Low Cost Health Insurance - Oxymoron?

 

Some people would be perplexed to see the word "oxymoron" while reading the article about low cost health insurance. That is not a secret that healthcare costs have been raising over much of the past decade. Not that health care insurance costs 8-9% more. But still many broker groups are ready to offer you hundreds of opportunities to use low cost health insurance services. Just type low cost health insurance in the Google search field.

In general it is quite possible to get lower cost health insurance, but remember one exception "to taste the honey you've got to pay some money." What concerns the online advertising of low cost health insurance, it should be noticed that all these offerings are based on two things: negotiated rates and discounting program.

What is a general discounting program? It is a medical care discount card. Companies that offer the one for an annual fee work in network of medical providers. When you use the card the participants of the network accept a discount. It should be said that the participants of the network are happy to accept the cards because usually they never get full. In most cases you do not use all established prices for services.

Some health care providers establish higher fees because they will be discounted anyway by major insurers as well as Medicaid and Medicare. Those who use a discount card don't have any other insurance. So they have to pay by cash or charge. Moreover, some healthcare providers are ready to provide the usual discounting in exchange for a simple billing arrangement. The question is whether these cards are useful or not? They are useful in such cases as dealing with pharmacies, medical providers and supply companies. If you need to be hospitalized and you have no health insurance it is better for you to negotiate directly with the hospital for the best arrangement. Brokers and companies who offer you low cost health insurance may be able to help you to get the right health insurance plan, but today you trade payment for some payment tomorrow.

How do insurers or brokers work? They did not discover something new; they simply manipulate risk or payment options. So, how can be health insurance lower? There are several ways:

  • High deductible. You need to pay a large amount of money before the health insurance plan begins to cover expenses but you may pay lower monthly premium. High deductible health insurance coverage is a salvation for those people who are healthy and probably won't need much medical care during the year. The only one need is insurance of risk of a major accident or some other hard-to-predict major circumstances.
  • Coverage exclusions. This type of coverage keeps premiums low because the plan doesn't cover services that may be expensive for them, for example, allergy treatment or prescription drugs. But some health plans work for you if you can live with the exclusions.
  • Pre-existing conditions. For a period of time some plans do not cover pre-existing conditions what does not save enough money over the long term. Pre-existing conditions health insurance plans are usually just one cost-saving component of a low cost insurance plan what makes them a viable strategy on the health market.
  • High cost-sharing. This type of coverage reduces the cost of health insurance due to cost-sharing requirements creation. Depending upon the services rendered the plan may require a 40% cost share ($50 to $100). The one will do it instead of requiring a $15 co-pay for a doctor's visit.

    Generally, the healthier you are, the luckier you will be in managing well with a plan that requires less premium payment per month. In case, when you need more serious service you will need to get higher payments health insurance plan. For example, if you have chronic medical conditions it is better for you to choose a health insurance plan very carefully which will be able to provide you with the best benefit for your situation.

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