{"id":3453,"date":"2013-02-10T22:30:00","date_gmt":"2013-02-10T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.famifi.com\/oc\/health-plans-101-know-these-4-things-before-you-buy\/"},"modified":"2013-02-10T22:30:00","modified_gmt":"2013-02-10T22:30:00","slug":"health-plans-101-know-these-4-things-before-you-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/self-care\/health-plans-101-know-these-4-things-before-you-buy\/","title":{"rendered":"Health plans 101: Know these 4 things before you buy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sorting through family health insurance options is an arduous but important process. Doing some research before purchasing a plan can save you time, money and frustration when it's time to use your benefits.<\/p>\n

Families looking for a health plan often consider the common plan features such as the doctors and hospitals that are \"in-network,\"? the medical deductible, whether or not office visits and prescriptions are covered with copays and preventive care. But, there are a few things that get overlooked, but shouldn't.<\/p>

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Before choosing your family's health plan, dig a little deeper by reviewing these four characteristics of the company you're considering:<\/p>\n

Stable renewal increases<\/h2>\n

Some companies have unpredictable rate increases each renewal, which can cause frustration, uncertainty and prompt your family to search for a new plan more often. Find a company\u00a0that has predictable, steady rate increases. It's common for health insurance increases to be in the range of 7 percent\u00a0- 9 percent\u00a0per year. But sometimes companies raise them much more, such as a California insurance company<\/a> who proposed a 59 percent\u00a0rate increase in 2011.<\/p>\n

The claims process & service<\/h2>\n

How does the company handle claims? Do they generally pay claims without a fight, or do they pre-deny claims and require the policy owner to prove the claims' legitimacy before it's rightly processed?<\/p>\n

In addition, it's good to know what the company's claims appeal process is and how it works in case you do need to file a claims appeal. A responsible insurance company will outline this process in their plan brochure.<\/p>\n

Customer service<\/h2>\n

Customer service can vary greatly from company to company. If you ever need help with your plan, you'll want to be sure that you can get a hold of your insurance company's customer service department. Be sure they have the drive and resources to help you get answers to your questions and your problem solved.<\/p>\n

Here are a few customer service related questions to ask yourself about the company your family is considering:<\/p>\n