Medical insurance is an important part of the overall healthcare puzzle for everyone. It reduces the risk of incurring insurmountable medical bills, which might result from unplanned illness and injuries. It also helps in maintaining a good financial health as it covers hospitalization and surgical expenses.
Health Insurance Works
The basic idea behind a health insurance plan is to share the financial risk associated with medical bills of the enrollees with a large number of people who are paying up front premiums. Most of the enrollees are healthy and hence don’t need much medical care, which enables the health insurance companies to collect enough premium money to cover the cost of the few who might be hospitalized or have major surgeries.
There are many types of health insurance plans with different rules and arrangements about how the enrollees are expected to pay for their medical care. These include deductibles, copays and coinsurance. The amount that the policyholder pays upfront to access care is called cost-sharing and it can be either a flat fee or a percentage of the total expense. Typically, health insurance companies have the ability to negotiate discounts with providers and this is passed on to the enrollees as lower cost sharing rates.
Most people get health insurance through their employers but can also buy it on the private insurance market or through state-run marketplaces. Individuals who lose their jobs or retire can often also purchase a personal health insurance plan through the marketplaces or through special enrollment periods that are triggered by specific qualifying events.
The type of health insurance plan that is best for you depends on your healthcare needs and budget. There are numerous factors that determine this, including your family history of illnesses and other factors like lifestyle habits, pre-existing diseases and so on. Moreover, you should always go for the most comprehensive coverage as this will help in saving up on the medical costs in the future.
Before selecting the right health insurance plan, make sure you read the terms and conditions of the policy carefully to ensure that it has the necessary coverage for your needs. The policy documents should mention details such as premium rates, renewability condition, co-payment clause, free-look period, sub-limits, etc. It is advisable to choose a plan that has no sub-limits as these restrict the scope of the coverage and may leave you with significant out-of-pocket expenses.
The policy should also clearly mention the terms and conditions regarding exclusions and limitations. Generally, the insurer won’t cover expenses for pre-existing illnesses or conditions but might do so in case of accidents. If you are not clear about the coverage details, then it is advisable to talk to the insurance company and get them clarified. Doing so will prevent you from facing the risk of getting rejected in the case of a claim later on. This is because the health insurance company might not have all the information about your medical history at that time.