If you are self employed, or without current major medical coverage for yourself or family, you face a big financial decision. Should you gamble right now in good health, and hope you stay healthy? Do you lose medical insurance savings but gain long term security after seeing too many family health members whose health has seriously eroded?
Numerous people are thrilled to save $150.00 a year on home insurance. Others rake in an extra $300 by finding a auto insurer matching their demographics. But the king of insurance savings is the $1,200 or more families can save on buying group health insurance. Millions more people each year qualify for group benefits. Purchasing group health insurance usually require having 10 or more employees. Do not confuse this with a made up "association plan", making people feel they can get group insurance coverage just by paying a membership fee. The major medical coverage way be poor or great depending on the insurers benefits.
So how do you maximize your medical insurance savings? If you are in good health, and are self-employed, have even a small eBay or other business, or are an independent contractor you have a choice. Sometimes purchasing group insurance coverage is the best route. other times individual major medical coverage is wiser. Here is the key factor. How is your current health, and what is your sense of how it will be 5 to 10 years from now. Purchasing group health insurance through your local chamber of commerce could be your answer for medical insurance savings. This is if you currently have medical problems or feel insecure about your future medical history.
With few exceptions, you can join the local Chamber of Commerce, and get health insurance coverage on their group plan. Group Insurance coverage when compared to similar benefit individual major medical coverage is often at least 10% less costly. So if you were quoted $1,000 a month for a family individual major medical coverage, saving 10% equals $1,200.00 annually.
Only with an individual plan is your current health a major issue of cost and insurability. Any major health condition now or in the past will creep out to haunt you. For individual health insurance, you may receive a counteroffer to play 50% to 100% more for the health insurance. Additionally any claims on your health coverage for pre-existing and current health issues will usually not be eligible during the first 180 days. Paying a couple grand out of your own pocket is certainly neither an uncommon or pleasant emergency expense.
Enrolling in the Chamber Of Commerce plan is the route to go if you have current major health problems or pre-existing health conditions. The Chamber plan MUST accept you. And your current and past health flaws are covered in zero to 90 days. All this, and even unhealthy members pay the exact same cost as every other Chamber member.
Now look at the negative side of the group health insurance coverage. A Chamber established for a long time can be bad for you. Now you have numerous members over age 55 with countless health problems. Claims are constantly paid out, forcing rates to rise. Each year the insurer looks at the claims paid versus the benefits paid out. Your rates could zoom upward suddenly and you may be trapped. Certainly, if now you are one of the unhealthy.
Good health chamber members, often opt for individual major medical coverage when rates soar. This causes the insured pool to shrink further down to mainly medically prone members.. For those whose health has declined, they have no way out.. After your health declines, individual health insurance is no longer a viable option. Trapped into skyrocketing Chamber rates are not uncommon. Whenever the nightmare begins, there is one positive note, just be thankful that the government is not managing your important health future. Do you want to wait months to see a specialist?
With so many individual major medical coverage plans offered through a variety of insurance companies you truly need a guide. By this is meant an independent insurance agent representing many different health insurance cariers, with options galore, and rates that differ dramatically. Some provide price sticker shock while another accepting only those currently with excellent medical histories provides medical insurance savings.
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