When deciding on health insurance, one needs to be aware of his or her needs first and foremost. Many plans are similar but slight variations in coverage and expense. Most insurance companies offer similar deductibles and cover all the standard routine issues that arise in health. Some plans are more expensive and make the insured responsible for more expense but offer a wider range of control. Some plans are designed for the budget consciences individual and has more restrictions but costs less. So look at what type of health needs you have and think about how often you need to visit a doctor. Make sure your doctor is cooperative in giving referrals when needed as well. Here are some things to think about when deciding what plan is best for you.
1) What plan benefits are offered to the insured? Most plans provide normal medical coverage. But see what other services you may need and if they are available easily or at all. Make sure that you are aware of any additional fees that might be placed on you if you see certain types of doctors or other medical professionals. Does this plan have restrictions on pre-existing conditions or chronic illnesses that can cause a premium increase or higher co-pay in the future. Know what you are getting and make sure that it works for you. If you aren’t sure call the company directly and speak to someone who can answer all your questions.
2) Physical exams and health screenings as a form of entry into a plan. Does this work for you or not, and do you not want to disclose your medical issues prior to getting a quote. Many insurance companies want to have you seen by one of their physicians to make sure you won’t cost them money by having any chronic illnesses. If you have some medical conditions that require frequent visits and treatments you may not want to look at these providers for help with coverage.
3) Care by specialists. If you require the care of specialists, such as a cardiologist, nutritionist for diabetes or obesity, or any other type, you want to make sure this is fully covered on your chosen plan. You don’t want to just sign up for a plan that is in your price range and then find out you can’t see the doctors you need to. Be sure to see all the information on added coverage above and beyond just basic needs.
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4) Hospitalization and emergency care. Most HMOs require a referral from your primary care doctor before you may go to the hospital. Some insurance companies will not pay for hospital visits on the weekends unless the doctor was called and gave the referral prior to you going. Some will even require that you wait till the next available business day to see your doctor first if it isn’t a life or death emergency. If you have conditions that might require a trip to the hospital, be sure that your policy works for you. In the middle of a panic attack is not a good time to wait for the “on-call” to call you back, give permission, and call the hospital for you. You need to know that are safe to call and get emergency care and get the referral the next business day.
5) Prescription drugs and what will the company pay for? You might want to take into account how many prescriptions you need and what the cost of each one is. If you are used to small co-pay, it can be a slap in the face to find out you have to pay 20% of a $150 prescription. Many people who require some or lots of daily medications will benefit more from a HMO that has a small fee like $5 or $10 per prescription and/or a small deductible.
6) Vision care and dental services. Find out if these are included in your plan or whether you need to purchase one or both separately. Many plans will include yearly and emergency eye exams and visits. Also many offer some coverage on eyewear to some extent. Most Dental Plans are separate and require a separate insurance or slightly higher monthly fee to be added.
Lorna Findlay
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/cover-yourself-the-6-top-things-to-look-for-in-a-health-insurance-plan-37143.html
#1 by DAR on August 18, 2010 - 7:39 am
Obama says Obamacare 'must improve insurance for those who have it', subjective? Take, say, dialysis?
I have a hard time believing anything Obama says on this after reading the bill and hearing him say repeatedly that ‘you can keep your own plan’, which for the vast majority will be nonsense, and implying that there will be no rationing.
To be clear, there will be three insurance policy levels permitted by Obamacare as currently structured, and all three were written by government and special interests regarding what they, not we, find acceptable. Whether administered by a private or public ‘option’ these will be all that is available. Common to all is a government committee setting standards of ‘best’ and ‘cost effective’ practices. No, the government won’t literally get on the phone and say ‘Mary Jones can’t have that hip replacement or eye medication’, however, the committee will set standards such as expensive eye medication is only paid for in one eye, only for a certain type of disease of those that respond to it, etc. That is precisely what happens with ‘NICE’ the govt committee in the UK that serves this purpose.
If you get option three of the plans, the ‘premium’ plan, your employer, as things look now, would be taxed for any benefits above the standard plan. So they are saying you aren’t even entitled to buy your OWN coverage to give yourself a value of $50,000 per quality year of life (to use roughly Canada’s and UK’s number). Remember that this insurance won’t be free even if it is the standard plan, you will just be forced to pay for a plan that covers things you don’t need or want, at the expense of not covering things like, say, dialysis.
Did you see this article by Time magazine?
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1808049,00.html
What do you think?
Are you comfortable with a government committee, made immune from challenge by statute, making these decissions? As consumers you know the input you have as a group over the ‘kind of things people want covered’.
Do you feel at all that what the PEOPLE want is being addressed by government? And if not, at what magic future moment do you think the government would suddenly become representative?
And what Constitutional right does the federal government have to make 300 million people buy crappy insurance they don’t want?
And for those who just ‘imagine’ it will be better, first you can read the outlines of the plans in th bill, and second you CANNOT measure benefit of a plan to your premium cost, as ALL do when shopping for a policy. You would have no choice.
Thoughts?
#2 by What Will America Be In 4 Years on August 18, 2010 - 12:41 pm
Just like a radical to put a price on human life! They are sick minded evil gremlins! who only care about themselves and only care about their wealth and those who supports them to win again wealth!
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#3 by mayna_smo_mry on August 18, 2010 - 12:43 pm
this is what i have been saying. he will start telling the insurance companies what they can and can’t do and will have them in such a mess they will close their doors and the same with private drs. they will fold under the government telling them what to charge who they can treat and etc. But the sheep won;t listen so let them learn on their own when it’s too late and the government has them by the azz. oh well whatever.
this is what the democrats want so be it. but you all kmow only the filthy rich and the government will get care. we will wait. first you have to find a dr. get on the waiting list and barry decides what your treatment will be.
It;s all bs.
you should listen to the candian dr talking about their health care. he says it is cracking. people die waiting on treatment. people wait so long for a dentist they pull their own teeth, a man with a heart attact waited too long for an icu bed.But hey if this is what you want you got it. You think evertyone is just saying these things because we oppose barry. hey we are in it too. don;t you think if we thought it weas a good plan we;d be for it? who wouldn;t want free health care? but i don;t want to wait six months for treatment either. and he is saying not all will be coverd. who is the not all?
No I do not trust the government with my health.and I am defenitley against something i am not sure about/ and why should you be when they have added a clause that things can be changed later.I hope you are not willing to bet your life the changes will be for the good.
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#4 by chuck_junior on August 18, 2010 - 12:45 pm
I read it. The insurance offered amounts to a "diminishing return" policy. At the point you really need it to kick in you’ll be told. "I’m sorry. Your <insert problem here> isn’t covered any longer because you are no longer considered a valuable asset to your community and nation." What they propose is nothing more than a passive euthanasia policy. I had a frank discussion with a Doctor that treats a geriatric family member. Under the Obamacare program our family member would be kept comfortable and allowed to die by denial of medications needed to sustain his life (they’re expensive.). That’s a helluva plan now isn’t it…
I can’t see anything in the Constitution and particularly the 10th Amendment that allows for ANYTHING this administration has done so far and I’m wondering why MASSIVE lawsuits haven’t been filed to stop this crap.
Hit the limit set by Obamacare and your only option is to die. People need to wake the hell up and smell the burning coffee.
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#5 by jim s on August 18, 2010 - 12:47 pm
It’s "work-comp" for everyone.
Usual & customary, time limits, cost limits, medication limits, recovery/rehabilitation limits, office visit limits, disability limits and the biggie …
No recourse/rebuttal for bad decisions, a botched diagnoses, poisonous medications or meat-ball surgeries.
Get ready for such "CYA" situation analysis’s as for Decapitation being called …"A neck strain with laceration." You have 12 hours to come in in person to protest this decision. The committee has spoken.
Welcome to the machine. Who didn’t see this coming?
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#6 by slew on August 18, 2010 - 12:49 pm
Most people complain about the abuses of insurance and for some odd reason , they think the government would make things better. The thing people complain about is how HMO treats their customers. They have a committee to tell people what is an appropriate treatment for the disorder. This committee cares more about price and lawsuits then the proper treatment of the patient. That is why I have a regular insurance. People don’t seem to understand is that Obama would put everyone in the same hell as the HMO clients. When I heard about the death panel, I didn’t care so much as giving the doctor money to talk to patients about death. I was thinking more about the panel that decides how to treat patients. I’ve seen how government handle medicare. More people will die under Obamacare then they are now. I agree there will be rationaling, but it will be indirect.
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