A How To Guide For Buying Individual Health Insurance

It is not uncommon in the United States for people to have health coverage with their job. However, many Americans do not have that option. The only thing they can do is consider buying individual health insurance. In some cases, having insurance with your job, is not the most cost efficient way to go.

The Kaiser Family Foundation says that the average cost of an individual health plan through the company you work for is $779 for an individual and $3,515 for a family. These prices are a calculated average so it stands to reason that many employees are paying more than that each year.

There is a big difference in price and coverage between insurance agencies, and it pays to look around and get quotes and coverage statements from a number of different health insurance companies before you purchase a policy. Look for non-profit sites that do not charge for their services. You will just need to answer a few questions, click the mouse and wait. They will send you a list of approved companies in your state, their website information and their phone numbers.

Thirteen thousand five hundred dollars is what the average cost for family coverage is per year. The smaller companies, especially, are passing most of that cost on to their employees. Because of that, it might be more cost efficient for a worker to choose a private health plan.

It is a known fact that the price you pay depends on the part of the country you live in. For example, a person who lives in the center portion of the United States might find that it is cheaper to purchase his own health insurance and forego the insurance on his job. On the other hand, a worker in New York City would be more likely to pay less for the insurance on his job than he would with a private policy.

Choosing to purchase an individual plan instead of using the health coverage your job offers is a serious decision and needs to be given considerable thought. There are a number of things that company insurance offers that individual plans do not.

All employees, regardless of health problems they may have, are accepted under their job health insurance, and it cannot be canceled in case of a serious illness. It gives the employee the possibility of purchasing extended health coverage for up to eighteen months if he is laid off his job.

The length of time a worker was covered by health insurance in his previous job carries over into his new job and affects the waiting period for health coverage. For example, if a person worked ten months at his previous job, and the insurance at his new job requires a six month waiting period, that period is waived, and his new work insurance takes effect immediately.

Never cancel your job insurance until you know for sure that the new company has decided to insure you. Insurance companies have a number of reasons for refusing insurance to individuals and families. By waiting, your health needs will continue to be covered.

The smartest thing a person can do is to get quotes from different insurance policies and see what the policy covers. Ask questions if any part of the policy is not clear. This will give you the opportunity to make the best possible decision concerning buying individual health insurance.