- the dependents that depend on the person and will be included on the policy
- the kind of services to be covered
Before facing a medical emergency it is important to understand some basic aspects of a health insurance, such as:
- Fees: person must know how much he has to pay for the policy per month and if his employer pays a part of it. Frequently workers obtain this policy from the company they work for and it covers the whole family. Companies typically hire collective insurance policies and this decreases the amounts to be paid regularly. The disadvantage for the employees is that they only keep the policy as long as they work for the same company.
- Deductibles: this is the amount paid to doctors by the policyholder before receiving anything from the insurance company. As the amount to be paid by the company increases, the monthly fees become higher as well. A good option is to have a minor deductible in exchange of lower fees, but that should be analyzed in connection with particular needs. This is the way that companies share the costs involved in medical attention with patients.
- Copayments: they are shared payments that the insurance plan requires the people to make each time of visiting a doctor. It is a way for companies to avoid abuses from patients. They are not usually very high but they are high enough to prevent an excess of medical visits.
- Out of pocket expenses: these are the costs that the policyholder must pay in advance before the company pays anything. The deductibles are included in this classification and most of the plans have an annual limit for this. Once the patient pays for the whole sum of the period, it is considered as complete.
- Service coverage: when it comes to coverage patients must be very informed of what the policy covers and what services are considered out of cover. Some plans hired by employers are more generous than the individually hired ones regarding this aspect.
- Auxiliary assistance: a good health plan covers medical visits. However, a very good plan brings benefits regarding chemical discounts for example. Generally dental plans are offered as an extra benefit but they are essential in every medical plan.
