Health Insurance Buying Guide : Health insurance Healthy care review 2008

Health Insurance Buying Guide
by Clelland N. Green

Medical expenses have risen so high that health insurance has become a necessity. With countless insurance companies claiming to offer the best health insurance plans, it has become very difficult to decide which insurance company or healthcare plan is most suitable. This health insurance buying guide will help you learn some important things to keep in mind when buying a health insurance plan.
Type of Health Insurance Plans: Health insurance plans have three broad categories:-- Indemnity Plans-- Managed Care Plans-- Consumer Directed Plans
Indemnity plans are traditional insurance plans where you can choose the doctor and the insurance company will fully or partially cover your health care expenses according to the insurance agreement and the reasonable and customary allowance for the provider's fees. You are supposed to pay for the services and then be reimbursed, but most insurance companies and doctors will allow you to assign your benefits to your provider, allowing for the insurance company to pay the doctor directly.
Managed care plans are programs where the insurance company acts as more than the insurer, and they manage the care as well as provide you with incentives to get proper preventive care. Managed care plans include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and point of service (POS) plans and provide coverage that includes features like doctor office and prescription copayments rather than deductibles and coinsurance. Find more about Types of Health Insurance Plans. It is very important to choose the right insurance plan to gain maximum benefit. Do compare various plans and evaluate the benefits, coverage details, exclusions and provisions.
Consumer directed plans are new plans where you buy a high deductible insurance plan and can then set up a tax-advantaged savings account from which you can pay for your routine health care expenses. This account is called a Health Savings Account (HSA). These plans encourage the consumer to manage their own care by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and shopping for health care services. In general, these HSA's are the most cost effective choice for most consumers. Find out more about Health Savings Accounts.
Insurance Coverage: The most important thing while selecting an insurance plan is to determine what your needs are for insurance and to not over-insure yourself. You wouldn't buy an auto policy in order to get your oil change covered, think in those terms when selecting a health plan. Health insurance coverage includes hospital expenses, surgical expenses, physicians' expenses and other benefits like maternity care, drug prescription, mental health care, preventive care, etc. All good insurance policies provide broad coverage and protect you against catastrophic illness or injury, but it is very important to read the exclusions and limitations of your policy to avoid future problems.
Pre-existing Conditions: Most individual health insurance plans do not cover pre-existing conditions and you may not qualify for coverage depending on your current health. If you have a serious pre-existing condition, there are offer guaranteed issue plans available in most states.
Doctors and Hospitals: Another thing that you need to check is the pool of doctors and hospitals that are in the network of your insurance provider. If you have a managed care plan, you will get better benefits if you use a provider who is in the network, and of course, if you current physicians are in the network, that becomes a lot easier to do. Prices and Premium: Health Insurance premiums are filed with the department of insurance in your state, so there are no special deals available. If you are dealing with an agent who claims to have a better deal than the competition, you should run, not walk. The most important thing to do here is to compare similar plans from different insurance companies and not to look at price alone.
Insurance Broker: Using an insurance broker who specializes in health insurance is one of the smartest things you can do. Their services are free. Premiums are the same if you go directly to the insurance company or use an agent. They also have information from all of their customers about which companies provide good claims service, have the best features, and they know all the options available - something you will never find on any internet site. You will be able to easily connect with an expert local insurance agent by getting your health insurance quotes at Benepath.
Insurance Company: There are many companies that deal in health insurance but it is very importation to select a reliable firm. It is advisable to take help of a licensed health insurance consulting firm that can provide you useful information about reliable insurance companies and most suitable and affordable health insurance plans.
Benepath works with local insurance agents across the country to provide you with health plans from industry leaders who deliver responsive service, such as United Healthcare, Assurant - Time Insurance, Aetna, Blue Cross Plans and Health America. Get your health quotes at http://www.benepath.com to find more about the best health insurance plans at most competitive prices.