The Important Things Your Health Insurance Policy Must Cover
Health insurance. They aren't dirty words - at least, they don't have to be. If you spend a little time learning how to get the best health insurance you can reap surprising benefits. Every buyer and every insurance company is different, but here are a few general ideas that can apply to almost every health insurance situation:
When considering a health care insurance plan from your employer, be sure to not forget about possible favored doctors and if they will be included in your plan. This is especially important to consider with an OB/GYN, dentist, or long time family doctor. Sometimes it may be more important to pay more for a different plan than to abandon your favorite doctor.
Learn the strict coverage details of your health insurance policy. While your policy may state that it covers emergency visits, some hospitals and doctors charge separately for your care. Your policy may cover the hospital's charges, but not the doctor's. If you are unsure about how your company handles this, call them and ask.
If your looking into personal health insurance some companies will let you take a "free look" or a "test drive" of the coverage. What this means is that you would have a certain amount of time to actually try out the insurance that way you will fully understand the coverage. Within that certain period of time if you are not satisfied you can get a full refund.
In case you do have an emergency medical situation, you need to know exactly where to go. Check the wording of your insurance policy. They might be charging you exponentially more for visiting a hospital or doctor that's not on their predefined list of approved hospitals and doctors. The insurance company will not make an exception for emergencies.
Being part of a larger group works to save you money on coverage, which is why policies cost less when received through your workplace than when you purchase them independently. If you're unemployed or self-employed, consider joining a trade union to take advantage of group health insurance rates.
When you're admitted to a hospital, expect a great deal of documentation from your health insurance company as well as all the other people and groups who may have treated you. Although it can be bewildering, please make the effort to thread your way through the insurance bill details so that you can be completely sure you understand what you were charged for. This way if something was not covered to your satisfaction, you will be able to identify it and call it out to the health insurance company for follow-up.
If you receive a medical bill that seems way to expensive you may be able to negotiate a portion of it away! An office manager is often very reasonable, and if you are able to explain the excessive nature of a bill, he or she may be willing to reduce the price. Mistakes are made, and chances are your bill received an extra charge somewhere that was not warranted more info so ask and you may receive!
Read your health insurance policy carefully before you go out and buy glasses or get your teeth fixed. Most healthcare insurers offer dental as a separate policy, and many do not offer vision insurance at all. Better to know up front whether your vision care is covered than to be greeted with a bill from the eye doctor and not be able to pay it.
Don't wait until you have an emergency to learn what your policy covers and what it doesn't. Even more importantly, don't wait until it's too late to buy insurance at all, and get stuck with crushing medical bills. This article contains tips for making sense of the health insurance system and how it relates to you.
Urgent care centers slammed with patients following Thanksgiving
Urgent care centers in both Mobile and Baldwin Counties were slammed with patients today. Some patients were forced to wait 2 to 5 hours before seeing a doctor.
Many patients told NBC15 they were sick with the flu or waiting to get tested for coronavirus. Dr. Richard Oyler at Compass Urgent Care said it worries him how many people are getting sick at once.
“We are seeing a lot of COVID right now. A lot of people have COVID, suspected that have COVID, or been exposed and want to be tested,” Dr. Oyler said.
Dr. Scott Chavers with Mobile County Health Department said within the next week the pandemic’s impact on Thanksgiving will start reflecting in COVID-19 numbers. He said more than just coronavirus could have spread at the dinner table.
“We are starting the influenza season and we are starting to see numbers increase also We also have a hepatitis-A outbreak in Mobile and it often have similar symptoms as COVID-19,” Dr. Chavers said.
https://mynbc15.com/news/local/urgent-care-centers-slammed-with-patients-following-thanksgiving