Your health is one of the most valuable things in your life. But for it, you can’t function normally and lead a happy life. Since it’s so precious, you should somehow secure it. To protect it, many people rely only on the health insurance provided by their employers. It’s one of the easiest methods of obtaining it, and probably the most comfortable one. With this cover, you don’t have to worry about different packages and a monthly premium. Additionally, you can include your family members and protect them in the case of disease or any emergency.
But not everyone decides on this type of coverage. Some people prefer buying individual health insurance on their own. However, before doing that, you should take some steps to choose the best package in 2020, which will protect you in every respect.
Preview the Health Insurance Marketplace
Individual health insurance is coverage that you purchase on your own, on an individual or family basis. To choose the one most suitable for your needs, firstly, you need to preview the Health Insurance Marketplace, which is a kind of exchange where people can find information about health insurance options and also purchase the coverage. But it would help if you remembered that the annual open enrollment is usually from 1st November to 15th December, with the extensions in some states. However, if you missed this date, it’s not the end of the world, because you can always qualify for a 2020 special enrollment period. If you instead consider applying for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP), you can do it any time of year since these packages don’t impose on you any special requirements and enrollment periods.
Before deciding on any insurance package, it’s recommended to compare the prices of monthly premiums and the benefits it gives you. Some of the insurances don’t cover all costs of your treatment or prescription drugs. That’s why focus on the things you are most interested in. If you’re a chronic patient and you regularly take medicines, check if this package can cover it, at least to some extent.
Consider the way of application
Nevertheless, if you don’t want to buy your insurance through the exchange, you can do that directly from an agent or broker. To find and contact these people, you can either enter your ZIP code for a list of local people and organisations or enter your information on the website and wait for the Marketplace-registered agent’s answer. It’s always advisable to do detailed research before deciding on a particular company and its offer. As in the case of the Health Insurance Marketplace, compare all the options before making a final decision.
Ask for help if necessary
If you still aren’t sure what to do, the best idea is just turning to somebody for help.
You can do that through the Marketplace Call Center and ask a customer service representative by phone for advice. That person should give you a hand while reviewing your choices, enrolling, and filling out an application. It’s quite a convenient solution, especially for the elderly who can’t leave their homes. What’s more, you can call them every day, except for certain holidays.
Also, nothing can stop you from visiting an insurance firm in person, where you can discuss all your doubts with an agent. Thanks to a face-to-face conversation with a broker who offers you insurance services, you’ll understand better the health insurance benefits and all the costs you’ll be subjected to.
Apart from that, there are many local help tools available on different websites, where you can leave all necessary information, and a broker will contact you directly.
Complete your enrollment
If you’ve already received all the information and decided whether you prefer using Health Insurance Marketplace or individual agents, now you are ready to complete your enrollment process. Go for a certified enrollment partner’s website where you can fill in the whole application form. Some sites may require you to create an account and log in. All you must do is choose your existing application and pay for your first monthly premium. In case of any doubts about whether your payment has been approved or not, contact your provider. These websites usually have such tabs as “My plans & programs”, where you can check all programs you’ve enrolled so far and change them anytime you want to.
To buy health insurance in 2020, you need to take some steps beforehand. It’s a serious investment usually for your whole life. Thus it should be a well-thought decision, not made on the spur of the moment. You have many options to choose from, so take your time, collect all the necessary information, and when you’re ready- apply for some health insurance program that will meet all your health needs.
Daria Skutecka