With more people losing group insurance coverage and purchasing individual health coverage today, there is sometimes confusion as to how to find the best providers and compare the policies they offer. Fortunately, there are several strategies that will allow you to identify the right providers in your area, and make responsible health insurance comparisons. In most cases, all you need is a telephone and a computer to get all the data you need.
A good place to begin your health insurance comparisons is by contacting local companies that offer this type of insurance to individuals. Independent agents often are licensed to sell more than one type of health insurance, making it very easy to obtain data on several companies through this one resource. One advantage to this approach is that the information on each policy is likely to be already arranged by the agent, allowing you to easily compare all the major points of each of the plans he or she has to offer. This will expedite the comparison considerably, and possibly help you identify one provider that is clearly a better fit than the others.
You can also choose to approach providers directly. Many insurance companies that are licensed to operate within a given jurisdiction have toll-free numbers that potential customers can use to contact them and ask for a quote. By providing some basic information to a customer service representative or an agent, you can quickly get quotes from each of the providers. Make sure to ask the same questions when talking with each of the providers, so you can prepare the health insurance comparisons with greater ease.
There is also the option of going online to perform health insurance comparisons. Using one of the many insurance portal websites, you can enter basic data and receive pricing and general information on a number of health plans that fit your criteria. This one stop shopping for medical coverage is relatively fast, and will usually include at least one or two health care providers you would not have considered otherwise. Alternatively, you can visit websites for each medical insurance company you already know by reputation, confirm they offer individual health coverage, and obtain a quote that is emailed to you, or offered on the site as a downloadable or printable document.
Once you have a chance to review the terms and information provided, take your health insurance comparisons to the next level. Contact the state agency that oversees the function of insurance companies in your jurisdiction. Confirm that each of the providers on your list is currently in good standing and can legally offer coverage in your area.
After speaking with the government agency, contact local business watchdog groups and find out if there is a large number of unresolved complaints logged against any of the companies. This is one aspect of health insurance comparisons that many people overlook. If you find any of the companies on your list have a track record of not honoring terms or failing to live up to their commitments to policy holders in any way, you will know to avoid doing business with that company, and look for coverage elsewhere.
