Healthcare insurance is one of the most important parts of everyone’s life. Finding a new health insurance plan is not an easy task in America because there are many options and hundreds of providers. That’s why we have created a simple guide on how to choose the best health care provider in the USA.
What is Health Insurance?
If we break it down to the simplest term, healthcare insurance covers all the medical bills so that customers don’t have to pay them at the moment. Just like life insurance, it will cover users’ health and provide many benefits such as accidents and emergency care which is too expensive without any insurance. With it, customers can receive the best health care without worrying about the financial part of it. You can visit the official website to know more about Healthcare in the USA.
Types of Healthcare Plans
There are different types of health care plans available in the market and they all work differently and cover a different type of spectrum.
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Exclusive provider organization plans (EPOs)
EPO is more flexible than other plans as they have a network of providers from which users can choose. One of the benefits is, lower out of the pocket cost and it doesn’t require a special referral to get treated. But it has a drawback as well, such as if a customer visits a clinic which is not in their list and if it isn’t an emergency, they have to pay for it on their own.
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Health maintenance organization plans (HMOs)
This is one of the most popular health plans in the market. It has a lower cost and premium compared to other healthcare plans. In this plan, customers need to choose a primary care physician or PCP which will coordinate all their healthcare. If they need to take a new test such as a blood test then they need a referral from their PCP. This process makes it easier for the customer but it makes them limited to providers. If they wish to visit other doctors then they have to pay by themselves.
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High deductible health plans (HDHPs)
As the name mentions deductible, this healthcare plan requires users to pay their deductible beforehand. One of the main benefits of these plans is, the cost is lower and it qualifies the customer for a health savings account. HSA will help with taxation and provide more savings tax deduction as well.
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Point of service plans (POS)
Just like the HMO, this plan also requires a customer to choose a PCP which maintains the healthcare issues. Customers can visit their PCP under any provider without any extra charges. Unlike the HMO, customers can also go out of the network provider but with higher charges. These charges need to be paid first and also to the provider first.
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Preferred provider organization plans (PPOs)
PPO plans have a list provider in the network where customers can visit. The cost of visiting is pre negotiated which makes the plan much cheaper than others. Unlike other plans, a customer doesn’t need a Primary care physician to get any referrals and they can visit out of the network provider with a higher cost.
Compare Healthcare plans
The next step to choose the right health insurance is to compare the plans. Which plans to benefit the most and which is more affordable is one of the most difficult questions. One of the main benefits with providers is that when customers visit in-network providers, the cost is lower and provides better care. On the other hand, out of the network will cost extra out of the pocket.
One of the main advantages of PCP is, if you have a preferred doctor, make sure they are covered under the network so that it will be easier for both doctors and customers as well.
If a customer lives in a rural area or doesn’t have any preferred doctor, go for the large network provider. This way, they have more options and most of the nearby clinics will be under that network provider. Make sure that you find a plan that covers your local doctor otherwise it will be hard to find a clinic and farther they need to visit.
Consider using telemedicine like Frontrow Health to have the convenience and accessibility of virtual healthcare consultations from the comfort of your own home.
Some of the biggest private insurance such as united healthcare provides AARPmedicare which covers more than other plans. They provide dental and other prescription drugs that cover under the AARP medicare at Myaarpmedicare.live. Also, they are one of the biggest healthcare providers for elders and senior citizens and that’s why most people choose Myaarpmedicare for that reason.
Where to Find Health Insurance
Now when we understand the difference between each plan and decide to choose one, it’s time to find the health insurance provider. There is more than one way to find healthcare insurance providers, here is the list.
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Workplace
Most employers in America provide health insurance to their employees. In order to use it, employees need to qualify first for health insurance. Most companies keep the provision based on the years of stay in the company and some just provide the higher end of the job. In this plan, the company pays fully or partially for health insurance and mostly covers the employee and their family. It also covers more than just one type of plan and under the umbrella of company healthcare, employees have the benefit of eye care and even dental as well.
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Insurance agent
If you are not covered in your workplace or want other healthcare insurance, then go for the individual insurance agent. Mostly they provide just one type of plan or from one single company. Insurance brokers provide more options and different kinds of company as well.
For more information about healthcare insurance, customers can visit the official government site for benefits and plans at www.healthcare.gov.
How to choose the best healthcare provider
It’s easier to provide a list of things that need to be considered before choosing health care insurance, here is a list of things customers need to know before confirming a healthcare provider.
- Find the marketplace for healthcare insurance and read about it
- Choose the plan from HMO, PPO, EPO or POS, HDHP and find what you need and which plans covers it
- Make sure to go for a plan that includes your local doctor or preferred doctor in their plan and exclude those plans that don’t.
- Do you want more coverage and lower cost or lower converge and higher out of the pocket cost in your plan?
We hope that this article will provide the necessary information for the customer to choose their healthcare provider. If you need more health regarding health insurance, ask us in the comment section.
