Finding Affordable Health Care May Get Eaiser

– Major medical health insurance rates have recently remained fairly steady, while comprehensive plans premiums have substantially increased. Also, recent national health care reform changes require many catastrophic plans to include preventive benefits such as routine annual physicals, mammograms; OBGYN visits child wellness visits, and blood pressure screenings for adults.

High deductible medical plans have become increasing popular. Often used in conjunction with individual and family Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), this type of coverage is designed to cover inpatient and outpatient hospital expenses and many other catastrophic items. Premiums are substantially less than many other types of coverage, so the savings can be deposited into an HSA account where current medical expenses can be paid on a tax-favored basis.

Although major medical health insurance rates are relatively low, you are not required to take out an HSA if you have a high-deductible plan. In fact, many low cost medical coverage policies are “stand alone” plans that provide 100% coverage after a deductible has been reached. Usually, the deductible options range from $500 to $20,000. Lifetime limits of benefits that can be paid have been removed, making catastrophic plans more popular than ever.

Consumers now have access to “quote engines” which provide instant online information about the specific type of policy they wish to purchase. Reputable major medical websites offer this feature which allows easy comparisons of the best low cost plans from the top companies.