7 Tips and Tricks on How to Choose a Health Insurance
Health insurance tips
and tricks - Many things we do not
know, but actually are very important, when choosing the best health insurance
for our family. These seven tips on how to choose the right health insurance.
Since articles on choosing health insurance appear, many
questions come to my email every day. Ask for advice, exchange opinions, vent
and not uncommon criticism. Comment columns also contain fewer expressions of
readers - readers who ask and comment.
This is certainly a remarkable thing. Because initially, the
writing was made as a sharing of my experience (how easy it is) to find a
company with the best health insurance in USA that matches the needs of the
family. The response was amazing.
From here, I came to realize that many problems people face
when choosing health insurance. This is not a user-friendly product like
gadgets, without the need to read the book manual , overnight live can. This is
an insurance product that features and provisions are complex.
I want everybody in USA can choose insurance products that
benefit according to their needs. Not because of the choice of the agent or the
persuasion of a friend, but because it was his choice on the basis of
understanding what his needs.
But, for that, they must know how to choose good.
The findings in the field I summarize, reflect back, and
discuss with friends in insurance, then the point I pour in the seven tips how
to choose the health insurance below.
1. Ask When Healthy
Once I received an email from someone who wanted to insure
his mother who was being treated in ICU a hospital on the outskirts of Jakarta.
He confessed, "I just realized how important the insurance after my mother
was hospitalized".
I replied, "thank you for your awareness. But, my guess
is, it's unlikely that insurance companies will accept your mother's health
insurance plan. My advice, you better take immediate health insurance ".
My email was not answered. Do not know he was disappointed or shocked at the
answer.
In the health insurance known as the provision of '
pre-exisiting condition '. Disease conditions that already exist before you
become a health insurance customer. These existing illnesses are generally not
covered by insurance. Although, under certain circumstances could be insurance
companies would bear it.
The point is simple, ask yourself to insurance, when
healthy. When it hurt, it is very likely that the insurance refused your
application.
Working law in insurance is a law of possibilities. From every
policy issued there is the possibility of a healthy customer, there is the
possibility of sick customers. Where will the customer, sick or not, nobody
knows. Hence, insurance companies can operate and profit.
If the customer received is sick, insurance would be a loss
because the cost of the hospital is greater than the policy premium. So
insurance companies do not want to accept customers who have suffered illness.
They are profit institutions, not social institutions.
So, if you feel the need for health insurance , submit it
now. Do not delay. The sooner, the better because the less likely it is to have
a disease, the more likely it is approved.
2. Ask Young Ages
Growing age, is the risk of illness or death getting higher?
Of course , yes. It's a law of nature.
Insurance companies calculate health insurance premiums
based on the law. Despite the healthy conditions, older people pay more
expensive premiums than younger ones. Age determines the premium rate.
Therefore, submit insurance as early as possible. First, you
save on paying health insurance premiums are cheaper. Second, the risk has been
exposed to smaller diseases when young, so the possibility of acceptable
insurance is greater.
Unfortunately, I see many friends who are young and have
enough income (to pay premiums) are reluctant to take out insurance. The
reason, feel healthy and see insurance as a cost. Do not consider the benefits
of insurance something tangible , which can be seen and enjoyed ( gadget is
tangible ). This is certainly wrong thinking.
3. Do not Cash Plan
A mother once emailed me a health insurance premium offer.
At that time, the premium was half of what I had with the provisions of the
room 1 million per day, while my insurance room rations 800 rb per day. So the
insurance I choose, looks unattractive, the premium is more expensive and the
room rate is lower.
Inquired had a search. I know the reason, the 1 million per
day room mentioned by the mother was a type of insurance called cash plan .
Cash-plan is a type of insurance with benefits based on how long hospitalized.
For example treated 10 days, the insurance replace 1 million times 10 days, ie
10 million. Without seeing how much the actual bill is.
Whereas, a good health insurance is a reimbursement based on
the bill - the cost of care in the hospital. There are room charges, doctor
fees, drug fees, lab fees, operating costs, specialist fees and so on - each of
which has its own ceiling. So with this scheme, it is less likely to have
overplafond that requires us to spend their own pocket to pay additional costs
that are not covered by insurance.
This illustrates how different health insurance benefits are
compared to cash plans.
The cash plan looks cheap with lower premiums. But if we
count well, comparing the premium versus the benefits, the cash plan becomes
expensive.
So cash plan should not be taken? May be taken. But, you
must have a health insurance first to replace based on the details of the
hospital's cost of care. Cash plan should be an additional protection, for
example to replace the lost income (eg entrepreneurs) because they can not work
during hospitalization at the hospital.
4. Terms of
Hospitalization
Initially, I think that anytime hospitalized I can file a
claim to the insurance. In fact not.
There are conditions. The insurer sets out the rules
regarding hospitalization, as follows:
Hospitalization
should be done at the hospital. This means that if the hospitalization in the
clinic, the insurance will not replace it. Make sure with the insurer, what is
a hospital.
How long
hospitalization becomes a requirement. There is a set of 1 day hospitalization
can be claimed, but there is a requirement that at least 2 days of
hospitalization. There are only in the ER (no need to enter the room first) for
a minimum of several hours, it can be claimed for admission into the category
of hospitalization. These requirements should be considered when evaluating
insurance quotes. Ask the agent about the provision of this hospitalization.
5. Family Insurance
For those who are married, health insurance must be for more
than one person. For example, I proposed three family members - parents and
children.
The question is, is it necessary to buy some policies for
each member, or simply buy one policy for all family members? What is the
difference?
Buy one policy is cheaper than buying several policies for
one family. I've checked into some insurance and compare the premiums to be
paid.
This is because health insurance, especially in unit-linked
, is a rider (additional insurance) from the main insurance is life insurance.
By purchasing a separate policy, that means all family members have to buy life
insurance. While it is possible, not all family members need life insurance (eg
only the main breadwinner who needs, child or wife / husband does not need).
Therefore, you are better looking for health insurance that
can bear one policy for one family . There is? There is. I have taken it.
6. Double - Claim
With the government's initiative to launch a national health
insurance program, almost everyone now has health insurance. Even so, many are
not satisfied with the health facility and want to buy additional health
insurance.
On the other hand, the hospital only issued one original
receipt. If so, threatened claims can not be made against additional insurance.
How can I take another insurance if so?
It should not happen if the insurer receives a double-claim.
That means one of the health insurance party is willing to accept the legalized
receipt (not necessarily the original receipt) to pay the claim. This makes the
double-claim process workable.
Although currently only have one insurance, you should
anticipate that there is always the possibility of having another health
insurance. Therefore, select an insurance that can accept double - claim.
7. Pure Insurance
I once read an observer Mutual Fund wrote in his column that
he was 'forced' to choose unit-link health insurance because there was no pure
health insurance. In fact, he already has an investment in Mutual Funds.
In unit link there is a portion of investment, so this
observer who bought unit link health insurance is actually doing waste because
he already has an investment in Mutual Fund . Better money is used to increase
his investment in Mutual Funds.
I'm not saying do not buy unit link. Not at all. Buy a
product that suits your needs, that's my message.
Health insurance tips
and tricks - That is, if you already have an investment, for example in Mutual
funds , gold , property, why need to buy insurance products that have elements
of investment. Better to buy pure health insurance products that have no
investment element.
Pure health insurance premiums are cheaper than unit link
health insurance. Or if the premium is the same, the benefits are greater in
pure health insurance.
The message is clear. Buy products to suit your needs. If it
does not have an investment, buying unit link health insurance is one thing
that can be done.
