Health insurance plays a vital role in America. Everyone eventually has some kind of health issue that they need to take care of, and it’s not always going to be cheap. You never know when you face unexpected scenarios or when you might be involved in an accident.
That’s where getting reliable health insurance pays off. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) highly recommends this. It even goes so far as to enforce this for everyone so that no one is left without coverage. Whether you’re a teenager or an adult with a family, above or below the poverty line, you should apply for health insurance through the state exchange program. But how do you know if it’s right for you? There are dozens of companies out there with over 150 health insurance plans.
Here’s a few factors you can take into consideration before applying for health insurance.
Monthly Premiums
Monthly premium is the amount of money or fee you pay every month towards your health insurance. If you have huge health issues, go for a higher premium. If you’re relatively healthy, go for a lower premium.
Deductibles
This is the amount of money you have to pay before the insurance company is willing to pay for you. Go for a higher deductible if you’re healthy and vice versa if you’re prone to getting sick.
Maximum Out-Of-Pocket
This is what you pay towards your own insurance out of your pocket. This is separate from deductibles and can go up to $1500.
Preventive Care Coverage
Check and see if your insurance covers preventive care and how often they cover every year. The frequency of checkups and visits can matter based on your needs.
Prescription Plan
If you take a lot of medication, go for an above-average prescription plan. You should also check whether the insurance covers the medications you’re currently using. There may some plans that don’t cater to your specific medical needs.
In-Network Vs. Out-Of-Network Coverage
In-network plans are usually cheaper and you can get them at discounted rates. Out-Of-Network plans go beyond state boundaries. This can be helpful if you travel around a lot.
Additional Things To Consider
Some other details you should consider before you decide to go for an insurance plan is your income threshold. For low income individuals, you can apply for subsidized plans through open enrollment or through the state exchange.
High-income individuals can also go for low-cost plans through state exchange. But if you have extensive health issues, an exhaustive medical coverage is recommended.
But remember that you actually do have to apply for a plan, since leaving yourself uncovered isn’t allowed under the ACA and you can be fined for that.
Medicare Advantage, often known as Medicare Part C, is a form of medical insurance for people older than 65 years. A bundled health plan called Medicare Advantage offers medical benefits that are as good as Original Medicare (Parts A and B). The plans are an excellent way to simplify your insurance because they frequently cover prescription medication, dental work, and vision care. Read on to find out which providers top the list for Medicare insurance.
Cigna
Cigna provides a wide range of Medicare Advantage plans, including three types of Special Needs Plans for individuals with more complex health needs. It provides telehealth services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Moreover, the myCigna app is available to all.
The extra benefits provided by Cigna are extensive. Some of these include transportation assistance, over-the-counter allowances, health and wellness discount, home-delivered meals, and a program to help people find assistance paying for essential needs, such as housing, food, prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing, and fitness.
All these benefits come at a cost, though, as Cigna can be pricey, even though many of its plans have no or low premiums or deductibles. Higher out-of-pocket maximums of nearly $6,000 are common.
Blue Cross Blue Shield
If you want the stability of a well-established insurance company and the flexibility of a large network of doctors and medical providers, consider Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS). BCBS Medicare Advantage plans are an excellent choice for those who want the freedom to seek care from a diverse range of doctors and medical providers. It can also be especially beneficial for those who require specialized medical care.
Medicare Advantage plans from BCBS are generally more expensive than plans from other providers. However, there are a variety of plans available, and many locations offer $0 plans. The plans with better benefits may cost more than $150 per month. Despite the variety of plans available, most BCBS Medicare Advantage plans provide adequate prescription coverage, and benefits frequently include generic prescriptions without the need to meet a deductible.
Humana
Consider Humana plans if you want comprehensive coverage. The national health care provider serves seniors in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and offers plans with no monthly premiums, physician copays, or specialist copays. Additionally, you gain access to the online MyHumana portal after becoming a member. You can pay your premium, find a doctor, and even find additional information such as a pricing guide on this platform.
In addition to the MyHumana platform, all members have access to the Go365 wellness program. Members can save money on their monthly health insurance premiums by engaging in healthy activities such as working out.
Aetna
With Aetna, it’s simple to obtain the coverage you require. Moreover, you can take advantage of extra benefits, such as prescription home delivery, access to a 24-hour nurse line, and a SilverSneakers workout membership.
Depending on the plan, monthly premiums can be as little as $0. Physician and specialist copays begin at $35 and $50, respectively. HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, and dual special needs plans are among the coverage options that Aetna provides to suit a variety of needs and price ranges. Many plans also provide coverage for extra services, including dental, vision, hearing, lifestyle, and transportation, and some over-the-counter products, such as cold remedies.
When it comes to Medicare Advantage plans, the options continue to expand, so we hope this list of the best companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans is useful to you.
There are companies that work on collecting and maintaining credit information of consumers. These are known as credit reporting agencies (CRAs). There are three such major CRAs in the country, namely Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Apart from these, there are other smaller-scale agencies too that specialize at the job. If you’re worried about “where to get my credit score?,” the larger CRAs are the most reliable bets.
These major CRAs obtain information from companies that you hold business and transactions with. People or companies that lend you money regularly report to these CRAs on your repaying status. There is also detailed information on the amount you are indebted and whether you have ever defaulted on your payments. Aside from the reports obtained from lenders, these companies also tally your general records based on certain other aspects. Some of these aspects are your public records from the local and state judiciary. These include your tax records and bankruptcy information. This information makes up an important chunk of your credit score and its report.
Equifax
Present in 24 countries, Equifax is an agency that offers consumers protection against identity theft and credit fraudulence. They also sell credit reports and credit monitoring assistance to businesses.
Experian
Experian started off in London and is now a trusted agency in 39 different countries. It provides you with a credit score, credit report, and even credit tracker on subscription. The agency uses FICO 8 system of credit score calculation. Experian was a part of Forbes’ “World’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2018.
TransUnion
Based across 30 countries with a database of over 1 billion consumers, TransUnion is another CRA giant. The agency, like the other ones, will provide you with your credit score and your credit reports. In case you decide to freeze your TransUnion credit report, it will also go the extra mile to notify Equifax and Experian, which frankly is a big help especially in case of identity theft and credit fraud.
So, the next time you are sat wondering “where to get my credit score?,” think of these three giants that provide you with an annual credit score and credit report for free once each year. However, if you are looking for more frequent updates, you can subscribe to their services and receive your monthly updates.