How to Get Affordable Coverage for Health and Individual Insurance
If you’re like the average person, you’re a little
put off by the high rates for health insurance. Health insurance
premiums are the highest they’ve ever been, and still rising.
Because of this, over forty million people in the United States
go without health insurance entirely. This is a dangerous choice,
because no one knows when a medical emergency might strike. Debt
from unpaid medical bills is the biggest cause of personal bankruptcy
in the country. Unlike other kinds of debt, you don’t have
the ability to say no when it comes to medical bills, because
all of these services are required in a medical emergency. Health
insurance is your safety net when disaster strikes. Going without
it is risky at best.
If you don’t have health insurance, or are paying too much
for your existing insurance, you’re probably interested
in finding a lower rate. However, it can be hard to tell which
health insurance is affordable and high quality, and which is
merely cheap. It’s important to know that your insurer will
be there when you need them. If they can’t be counted on
to maintain consistent rates and pay your claims, cheap insurance
isn’t much better than no insurance at all.
Consumer watchdog companies and ratings
boards can help you decide if a given insurance company is worth
your while. You can find some of this information on web sites.
If you’d prefer to
stay off the Internet, you can also ask a professional insurance
broker which companies they would recommend. Brokers don’t
work for any specific company, so they aren’t invested in
promoting one in particular. They’ll be familiar with your
local insurance market and the companies that work in it, as well
as the laws in your state regulating insurance.
If your income is low enough, you
could qualify for state benefits. All states now have free or
low cost insurance for children, and some provide these benefits
to adults as well. If you’re
over 65 or disabled, you can of course get benefits through your
state’s Medicaid office, but other adults may have trouble.
Whether or not you will qualify for free or low cost affordable health insurance through your state or local public health program will depend
on their particular regulations. If you qualify, you could benefit
from significantly reduced rates. Many people who are eligible
for these programs never apply because they either don’t
know about them or falsely believe that they won’t qualify.
To be sure, visit the website of your state insurance board or
talk to them in person about the benefits they might offer. More
affordable insurance can be yours if you’re willing to do
some research and shop around. Be sure to look into the reputation
of any insurance company that you’re thinking of applying
for a policy with. Not all insurance companies are created equal.
You want to be sure that yours is reliable, as well as cheap.