10 Very Important Questions Which You Ought To Ask If Your Are Purchasing Health Insurance

By Author: Donald Saunders
Total Articles: 84
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When it comes to purchasing a health insurance plan the specific details of the plan are very important and there a variety of questions which you have to ask. Merely considering the premium you will have to pay is insufficient and you must look at various different things including any limitations, exclusions, restrictions on where treatment can be undertaken, additional payments and fee requirements and one ot two other things.

Below are a few very important things which you must always look at when you are buying a health insurance plan:

1. What out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles will I have to pay? Your premiums are simply the beginning and the vast majority of plans will require you to cover your bills up to a certain figure before your insurance plan kicks in. After that, you will normally also need to make a contribution towards the cost of each individual bill.

2. Does the plan cover health screenings and medical examinations? Look carefully to discover whether the plan covers you for routine health exams including such things as breast exams, mammograms and pap smears for women.

3. How ...
... are referrals and specialist care treatments handled? Examine the procedures you need to follow if you have to be referred for specialist care and whether there are special rules for meeting the cost of such treatment.

4. What level of cover is given for hospitalization or emergency care? {Take a Look to see whether you will need prior approval for hospital or emergency treatment. It might seem ridiculous but a lot of policies will not let you seek emergency care without the prior approval of a specified physician.

5. Is cover given for prescription drugs? A lot of plans will limit the medications which can be prescribed frequently specifying that a list of generic drugs rather than brand name drugs must be prescribed. You also have to look carefully at what proportion of any cost that you will need to meet for drugs.

6. Is dental and vision care provided? Most plans do not cover vision and dental care at all although some limit care to just routine annual eye and dental checkups.

7. Is psychiatry, psychotherapy and other mental health care provided? Not all plans will cover mental health care and when cover is given you must look carefully at just what cover is being offered.

8. Is hospital, nursing home and home care covered? It is important to examine the extent to which cover is given for care in hospital, in a nursing home or at home and whether there is a ceiling on your cover.

9. Is physical therapy and rehabilitation cover provided? Accident or illness often requires rehabilitation or physical therapy and so it is important to examine the extent to which such treatment is covered.

10. Is alternative treatment covered? As a growing number of people are turning to alternative therapy such as the use of acupuncture or holistic treatments you need to check to see whether these are covered if this is something which you want to make use of.

The premium that you are paying for your health insurance plan is of course important but it is just one part of the total package that you are buying.