Thursday, August 27, 2009

Health Insurance: Some Interesting Advice For You To Read

By Dawn Enstruthe

The world is advancing. As technology improves, more and more medical treatments and methods are being developed. As a result, the costs for health care increases accordingly. This makes health insurance essential. It helps in paying medical bills and provides protection for you and your family in the event of unexpected injuries of illnesses that could be rather costly. Furthermore, those who have health insurance are more likely to get routine care.

You have no way of knowing how your medical bills would be like. There may be a time when they will be low and manageable but during other times, you may have very steep medical bills. You will have peace of mind if you are insured because you know that if such situations arise, you will be protected from most of the costs. You must not wait for your loved one to get sick or injured before you try to buy health insurance.

As mentioned, health insurance increases the chances for one to get regular medical care. It has been shown from studies that health insured individuals are more likely to get a regular doctor. This means that the needed medical attention is provided whenever the situation calls for it.

There are two categories under health insurance, namely, group insurance and individual insurance. Typically, employers provide group insurance for their employees. However, some unions and organizations also offer group health insurance to their members. Aside from medical benefits, group insurance usually includes dental and optical benefits as well. Sometimes, employers make it possible for employees to choose from different plans but some strictly offers a one plan only. With group insurance as an employee benefit, the employer will be responsible for paying a percentage of the premium. As for group insurance from an organization, you will be paying for the premium by yourself but the cost for it is still considerable lower than the conventional rate.

Not all people have access to group insurance, such as those who are self-employed and those whose employers do not offer health insurance. This is why individual insurance is available. As the name suggests, you need not belong to an organization or have an employer to purchase individual insurance. You can get it directly from an insurance provider. Usually, Americans buy health insurance from government health programs such as Medicare.

Obviously, individual insurance is more expensive than group insurance since you pay for the entire premium. Thus, it is important that you spend a lot of time shopping around and comparing different insurance plans to be able to find the best deal which is offered at a price you are willing and able to pay for.

The factors to be considered when choosing a health insurance plan regardless of whether that is an individual or group plan are the following: the premium rates, the coverage and benefits included, access to doctors, access to hospitals, access to emergency care, deductibles, and exclusions.

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