It’s commonly known that everyone
should have medical insurance but often we fail to look a bit deeper into the
programs we have. Many medical insurance plans are almost unnecessarily
complicated and often the most basic elements can elude us. Before signing up
on a medical insurance plan, understand what you’re accepting in your coverage.
Many Medical Insurance Plans Don’t Have Maternity Care
If you’re lucky enough to be part
of a company and have insurance through your employer, you likely have
maternity care. But self-employed individuals need to examine plans carefully
as most individual or even family plans simply don’t include maternity care.
This means that most of the costs associated with pregnancy and delivery will
either be categorized as other things with your insurance to try and defray the
costs or you’ll be paying outright.
Insurance is finicky about newborns
as well. A baby and mother must be thirty days post delivery to even be
considered on a new insurance plan that is not offered through an employer.
This is due to the high costs of newborns and insurance plans being finicky
about taking on those responsibilities if they can avoid it. If you have a
current insurance plan, the baby will be added to the parent’s plan.
Everyone Has Access to Medical Assistance
It is true that there are
facilities for everyone, and that certain programs exist for those without
health insurance, but at this time, the health system is certainly not fair and
patients are not treated equally across the board. If you have the funds to pay
for high quality treatment including private rooms and prompt attention, you’ll
get it.
If you opt out of health insurance
to save money on monthly premiums, you’ll be in line with everyone else who is
under or not insured should you need care. If you’re facing a prolonged medical
condition, such as cancer, you might not be eligible for treatment without
seeking out special programs or intervention of some kind.
You Can Get Insurance at Any Time
Insurance companies like to hedge
their bets. If you get a job with an employer who offers health care benefits,
you are eligible in most cases for coverage almost immediately, although there
might be limitations on preexisting conditions. If you’ve let your insurance
lapse for more than a few months before seeking a new policy, you might not be
considered a good risk and be denied coverage.
In other cases you’ll be put on a
probationary period with limitations on coverage for up to six months or a
year. It’s important to maintain your insurance and be able to show proof of
coverage without gaps, especially if you have a health condition or an ongoing
need for specialized treatment.
