Not having health insurance is dangerous, especially if a serious health problem were to arise. A quality health insurance plan will protect your health, as well as the health of your family.
When you are thinking of getting health insurance, ensure you figure the costs and sit down and think about it. Add up the total costs, not just the premium, because co-pays and deductible costs will add up pretty quickly.
Be sure to take a close look at your needs and concerns when it comes to your open enrollment period. Even though you may have had the same plan for a number of years, it may be too expensive or it might not cover your current needs. Use this time to look into your dental and vision coverage as well.
Individual policies usually have higher costs than the group coverage offered by employers, so plan accordingly. You might need to choose a higher deductible and reduce some parts of your coverage to keep the costs affordable. Get a number of quotes to find the best policy and rates.
Vision Insurance
If your eyes already have issues, or vision problems exist in your home, then vision insurance proves a smart buy. This type of insurance will take care of a portion of your examination costs plus some of the costs of glasses or contact lenses when purchased. Vision insurance is not something that you have to have, so it may cost you more to get the coverage.
Do a quick check annually to verify what prescription medications your policy will continue to cover. Health insurance carriers sometimes change which medicines they cover, so investigate the details when you re-enroll. If a pill that you take every day is suddenly no longer covered, it may be time to search for a different insurance company.
If you can’t afford comprehensive insurance, then at least get catastrophic coverage. Prescriptions and doctor’s visits are covered by a comprehensive plan, while hospital and emergency care is covered by catastrophic health insurance.
Carefully evaluate each health insurance plan to decide which one will best fit your family’s needs. You can pick from PPO, HMO and POS. Each has different options to choose from that you will need to research and decide on before purchasing. An important consideration is whether or not you want to keep your current primary care physician, and if you do you should ask him which insurance company he is affiliated with.
Take into consideration that some companies will impose a surcharge for carrying your spouse on your health insurance plan if he or she has access to insurance through his or her own employer. Sometimes, it is less expensive for you and your spouse to have individual insurance through your own employers. Do the math on both scenarios to be sure.
One technique you can use to save on health-related costs is to request that your doctor double the dosage of any pill prescription being provided. It is not uncommon for a pill that is a higher dose to be the same price as 1 pill of a lower dose. The pill splitter you bought will pay for itself in a very short amount of time.
Vegetarian Diet
If you have certain diseases, you may have a difficult time finding affordable health insurance, and a vegetarian diet may help you prevent such diseases. The medical industry is in agreement that an unhealthy diet can contribute to the chance of developing a chronic disease. Treatments for many of these conditions can be quite costly. Eating a vegetarian diet can significantly reduce the chances of contracting one of these diseases. Insurance companies are increasingly more aware of factors, such as diet, that can impact health. Not only can a vegetarian lifestyle bring down the amount of money you spend on healthcare, it can help you live longer.
It is important to have health insurance because life can be very unexpected. You never know when you will get sick or possibly be involved in an accident in your car. Apply the advice of this article to cover all your insurance bases and keep you and your family protected under any circumstances that may occur.
