Health Insurance We Don't Need Psychiatric Care or Maternity Care

How To Get Your First Health Insurance: All You Need To Know About It

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Buying health insurance for the first time seems confusing at first. You are presented with so many insurance options that you are unsure which is best. In reality, getting your first health insurance plan does not have to be daunting. You need to be clear on a few things, such as what expenses you need insuring and how you will pay for the insurance.

Once you know your budget and coverage needs, selecting a plan becomes much easier. Below, we show you what the different insurance options offer, as well as how to select the best plan.

Types of Health Insurance Plans

To make the correct choice of health insurance, you need to be aware of the different insurance types you can choose from. The most common ones are:

• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) - These are insurance plans which give you access to a network of doctors under a common agreement. Under this plan, providers agree to charge you less than non-members. In addition, PPOs are notable for giving you wide access to doctors as well as specialist visits without needing a referral.
• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) - HMOs give you a primary care physician who has to issue a referral for specialist visits. You get less choice on the doctors you can see.
• HDHPs (High Deductible Health Plans) - An HDHP is an insurance plan which has a high amount you must pay out-of-pocket before it kicks in. Monthly insurance premiums, however, are lower than with other plans.

Paying for Your First Health Insurance

Subscribing to a health insurance plan involves meeting certain obligations in exchange for the benefits. An important part of the contract is your payment of insurance premiums.

You must pay your monthly premiums on time and in full. If you are late or delinquent in paying premiums, you might forfeit the insurance.

Having lapsed insurance premiums is a huge disadvantage when you unexpectedly fall sick. As a first-time insurance buyer, therefore, you must master the discipline of paying premiums diligently.

A good practice is to prioritize critical payments such as health insurance premiums on your monthly budget. If your bank allows it, set up automatic monthly recurring payments so you never miss paying a premium.

How to Use Company Health Insurance Plans

Your job may come with a company health insurance plan. Company plans cut down on the health costs you have to shoulder yourself.

With employer-provided health insurance, your company will pay some or all of the cost. You need to be aware, however, that you might still be on the hook for a portion of the monthly premiums.

To use company insurance, make sure you submit all paperwork that your employer asks for. While the insurer agreement will be signed by your employer, you also need to sign the necessary paperwork to opt in. Once you are actively enrolled, you can now access doctors and medical services under the plan.

How to Buy Family Health Insurance Plans

Buying your first family health insurance plan is more complex than selecting an individual health plan. Family health insurance plans are necessarily more expensive than comparable individual insurance plans. This is because they cover your entire immediate family or other dependents.

An easy way to buy family insurance is to upgrade your individual plan to a family plan. Your insurance company may be willing to incentivize the upgrade.

Even though family health insurance costs more, the additional cost may not be as much as it would take to insure everyone individually. This means purchasing family plans can save you money if you and your spouse both need insurance.

Comparison of Health Insurance Plans

In the American insurance industry, a handful of insurance providers have gained a widespread following. Chances are, one of these will work for your insurance needs as well. Below, we give you a handy comparison of popular health insurance plans based on the insurer's reputation.

• Blue Cross Blue Shield - This plan is offered by a group of independent agencies nationwide that give the greatest variety. It is best if you have highly specific care needs.
• Humana - This company's plans are available in fewer states. However, it has some of the cheapest plans, making it the best for low-budget shoppers.
• Kaiser Permanente - This insurer is not active in all states and has limited options for seeing doctors outside the network. It will be more suitable for the elderly, for whom its lower premiums make for good savings.

Health Insurance We Don't Need Psychiatric Care or Maternity Care

Source: https://www.life123.com/article/how-to-get-your-first-health-insurance-all-you-need-to-know-about-it?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740009%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex

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