|
Everyone gets ill, needs checkups, and eyes checked, which can be expensive without some type of coverage. Getting the most appropriate insurance coverage is extremely important or else you could be spending much more money than is necessary.
Kinds of Health Insurance
- Accident
- Disability Income
- Medical Expense
- Accidental Death
No matter which insurance you are interested in, here are some pointers:
- Research the company to see if they have a positive record
- the COST verses COVERAGE
- Know what a HMO and a PPO is and the difference
- Understand what, when, and how much is covered
- Know if your physicians are in or out of network.
- Deductibles-- similar to auto, higher deductible means lower premium.
PPO vs HMO
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): HMO's were designed to offer lower health care costs to consumers. It is a program that requires you to use the doctors and hospitals that participate in their "network". You choose a primary physician and then he/she is responsible for referring you to any specialists. Low co-payments and no claim forms for reimbursement are main benefits of an HMO. Some negative aspects are that you MUST use doctors in the network, and getting referrals to specialists can take some time.
PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): In a PPO, you save money by choosing doctors in the network, but coverage is still provided out of the network. You do not need a primary care physician, and you do not need referrals for visits to specialists. Usually there is a deductible that needs to be met before the coverage will cover the rest. Costs are typically higher than HMO's, but you have much more choices in which doctors you are able to see.
Short and Long Term Disability Insurance
Short term disability usually has a waiting period. The waiting period can be up to 14 days. After that period, coverage is provided for no longer than 24 months.
Long term disability's waiting period is several weeks to a few months. Coverage can last for a couple years up to the rest of your life.
CANCER FACT -- Roughly 41.5% of people will get cancer in their lifetime. Obtaining health insurance prior to being diagnosed with cancer is critical. Through awareness, information, and education, we can fight skin cancer, leukemia, lung and breast cancer. Cancer also leads to people committing suicide. Many people don't want to burden their families with enormous medical bills and or do not want to suffer through the treatment process and end up committing suicide.
|
