Health insurance can be important – so it’s also important that you make the right decision in choosing the best plan for you. It’s not one you should take lightly, as it could have an impact on your care and major implications to your finances could you need it. In some areas, not having health insurance is a huge risk, especially if you aren’t covered for everything. Depending on your situation, health insurance might be a necessity – so choosing the right policy is something you need to take seriously.
In this article, we’re going to look at a few issues associated with finding the right health insurance policy – so that you know exactly what to look for and what some of the implications might be. So let’s have a look at the tips…
Do a lot of research
Before you commit to any long-term financial outlay, you need to make sure you’ve done the research. Some people simply sign up to the first policy they see, but this is a big mistake – and it’s not one you should be making. There are a few different ways to make sure you’ve done all the right research, but what are they?
Check online reviews
As with so many other things these days, there are plenty of online reviews that should be able to help you. Do a search and find people rating lots of different policies and insurance firms.
Be careful not to simply just go off of the rating, and check the individual reviews themselves and the reasons people rate something high or low. In some cases, the reasons for a terrible or great review might be completely irrelevant to you, so you can discount them. Also, look out for reviews that actually have too many anonymous top ratings as these can sometimes (but not always) be scammy.
Ask people you know
While online reviews are useful, nothing beats the personal recommendation from someone you know – so ask around. You could get some insider info or other relevant recommendations, especially for insurers in your specific area or with your specific needs at mind. Try asking someone who’s had to use their health insurance recently to see if there are any issues or if they’d either recommend or discourage you from using the same insurer as them. Some of the people you know might recommend specific insurers, like Manulife personal health insurance.
Ask for specific quotes
While most insurers will have headline rates, these aren’t always what you end up getting. Before you sign up to anyone, make sure you’ve checked all their rates for your specific cover. Also – if you don’t ask, you don’t get – so, check to see if there are any discounts or special rates available. You might be able to get an introductory offer or reduced rate for the first few months of the policy. But remember, the cost isn’t everything when looking at health insurance. You want to make sure you’re fully covered and that the level of care is top notch. Don’t just go for the cheapest unless that’s all you can afford.
Shop around
Again, don’t just sign up to the first good offer – shop around. This could even help you get a better offer from certain insurers who don’t want to lose you to a competitor.
Stick to reputable companies
While there are lots of new insurance firms you might not have heard of – sometimes these leave the market as fast as they arrive. Be careful with them, you might want to put your money with someone reputable who you’ve been aware of for years. This needs to be weighed up with the cost of the policy and the level of care.
Check specialist insurers
If you’ve got specialist medical needs, you might want to check insurers that have specific expertise looking after them. Some of the bigger insurance companies have different policies for different types of people, but you could find a specialist small insurer that only looks after people with your condition.
Check all the small print
This is hugely important when getting a health insurance policy, but you’d be surprised how many people ignore it. You need to check all additional fees, expectations, and any other information that could have an impact on the cost of your care.
Make sure you’re covered for everything
Not all insurance plans cover every condition, so make sure you’ve got the full coverage you need before signing up.
Does it cover family members?
Some plans will just be for you, while others can cover the whole family. While these plans will be more expensive, they might offer the full package and extra peace of mind at a price you’re willing to pay.
What level of care is provided?
If you need to use your insurance, where will you be permitted to be treated? This is an important question. Some policies will let you choose, whereas others have specific requirements, so this is something you might need to check.
Can your employer help
Some employers are willing to help pay some (or even all) of their worker’s health insurance costs as a benefit to the job. Even if you don’t think you’re entitled to it – ask. They might be able to get you a reduced rate or a specialist policy. However, if the policy that your employer is offering for free isn’t one that you think is going to offer you the best coverage, you still might want to avoid it. See if you can come to some sort of arrangement to share the costs of a better insurance plan.
Check if there’s an excess
Some insurance policies include excess fees which means you pay for lower-cost procedures and outgoings and they cover the expensive ones. Make sure this excess is something you’re happy with and can afford.
Hopefully, you’ve now got enough info to make sure you know what you’re getting into when looking for a new health insurance policy.
