5 Things to Consider before Buying Health Insurance

If you’re considering investing in health insurance for you and your family – and you should be, if you don’t already have a plan – it can be hard to know where to start, especially if you’ve never shopped around for a plan before. Nobody wants or deserves to be left high and dry in a situation where they can’t afford medical care, so here are some things to consider before buying health insurance that will help you to feel confident in your choice and get the best possible deal.

How simple is the claims process?

Ask yourself how complicated, convoluted, or streamlined the claims process of a particular plan you’re looking at will be. Generally, the simpler, the better – and the quicker you’ll receive a payout when you need one.

Find The Right Out of Network Billing Specialist

Ensure you get in touch with an expert out-of-network billing specialist to ensure that, if you happen to need medical care outside of your network, you won’t be charged an exorbitant increase in fees. You need a team of billers behind you that will work tirelessly to make sure you receive the full amount of your claim at an already stressful time.

How Will My Age, Health, Medical History, and Smoking Status Affect The Plan?

Different insurance companies will ask questions (varying in-depth and intensity) about your age, health, medical history, and smoking status. Some will penalize you for being, in their consideration, a health risk (if your BMI is over a certain amount, if you’re a known smoker, or if you have longstanding health problems), and you cannot be insured for any pre-existing conditions. Only by comparing the market will you develop a good idea of which companies will sell you a plan, and which of those are the most affordable and amenable. Customer service is also extremely important, so take note of how the representatives you interact with treat you. Are they compassionate, informative, and helpful, or surly, secretive, and withdrawn? You will have a relationship with this company for years and decades to come – if not the rest of your life – so it’s important to make wise and informed decisions with as much research behind you as possible.

Does This Company or Plan Offer Family Insurance?

Is it cheaper and more effective for you to get a solo plan or a family plan? Does your partner already receive insurance through their job? If you have children, are they currently your dependents, or are they adults with careers and insurance plans of their own? All of these factors come into account when thinking about which plan to purchase. This leads us to the next question…

How Does the Premium Fit Into My and My Family’s Budget?

The most important question you should ask yourself when a company gives you a quote, is: can I reliably afford this? This may seem obvious, but you want to be certain that the premium can be comfortably afforded via your monthly income, as nobody wants to endanger their health or insurance status by falling behind on payments.

Health insurance is a necessity given the current healthcare climate but buying it shouldn’t be a minefield. We hope the points above help you to get the best cover for you and your family.