Here are some helpful tips how to find affordable health insurance in Santa Monica.
- Shop yearly for your health insurance.
The best time to review your health insurance is at year end, as the deductible start from January 1st and ends December 31st, or when you cancel your plan. If you switch plans in the middle of the year, you will loose the money you already paid towards your deductible even if you switch plans with the same insurance carrier. Switching in the middle of the year makes sense if you find a more affordable plan and you have not used your deductible.
- Avoid using out-of-network doctor
Especially here in the Westside of Los Angeles, many older doctors do not want to deal with insurance. So why do you want to deal with these doctors? Take advantage of your insurance. The carrier has negotiated rates with their network doctors, these rates are very competitive. In the moment you are going out of the insurance network you are loosing this advantage and the carrier will only pay 50 % of their set rates, and not 50 % of the out-of- network doctors. We have in Santa Monica 100’s of qualified in-network doctor, so please take advantage of your insurance plans and check that the new doctor you want to visit is in your network.
- Have Brand Prescription Coverage in your insurance plans
When you shop for an insurance plan please look if you have brand prescription coverage. The insurance plans are more expensive with a brand prescription coverage, but if you are seriously ill, you need this coverage. Unfortunately some of the new plans offer plans with a very high deductible of brand prescription. In individual coverage the deductible is usual $ 500, but now I find plans with a $ 7500 deductible. That means the insurance carrier will only pay for brand prescription after you spent already $ 7500 . Can you afford this ? Cancer medication can be as high as $ 1500- $ 2000 a months. So be prepare and read your plan information carefully.
- Go into higher deductible plans or limited doctor visits
You can save considerable money by going into higher deductible plans, or in plans which allow you to see the doctor for limited visits. This might be especially feasible for healthy individuals, you use the insurance mostly for their regular check-ups. Remember with all new health care plans, preventive care is free of charge.
- Review your out-of-pocket maximum of your insurance plans
Many clients if they first come to me do not understand that after the deductible, a co-insruance applies until the out-of-pocket maximum has been reached. Therefore it is critical especially for family plans to read the out-of-pocket maximum, in many plans it can be as high as $ 15,000.- a year.
- Contact Solidhealthinsurance Services
We are more than happy to assist you, finding the health plan which fits your individual health insurance needs.
Finding affordable health insurance in Santa Monica is best done when consulting a health insurance expert.