How to Avoid Mistakes When Buying Ohio Health Insurance

Oct 19
07:14

2012

Tracy Mc Manamon

Tracy Mc Manamon

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Buying Ohio health insurance is essential to protect yourself and your family from unexpected illnesses and medical emergencies. Get professional guidance to avoid pitfalls when buying coverage.

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Buying Ohio health insurance is essential to protect yourself and your family from unexpected illnesses and medical emergencies. With healthcare costs on the rise,How to Avoid Mistakes When Buying Ohio Health Insurance Articles you need to invest in the right plan while avoiding higher than necessary deductibles, coinsurance, copays and premiums. This is especially important if you are buying a plan on your own and not in employer-based or government plan like Medicare or Medicaid.  Until 2014, when the Affordable Care Act will take effect, insurers can deny you coverage if you have a pre-existing condition. Here are some tips to help you avoid mistakes when buying Ohio health insurance. Know your annual out-of-pocket limit. This is the maximum that you have to pay for your health care in a given year, excluding the premium, before your plan pays 100 percent. However, with many plans, there are other costs such as deductibles, copays, and coinsurance that you have to meet even after you reach your out-of-pocket expense limit. Some plans even put a limit on the total amount that they will pay annually. You will have to meet all the charges that go beyond this limit. Understand how much your plan’s copay is. Your copay is the amount you have to incur for a doctor’s office visit or other routine services. The copay is usually a small amount like $20, but if you have an ER procedure, your copay could run into hundreds of dollars. Likewise, your coinsurance, the percentage you must pay for the cost of a service, can also be very high. You should also know when your copay and coinsurance is charged. If they are charged before you meet your deductible, you would not have to make these payments once your deductible is paid off. However, if your plan is such that your copay and coinsurance are to be paid after your deductible is met, your costs will be higher. Watch out for Ohio health insurance plans that do not include the doctors and hospitals you prefer in their network. Make sure that the plan you enroll in provides prescription coverage for the drugs you need. Is coverage comprehensive? If a plan offers too few and only basic benefits, it be one that excludes coverage for unexpected and serious ailments or emergencies. If you are planning a family, always go for a plan that provides maternity care. Otherwise you could end up paying a special rider for the coverage, even if you are already paying a high premium for you Ohio individual health insurance policy. Understanding all these terms and watching out for these pitfalls is not easy. The best way to enroll in an affordable Ohio health insurance plan that meets your needs is to get guidance from an experienced and licensed health insurance consultancy.