When you are considering health insurance it is essential that you ask a number of specific questions regarding health insurance plan quotes to ensure that you get the right cover at the right price. Here we’ll look at 10 questions you should be asking:
Question 1. How much out-of-pocket expenses and deductible will you have to pay? No medical insurance plan is going to cover all your medical bills and you will usually have to meet a deductible before your insurer will pay and you will also be asked to meet certain other expenses.
Q 2. Which health check-ups and examinations are covered in the plan? Health plans vary greatly when it comes to preventive care, and you’ll need to look at which screening tests are covered. For example, does the plan cover all family members including infants, children and adults and provide things like breast exams, mammograms and Pap smears?
Question 3. Are specialist care and referrals covered? When you need a referral to a specialist it may or may not be covered and, if it is covered, there may be restrictions on that cover.
Q 4. How are emergency care and hospitalization treated? Sometimes you will find that emergency care and hospitalization are only covered if there is pre-approval and you should fully understand the circumstances under which such treatment is covered.
Q 5. What prescription costs are covered by the plan? You will need to check any accompanying prescription plan carefully to determine which drugs are allowed and to what extent you may be required to cover a portion of the cost of any prescription drugs.
Question 6. Are both dental and vision care covered? In many cases medical plans will not cover dental and vision care and then these will have to be covered under a separate plan.
Q 7. Does the plan cover psychiatric, psychiatric services or mental health services? Although many health plans will cover mental illness in various forms, such cover is often limited and you will usually find that there is a cap on the amount of cover provided.
Question 8. Is hospital, home health and nursing home care covered? While most plans will offer fairly good hospital cover, you will need to look at what cover is provided for home health and nursing home care.
Q 9. Is physiotherapy and rehabilitation care covered? Plans will often separate initial treatment and follow-up rehabilitation care and physiotherapy and so it is important to find out exactly what is covered and what is not covered.
Q 10. Does the plan cover elective care? As more and more people are turning to alternative therapies such as acupuncture or holistic healing, health insurance companies are including cover for such treatments. However, it’s still early days for alternative treatments and, if it’s something you want to take advantage of, you’ll need to check to what extent it’s covered.
The ten questions listed here should form the basis on which you consider any medical insurance quote, but you may also want to include other items on your list such as how much paperwork is required to file a claim under the plan and how wide your choices are. When it comes to hospitals, doctors and other treatment facilities. However, the key thing is to ensure that you fully understand what cover is being provided to you and how much it will cost before you commit to a plan.
