Sunshine Coast Calling! Affordable and Low Cost Health Insurance for Floridians
If you’re self-employed, have chosen to take an early
retirement, or can’t receive health insurance through your
employer, finding affordable health insurance in Florida can be
a nightmare. Premiums are at record highs with no sign of
dropping. You’re not alone, if you’re having
trouble getting insurance that meets your needs without breaking
the bank. More than forty million Americans are without health
insurance at any time, with unpaid medical bills being the leading
cause of personal bankruptcy. In the past several years,
there’s been a trend of employers cutting benefits, so many
jobs no longer provide the insurance that we used to take for granted. While
we used to be able to assume that a good job would take care of
us, this is no longer the case.
Unlike some other states, Florida has not legislated that insurance
companies can’t discriminate against people with pre-existing
conditions. The law allows companies to turn down individuals
for coverage based on illnesses they may currently be suffering. If
you’re lucky enough to obtain your insurance through your
employer, you will not have this problem, but the self-employed
or those who don’t have jobs that provide that benefit are
at risk. This means that people with pre-existing conditions
will have an even harder time finding acceptable insurance without
having to resort to very expensive high-risk plans. Those
with families can rest a little easier. The state does offer
insurance for uninsured children under the age of nineteen whose
families meet income eligibility requirements.
Start your search for affordable health insurance online. You’ll
have access to a wider variety of providers there, and be able
to easily compare plans. People who are unemployed or employed
without benefits for a short period of time, and are expecting
to remedy the situation soon, may find that a short term policy
will benefit them. These policies are less expensive because
they reimburse a smaller percentage of costs, but can act as a
safety net in emergencies. Beware of low-deductible policies. These
health insurance plans offer a very low deductible, but charge
extra for the privilege. The extra charges can actually cause
you to end up paying more for the plan over the course of the year
than you would with a higher-deductible plan. Unless you
end up in the hospital early in the year, it’s more cost
effective to choose the plan with the lower rates and the higher
deductible.
Once you have a set of plans that you’re considering, have
a professional go over them with you. They can assess your
needs and tell you which plan is most likely to benefit you. Don’t
be tempted to curtail coverage for such things as outpatient hospital
services. These seems like “extras,” but can
cost tens of thousands of dollars. Before using any insurer
based outside Florida, be sure to check with the state insurance
department to make sure that you’ll be protected if the company
tries to raise your premium. Careful shopping
can help you find the most affordable health insurance plan for
your needs.