Use ratings, your ZIP and our FREE quote tool to analyze health insurance policy offers today!
According to a an article by U.S. News and World Report choosing a health insurance plan by yourself can be complicated and time consuming. It’s a good idea to know what you need for coverage before even starting to search for the best quotes.
Health Insurance Ratings
What should you look for in health insurance ratings? When shopping around you should have a list of must-haves for your coverage. Many health insurance plans do not cover maternity and there’s a reason for it. Having babies is expensive. If you plan on starting a family, make sure your health insurance plan will cover it.
Know what you can afford in health insurance. While there will always be some give and take when it comes to health insurance plans you can only afford what you can afford.
If you want to make sure you have health insurance coverage, figure out where you’re able to sacrifice. Many people will choose a high deductible health insurance plan because they are not likely to use the insurance but still want the peace of mind that comes with having health insurance coverage.
If you’re looking into managed care plans such as HMO health insurance and PPO style health insurance plans it’s important to know what you’re getting in your network. If you have a current provider that you’re not willing to give up, you will need to find a plan that includes your physician in your network.
Make sure you look into the out of pocket maximums or better yet, find a plan that doesn’t have any. In emergencies you could end up paying thousands of dollars. If your policy has a limit on the costs your health insurance company will cover, you’ll end up responsible for the rest of the medical bills.
Health Insurance Rates
What is my health insurance rate based on? Your health insurance rate is based on several factors. The type of health insurance plan you choose will greatly affect your health insurance rate. If you choose a high premium to save money on your deductible and copayments, the rate will of course be higher. On the other hand, if you want to lower your health insurance premium and are willing to exchange it for a higher
Your medical history will also affect your health insurance rate. People who have preexisting conditions are considered riskier to insure.
Age and race or also factors in determining a person’s health insurance rate. While it’s not ideal to be rated on your age or race, statistical analyses done by health insurance companies put people of varying ages and races in different risk brackets.
Your geographic location can also play a part on how high or low your health insurance rate ends up being. Your state and even your county may have varying rates for health insurance. This is why most online websites will ask for your zip code to look up the health insurance rates for your specific geographic location.
Online Health Insurance Quotes
Is an online health insurance quote accurate? In most cases the online rate you get from a website is what you’ll end up receiving for a premium with that company. If you know you have a preexisting health condition or have a medical history that’s less than ideal, you should of course expect a different rate or in some cases a denial.
Finding the Best Health Insurance Rate
Many private health insurance companies will offer you a place to apply right on their website. However, for those who aren’t computer savvy you can always contact different health insurance companies by telephone for quotes or use a health insurance broker to help you with the leg work.
It’s also a good idea to research the insurance company’s financial stability before applying with them. You can do this with A.M. Best. They have a grading system for their companies; anything higher than a B+ is considered good.
To research the best in health insurance rates use the FREE search tool by simply entering your ZIP code!