7 Tips for Finding Family Health Insurance

Looking for affordable family health insurance doesn’t have to be a complicated, painful process, regardless of how big or small your family is. A family health insurance plan typically costs less than having separate insurance for each individual. Another advantage is that generally has a higher coverage cap or a lower deductible than an individual plan, making it a more affordable health insurance option. Suffice to say, searching for family medical insurance is decidedly different from individual health plans. Consumers looking for family health insurance may wonder whether a comprehensive plan or indemnity plan is needed. Or, they may want to know where to look for information about family medical insurance. These questions and more are addressed in the following seven family health insurance tips.

Tip 1 – Know where to get family health insurance.

Obtaining family medical insurance quotes can be done in one of two ways:
1) Contact companies directly; many of them have interactive tools on their websites to help users find family health insurance. This is pretty overwhelming.
2) Use a website like GetInsured.com, which streamlines the search by offering quotes from 5-7 different carriers instantly, in one place, for free. These are the same quotes one would get directly from the insurance carrier. Using getinsured.com saves time and gives a broader view of services available, in addition to providing consumers with expert guidance.

Tip 2 – Know your family’s medical history.

To get the best quote possible, details about each person to be covered under the policy must be provided (i.e. age, sex, tobacco use, exercise habits, whether he/she is a college student, medical history, etc.) Collect all this information beforehand to make the quote process quicker and more efficient.

Tip 3 – Know what you need in a family health plan.

It is important to be aware of your family’s unique medical needs:

• Does your family have a primary care physician?
• Do members have regular check-ups and physicals?
• Do they see a specialist?
• Do they have regular medical prescriptions filled?
• Is having more children likely? If so, maternity coverage may be necessary.
• Will family members need additional insurance, such as dental or vision?

Answering these questions will help narrow down the best coverage and options for your family.

Tip 4 – Know your budget.

When supporting a large family, maintaining a budget is essential; that is, balancing the cost of a health plan, with the care that your family needs. For example, low premiums make family health plans more affordable:

• Paying a larger deductible or co-insurance = low monthly premium cost.
• Paying higher co-pay for office visits and prescriptions = low monthly premium cost.

Contact a GetInsured.com licensed insurance agent to put together a custom solution that is within your budget.

Tip 5 – Know what family health plans are available.

Depending on your budget and medical needs, a comprehensive family health plan that covers prescriptions and regular doctor’s visits may be more affordable. Alternatively, an indemnity plan might be a short-term option. Note: an indemnity plan has a lower premium, but it only covers catastrophic medical costs. Most preventative care, such as regular doctor’s visits or prescriptions, is paid out-of-pocket. Be sure to recognize your specific needs.

Tip 6 – Know when to be flexible.

You should seriously consider buying different policies for your family if a family member has a pre-existing condition. Some health insurance companies may be less likely to accept certain pre-existing conditions, which could result in a denial of coverage or a more expensive rate for the whole family.
Ex) The Jones family has five family members. One of the children has a medical condition that is quite costly to maintain. In looking at different quotes from companies, they find that it would be more cost-effective to cover the child with a condition under an individual plan and the rest of the family under another plan.

Tip 7 – Know how to supplement family health insurance.

A family may decide that an accident medical plan is a good solution. This type of plan offers affordable coverage for every day accidents like a broken leg or a fractured shoulder that could result from riding a bike, exercising or even doing chores around the house. The cost is low (approximately $25-$50 per month) and offers up to $10,000 coverage with a low $100 deductible for expenses like X-rays, hospital stays, doctor visits, prescriptions, the emergency room and ambulance transportation. This type of plan is a great way to supplement a major medical policy, especially if it has a high deductible.