Know What Your Health

Insurance Covers

If you're researching health insurance plans, you should be aware that each policy has its own unique set of benefits. People often make the mistake of assuming that certain features or health coverage exists where it doesn't. These types of erroneous assumptions could 1 day leave you facing insurmountable medical bills.

Read The Fine Print

The ideal personal or family health plan would pay for every health issue that may arise: pregnancy, blood transfusions, sick and well care, minor and major surgery, hospital stays, etc. But the truth is, health insurance benefits typically are limited, and they seldom cover 100% of the costs. That is why it's so important to read the policy's fine print. You've got to know exactly what is and is not covered by your policy.

Although health insurance benefits do vary from policy to policy, 1 thing that most health insurance companies are offering nowadays is something called preventive, or 'well' care. Administrators realize their overall medical costs can decrease significantly when the people they cover get routine medical attention. Staying healthy by getting annual check-ups and regular immunizations often prevent illnesses from developing in the first place. And identifying potential health issues early on, before they become difficult and expensive to treat, saves money as well as lives.

Generally, the types of health insurance benefits that most policies cover in part or in full include: annual physical examinations, emergency/urgent care, laboratory work including blood testing and x-rays, prenatal care, well baby visits, an annual routine eye exam, and most care required during a hospital stay. Some plans even offer discounts on health club facilities and programs to help individuals stop smoking.

Know What's Not Covered

While it's sometimes difficult to determine which health benefits are included by reading the policy, those responsible for putting policies together usually do a very good job of delineating the medical treatments and services that are not covered. This is typically an alphabetical, detailed listing of every type of coverage not included under a policy, from acupuncture to vision correction treatments like Lasik and radial keratoplasty. When selecting a health plan, remember to review this section carefully.

Separate Dental, Vision & Rx Policies

Dental care and vision/eye care beyond an annual eye examination are usually not included in health care plans in the USA. Coverage for these types of services is typically offered in separate plans with separate benefits, separate premiums and separate deductibles. They'll usually have different forms to use and different procedures to follow.

Because of the soaring costs associated with prescription drugs, many insurers have eliminated prescription coverage from their health insurance benefits package. More and more, prescription drug plans are being offered separately in the same manner as dental and vision plans.

Coverage Varies Between States

Finally, several states have developed unique, state-mandated health insurance coverage requirements for their residents. These are usually designed to be consumer-oriented to protect consumers from predatory practices. The coverage requirements are not transferable from 1 state to another, so when a person moves out of state, they lose them (or gain them). That's why it's important to use your correct residential address to ensure that you receive all of the health insurance benefits you're entitled to.