5 Questions to ask before buying family health insurance

May 5
13:04

2010

sammy smith

sammy smith

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While residing in Virginia, a lot of residents avoid buying individual health insurance plans and end up paying higher medical care costs from their own pockets.

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While residing in Virginia,5 Questions to ask before buying family health insurance  Articles a lot of residents avoid buying individual health insurance plans and end up paying higher medical care costs from their own pockets. Not all of the Virginians are employed and it is necessary to understand how to buy family health insurance. In order to understand “how to buy it”, a consumer must understand “what to look for” or “what to ask”. In this article, we will deal with some questions that will help the consumer to know whether a particular health insurance plan should be bought or not.

·         What is the cost of the play?

This should be the first question after an insurance agent/brokers shows some plans according the needs of the consumer. More often than not, a lot of consumers end of buying a health insurance suggested by an agent/broker without even considering the costs involved. It goes without saying that if a consumer shops around a bit, he/she can find some cheaper family medical insurance plans. Experts would suggest that before the decision is made, consumers should compare at least three health insurance plans.

·         What are the policy exclusions?

Assuming that a particular type of coverage would be provided is a wrong approach. Exclusions are items for which no coverage would be provided. Pre-existing medical condition, specialists, emergency rooms, prescription drugs, and X-rays are some of the common exclusions found in family health insurance policies.

·         What is the coverage limit of each item?

Family health insurance in Virginia contains limits for coverage provided for each item. Doctor’s visit, emergency-room visits, ambulance, and even prescription drugs could have a limited number. It makes sense to check all these limits before the purchase. If a consumer does not have special medical care needs, he/she should go for health insurance plans offering more hospitalization protection and long term care.

·         What is the amount of deductible?

Deductible is the amount that the insured person will have to pay before the insurance company starts paying. A lot of experts recommend going for higher deductibles to reduce monthly premium costs. But if you feel that the medical care needs are different and require regular visits to the hospital, paying monthly premium on higher side would be the better choice.

·         What is the amount of co-pay?

This is another question concerning the costs of the family health insurance plan. Co-pay is the cost that the insured person needs to pay each time a doctor is visited. Usually, this cost ranges anywhere between $0 and $75.00.

Apart from these questions there could be some other questions based on the particular need of the family.  It makes sense to ask questions and know every single detail beforehand. If the questions are not asked; answers not begotten; there is a huge possibility of a purchase that lands the consumers in a sinking ship—family health insurance plans are like sailing boats helping the consumers to cross the raging river of medical care. Careful selection of the boat is pretty necessary!