HOW TO FIND AND USE HEALTH INSURANCE

Through both her personal and professional life, DeAnn Friedholm knows all too well how difficult it can be navigating the waters of the health insurance market.

As Director of Health Reform for Consumers Union, the folks behind the popular Consumer Reports publications, DeAnn is familiar with the ins and outs of health insurance and health care delivery in the U.S.

Several years ago, she had to shop for her own health insurance. The prospective insurance company discovered she had had a couple of benign tumors more than a decade before and so denied her coverage because of her preexisting condition.

Just like that, Friedholm had no good option for insurance in case she needed to see a doctor.

Friedholm went without health insurance for a year before landing a job at a large company that provided it. In the meantime, she paid the full doctor’s bill herself and prayed nothing catastrophic would happen.

“We have all kinds of examples of that, where people were denied coverage and couldn’t find anybody to cover them because of something in the past that no longer is a current issue for them,” Friedholm said.

Whether you have a preexisting condition or not, are new to shopping for insurance or trying to figure out what coverage you do have, there are resources to help with this often complicated but important purchase.

First Things First

If you are seeking health insurance, the first thing you should do is figure out what coverage you are eligible for, recommends Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy at Families USA.

Find out if you can gain coverage through your employer or if you can be placed on your spouse’s or parent’s plan. About 55 percent of Americans have an employer-sponsored plan while another 10 percent buy it on their own, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Figure out if your income, age or other factor, such as a disability, makes you eligible for a state or federal health plan. For example, the federal Medicaid program is designated for those with low incomes and children while Medicare covers people over 65 and certain people under 65 with a disability.

Next, consumers should look at how much they will be paying; both for premiums—money paid on a regular basis for health insurance—and through deductibles and co-insurance, which are the amounts insurance companies require you to pay before they cover a portion or the rest. Because everyone has different health needs based on age and health condition, it’s difficult to say overall how much a good plan should cost. “You want to get an idea of what’s available to you in the market,” Fish-Parcham said.

Cost of insurance typically varies from state to state and from region to region as the population by age, race, and sex, the numbers of uninsured and providers, local health care costs, insurance companies and taxes vary.

Additional questions you should ask yourself include: Are prescription drugs covered? Are mental health services included or limited? What is the difference between coverage for out-patient care, like from a doctor’s office, and hospital care or visits to an emergency room?

A common pitfall is choosing the plan that has the lowest deductible without looking at what’s covered under the plan. “That’s a big mistake,” Fish-Parcham said.

Mari Edlin of California is a freelance writer who has shopped for and purchased health insurance on her own for 24 years. She advises that people evaluate their lifestyles and medical histories to figure out what they need in terms of routine doctor’s visits and possible specialty care.

As a 59-year-old who expects to have health problems, she admits to paying high monthly premiums in exchange for lower-cost office visits. For example, recent back surgery, which included a hospital stay, only cost her $100.

“I guess I feel a little content paying a slightly high premium knowing everything else I pay is very small,” Edlin said.

High-deductible plans

If monthly premiums seem to take a big chunk of your paycheck, Tommy Taylor, managing consultant with the health insurance broker Willis, in Texas, suggests considering a high-deductible plan. Deductibles are the money insurance plans require you to pay first before their coverage kicks in. When employer-sponsored health insurance started to become popular in the 50’s and 60’s, deductibles of $50 or $100 were common.  Now, high-deductible plans often have $1,000 to $5,000 deductibles.

Insurance companies offer lower monthly premiums with these higher deductible plans because the policy holder is willing to pay more of their health costs up front. In some cases, such plans might cover routine office visits and prescription drugs with lower co-pays.  Knowing your health condition and how frequently and likely it is that you will need to see a doctor or receive health care services, will influence the package of health coverage, premium and co-payments that work best for your or your family’s situation.

Taylor drafted an example of a plan for someone living in Austin, Texas. Coverage with a $500 deductible would cost a sample individual $603 a month and a family $2,015. That same person could drop their premiums to $330 per person per month with a $3,500 deductible.

“That’s what a majority of our employers provide,” Taylor said. And added that he believes, “What you should be able to do is buy the plan you are comfortable with.”

Resources, Asking for Help

Fortunately, there are several avenues to guide you along the way if you are lost or need help. And it’s never wrong to ask someone if you are confused or need guidance, DeAnn Friedholm said.

Healthcare.gov is the federal government’s website that provides information on finding and using every kind of insurance, including a guide to selecting insurance. Cheryl Fish-Parcham also noted it has a useful tool to compare small group and individual policies by state.

The Consumers Union, like many other patient advocate groups, has created guides to health insurance designed to help people understand and use their health insurance coverage.

Independent agents can also help. “Be sure that they are licensed in your state before you use them,” Fish-Parcham said. State insurance departments are a good place to check for complaints or compliance charges against plans and agents.

Original post by the Center for Advancing Health. Updated by the GW Cancer Institute January 2016.