When considering health insurance it is essential to ask a number of specific questions about a health insurance plan quote to ensure you get the right coverage at the right price. Here we look at 10 questions you need to ask:
Question 1. What out-of-pocket costs and deductibles will you have to pay? No medical insurance plan will cover all of your medical bills and you will usually have to meet a deductible before your insurer will pay and will also require you to cover certain other expenses.
Questions For example, does the plan cover all family members including infants, children and adults and provide things like breast exams, mammograms and pap smears?
Question 3. Are specialist care and referrals covered? When you need a referral to a specialist this may or may not be covered and, if it is covered, it may have restrictions on that cover.
Question 4. How is emergency care and hospitalization handled? Sometimes you will find that emergency care and hospitalization are only covered if they are pre-approved and you need to fully understand the circumstances under which this treatment is covered.
Question 5. What prescription costs does the plan cover? You will have to examine any accompanying prescription plan carefully to determine which drugs are allowed and to what extent you may have to cover part of the cost of some prescription drugs.
Question 6. Are both dental and vision care covered? In many cases medical plans do not cover dental and vision care and these must then be covered under a separate plan.
Question 7. Does the plan cover psychotherapy, psychiatric services or mental health services? Although many health plans will cover mental illness in many different forms, this coverage is often limited and you will usually find that there is a cap on the amount of coverage provided.
Question 8. Is hospital care, home health and nursing home covered? While most plans will offer fairly good hospital coverage, you will have to look at what coverage is provided for home health and nursing home care.
Question 9. Are physiotherapy and rehabilitative care covered? Plans often separate initial treatment and follow-up rehabilitation care and physiotherapy so it is vital to find out exactly what is covered and what is not.
Question 10. Does the plan cover alternative care? As an increasing number of people are turning to alternative treatments such as acupuncture or holistic treatments, health insurance companies are increasingly including coverage for such treatments. However it is still early days for alternative treatment and, if this is something you want to take advantage of, you will need to look to see to what extent it is covered.
The ten questions here should form the basis on which you consider any medical insurance quote but you may want to include other items on your list such as how much paperwork is required when it comes to making a claim under the plan and how extensive the -your choice when it comes to hospitals, doctors and other treatment facilities. The main thing though is to make sure you fully understand
exactly what coverage is being provided and how much it will cost before you commit to a plan.
