Things To Know About Your Health Insurance Coverage

iStock/Getty Images

For anyone signing up for health insurance East Islip NY, there are a few key things to know about a policy. You should not simply depend on your doctor's office to know things about your insurance for you. When you are aware of your coverage and limitations, you can better prepare for needed healthcare costs and decide if a policy is right for you.

Deductible

There are often high deductible plans and low deductible plans. If you choose a higher deductible, your monthly cost will be lower, but you will have to pay more out-of-pocket at the doctor's office. A low-deductible plan will cost more monthly, but you will not have as much out-of-pocket cost at each appointment. The low deductible can be more beneficial for people who visit the doctor's office frequently.

In and Out of Network Coverage

You need to find out if you are only insured with doctors who are in-network with your insurance. If so, you will be limited on the providers that you can see, and you will need to make sure that you choose someone who accepts your benefits.

Specialty Policies

Some insurance policies do not automatically come with specialty policies like those for prenatal care or cancer. Be sure that you read the fine print and find out exactly what is covered under your policy.

Many people depend on a doctor's office to find out what benefits are available. However, they deal with hundreds of insurance policies and will likely not have a comprehensive breakdown of your coverage. Therefore, it is important that you are aware of what are covered services and what are not. In this way, you can make more informed decisions about your healthcare. Before signing up for any policy, make sure that you understand what type of coverage your are receiving.