Picking a health insurance plan that fits your budget, and matches your needs, can be a stressful task. Especially if you do not know what questions to ask and what to look for when checking with various insurance carriers.
Not all insurance companies are created equally, and none of the policies that you get offered will be the same. It is imperative that you read through the entire contract before you sign and never take the first offer that you get.
While you are reading through everything, there are 10 top questions to ask yourself or your agent.
1. Are Routine Exams Covered?
Routine exams are essential for overall health because it is the best way to catch minor medical problems that could turn into significant issues later on down the road.
2. Can You Go to Your Own Doctor?
It can be tough to find a doctor you are comfortable with. You want to be able to continue going to them, so make sure the policy covers them.
3. Are Prescriptions Covered?
Even if you do not have any medications you are currently taking, you will eventually. Or someone else in your household that is on the policy will. They can take a considerable chunk of change out of your pocket, so make sure they are at least covered to the point of leaving you a small co-payment.
4. How Do You Pay For the Health care Coverage?
You should have a couple of different options available. One is a set amount you must pay throughout the year on medical care before they start paying for anything. The other way is a premium amount that goes towards the policy, leaving you a small co-payment while they cover the majority of the bill.
5. Are Their Restrictions Placed Upon Pre-Existing Conditions?
If you have any medical conditions, you need to know if they will be covered. Some will not cover them at all, while others may cover issues related to them after a specified amount of time. Check with the iSelect private health insurance platform to find a good policy that will cover your current medical issues.
6. Does It Cover Travel?
Many health insurance plans will not cover anything that comes up outside of the country that you live in, but you should check into it anyway if you like to travel. You may have to get a traveler’s insurance policy, but the company you go through can handle that for you. Since you are going through them for both, you should get a discounted price on them.
7. Do I Need Authorization Before Going To The Emergency Run?
If an emergency situation arises, you want to be able to go in immediately and know that the bills will be covered. Some plans will require you to call your doctor and get their authorization before your insurance carrier covers any of the costs. If that is one of their stipulations, you must consider going with a different carrier.
8. How Hard Is It To File Claims?
You do not want to have to deal with a ton of paperwork and customer service calls just to get one visit covered. You also do not want to think that the hospital billed your insurance when they have been denied, and you are sent a bill. Do some research and see how the carrier handles its claims.
9. Does The Plan Cover New Age Therapies?
It has been shown that many holistic and new age therapy plans can help you in extreme ways. For instance, a chiropractor can help you get your bones back into alignment, but most insurance companies do not cover the visits.
10. Can The Policy Change As Life Changes?
Your life will change as you grow older. You may have children, change jobs, change locations, etc. A good insurance policy will give you the option to add things onto it as needed, or it will cover the changes in the first place. You will not know if you do not ask.
These are the top 10 questions that you should ask when you are looking to purchase a private health plan. They are not complicated questions or ones your potential carrier cannot answer. If they say they can’t, you need to move on to your next option.
Never go with the first one you see, and never go with the cheapest just because of the price. Compare the details and coverage amounts as well. Otherwise, you may end up in a contract that does not do what you need it to do.
