Cost
Perhaps the other elephant in the room when considering your healthcare plan is the cost itself. Nothing has been more the subject of a heated political debate than the actual cost of healthcare. You’ll want to save a pretty penny but remain covered when it comes to all of the essential benefits you’ll need to stay at the top of your form.
A premium is the monthly amount you pay for your healthcare plan. What is the monthly premium that you’ll pay for your plan? Perhaps your employer foots the bill. And if they don't, take into consideration what you can afford to pay each month for the coverage that you need. One way to lower your premium is to make one lump sum payment during the year. Perhaps your plan offers you the opportunity to pay once, twice or even four times a year at a reasonable rate, rather than opting for a monthly sum.
How often are you likely to make a claim on your plan? This is also one of the factors that healthcare providers take into consideration when rounding up all the numbers to determine your premium. Sometimes such factors as age, location and smoking, for instance, may mean the difference between a higher and lower premium.
However, don’t confuse a low premium with an excellent plan. Sometimes the lower your premium is, the more you will pay out of pocket for part of your coverage. Perhaps your plan offers a low premium, but because of that, it doesn’t offer a reasonable prescription plan. Not all doctor visits may be covered under the plan’s umbrella. Suss out which premium will give you the best coverage. Maybe you’ll decide to pay a little more out of pocket for certain things like specialist visits, but will rest assured that the essential routine visits are covered. The higher the premium, the more coverage you’ll have and the less you'll pay out of pocket.