Personal health insurance is an important matter in anyone’s life.
Health insurance covers medical costs if you become sick due to natural
causes or through an accident. Some people work for employers who
provide them with personal health insurance, of which they may have to
pay some or no cost at all. Studies show that approximately 85% of
Americans have some type of personal health insurance, with about 60%
of them obtaining it through their employer. That still means there are
approximately 41 million citizens without health care.
There
are different types of health insurance available. Some will cover
vision care, chiropractic care, prescription medication, and dental
procedures while some will not. Shopping for your personal health
insurance is important because, while you want to save money, you want
to be able to get the coverage that is not going to cost you a lot of
money in the long run. Be sure to examine a policy closely to find out
what all it offers before you sign on the dotted line.
With
some types of insurance, you must pay a deductible. This can range
anywhere from $100 to $1,000 or more. That means, if you have a
deductible of $100 and your office visit is $175, you pay the first
$100 and the insurance company will pay the following $75. Usually,
personal health insurance that carries a higher deductible is more
affordable. Some personal health insurance plans state that you pay the
initial doctor or hospital fee, then with proper paperwork, the
insurance company will reimburse you at a later date.
The
monthly amount you pay for health insurance is called the premium. This
premium may be based on pre-existing medical conditions, if you have
one. For example, someone who suffers from diabetes may pay a higher
premium that someone who does not because the insurance company will
expect that, due to your diabetes, you will eventually cost them more
money in medical care. Another downside of personal health insurance is
that in the case of most plans, experimental treatments are not
covered. So, someone suffering from a type of cancer, won’t receive
coverage is they participate in an experimental treatment.