Best Health Insurance for You
With so many different types of health insurance plans and restrictions out there, it can be difficult finding the best health insurance for you. However, this process is not impossible to do well with a little research. There are a few items to look for when deciding on health insurance plans, and by considering them all you can make a good decision for yourself and your family about health insurance.
The most important thing to look for is coverage. More often than not, insurance will cover physician visits and fees. Your health insurance should also cover hospital expenses such as room and board in case you are kept overnight or longer for observation or treatment. Good health insurance should also cover surgeries and any expenses associated with surgical treatment. Beyond these typical items of coverage, health insurance plans can diverge greatly. To really understand what coverage you would utilize and which plan would save you the most money, you will need to make a list of items that you want covered in an insurance plan. For instance, do you have glasses or contacts? Then you may be more interested in a plan that covers vision - either paying for your eye exam and/or partially paying for your glasses or contacts. Though many people think that health insurance covers prescriptions, prescription coverage is actually an optional benefit. If you know that you often have prescription drugs to fill, finding insurance that offers prescription coverage may be a must. If you are a woman and plan on having or want to have children, maternity care or family planning services are also optional benefits that you may want to consider. Once you make this must-have list of optional coverage, you can begin looking for health insurance plans that give you the opportunity to add these optional benefits.
Another item you should definitely consider is if your current physicians or specialists are included in the health insurance company's preferred provider network or if you have the opportunity to choose any physician (often the case only with indemnity or traditional health insurance plans). If you would like the freedom to choose your own doctor, traditional health insurance plans or preferred provider organizations may offer more attractive plans - though these also cost a little more.
Lastly, consider price. After researching different coverage plans and physician requirements, compare deductibles and monthly premiums to find the best deal. Often, you can get group rates through your employer, or you may find that artist organizations (for freelance artists) offer health care plans. By researching price, as well as other health insurance options, you can make the best choices for your family.
Do You Need A College Health Insurance Plan?
When you are finally done with your high school education, there is no doubt that you'll be enrolling into a college. Many times when a child reaches the age of 20, they are no longer covered by their parents' insurance and this can lead to a troubling situation if they are not working and just strictly going to college. However, many colleges offer health insurance plans. Whether one of these insurance plans are right for you or not takes a lot of deliberation.
College health insurance benefits are going to vary from campus to campus. Although many people think that they are free, this is not true. While there is usually no charge for an office visit and routine checkups, the student will have to pay for lab work and other specialist type of visits. Benefits will usually pay completely for only types of covered services at the campus health center. In the event that you have to see an outside doctor then the student's coverage can drop up to 70% and run the risk of being required to pay a high deductible.
If you have a pre-existing condition, then you may have a problem with getting treatment at the college health center. Having a pre-existing illness or disability does not mean that you will be disqualified for obtaining a college health insurance plan, but you may not be able to get treatment for that pre-existing illness. This can lead to a number of problems if a new problem arises and is a product of a pre-existing illness.
All plans are different, so be sure you find out everything you can about your college's plan. Be sure to check if you or your child will be covered during summer break when students are not taking classes. This is important because you don't want to have an accident and find out that the insurance becomes inactive when they are not in class. Many colleges have coverage during summer break, but some do not.
Make sure you understand the plan. Is it an HMO, or can the member use any provider they want? This is just as important because you want to know where you can go in the event of an emergency, and there is nothing worse than finding out after the fact that you will be stuck with paying the full amount for a medical bill.
There really is no definitive answer as to whether you should or shouldn't commit to getting college health insurance. Be sure that you understand your plan fully so that no problems can arise in the event of an emergency. While it is not free insurance, it surely will save you money in the event of an accident or illness.
Stay Legal! Avoiding Insurance Fraud
Everyone knows that the health insurance industry is continually raising monthly premiums, and many feel this is unjust to you as the consumer. However, the health insurance industry has had to fight increasing health insurance fraud. The amount of money spent on investigating and prosecuting fraud is then passed on to policyholders. Many people do not understand what health insurance fraud entails, though. With reports estimating health insurance fraud is a $30 billion to over $100 billion industry per year, the topic should not be taken lightly. Every health insurance policyholder should understand what health insurance fraud is and its consequences. By doing so, you are more able to recognize and fight fraud.
Health insurance fraud is typically defined as intentionally deceiving, misrepresenting, or concealing information to receive benefits from the insurance company. Essentially this means that you assert that you paid for certain medical procedures or expenses out-of-pocket which you have not actually received, and you are submitting claims to the insurance company to receive reimbursement. Another example of member fraud is to conceal pre-existing conditions or to alter medical documents so that non-policyholders or ineligible members receive medical benefits under your policy. Perhaps your sister does not have insurance and needs medical attention. Having her use your name and policy to cover the expenses is health insurance fraud. While you may think that this is a small issue in comparison to your sister receiving treatment, it is actually very serious to your health insurance company and industry, and will result in fines and possible imprisonment if your are caught.
Not only policyholders commit fraud, but providers (physicians, hospitals, etc.) do as well. Since physicians and hospitals bill the insurance company for services they provide for you, they are also receiving reimbursement from the insurance company. When providers commit fraud, they may be billing the insurance company at higher rates for services rendered or they may bill for services you never received. In these cases, you will probably be asked to cooperate in the insurance company's investigation.
Another type of health insurance fraud that has developed recently targets the policyholder more than the insurance company. Schemes have developed where fake insurance companies or agents sign unsuspecting customers for coverage at surprisingly low premium rates. They often act much like a regular insurance company for the first few months, paying for smaller medical claims like physicians visits. But once you have a more serious medical condition that needs treatment, the insurance company will disappear - along with the money you have been paying in premiums.
The rule with health insurance fraud is much like that of any other scam: if a deal seems too good to be true, just remember - it probably is. Remember to be honest in your dealings with health insurance companies and expect the same in the return from these companies, as well as your health care providers. Stay legal to avoid fines and prison and to continue receiving health insurance coverage.
Say Cheese: Dental Benefits
Dental insurance is often an afterthought when obtaining health insurance for a number of reasons. Some people may simply dislike the dentist and use the lack of dental insurance as a reason to not visit the dentist; others may feel that dental insurance is not worth the added cost to their monthly health insurance premium. Still others may simply feel that their teeth are in good shape and there is little need to spend the extra money to cover a part of their body that does not currently have any problems. Nevertheless, dental insurance is important because of several benefits.
When people think of the cost of dental work or procedures, they often think of costly bills. Even simple procedures like getting your wisdom teeth removed can average in the hundreds of dollars per tooth! However, one obvious benefit to dental insurance is the coverage of simple but costly dental procedures such as getting a tooth removed. In the end, the slight increase in a monthly premium may be worth it to avoid a high dental bill. Moreover, dental insurance also helps financially if a dental emergency develops. Perhaps you are in need of a root canal or dental implants - both extremely costly procedures that you often do not anticipate. Dental insurance will most likely cover a portion, if not all of these expensive procedures.
Also, while many feel that brushing and flossing daily is all the dental care they need this is simply not true - even for young, healthy adults. Dental disease is common and can affect your body in a number of ways. For instance, some dental diseases left untreated can lead to more serious medical issues such as kidney infections or even diabetes. Most people do now know of the connection between dental diseases and other illnesses. Thus, having dental insurance that covers routine visits to the dentist, which can help uncover dental diseases early, is extremely important. Dental insurance is designed to encourage preventative care, because spotting dental diseases or dental problems early reduces the overall cost of treatment.
Dental insurance may seem like just another gimmick to get a few more dollars out of you, but it is essential for your health. Your regular health insurance plan, whether it is through your employer as a group plan or an individual plan, should offer you the option of buying dental insurance coverage, and you should consider this piece of the plan thoroughly when purchasing health insurance.
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