursing home care covered? It is very important to examine the extent to which cover is given for care in hospital, in a nursing home or at home and whether there is a ceiling on your cover.
9. Is physiotherapy and rehabilitation covered? Accident or illness often results in a need for physiotherapy or rehabilitation and so it is important to examine the extent to which such treatment is covered.
10. Is alternative treatment covered? As an increasing number of us are turning to alternative care like the use of acupuncture or holistic treatments you need to check to see whether these are covered if this is an area which you want to make use of.
The premium that you are paying for your health insurance plan is of course very important but it is just one small element of the total package that you are purchasing.
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Keywords: health insurance, medical insurance, health cover, medical cover, quote, quotation
View Count: 57
Date Submitted: 6/5/2008
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