Health insurance isn’t a luxury. It should be seen as a necessity. There are a lot of other things that you should go without before you choose to try to go without health insurance. If you want health insurance, but you feel insure about what coverage works for you, there are a few questions that you can ask yourself to work it out.
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How’s Your Health?
Are you in good health at the moment? Do you see a doctor regularly or a counsellor for your mental health? Do you play a risky sport, have dangerous hobbies, or a dangerous job? Like other forms of insurance, your insurance needs are based on your degree of risk. A mountain-climbing builder with Diabetes will need different insurance from an office worker who knits at the weekend.
How Often Do You See A Doctor?
Did you see your doctor several times last year, and spend money on copays for office visits, lab work, urgent care, and prescription drugs? Add up all of these costs to get an idea of your typical annual healthy care needs.
What Current Options Do You Have?
You may be able to get cost-effective, good-quality health insurance through your employer, your state’s health care exchange, a health share ministry, or group insurance through organizations like Costco. Make sure you read all the fine print of whatever you decide to sign up with, so you can avoid Medicare enrollment penalty and other surprises.
What Are Your Priorities?
If you see your doctor on a regular basis, then you will likely be better off with a health insurance plan that has lower copays and deductibles. If your monthly expenses are already taking up most of your paycheck every month, you will be better off with a plan with lower monthly premiums. If you are in good health and rarely need to do to the doctor, then you can get lower premiums by choosing a high-deductible plan. This makes more sense rather than paying a large premium for a low-deductible plan.
What Are Your Coverage Needs?
Boil down all of the available insurance plan options to the ones that best fit your needs, then spend some time digging into the details. The cheapest plan might be the one that catches your attention, but remember that it may not be the one that offers as much value per dollar as some other plans do. Choose wisely and do your research.
Have You Gotten An Expert Opinion?
Some people can find the whole experience of health insurance shopping and choosing the right plan very overwhelming, and there are a lot of different insurance agents that can help you to sort through the options and make an informed decision. It is the job of these agents to spend their days immersed in insurance and can help you to make quick work of finding the plan that best fits you. Find an independent agency to help you who can get you quotes from a large range of health insurance companies.
