How to Shop for Invidual Health Insurance

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Title: How to Shop for Invidual Health Insurance

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How to Shop for Invidual Health Insurance

Copyright 2005

If you find yourself in the position of shopping for an

individual health insurance policy, there are certain

things you'll want to keep in mind. Whether you are coming

out of a job that covered you before, or are at the end of

your COBRA benefits, or simply have never had coverage

before there are things you can do to get coverage on

yourself and your loved ones.

The basic thing to know is that if you have a shot a group

health insurance, whether through a job or an association

you're a member of, that is usually much more affordable

than buying individual health insurance on your own. First

you need to figure out your health insurance goals; in

other words, what are you after? If you're young, healthy

as a horse, no dependents and not attempting Mt. Everest

next week, you may want to opt for a policy that covers

only the catastrophes, and cover the rest out-of-pocket.

On the flip side of that, if you're the sole bread winner

with a family to support, the scenario is different.

The basic choices you'll have are Fee-for-Service, Managed

Care Plans, and Association-based health insurance.

Fee-for-service is the traditional indemnity plan, harder

to acquire, more expensive, but usually great coverage.

Managed care plans include most HMO's and PPO's. These

offer lower costs but your choices are somewhat limited.

Another way to get insured is through a group or

association you may already be a member of, such as

professional, religious or trade organizations. Often they

may offer health insurance. It's worth checking out, as

sometimes you can strike gold in this vein.

Things to consider when you're looking for any policy are

what's covered on this plan, how much are the monthly

premiums, what is the yearly out-of-pocket, what is the

deductible, how much are office visits, does it cover

preventative medicine, vision, dental? And I'm sure you can

come up with many of your own. Sit down before you go

shopping and make a list of your needs and wants, and

decide in advance what you're willing to give to get. Be

aware that once you start getting quotes they can vary as

much as 50% for the same person! Remember, you're shopping,

and nobody's making you do anything. If one insurer isn't

cutting it, move on to another. If you're coming at this

cold and have no good recommendations it may be wise to use

a broker who represents several companies, as he or she wil

be more likely to find the best policy for you, as opposed

to selling the company they work for.

Shopping for individual health insurance can be frustrating

and time-consuming, but if you come armed with facts you'll

be able to navigate this highly competitive and

ever-changing field.

About the Author:

is the webmaster at

http://www.health-insurance.giftsforbiz.com, a site geared

toward helping you find great individual health insurance!