Avoid the GOTCHA
The "gotcha" is that nasty feeling you get when you go to submit a claim on your health insurance policy and find out that what you thought you had, you don't. The health care insurer "gotcha."
We all really need to know what to look out for when it comes to health insurance quotes. It's not just the quote, the "what you need to pay for coverage" that is important. It's the little things, the stuff you find in the fine print that you need to know to be able to compare health insurance.
You really need to be asking yourself some hard questions and not just take a health insurance quote at face value. Find out what is covered and more to the point, what is not covered. This is where you will get an eye-opening experience.
If you need maternity benefits, ask right up front when talking about health insurance plans if the plan you are considering has those benefits. If it does not, you do not get the discounts allowed by insurance companies, and furthermore, you will wind up paying charges. Do not assume something is in your health insurance quote without taking the time to ask.
Find out if there are any waiting limits on your coverage. For instance, some insurance carriers do not cover a person needing hernia repair for 3 to 6 months. That's a long time to be waiting for surgery.
Some health insurance plans limit the number of times you are able to visit the doctor during the year. It's pretty hard to plan when you're going to be sick, so if you have used up your "quota" for the year and then get really sick, you're paying the freight.
Have the insurance agent you deal with spell out what is covered in any of the health insurance quotes you are given. Find out if the plan pays for visits to the doctors, because some plans do not. Some health insurance plans have daily deductibles or a per sickness deductible. There's nothing like being sick and getting dinged for it every time.
Read the limits and exclusions no matter how boring you may think they are, as knowing what you really have in terms of health insurance coverage is critical. No one likes to be put in the situation where they need something and later find out they do not have it.
If your insurance agent does not want to talk to you about exclusions or glosses them over, run, don't walk away and find another agent who will answer your questions. In order to know if your health care insurance dollars will give you what you want and need, you have to understand what you are getting.
To learn more, visit Benepath.com
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