Choosing health insurance for yourself can be a nightmare these days, but choosing coverage for your entire family? Now that’s a real hassle in today’s world. In a sea of surcharges, exclusions, and varying coverage amounts, how can you choose a quality healthcare plan?
Deciding on insurance plans for you, your spouse, and your children is a complicated endeavor. There are a few key pieces of information to take into consideration that can help, though. Consider these three tips.
- Monthly Premiums Matter
The first aspect to consider is the monthly cost you’ll have to pay in order for everyone to be covered. This can start at around $90 for an employee plan, which makes shopping around a viable option. If your employer is generous, subsidizing the cost so you only have to pay around $45 or $50, then jump on it.
Not every work-related insurance plan covers your entire family, though. Some include you and your dependents, but exclude spouses. While that might not be an issue if your spouse can obtain quality insurance through their place of employment, it is something to consider based on your situation.
Start by gathering a list of plans whose monthly costs you can easily afford. Don’t scrape the ceiling of your monthly budget just to cover your family, either. There are plenty of options out there to choose from.
- Look into Deductibles and Out-of-Pocket Maximums
Now that you have options to suit your monthly budget, the next step is to decide on a high or low deductible plan. Prices vary wildly here, so it pays to pay attention. Some plans might charge $20 for an office visit, while others charge 20%. That’s a big difference!
It is crucial that you look into what areas are covered, and how much coverage is provided. You might find that yearly checkups and vaccinations are incredibly reasonable, but a trip to the psychiatrist in Hoboken (or wherever you live) is outrageous. Take dental, vision, and emergency coverage into consideration, as well. You never know what medical help a child may need, and when.
- What About the Network?
Cost and quality are essential to any healthcare plan, but seeing the doctors you want to see is often made challenging. While most health plans have provisions that will care for your child in an emergency situation away from home, the doctors in your area may end up costing you a fortune if they are not in your network.
If you have a trusted family pediatrician, then find their name on your list of plans and go with the most affordable option. There’s nothing worse than finding out your children can’t go to the one doctor who can convince them to get a shot, but abdominoplasty by Dr. Julio Garcia, MD is fully covered.
Don’t forget to look for other types of doctors in your network as well. Who will your family go to for dental work, eyeglasses, or orthodontics?
Once you’ve taken these three aspects into careful consideration, choosing a quality family healthcare plan will be a much simpler task. There’s a lot to think about and look over, but knowing that you and your loved ones are taken care of in times of need is well worth the effort.
