Health insurance might seem like
a luxury, given today’s
high premiums. Insurance rates are rising to record highs, with
no signs of decreasing. In 2005, the rate of increase was nearly
seven percent – twice the rate of inflation. More than forty
million people in the United States go about their daily life
without health insurance, a risky proposition indeed. Health insurance
is a necessity to keep medical bills from mounting up and taking
over your life. Many people without insurance don’t seek
the medical care they need, because they’re afraid of the
bills they might incur. An emergency room visit can cost thousands
of dollars. An extended hospital stay is even more. With these
kinds of expenses, it’s incredibly important to maintain
health insurance coverage. But what are the best health insurance
plans?
The answer to that question will
vary with your needs. Obviously, the least expensive health
insurance that gives you good coverage is best, but each individual
will have a different budget and different things that they
need covered. Healthy people will, for instance, often need
less coverage than people with pre-existing conditions. In general,
the most dependable health insurance is that which comes through
your employer. It’s usually inexpensive
and purchased from a known and reliable company. The trouble comes
when you can’t get insurance through your job. Maybe your
employer has decided to reduce costs in a competitive economy
by dropping insurance coverage. Maybe you’re self-employed,
only work part time, or have retired before the age of 65, when
state benefits begin to apply. If you can’t get insurance
through an employer, you can look in some other places to try
to find the best plan.
Online research is the quickest way
to get a lot of information about the insurance plans available
to you. People with low incomes may be able to get benefits
through their state insurance board or public health system.
Other people will find that the web pages maintained by insurance
companies and by groups that gather insurance information will
be able to get them fast, easy facts about plans and services.
By entering a little personal information, you can get a personalized
quote sent to you through the web page or via email. This way,
you can get the information you need to compare a lot of plans
and providers to find out just what the best kind of health
insurance is for you. Be sure to check up on the backgrounds
and consumer opinions of the companies that you’re considering.
Cheapest isn’t always best, especially with insurance, where
you want to know that your company is financially stable and able
to take care of you when you submit a claim. Also, ask your state
insurance board what the laws are about insurance in your state,
to find out what your company can and can’t do. A little
bit of careful research can help you find out just what kind of
health insurance will best suit your needs and budget.