Saturday, June 25, 2011

Do You Know The Facts About Your Private Health Insurance Plan?

Not surprisingly, most policy holders probably have never examined their own medical insurance book and generally are not cognizant of all the exclusions and limitations of their plan.  In fact, many individuals will be upset to uncover that they may be required to pay for many treatments.  Health insurance plans differ on what they pay for some visits to the doctor like wellness examinations.

Your private health insurance company presumably sent you a large envelope that contains the information you need to ascertain what are regarded as your out-of-pocket charges versus what they are willing to cover.  If your policy has a deductible, you will need to keep paying until you reach that amount before your co-pay starts.  In addition, many policies have what they consider in-network and out of network benefit tables.  Generally, physicians that are in the network have an agreement in place with the insurance carrier with a fixed fee schedule.  Since out of network health care practitioners are not bound by this contract, your out of pocket expenses will be higher.  For this reason, it is very important to confirm whether or not your doctor is part of your health plan's network. 

The Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides new advantages and benefits to health insurance policy holders.  Some of the adjustments include eliminating the lifetime and most annual benefit restrictions.  In the Past, the insurance carrier determined how much they would pay over a year and/or your lifetime. As soon as you reached the annual or lifetime maximum benefit the insurance carrier would no longer pay for any covered benefits.  Another positive modification is allowing dependents to remain on their parent's health insurance plan until they are 26 years old.  This gives their children the chance to complete college and get start their career without having to worry about locating their own health insurance plan. Recommended preventive services without cost is another feature of the new health care law.  This is a reward for both because the policy holder is assured access to wellness options that allow them to stay healthy long term which reduces the cost for the insurance company.

You need health insurance to protect you and your family from the unexpected.  You need to live healthy so you can make a living for yourself and your family.  Make sure the benefits of your personal health insurance plan addresses your situation.