Individual Health Insurance: A Purchasing Overview
Insuring yourself against the possibility of the onset of a health problem is important
, especially since medical bills are expensive nowadays. It is typical to buy individual health insurance if you are either unemployed, self-employed or part of a small company. Medium-sized to large-sized companies offer group health insurance as mandated by the law as well as a benefit for being an employee. Usually, employees are required to pay a portion of the health insurance.If you do not have company, health insurance, then buying individual health insurance of your own is necessary. Shouldering all your medical bills by the time you are rushed to the hospital with out insurance is expansive. Health insurance can be expensive but not as expensive as uninsured medical bells. There are several insurance companies that offer individual health insurance, including Blue Cross ? Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente and ehealthinsurance.
Once you have contacted an insurance agent, you can discuss the insurance plan and coverage that best fits your needs. Usually, an insurance agent will assess your health risk by knowing your lifestyle, your work environment and your family history. When buying individual health insurance, you must truthfully answer the questions regarding these categories because this is what the agent will use to find the right individual insurance plan for you.
First, questions about your lifestyle will be asked and will include questions about your diet, smoking habits, drinking habits, the drugs that you have used in the past. The insurance company would also like to know what health problems you have had in the past and the health problems that you currently have.
They would also inquire about your work environment. Being in a place that occasionally or regularly exposes you to hazards, like chemicals and radiation, would increase the likelihood of you becoming sick. The higher the risk of you getting sick, the higher the premium you would have to pay. However, if there is little possibility of you becoming sick, the lesser the premium that you have to pay.
They will want to know what illnesses or health problems struck your family members. This way, they can assess the likely health problems that you might incur in the future. After the agent has assessed your condition and have presented you with health care plans, there are some things that you have to do as well. You would have to go through the entire plan offered to you. You should look for the following items:
1.Amount of premium you need to pay.
2.Is the payment mode is bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly or yearly?
3.How much or how long you are required to pay before you can receive the benefits of the health insurance?
4.What health services are covered and what are not.
5.Health coverage limit. (annually or per incident)
6.Provisions regarding your pre-existing condition
7.Which doctors, clinics and hospitals are included in the health insurance company?s network? This is very important especially if you already have a doctor that you frequently visit.
These are just some of the things that you need to be wary of when buying individual health insurance for yourself or for your close family members.
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