Most employers offer a health insurance plan to their employees. Since health insurance offers a lot of benefits, most employees opt for it to enjoy the medical benefits. Here are a few things that may help you choose the right health plan.
Out-of-pocket Costs
Nowadays, unlike the past, you can’t sign up for a plan that will cover all of your out-of-pocket costs. Even if you go for the H.M.O plans, you will get the coverage only if you meet a certain deductible.
A high-deductible plan can’t be defined specifically, but it’s a plan that comes with a savings account and a deductible of a minimum of $1,300 or $2,600 for an individual and a family respectively. Aside from this, there are different deductibles that cover your hospital stay, prescriptions or emergency visits.
Moreover, the Affordable Care Act defines how much you will have to pay from your own pocket.
Savings
Based on your paperwork of previous years, you can get a good idea of how much you will have to spend in a medical emergency. For instance, if you can’t afford to pay for minor medical emergencies, a high-deductible plan may not be a good choice for you. In such a situation, you may have to pay for an MRI, or a blood test.
Aside from this, you should think about a health savings account, which may help you offset your out-of-pocket costs. In these accounts, tax-free funds are accumulated. This money will help you in a rainy day. If you are lucky, you may pitch in up to $1000 in your account.
Find out What is Covered
It’s a good idea to figure out the costs that are covered. You won’t have to pay anything from your pocket to bear these costs. The insurance plan will cover costs, such as colonoscopy costs or a flu shot. If you don’t know whether these costs are covered, you should get in touch with the insurance provider.
Save Money
Nowadays, companies are offering quality telemedicine services. These services are included in the health plan or they are offered as an additional benefit. As a matter of fact, these consultations may be a great alternative to an expensive visit to a local doctor or hospital. So, you are going to save a great deal of money down the road. You don’t know when you are going to have a medical emergency.
Be Smart
If you are going to consider a high-deductible plan, make sure you become a smart shopper. This is because your own money will be at stake. If you do some comparisons, you can save a lot as some insurance plans may provide more coverage than the other. Therefore, it’s better to shop around before signing up for a plan.
It won’t be possible to get a definite answer about what a medical emergency going to cost you. Yet, you can find a lot of insurance providers that offer tools on their websites. With these tools, you can find a better option as well.
