The Advantages Of Buying Individual Health Insurance For Your Health Needs
Many people have insurance with the company that they work for, but there are a large number of Americans whose only option is buying individual health insurance. Even companies are beginning to pass a large portion of the cost of insurance on to their employees.
The Kaiser Family Foundation says that the average cost of an individual health plan through the company you work for is $779 for an individual and $3,515 for a family. These prices are a calculated average so it stands to reason that many employees are paying more than that each year.
There is a big difference in price and coverage between insurance agencies, and it pays to look around and get quotes and coverage statements from a number of different health insurance companies before you purchase a policy. Look for non-profit sites that do not charge for their services. You will just need to answer a few questions, click the mouse and wait. They will send you a list of approved companies in your state, their website information and their phone numbers.
Thirteen thousand five hundred dollars is what the average cost for family coverage is per year. The smaller companies, especially, are passing most of that cost on to their employees. Because of that, it might be more cost efficient for a worker to choose a private health plan.
It is a known fact that the price you pay depends on the part of the country you live in. For example, a person who lives in the center portion of the United States might find that it is cheaper to purchase his own health insurance and forego the insurance on his job. On the other hand, a worker in New York City would be more likely to pay less for the insurance on his job than he would with a private policy.
Before a person considers changing from a company health plan to a private health plan there are several things that his company plan offers that he should consider. An individual plan will not include any of these items.
The insurance company that is carried by a private company is obligated to accept every employee for coverage regardless of his health needs. They cannot cancel an employee’s insurance if he becomes ill. The law allows an employee to purchase an 18 month extension on his health insurance if he is laid off.
The company is required by law to waive the waiting period on a new employee if he was covered by insurance in his other job for a longer period than the time of the waiting period. For an example, if an employee worked fifteen months for another company and was covered by their company insurance, and the waiting period at his new job is nine months, then the waiting period is canceled and his entire insurance coverage is effective immediately.
Don’t cancel your company insurance until you are sure that you have been accepted for the individual insurance plan that you applied for. Private insurers have a long list of reasons for refusing coverage, and you may fall within that list. It would not be unusual for a company to deny you coverage.
As with any type of insurance, comparing different companies and the policies that they offer is the smartest thing to do. Make sure you understand exactly what the policy covers and what it doesn’t cover. By doing these two things, you will be able to make the best decision concerning your family’s health needs.
Find your cheap health insurance plan today. Buying individual health insurance should not be something you put off for long. Head online today and shop!
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment