A Health Insurance Guide For You And The Family

Choosing between health plans is not as easy as it once was. Although there is no one "best" plan, there are some plans that will be better than others for you and your family's health needs. Plans differ, both in how much you have to pay and how easy it is to get the services you need. Although no plan will pay for all the costs associated with your medical care, some plans will cover more than others.

Almost all plans today have ways to reduce unnecessary use of health care—and keep down the costs of health care, too. This may affect how easily you get the care you want, but should not affect how easily you get the care you need.

Plans change from year to year, so you should carefully consider each plan, using the questions outlined in this booklet. If you get health insurance where you work, you should start with your employee benefits office. Its staff should be able to tell you what is covered under the plans available. You can also call plans directly to ask questions.

Health insurance plans are usually described as either indemnity (fee-for-service) or managed care. These types of plans differ in important ways that are described below.

With any health plan, however, there is a basic premium, which is how much you or your employer pay, usually monthly, to buy health insurance coverage. In addition, there are often other payments you must make, which will vary by plan.

In considering any plan, you should try to figure out its total cost to you and your family, especially if someone in the family has a chronic or serious health condition. Indemnity and managed care plans differ in their basic approach.