Choosing the right kind of health insurance is tough. It’s hard to know what would work best for you.
One thing can certainly be said for the health insurance industry today, and that is they offer a lot of choices for people wanting affordable health insurance. The problem for the end user or consumer is that they may not know what would work the best for them. Interestingly enough, there are no right or wrong answers to the question of what’s best, but there are personal choices, wants and needs.
This is where education and research comes into play.
You need to start with the premise that you really “do” need health insurance, because without it you could wind up filing medical bankruptcy. No one can afford medical care today on their own dime and this is why affordable health insurance is crucial, because the bottom line is that people need insurance to be able to pay for those horrendous expenses.
So what are the choices out there? There are cheap HMO plans floating around, but you get limited access to doctors, plus, they have a reputation for denying more claims than they approve. If you want to access a doctor outside the network, then you need to pay that expense on your own. This would likely make you reconsider paying cheaper premiums for coverage you may not even get later when you make a claim, or if you have to access an out-of-network doctor at your own expense. In the final analysis, while the HMO may be an affordable health insurance option, if it doesn’t pay out when you need it, it really isn’t affordable.
Let’s have a quick look at PPOs. These tend to have more advantages going for them and you have access to a wider choice of doctors. Some people prefer having a greater selection of doctors to choose from, particularly when it comes to needing to see a specialist. Also, with a PPO you may get referrals and you don’t need to report to your primary care doctor; saving a few steps in the medical tango when you need medical care.
Along with the ability to be able to do more things and see more doctors, comes a slightly higher price tag on premiums. This might be OK for you if you prefer having choices. Again, what you choose for your personal health insurance plan and that of family members largely depends on what you prefer and are comfortable with in terms of service being provided for your insurance dollars.
Clelland Green is with Benepath.com, a leader in providing health insurance quotes. Benepath provides individuals, families, and businesses with affordable health insurance quotes in just a few mouse clicks. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.com.
