How to Compare Insurance With More Coverage
If you are diagnosed with a serious or life threatening condition, health insurance helps you reduce the high cost of your care, while also providing rehabilitation and preventative services that can help you stay healthy. Each year when its time to make that critical decision on which plan to enroll in, don’t just go with the status-quo. Plans can change from year to year, and you’ll want to be familiar with any changes or differences between them to make sure you are covered over the life of the policy.
How do I Compare Information About the Insurance Details?
Every insurance plan prepares their list of benefits on a standard form, called a Summary of Benefits and Coverage, which you can use to compare benefits between plans side by side. If you are not presented a full copy of the summary before enrollment, you can find these online or ask the insurer to send one to you. Be organized and take your time. Pay attention to the fine print and read carefully. Don’t be shy if you have questions – asking during open enrollment
can prevent you from being stuck with a plan that doesn’t meet your needs.
Consider Your Own Values, Preferences, and Needs
In addition to total cost, there could be other things that matter to you. For example, you may have a preferred pharmacy or opt to receive prescriptions by mail. Or, you may wish to consider plans that have fewer rules for step therapy or require the use of generics before name brand drugs. If you travel often, you may need a plan with more coverage for out-of-network providers or allow you to see doctors without referrals.
Today,most commercial plans offer essential health benefits which include services for counseling or education for a healthy diet, and help with smoking cessation, alcohol abuse, or depression and some may even offer extra incentives if you participate in prevention activities during the plan year.
