Cheap Health Insurance - What"s Missing?
Everybody wants cheap health insurance, and everybody wants it to be high-quality coverage.
The trouble is that high quality and cheap are two things that don't go together.
Expecting to get good health insurance at a low cost is like expecting to get a lobster dinner for the price of a Big Mac.
We all want health insurance that will cover everything related to maintaining our health.
If we feel sick and want to see a doctor, we'd like to pay a small co-payment of $20 or so, instead of the $100 or more the doctor actually wants.
A brand name prescription may cost $120, but we'd like to get it for $30, or less.
An uncomplicated surgery could cost over $10,000, but we'd be happy with coverage that only charges us a few hundred dollars.
We'd like to be able to see any doctor we want, have no restrictions on the number of tests we get and get full dental and vision as well.
We'd like to have all these benefits and pay less than $200 per month, but the real cost could be four times as much.
Some people have group coverage through their job and have coverage nearly as good and have a low premium deducted from their paycheck.
These people often interpret this as meaning that such low cost plans actually exist.
What they are not taking into account is that their employer is paying most of the costs for them (in lieu of a pay raise).
The reality doesn't hit them until they leave the job and see the bill for their COBRA extension of coverage.
COBRA is the name of the law that allows people to keep their health insurance from their job but the former employer is no longer helping them pay for it.
When we look for cheaper, more affordable health insurance coverage, we need to understand that we will have to give up benefits to keep the monthly premium costs down.
Some cheap health plans will only help with doctor visits while others may only help with hospitalization.
Virtually all of them will have you paying high out-of-pocket costs under certain situations.
When making a buying decision about health insurance you need to ask the agent what you can expect to pay out of your pocket when you buy your medications, get a check up, see a doctor about your flu symptoms, go to an emergency room, have surgery or get admitted to a hospital.
You also need to know that your doctor or local hospital will accept the plan.
When you buy cheap health insurance you are leaving your self unprotected for potentially devastating future costs.
At the very least, you should be aware of the limitations of the plan you choose.
The trouble is that high quality and cheap are two things that don't go together.
Expecting to get good health insurance at a low cost is like expecting to get a lobster dinner for the price of a Big Mac.
We all want health insurance that will cover everything related to maintaining our health.
If we feel sick and want to see a doctor, we'd like to pay a small co-payment of $20 or so, instead of the $100 or more the doctor actually wants.
A brand name prescription may cost $120, but we'd like to get it for $30, or less.
An uncomplicated surgery could cost over $10,000, but we'd be happy with coverage that only charges us a few hundred dollars.
We'd like to be able to see any doctor we want, have no restrictions on the number of tests we get and get full dental and vision as well.
We'd like to have all these benefits and pay less than $200 per month, but the real cost could be four times as much.
Some people have group coverage through their job and have coverage nearly as good and have a low premium deducted from their paycheck.
These people often interpret this as meaning that such low cost plans actually exist.
What they are not taking into account is that their employer is paying most of the costs for them (in lieu of a pay raise).
The reality doesn't hit them until they leave the job and see the bill for their COBRA extension of coverage.
COBRA is the name of the law that allows people to keep their health insurance from their job but the former employer is no longer helping them pay for it.
When we look for cheaper, more affordable health insurance coverage, we need to understand that we will have to give up benefits to keep the monthly premium costs down.
Some cheap health plans will only help with doctor visits while others may only help with hospitalization.
Virtually all of them will have you paying high out-of-pocket costs under certain situations.
When making a buying decision about health insurance you need to ask the agent what you can expect to pay out of your pocket when you buy your medications, get a check up, see a doctor about your flu symptoms, go to an emergency room, have surgery or get admitted to a hospital.
You also need to know that your doctor or local hospital will accept the plan.
When you buy cheap health insurance you are leaving your self unprotected for potentially devastating future costs.
At the very least, you should be aware of the limitations of the plan you choose.
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