Health Insurance: Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Policy

If you have just been offered health insurance by your employer, you have a few details to think about before you choose. Picking the right policy for your family can be difficult, and it is a major decision since it can be hard to change your option once you have selected it. Therefore, consider what to think about before you make any decisions.

You should first look at the rates and what you get for each price. While it is nice to have peace of mind in case you get hurt, you do not want to pay a lot each month when you will hardly use the healthcare. If you have a lot of medical issues and plan to see a doctor often, you are encouraged to choose as much health insurance coverage as possible since it will probably be less expensive than paying out of pocket. On the other hand, if you are generally healthy and live a rather safe lifestyle, you might consider choosing a policy that does not cover regular care, but maybe covers you in the case of a major illness or car accident. If you travel often, you might especially consider this kind of coverage since you face the threat of car accident injuries more than most people.

If you simply cannot afford much coverage, find out if your health insurance provider offers high deductible policies. This type of option means that the portion you pay every year is rather high, but in exchange, your monthly premium is quite low. For example, you might pay just a few hundred dollars every month to cover your family, but you will get no medical bills paid for by the provider until you spend a few thousand dollars in a year. This usually means you will pay for each doctor's visit, prescription, or any other medical costs, but your health insurance will likely kick in once you get a major injury or illness since this is likely to cost more than your deductible. Note that many policies, even the high deductible types, cover preventive care, so vaccinations and well visits will probably be free.

While a high deductible plan may be appealing, you may want to stay away from this option if you know you will be paying high medical costs soon. For example, if you plan to get pregnant within a year or so, it is best to pay for the best plan since you will still spend less than if you were to pay for the pregnancy and delivery out of pocket. You should also find out when you can modify the policy, as most providers have one or two periods annually in which they will let you increase or decrease coverage.

These are just some tips to make sure you can likely find the best plan for your family. You should direct any specific questions toward your employer or provider. You might also consider asking coworkers which policy they have so they can recommend it or suggest something else.