health insurance

It is absolutely essential for everyone to have some type of health insurance.

Medical care is just too expensive and your health is too important to take a chance with.

We now have treatments for cancer, heart disease, AIDS, diabetes, asthma, and other diseases and afflictions, but they come at a high cost.

Without insurance, your savings can be quickly depleted. Or worse, you may not be able to obtain the care you need.

There are many levels of coverage available; unfortunately, like most things in life, you get what you pay for, and good coverage can be very expensive.

It pays to invest the time to investigate various insurance options, taking into consideration your age, your general health and the health of your family members.

If your employer offers group coverage, consider purchasing a policy. It'll most likely be the least expensive option for you, and usually the premium is deducted from your paycheck.

Health insurance is a calculated risk; can you afford the premiums or are you willing to risk that you would pay less out of pocket for medical expenses in a year than the premiums would cost? Consider carefully.

Getting the Most Benefit From Your Policy

The key to getting the most benefit from your policy is knowing your policy coverage.

Many people don’t actually read the policy and they may not be aware that the policy may pay 100% of certain procedures such as:

* annual physicals
* mammograms
* flu shots
* certain labs tests

The policy plan book will outline for you what procedures are not subject to the deductible or co-pay (your out-of-pocket expense).

Some insurance companies have shifted their emphasis from health insurance to health improvement and maintenance and will pay for the cost of gym membership, nutritional counseling or plans to stop smoking.

If you were trying to lose weight and knew that you could get these services at no cost, wouldn’t you take advantage of them?

If you wanted to quit smoking, wouldn’t it be beneficial to know that you could get the patch for free?

It is very wise to know what services are available to you through your insurance company, and you will only know if you take the time to read through your policy.

Health insurance is an expensive item; take advantage of every aspect of it that you can, not only for yourself but for the members of your family.

By taking full advantage of the free benefits of your health insurance policy, you will be healthier and possibly require fewer visits to your doctor.

Remember, take some time to consider your options, then purchase the best policy you can afford. It just might be one of the most important purchases of your life.

What Happens When I Retire?

Health insurance considerations weigh heavily on the minds of people wanting to retire before Medicare coverage kicks in at age 65. Many people put off retirement simply because the cost of an individual policy is too great on a limited income.

What options do you have if you choose to retire before age 65? Although they are not required to, you may be able to get COBRA-like coverage from your employer.

As an added retirement benefit, your employer may allow you to pick up the premium on your policy; although paying 100% of your premium may initially appear to be an expensive option, purchasing an individual policy apart from a group may be even more costly and not provide you with the level of coverage you previously had.

Some companies are offering basic high-deductible insurance reasonably in the hopes that they will be able to enroll you in Medicare Part C (supplemental insurance) when you retire.

Another option is to budget and save money to cover your anticipated medical costs for the time period between retirement and age 65. If you are in very good health, this may be a viable alternative for you.

Pre-planning for retirement is an important issue; the earlier you start planning, the better. Realizing the Medicare does not pay all of your medical expenses, you should budget money for medical expenses even after retirement.

Knowing that you have good health insurance in the event you get sick can help to put your mind at ease and that can help you live a healthier, happier life.