Approximately 19% of the population of the state of California has no health insurance. This is a serious problem and for someone facing a health crisis, it can mean possible bankruptcy. There are ways to find cheap health insurance in California and a wonderful resource is the Internet.
Almost every health insurance company in California has a website that provides access to no-obligation quotes. In addition, many of these sites offer visitors reading material that is related to health insurance. Reading this before deciding on a policy can be incredibly beneficial in terms of helping the consumer understand the health insurance options that are available to them.
If you are someone who is in fairly good health and you don’t often visit the doctor, a major medical plan may be the best way for you to get cheap health insurance. This is particularly true if you opt to pay for your doctor visits yourself and you take a higher than normal deductible. Most insurance companies will have available a form on their website for potential clients to utilize when requesting a quote. Asking for a quote on major medical will typically yield a low premium rate.
Prescription drug coverage can also be costly so opting not to include this when gathering quotes online can yield lower costs too. This is only an advisable approach for someone in very good health who only takes prescriptions occasionally if they are suffering from an illness. For someone who is on regular medications for an ongoing condition such as a cardiac problem or arthritis, prescription drug coverage should always be purchased.
Another way to cut costs is to purchase a plan that has a limited lifetime benefit. This means that the claimant is restricted to a limit on how much coverage they have over the course of their life. If you have no family history of serious medical problems, a policy like this may be sufficient for your needs.
As with most other states, group health insurance is the best choice for residents of California. Not only does group insurance offer lower rates than individual plans, but the waiting period for treatment of an already existent medical problem with group insurance in California is six months as opposed to the year wait people on a private plan would have to endure.
Unfortunately not everyone in the state is eligible for coverage under an employer sponsored group plan and for them, private health insurance is the choice. Knowing what to look for when comparing low cost health insurance plans is very helpful and can aid anyone in determining which plan is best for them.
Cost is likely to play a huge role in the decision of which health insurance provider is best. This is the reason contacting as many insurance companies as possible for quotes as prices can vary by as much as fifty percent from one company to another. When asking or quotes be prepared to answer some broad health related questions including any serious illnesses you’ve suffered from. Once you do choose an insurance company, you’ll be required to fill out a more detailed health questionnaire.
Also ask about payment arrangements and any service charges you would be responsible for. Some insurance companies prefer to be paid once a year while others will offer a monthly payment arrangement for their customers. It’s advisable to pay with the method that ensures you aren’t charged any fees. This can actually save the average consumer more than a $100 per year.
Each insurance agent you contact should also be asked about the claim filing process. Some insurance companies charge their clients a processing fee for a company representative to fill out a claim form. If this is the case, ask for any available discounts for clients who take on the paperwork themselves. Again, these fees are something you don’t need to pay and not doing so will save you money.