Compare Affordable Health Insurance Plans

While shopping for health insurance you should take into consideration your health as well as your financial condition. For instance, an individual of 27 years’ age who are in excellent health may opt for a low premium and high deductible plans such as a Bronze or Silver plan. People of older age having a chronic health condition or regular prescription expenses will find a Gold or Platinum plan best and affordable for them. Though these plans have a higher monthly premium but have lower out-of-pocket expenses for doctors’ visits and hospital stays. A disease or illness is quite unpredictable in life so you need to be prepared for the uncertainties that can adversely affect you financially.

There are several options from where you can buy a cheap and affordable plan exactly as per your health conditions and budget. You can buy a health plan either through HealthCare.gov or through your state's marketplace. Besides, some alternative sites allow you to shop, compare, and buy health insurance. The alternative health insurance portals also sell real, legitimate plans available on the marketplace. However, when shopping for alternative sites, you need to be careful as they also offer several plans that may have attractive low premiums, but might not be excluding pre-existing conditions, or offering no real coverage. As an inform shopper, you should be aware that health plans like short-term plans, cancer plans, or accidental plans are not major medical plans and these plans don't offer the protection that is offered with a marketplace plan.

It is mostly observed that while comparing a health plan, you mostly take into account the monthly premium of the plan, as this is the amount you pay every month to be covered. No doubt, premiums are important but it is just one aspect among the different factors that you should consider while finding a cheap and affordable health plan. You also need to be incredibly vigilant while looking at the plans' deductibles as well as copayments. You should try to understand the copayments not just for the doctor's visit but also for the emergency room and for medications. You need to realize that a plan with a low monthly premium but a higher deductible and copayment could end up costing you more in the end than a plan with a higher monthly premium. Besides, premium, deductible, and copays, you may also check whether the plan has coinsurance or not and what will be your total out-of-pocket maximum per year. The easiest way to compare plans is by checking a summary of benefits and coverage that not only lists plans' features but also lays out coverage amount under different potential scenarios.

Apart from the cost, you should pay attention to the list of doctors and hospitals included in the plan's list. You should make sure that your choice of doctor and hospital is included in your plan's network. The healthcare provider directories are available online both on the exchanges and on the insurance companies’ websites, but you should directly call your doctor and confirm whether they accept the plan you are considering to buy or not. Besides, the doctor, you should check whether hospitals near your home and office are in-network with the plans you are considering or not. When choosing a health insurance plan, it is also important for you to think not just about your known anticipated health care needs but also think about a chronic condition and what will your plan coverage in the case of catastrophic illness. Keeping these factors in mind you will be able to choose the best and affordable plan.