Many people are still wondering how they can get their own health insurance policy. They have many concerns which http://www.purehealthtips.com/how-to-get-your-own-health-insurance-policy/just leads to more confusion. After all, everyone wants to know any health insurance options available on their policy as well as how they can get the best deal. Nobody wants to pay more than they have to or pay for options which they do not really need.
This confusion becomes more compounded when the individual looking at buying a health insurance policy has family members to deal with. Looking after yourself is one thing, but ensuring that your loved ones are covered also can bring on extra stress. But fear not because there is a lot of help available. Researching your options for health insurance can be as close as the Internet or even asking your friends or neighbors. If you don’t have a computer to do your research, you can always go to the Yellow Pages and look under insurance. The key is NOT to be afraid to ask questions.
If you are already working for an employer, most companies already provide health insurance for you. In many instances, the larger the company the more coverage you probably have. Because a company would need health insurance for a number of employees, they would most likely use a “group” health insurance plan.
By covering a large group of employees on one plan, the employer would pay less for their monthly premium. A group health insurance plan can cover just the employee or even their spouse and other family members. Premiums may increase somewhat for each family member in the plan, but it is nominal in comparison to other plans. All group plans differ, so if you do work for a company with a group health insurance policy in place, talk to your supervisor and ask for specifics. In most cases, an employee pack is already provided upon hiring of the individual in question.
Although in many circumstances you are able to obtain health insurance coverage through your employer at anytime, some benefits may not be available until you have been working for that company for a specified amount of time. One type of coverage I was not able to get from my employer until working there for six months was for my eye glasses. As eye glasses typically can cost well over $500.00, employers want to be certain that you have worked for them for awhile.
Although Canada differs in their health insurance laws, the United States
inacted the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act” (COBRA)in 1986. This COBRA Act basically helps workers who lose their health insurance benefits from their employer for whatever reason. The health benefits may be lost due to job termination, changes in careers, reduced working hours, divorce, or death of the employee. Check the above link for more information.
So, if you leave your current employer who has qualified you for their group health insurance plan and have not found any other coverage, the COBRA law is there to protect you by giving you the right to continue your group health benefits provided by the employer’s group health plan.
Now, this is all fine if you have a job where the company you work for provides you with a good group health insurance plan. But, what if you work from own and are your own boss? What if your employer doesn’t have proper coverage for you or, if they do provide a group plan, you are unable to participate in it? Believe it or not, millions of people in the United States are in this situation. What do you do?
Another option is to look for health insurance companies that offer individual plans for those people who either can’t get coverage through their employer, who are self-employed, or are ineligible for government health insurance assistance.
The major disadvantage of an individual health insurance plan compared to company group health plans is the expense. Group plans are much cheaper than individual health plans.
Virtually all health insurance companies can offer you individual plans. When researching companies, make a list of all terms, conditions, available options and, most of all, the amount of premium you would have to pay. If you decide to do research online, don’t forget that some health insurance company’s web sites let you compare their pricing options and other details with their competitors.
In certain circumstances you may also be eligible for federal health assistance. Senior citizens in the United States that are over the age of 65 would qualify for Medicare. Others under 65 may still qualify if they are disabled. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also has more information should you be interested.
Different from “Medicare”, Medicaid is also available for individuals in the United States and their families that have low income. If assistance from the U.S. federal government is what you think you need and can’t afford your own health insurance plan than check out the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
How to get your own health insurance policy is not a hard question to answer. What is harder is to ask the question in the first place. Don’t be afraid and do what you need to do to protect yourself and your family from any unforeseen and unfortunate health issues that may arise in the future. After doing some preliminary research and you find a professional in the health insurance industry, speak with them and ask questions. Your health insurance plan is only a phone call away.
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