Things Consumers Should Avoid when Buying Health Insurance in Florida

When it comes to buying health insurance in Florida, consumers often tend to skip over things like the amounts of copays or deductibles in favor of more affordable premiums. However, these mistakes can become costly over time. Here are some things to avoid when buying insurance that could help consumers save money.

High Copays

When it comes to purchasing health insurance in Florida, consumers can often choose from different levels of copays in order to raise or lower their premium costs. Though this can be a great way to make coverage in general more affordable, it can be a big mistake—especially for families who visit doctors often. There are other things to consider, as well; these include things such as prescription copays, the costs associated with emergency room visits and more. Over time, if several people are going to the doctor or taking medications, these copays can add up—sometimes even up to hundreds of dollars per month. In this case, a higher premium may actually make more sense.

High Deductibles

Many of the health insurance policies that consumers purchase also come with deductibles, or a certain amount of money that consumers will be required to pay before their coverage ‘kicks in’. In many cases, this deductible hovers at around $1000, but it could be as low as $0 and even as high as $5000, depending on the policy and the coverage selected. Many consumers opt to go with a higher deductible since this comes with a lower premium, but this is not always the best choice. In fact, with higher deductibles, consumers may find themselves paying for the majority of their costs out of pocket each year rather than actually using the plan benefits.

Other Out of Pocket Costs

Aside from copays and deductibles, consumers should also consider that there are some procedures, devices and more that may not be covered under their insurance plans at all. For instance, most cosmetic procedures are not covered unless they are considered reconstructive, such as those that occur after accidents. As another example, it could be that certain medications are simply not covered under the formulary. If these are medications that an individual needs, these would have to be purchased out of pocket—or a separate prescription plan would be necessary.

Network Restrictions

Many consumers are devastated to find that their trusted physicians and hospitals are not covered under their insurance plan’s network. In some cases, individuals may be highly restricted when it comes to the physicians they can and cannot see, and emergency room visits to out-of-network hospitals may not be covered—even in true life-threatening emergencies. Before agreeing to any type of health insurance in Florida, individuals should first ensure that there are options for primary care, maternity care if necessary, hospitals and other facilities—both nearby and across the country. Otherwise, their ability to receive treatment when necessary could be compromised.

When purchasing health insurance in Florida, these are all very important things that should be considered. While saving money is always very important, this needs to be carefully considered along with the quality of healthcare that consumers will receive.