Your Guide to Health Insurance - How to Get and Manage Your Coverage
By Michael Bihari, About.com Guide to Health Insurance
Health insurance is important for you and members of your family. Insurance helps to protect you from high health care costs, especially those related to chronic medical conditions or the need for hospitalization.
- Understanding Your Health Insurance
- Managed Care - HMOs and PPOs
- Will I Be Covered For...?
- Prescription Drug Coverage
Understanding Your Health Insurance
Health insurance can be very confusing. There are many different health plan options and each state has different rules and regulations. Understanding your insurance will help you avoid unexpected costs and hassles.
- Factors to Consider When Selecting a Health Plan
- How to Keep or Find Affordable Health Coverage When Laid Off
Managed Care - HMOs and PPOs
Most Americans with health insurance receive their health care from a managed care plan such as a PPO or HMO. Learn how these plans work and what you need to do to make sure you get the best possible health care without any hassles.
- Understanding Managed Care - HMOs, PPOs, and POS Plans
- HMOs vs. PPOs – Making a Choice
- Getting Health Care Out-of-Network
Will I Be Covered For...?
Depending on your health plan, you may not be covered for certain types of procedures or health conditions. Most health plans only pay for what they define as medically necessary. Before having an elective procedure, make sure that you understand your plan’s benefits.
- Pregnancy Coverage
- Health Insurance When You're at High Risk
- How Much of My Surgery Will My Health Insurance Cover?
- What Elective Surgeries are Covered By Health Insurance?
- What Can I Do If My Health Insurance Doesn't Cover a Test or Procedure?
Prescription Drug Coverage
Prescription drug coverage can be confusing especially if your health plan has a drug formulary that only covers certain medications or requires that you use generics.
Other Types of Insurance
Most Americans have health insurance to cover their basic health needs. However, fewer have or understand the need for dental, vision care, long term care, or disability insurance.
Health Reform
Most members of Congress and much of the general public seem to agree that our health system needs to be improved and that any reform needs to assure that all Americans have access to healthcare through appropriate health insurance coverage.
Health Insurance FAQs
Dr. Mike will answer questions about your health insurance needs. If I don’t have the answer, I will research it for you or provide you with resources that are credible and up to date. If the answer to your question is of interest to other readers, I may post it as a FAQ or in my Blog or newsletter.
