Health Plans

Copyright 2005 Dave MarkelChoosing a health insurance plan that is best for you and yourfamily is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make.Choosing between health plans is not as easy as it once was.Although there is no one best plan, there are some plans thatwill be better than others for you and your family's healthneeds. Plans differ, both in how much you have to pay and howeasy it is to get the services you need. No plan will pay forall the costs associated with your medical care, some plans willcover more than others.Most Americans have health insurance through their employers,and every year more employers offer insurance coverage bymanaged care organizations (MCOs). Today, Americans are in anera of managed care. It's a new experience for most people.Managed care companies may decide what doctor you will see andwhen, and what treatments will be covered. It requires you tomake some important decisions because not all managed care plansare the same.In choosing a health insurance plan, you have to decide what ismost important to you. All plans have tradeoffs. It is worthasking yourself a few questions such as:* How comprehensive do you want coverage of health care servicesto be? * How do you feel about limits on your choice of doctorsor hospitals? * How do you feel about a primary care doctorreferring you to specialists for additional care? * Howconvenient does your care need to be? * How important is thecost of services? * How much are you willing to spend on healthinsurance premiums and other health care costs? * How do youfeel about keeping receipts and filing claims?You might also want to think about whether the services that ahealth insurance plan offers meet your needs. Call the plan fordetails about coverage if you have questions. It is worthconsidering the following:* Life changes you may be thinking about, such as starting afamily or retiring. * Chronic health conditions or disabilitiesthat you or family members have. * If you or anyone in yourfamily will need care for the elderly. * Care for family memberswho travel a lot, attend college, or spend time at two homesMost health insurance plans provide basic medical coverage, butthe details are what count. The best plan for someone else maynot be the best plan for you. For each plan you are consideringit pays off to find out about a range of things from physicalexaminations and health screenings, care by specialists andprescription drugs to vision care and dental services. It isalso important to find out about the various offered servicessuch as medical counseling as well as what is on offer.Ask if a certain service is limited or not covered. You shouldfind out if what is provided is what you require and if thereare special programs for certain types of illness. It is alsoworth finding out about medicines and equipment that may beneeded. Find out what types of care or services the plan willnot pay for. These are usually called exclusions. Few indemnityand managed care plans cover treatments that are experimental.Ask how the plan decides what is or is not experimental. Findout what you can do if you disagree with a plan's decision onmedical care or coverage.Finally you should think about the location of services and howfar you may be prepared to go for care. On this subject youshould consider whether or not the plan handles care when youare away from home.After you review what benefits are available and decide what isimportant to you, you can compare plans. Many things should beconsidered. These include services offered, choice of providers,location, and costs. The quality of care is also a factor tothink about.