Tips to Choosing a Health Insurance

Health is the most important asset in life, we do anything to maintain health is included in the cost anticipate unexpected costs by choosing one health insurance to facilitate the financing.

Whatever your situation, there are a number of resources you can use to locate the right type of health insurance for your budget and needs.

Local Agents

A key step to finding health insurance is to research agents that are right in your own backyard. Insurance agents are typically listed in your local phone book, which makes them quite easy to find. For instance, you can peruse the “insurance” category of your traditional printed Yellow Pages and discover a wide variety of providers. The insurance companies will typically be listed alphabetically, and some will have descriptive ads that spell out the type of insurance products they offer. However, most simply list an address and a phone number you can contact for more information. You can also use the white pages of the local telephone book to search for specific agents—if you already know their individual names. Or if your prefer, you can take advantage of yellowpages.ca to conduct a quick online search for insurance providers.

Online Resources

There are myriad Websites with information about health insurance companies. A popular option is Yahoo! Directory Canada. The database displays numerous listings for Canadian insurance brokerages under the Health Insurance Providers section. The listings are arranged alphabetically and offer a brief description of the types of insurance products available. Yahoo! Directory Canada provides quick click access to the providers’ Websites, as well as their contact phone number.

Another extensive online source for health insurance information is InsuranceCanada.ca. This comprehensive site offers a wealth of information, as well as a directory of providers that deliver online health quotes. The directory section of the site features a range of organizations that offer Web-based information and online quoting for some or all of their health and related products. Many of the products can be purchased online or face-to-face through local representatives, depending on your comfort level. The secure Website allows visitors to shop online for employee, individual (personal/family), or student health insurance all from the convenience of home.

Canadian Insurance Directory also features a broad selection of insurance agents and brokers. The site has nearly 9,500 brokers representing nearly every Canadian province and territory.

Important Things to Keep in Mind

When searching for health insurance, it’s important to keep in mind that some agents sell insurance exclusively for one company. Others act as independent brokers who promote a variety of insurance products from various organizations. Whether agents sell insurance for a single company or multiple providers, you can call them to receive a free rate quote over the phone. Or you can opt to visit their office for a personal consultation.

Prior to contacting an agent or broker, you should evaluate your situation and identify your specific health insurance needs. Be prepared to shop around to ensure you obtain the most appropriate health coverage for you and your family. Steer clear of plans that don’t offer insurance coverage, but provide discounts on the cost of health care services. Here are some other factors to consider as you explore different insurance options:

• Make sure you understand exactly what medical services are covered and whether the policy fits your requirements.
• Know your deductible, the amount you are responsible for before insurance begins paying for services. Likewise, determine what amounts you will be required to pay after you meet the deductible.
• Find out if the plan covers health problems you already have.
• Know which doctors are covered in the provider’s network and how much extra you would have to pay to visit physicians that are not included.

Understanding Health Insurance Terms

When searching for a health insurance plan or after one has already signed up, the plan terms, or descriptions of provisions and coverages can be hard to understand. When one is reviewing the terms they often confusingly say, “What does that mean?”

Help is here! Below is a list of common health insurance coverage terms to help everyone understand more about what their health insurance plan has to offer.
You may also be interested in the Health Insurance Reform Definitions

Deductible
The deductible refers to the amount of money that the insured would need to pay before any benefits from the health insurance policy can be used. This is usually a yearly amount so when the policy starts again, usually after a year, the deductible would be in effect again. Some services, like doctor visits, may be available without meeting the deductible first. Usually there are separate individual deductible amounts and total family deductible amounts.

Co-insurance
This is usually a percentage amount that is the insured's responsibility. A common co-insurance split is 80/20. This means that the insurance company will pay 80% of the procedure and the insured is required to pay the other 20%.

Co-payments
The co-payment is a fixed amount that the insured is required to pay at the time of service. It is usually required for basic doctor visits and when purchasing prescription medications.

Out-of-Pocket
This is the cost one would pay out of their own pocket. An out of pocket expense can refer to how much the co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible is. Also, when the term annual out-of-pocket maximum is used, that is referring to how much the insured would have to pay for the whole year out of their pocket, excluding premiums.

Lifetime Maximum
This is the most amount of money the health insurance policy will pay for the entire life. Pay attention to individual lifetime maximums and family lifetime maximums as they can be different.

Exclusions
The exclusions are the things that the insurance policy will not cover.

Pre-existing Conditions
This is something someone had before obtaining the insurance policy. Some plans will cover pre-existing conditions while others may completely exclude them and, in addition, some health insurance plans will cover pre-existing conditions after a certain time period.

Waiting Period
This is the time one would have to wait until certain health insurance coverages are available.

Coordination of Benefits
If the insured has available two or more sources that would cover payment for certain conditions, such being under a spouse's insurance plan along with their own, the insurance company would not pay double benefits. In this case the health insurance company would coordinate benefits to make sure each plan pays a portion of the service.

Grace Period
This is the amount of time one has to pay their health insurance premium after the original due date and before insurance coverage would be canceled.