What Are Your Health Insurance Options?

By Marcus Sharp

Everyone needs to have health insurance. If you do not have insurance and a family member suffers a serious illness that requires that they need medication for an extended time or to stay in the hospital for an extended time, how long would it take for those medical bills to drain your savings?

To avoid this situation, you should purchase as much health insurance as is affordable to your family. Unfortunately, that amount may be less than you actually need. Medical expenses are rising almost daily. Employees are being asked to pitch in or pay more for their portion of the company health insurance. Insurance companies are pushing you to use their preferred providers and paying less for providers that are out of network.

You may find that you can choose from several kinds of coverage. Before making the choice, you should study the plans and see which is actually best for you.

With the fee for service insurance plan, you get to choose your doctor and the insurance pays all or part of the bill.

With a HMO or Health Maintenance Organization, you pay one monthly fee and are able to visit the doctor's office as needed for a small or no fee. You are restricted to visiting the doctors that are a part of the HMO or you will have to pay the bill yourself.

A preferred provider plan lets you choose your own doctor from a list of providers that have signed a contract with the insurance company. They agree to give the insurance company a discount for your health care. If you see out of network doctors, you will pay more.

If you have been recently laid off or left a job, you may qualify for COBRA which allows you to keep the insurance from your former job for a certain number of months. If you have been recently laid off, the government will reimburse your employer for a portion of the fee for COBRA for up to nine months. - 29969

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