Understand the Plans
First off you need to understand what health insurance plans are available so you can choose the right plan for your particular situation. The most popular plans are:
Indemnity plans - These plans, also known as fee-for-service plans, are the traditional health care plans whereby you pay a monthly premium to an insurance company and they reimburse you for your medical expenses. They cover your doctor visits, hospital fees, X-rays, lab tests, and prescription drug costs. They are the most expensive health care plans because there are no restrictions on the doctors and hospitals you may use.
These plans are best if you want to choose your own doctor and hospital and can afford the high premiums.
Managed health care plans (HMOs, PPOs, POSs) - With these plans you are assigned to a group of doctors and hospitals which you must use for your health care. They pay for your doctor visits, hospital fees, X-rays, lab tests, and prescription drug costs. They are cheaper than indemnity plans because you are restricted as to the doctors and hospitals you may use.
These plans are best if you want full health care coverage and don't want to pay high premiums.
Major medical plans - These plans, also called catastrophic health plans, only pay for major hospital and medical expenses - hospital fees, surgical costs, X-rays, and lab tests . You pay for everything else such as routine doctor visits and prescription drug costs. They are cheaper than indemnity plans and managed health care plans because your health care is limited to major medical illnesses.
These plans are best if you're in good health and want an inexpensive health care plan.
Visit an Insurance Comparison Website
With an insurance comparison website you can get quotes from a number of different companies on one site. You can then compare those quotes and choose the best plan with the cheapest rate. (See link below.)
As you compare quotes ask yourself the following questions to make sure you're making an apples-to-apples comparison and are getting the best plan:
1. Is the policy guaranteed renewable?
2. Is there a prior health condition clause that restricts payments for a period of time?
3. Does the policy restrict coverage for pre-existing health conditions?
4. Are certain illnesses or medical procedures excluded?
5. Is there a maximum lifetime benefit?
6. What are the deductibles (the amount you pay before your insurer will pay)?
7. What are the co-payments (the amount you pay for each doctor visit)?
8. What is the coverage for emergency and out-patient care?
Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/health-insurance.html or click on the following link to compare health insurance rate quotes from top-rated companies and see how much you can save. You can get more tips and advice in their Articles section, and get answers to your questions from an insurance expert by using their online chat service.
The author, Brian Stevens, is a former insurance agent and financial consultant who has written a number of articles on how to compare health insurance.
