Understanding Your Medical Insurance

Posted on: 3 June 2015

Healthcare in the United States can be difficult for most people to understand, and in recent years this hasn't become less complicated. Regardless of where your health insurance comes from, it's important you understand where you can get the best value for your money, and the most effective treatment for what ails you. In turn, this will help you choose the type of insurance plan that's right for you and your family, based on your needs.

Family Practices

Whether you have health management option, a preferred provider network or a point of care plan, few things are more cost effective than visiting your regular doctor. In fact, annual doctor visits are a good way to get checked out for common health issues affecting people your age, who have similar lifestyles. Better still, if you or your children need vaccinations or other preventative care, nearly every health insurance plan available offers 100% coverage for these treatments through your family doctor.

In most cases, a family practitioner is also going to have lower charges for office visits, simply because of the size of the client base. This means that, even if you come in for a check-up due to illness you can expect to pay relatively lower rates for your visit. This may be even lower, depending on the negotiated rates that your insurance carrier has with your physician for particular services.

Urgent Care and Emergency Services

By far the more expensive choices, urgent care services and emergency room visits are not intended to be a replacement for regular medical care. As a result, the care they provide is offered at a premium rate due to the high demand for their time. The reasoning behind these rates amounts to the notion that if you could wait a little longer or make an appointment, you wouldn't be visiting them in the first place.

Unless you're dealing with an emergency medical need, the care you receive at these short-notice providers is roughly the same as that which you'd receive with a family practice. Unfortunately, many people still lack medical insurance or the forethought to address medical issues before they become a serious concern. If you have any form of medical insurance, leave urgent cares and emergency rooms for their intended purpose, such as medical emergencies or times when your primary care physician is unavailable. Even if you lack insurance, a general practice or non-emergency provider is still more cost effective in most situations.

By taking advantage of preventative care services, and reserving urgent care and emergency room services for dire situations you'll find your health care expenses are lower. While doing so will help you avoid paying the premium rates they charge, it's important to keep them in mind when the situation warrants it. For more information on insurance, contact a company like Canopy.