If you are purchasing health insurance the details of the plan are critical and there various questions which you have to ask. Just considering the premium you are being asked to pay is insufficient and you must look at various different things including any limitations, additional payments and fee requirements, exclusions, restrictions on where treatment can be carried out and a number of other things.Here are a number of very important questions that you must always ask when you are purchasing health insurance:
1. What out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles will I need to pay? Your premiums are just the start and the vast majority of plans require you to meet your bills up to a certain figure before your insurance kicks in. Thereafter, you will usually also need to make a payment towards the cost of each medical bill.
2. Are health screenings and medical exams included in the plan? Look carefully to find out whether or not the plan covers you for routine medical exams including things like mammograms, breast exams and pap smears for women.
3. How are referrals and specialist care treatments handled? Look at the procedures you have to follow if you require referral for specialist treatment and whether or not there are special provisions for meeting the cost of such treatment.
4. What cover is provided for hospital treatment or emergency care? {Take a look to see whether you will need pre-approval for hospital or emergency treatment. It may seem ridiculous but some policies will not permit you to seek emergency treatment without the pre-approval of a designated physician.
5. What cover is provided for prescription medication? Many plans limit the medications which can be prescribed often stating that listed generic drugs rather than brand name drugs must be prescribed. You also need to look very carefully at the percentage of any cost that you will need to meet for medication.
6. Is cover for vision and dental care provided? Many plans do not cover dental and vision care at all while some limit treatment to merely routine annual eye and dental checkups.
7. Is psychiatry, psychotherapy and other mental health care cover provided? Not all insurance plans will provide cover for these areas and when cover is provided you must look very carefully at the extent of the cover being offered.
8. Is hospital, nursing home and home care covered? It is very important to examine the extent to which cover is provided for care in a nursing home, hospital or at home and whether or not there is a limit on any cover.
9. Is physiotherapy and rehabilitation covered? Illness or accident frequently results in a need for physiotherapy or rehabilitation and so it is important to look at the extent to which such treatment is covered.
10. Is alternative care covered? As a growing number of people are choosing alternative care such as the use of holistic treatments or acupuncture you should check to see if these are covered if this is something which you want to make use of.The premium that you will be paying for any health insurance plan is certainly very important but it is merely one element of the total package that you are purchasing
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