The Reader’s Question

Where can I look for an individual health insurance policy? And what things should I look for in a health insurance policy?

Karen Garcia

Thank you for this question.

If you don’t have a health insurance while you are employed, you may have a hard time in buying health insurance as an individual. Individual insurance coverage is more difficult to acquire as it is more expensive and not that consumer friendly than an insurance coverage which is job-based. But it is much better than not having insurance at all.

One procedure in getting started in searching for an individual policy is first look for an independent insurance agent. These agents should register with your state department of insurance so that they will have a record of people eligible to sell health insurance in your state. There is also a website, the National Association of Health Underwriters, which will help you find an independent agent in your state. Another good option is to find health insurance coverage online. The website, eHealthinsurance.com permits you to compare different policies from different insurance companies which will be very helpful indeed for you.

There are some things that are important to note in buying a health insurance policy. Most insurance companies allow you to examine your policy documents carefully within ten days to be able to help you decide if you want this coverage or not. If ever you decide you do not like the policy terms within ten days, you have the option to cancel the insurance coverage and be able to get the premium that you paid.

You may also like to check out the coverage of these clearly defined terms which is:
” What is covered
” What is not covered
” When the coverage begins

The coverage level that is available under each individual policy of health insurance differs and you have many more options available since your employer is not preselecting the guaranteed types of plans that is available for you to choose from. It is vital that you comprehend all the policy terms of your coverage. If still unclear, you may like to ask your insurance agent or the insurance company to clarify things a bit. You need not wait until you are sick or bedridden before you will be able to learn that your insurance policy does not cover the services that you think is essential in your coverage.

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The Reader’s Question

I would like to get some tips in choosing the appropriate health insurance for me and my family. Please help.

Martin Mack

Thank you for this question.

Health insurance belongs to a very broad category, and many of us just would not deal with it directly. But it should be one of the most vital decisions that we have to make as consumers. Health insurance determines the care that we should receive in case our health should fail, but this kind of insurance may also be a setback in your financial plan. It was found out that half of the bankruptcies filed in the United States alone are caused by medical bills and illnesses.

Thus, choosing health insurance is still the one of the most important decision for almost all uninsured Americans who would like to put some coverage in their life. Here are some factors to consider in narrowing down the health insurance choices and selecting the insurance taking into consideration the premiums and prescriptions that may possibly wither down your money in the bank.

Location. Every insurance plan and prices depends on where you are located. For instance, New York has some of the most expensive individual plans in the country.

Single out your priorities. If you love your doctors, then you may choose an insurance company that covers the services of the company that offers this kind of task. In this way, you may be able to narrow things down by your needs, like customer service, premiums or even due to personal reasons.

Getting a Health Savings Account. The health savings account or simply called HSA is one of the best options for people who would likely use and insurance card around once or twice a year. This may include an annual check up or visit to the doctor if you got the flu. The HSA teams up together with an insurance policy with a high deductible but very low premium. The money you may save can be deposited into the HSA pre-tax where tax grows deferred. You may be able to use it to pay for unavoidable medical expenses. What is satisfying here is the bonus and when you reach your retirement age, you may withdraw any money you didn’t use and may buy anything you want.

Negotiate. Now you reach the stage where you’ve chosen a plan, and bills will continue to come every month. What many insurers are doing is it instituted a preferred pricing system when prescribing something. If prescriptions are not generic and are included in the list, it will definitely cost so much.

Shoppers are smarter now with regards to drug prescriptions, as regular medication is very expensive. Better to keep the costs to a minimum by checking first around other pharmacy stores.

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The Reader’s Question

What are the anatomies of the mental health insurance?

Maggie Ferrer

Thank you for this question.

Mental health disorders occur from childhood to old age, to both men and women, and to people of all socio-economic groups. During any year, 1 in 10 Americans overall experience some disability from a mental health disorder. The pervasiveness of mental health disorders is further underlined by a three-year study of a large corporation reported by the American Psychological Association, which showed that 60% of employee absences were due to psychological problems. These findings were found to be consistent all over the United States after more than thirty years of research. Today, majority of these disorders are controllable, can be cured and can be prevented like physical illnesses.

At present, mental health insurance comes in different shapes and sizes wherein the following data should be able to show you what to look and check for in a regular health plan.

The mental health plan covers the patients for twenty to thirty sessions a year and will pay 20% to around 50% of the total bill. A typical session may cost between $75 to $175 depending on the location of your residence and the credentials of your therapist. Actually the coverage of your actual plan will entirely depend on your provider.

Majority of the insurance companies takes care of the problems from depression and anxiety to the social phobias and difficulties in relationship. But they will not cover services for aromatherapy and weight loss. Even the screenings for the learning disabilities and IQ tests are still not covered.

Most medications are covered by the insurance plans which require a copayment for as low as $5 for a prescription of generic medicines and $10 or more for a drug with a brand name.

The coverage of your mental health insurance plan really depends on your insurance plan. If you have a prepaid health plan, you may choose from a limited group of health care professionals wherein these professionals are in-network providers. Remember that your out-of-pocket payments will definitely be much higher as there are fees that are only partly covered for providers who are out of the network.

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The Reader’s Question

How important is a college health insurance plan?

Lynn Perry

Thank you for this question.

When you are finished with your high school education, of course the next step will be enrolling into a college course. Normally, whenever a child reaches 20 years old, they are no longer included in the coverage of the insurance of their parents. This situation is difficult to deal with if the kids are not work and just simply going to college. The good news here is that many colleges offer health insurance plans. You just need to deliberate whether any of these insurance plans are right for you or not as a college student.

The benefits of the college health insurance depend on the campus. The notion of many people is that their insurance coverage is free, but the notion turns out to be false. In a college health insurance plan, the student needs to pay for the laboratory work and other specialized type of visits. The benefits normally pay the whole amount for the covered services at the campus health center. In case that you have to see a specialist outside the center, then the coverage of the student may drop to 70% and there is the risk of requirement of paying a high deductible.

All health insurance plans are different, so better research about everything about your college’s plan. Check also if you are covered during the summer break while there is no classes. Many colleges have coverage during the break, but unfortunately some do not.

It is important for you to understand the plan well and determine whether it is an HMO, among many other possible questions. It is important for you to know the utmost details so that in case of an emergency, you know where you can go.

A college student health insurance is vital to acquire throughout the time a student is in college so as to prepare for typical health concerns and any unforeseen illnesses. Luckily, many parents have insurance coverage for their children until they finished college. There is really no definite answer whether one should commit or not in getting a college health insurance. Make sure that the insurance plan is understood fully so that no problems will arise in case an emergency arises. As it is not a free insurance, it will save you money in the event of an illness or emergency.

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The Reader’s Question

I heard about health insurance rating from a colleague, and I would like to know more about it. Can you please clarify about it? Thanks.

Michael Smith

Thank you for this question.

The health insurance ratings of policies vary depending on the state and the type of policy. Policies of individuals are rated depending on the guidelines of the state as seen by the Department of Insurance of each state. The individuals have much more challenges to get more coverage than ever. Health insurers will be able rule out the conditions or even totally reject the coverage to individuals with such prohibitive risks. Due to this, individuals trying to get a coverage should not withdraw a group policy until a written confirmation is already received on the approval of the individual policy.

There are many different states that have high risk pools that permit the individuals who may not be able to get coverage via the high risk pool. In such states where there is no high risk pool the situation is harder to obtain policy coverage. Health insurance writing or the underwriting will permit the health insurer to reject such coverage. Consequently, individuals experiencing a serious health condition will not be permitted from getting any insurance coverage and may possibly divert to the public open enrolment through a health insurer just to get coverage. But this procedure is expensive. The policies for such public open enrolment may cover over a thousand dollars per month for a single coverage and three thousand dollars per month for the family coverage.

The employers’ health insurance is rated in a different way than that of individual policies. In accordance with the HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and even the state laws, the employers who have just enough number of participating employees and who make a payment for the health coverage should be guaranteed coverage. These laws are applicable for the employers between 2 and 50 employees. The prices of the coverage vary a lot and the employer with no health conditions at all will get coverage much cheaper than an employer with a more serious list of health conditions.

The health insurance ratings are a complicated situation with discrepancies occurring by the state and coverage type one is looking for. All the information about individuals or employers is available in their respective state. In addition, they should visit the Department of Insurance website to start of their information quest. Normally these websites give out the necessary information to be able to learn the basics of what the laws of the state is involved in. Further, all individuals with coverage are listed with general information about getting coverage. Health insurance is such a complicated industry with such differences between all the 50 states of USA. With HIPAA, it defends consumers when it comes to such rating practices by health insurers. If you have an existing coverage and wants to get another policy and is accepted, the health insurers may not impose a condition limitation that is pre-existing as long as no gap in coverage of 63 days happened yet. So take note of the rules in policy cancellation until you have proof of coverage from your new policy.

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The Reader’s Question

I plan to get a health insurance and it is my first time to get one. What are the general things that I need to know about it? Please provide me some basic information. Thank you.

Jason Garcia

Thank you for this question.

Here are some things that you need to know in getting a health insurance.

1. Always remember that getting health insurance is expensive but not having insurance is much more expensive. There are reasonable ways on how to set aside money on insurance, but do not ever forget to get an insurance coverage. Accidents even how minor it is will incur medical bills and this situation will eventually reduce your savings, which is a major illness that will make you bankrupt in the long run.

2. Take advantage of the insurance that your employer will offer. Group insurance coverage is a good deal for everyone, especially for the employee if the coverage is subsidized by the employer. And this is even a much better deal if you are not that young and healthy anymore.

3. If you eventually get a plan and you pay the lowest premium that does not mean that it is the cheapest plan. Check to see always what your insurance covers and that is also valuable with what you pay for your premiums. In due course, the cheap plan that you could find is the plan with the best price for the valued benefits you are most interested in.

4. Do the habit of comparing plans. I know it is hard and difficult but it is important for you to do it. Remember there is no such thing as standard coverage, as costs and benefits of a plan differ widely from one plan to another plan. If you have other alternative choices, you have to check each item closely in the insurance coverage in order for you to find the best deal ever.

5. You may like to check the other networks before signing up for an insurance coverage as there are many available public and private sources even in the internet. Such information is compiled by these networks, containing list of individual doctors, health plans and hospitals.

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The Question of the Reader

How do I choose the best health insurance provider? Kindly provide some tips.

Sue Donovan

Thank you for this question.

You may not know it but there are other health insurance companies out there that offer better discounted plans and much satisfying deals as well and that is available with other various companies. You may be unaware of this especially if you already have the same health insurance company for ages already and you are already contented with what they are offering. If you do some research on this health insurance companies, you will be able to find out that you will find a deal with their advertisements with such great premiums.

Product Range. Try to observe other products offered by other health insurance companies so as to have an idea on what product is available. You will find out in the internet that health plans accommodate individuals and families alike, and there are also health plans for different niche markets like children, senior citizens, parents, and even employers. You will also notice that every health plan caters to different economic groups, so there is no need to consume such large amounts for a health insurance policy. In this way, companies will easily be shortlisted in finding a policy within your budget.

Premium Prices. Check the prices of each of the products of the health insurance companies and also check if the said prices are fixed or negotiable.

Company Reputation. You may be able to find out the reputation of a company from the people who have direct contact with the company. Do not be contented with what you see. Just because the company has a nice website, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a good reputation too. That is a poor sign of the reputation of a health insurance company.

Customer Service. Whenever you call the customer service of the company, you need not tell them the whole truth. It is better to relay to them a fake situation so as to see on how their customer service is going to respond and that is one way of finding out the quality of the customer service of the company. So if you are a first time buyer of a health insurance, the customer service representatives of the company will be polite and cooperative making an impression that they are good to the customers and they will further tempt you to get their product. A tough scenario is suggested while playing the role of a difficult customer. This will help you find out the true side of the health insurance company
Look Around. Broaden your search among the insurance companies as there are plenty of brokers of specialized health insurance within the area. A faster response with a combination of an efficient and sympathetic agent is expected to deal with you so as to speed up your claims.

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The Reader’s Question

I’ve heard about Tonik Health Insurance. What is it all about?

Mike Reyes

Thank you for this question.

More people nowadays start to be conscious about their health so that they will be able to expand their wealth that they possess. Normally people do not give much importance to the health directives that is normally featured in a health plan, even if a particular health plan existed already for a long period of time already. Times have changed; people noticed and emphasized the health related issues and plans.

Tonik health insurance is a health coverage that is unspoken for and looks after your body, teeth and the eyes. With all the complete facilities and absolutely real services offered to the customers, the Tonik health is what your body needs.

Many people between the age of nineteen and twenty nine are hearty and healthy. They are normally in their pink of health. But at times, misfortune comes in the way of life of a person. You may be asking when things are really going great and everything seems to fall into place and in the right direction, why is it that one needs to experience the negative aspect of life. Misfortune is bound to happen and is even unpredictable. An accident in riding a motor bike or a jump from the bus or tree branch will really change your life.

The unbearable pain that you will suffer from because of the misfortunes encountered will be multiplied if it combines with money shortage. So it is really a good thing to have a health coverage that is reliable that will offer you the adequate and required assistance in this kind of situation.

Tonik health is fervently devoted to offer the finest health coverage to its worldwide clients and consumers. The Tonik health plan covers most laboratory work, requirements involving x-ray and other specialized measures so that the consumers do not have to spend extra for the xrays, blood works, among others. The Tonik plan will cover all its members from the visit to the doctor, medicine prescriptions and hospital admission.

The Tonik plan has a main motive of making the consumer feel satisfied and comfortable in whatever way. While applying for the plan, you will really feel you are taken care of until you are granted the final approval of the plan.

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The Reader’s Question

Where can I find the best options of health insurance for the self-employed that will fit my budget? Kindly give me some tips.

Chiqui Maxwell

Thank you for this question.

People who are self-employed tend to have a bigger and wider scope in terms of income, age and trade. Thereby, there are different ranges of approaches to health insurance for those who have the out-of-the-box thinking and those risk takers as well. You may need to assess the present situation on hand and the future of your business before you would likely choose a health plan. Here are some common circumstances:

* If you are self employed, but you see your future will be changing soon like maybe you will be getting more people as your employees or maybe you anticipate to be working in a bigger organization yourself, a good option for this kind of set up is a temporary policy. These plans are affordable within your budget, and no commitment whatsoever may be done. Remember never use this kind of plan to replace permanent coverage health plan.

* Let us say you are the only one running the show—a one-man or one-woman show. In addition you do not anticipate your number of employees to increase within the near future. The standard individual policy is best suited for this kind of situation. First you have to decide between the indemnity options or the care plan which is managed.

* The next situation for a health insurance is a little bit complicated wherein the self-employed in addition to a few employees, say between 2 and 60 people, would be fitted for a group health insurance plan. And remember the group will greatly benefit from this kind of plan.

* There is also the health insurance for the self-employed who falls, for instance, under the category of a business run by you and your spouse. These kind of special circumstances have to be assessed on a case by case basis.

Question of a Reader:

What are the benefits of giving group health insurance to the employees of a small company?

Bert Mitchell

Thank you for this question.

Many business owners try very hard to give health insurance to their employees even if their business is still small. Looking for a group coverage that is vital and even has a reasonable price may be challenging for them. But there are ways that need to be undertaken to develop the outcome satisfactorily for all the employees and the small business owners.

There is no secret at all that company employees greatly put importance in the benefits derived from health insurance. Various surveys show that workers appreciate the health insurance coverage next to money earnings. If the business owners offer benefits of small group health insurance to its employees, it is much easier to get and maintain the best employees for the company business.

As the owner of a small business group, you may not have for yourself health insurance coverage. Maybe you already got health insurance plan for your family and yourself, but you may get superior rates than if you get coverage individually. In addition, there are many different incentives that are available for your company business employees and even to you if you join in a health insurance plan for a group. For instance, in general businesses may automatically deduct the full premium amount that they pay on the group health plan qualified for it. And by presenting the group health insurance as a component of the total earning package, tax for the payroll may reduce tremendously. Further, your workers may pay their part of the insurance premium with pre-tax dollars. Just ensure that you, as the business owner take into consideration the offered incentives whenever the amount of the health insurance plan is being determined for your staff and yourself.