Medical Health Insurance: What You Should Know
August 19, 2010 by Health Mastermind
Filed under health insurance coverage
Medical health insurance is a controversial subject that is on everyone’s mind. The cost is constantly rising and finding the right policy to fit your needs is getting more difficult all the time. The more you know about medical health insurance the easier it will be to find the right coverage for yourself and your family.
Everyone needs insurance because you never know when you’ll get sick or be involved in an accident. Since the cost of health care is also rising steadily, insurance is the only way you can be sure that you can afford the health care needed for you and your family.
With all the changes that take place concerning health care and insurance the only way to get the most out of your plan is by knowing some of the most basic facts surrounding health insurance. A few of these are mentioned below:
• If you’re changing insurance companies and have received treatment for a condition during the transition period or have any medical condition that will require further treatment, this is called a pre-existing condition.
• Most insurance companies will have a waiting period for all pre-existing conditions that can be as short as six months or as long as two years. However, it may be possible to reduce the waiting period if you have not gone without coverage for more than three months and if you provide a letter showing proof of your past insurance company.
• It’s vital that you know what your insurance policy covers. This is changing all the time and some companies are covering conditions that they use to deny payment for. A couple of these include obesity and fibromyalgia.
• Find out if your insurance company requires that any hospital care or stays be pre-approved in order for them to be paid for, with the exception of an emergency. If you don’t get them pre-approved and it’s required, you’ll most likely end up paying for the visit out of pocket.
• When you do visit the hospital with an emergency you’re usually be required by the insurance company to report it within twenty-four hours.
• If you need a procedure that is not covered by your policy, discuss this with your health care provided. It might be possible for them to contact the insurance company and request a waiver that will allow the procedure to be covered.
The more you know about health insurance, what it covers and what is expected from you, the easier it will be to ensure your bills are paid on time and completely covered according to the plan you have. Take some time to review your coverage and learn all you can about it. It would be best to do this before you take out the policy but you can always review it at any time, if it wasn’t done in advance.




