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Evaluating Health Care
Options: What is Your Best Buy?
Use
this worksheet to choose the best plan.
Checkup on Health
Insurance Choices
Today, there are more
types of health insurance, and more choices, than ever before. The
information presented here will help you choose a plan that is right
for you. You may be buying health insurance for the first time, or you
may already have health insurance but want to consider changing plans.
Married or single, children or no children, this information will help
you to find out how to choose a health insurance plan that best meets
your needs and your pocketbook. Definitions of the health insurance
terms used are included in the section called Understanding Health
Insurance Terms.
Worksheet: What Is
Your Best Buy?
It is difficult to
determine exactly what you will spend a year on health care. You do
not know whether you will be sick 6 months from now and need an
operation. Hopefully, you will not. Using this worksheet, you can
begin to make some rough estimates. Much will depend on what service
you need or want, how many people are in your family, your age, and
other factors. Do you need to have your eyes tested this year? Will
you have a mammogram or other cancer screening test? Does your child
need immunizations?
Look at your medical and
insurance records from last year as a guide to what services you might
use this year. Add up the actual costs to you, including premiums.
Estimate what you might spend on your health care in terms of
deductibles, coinsurance and/or copayments, and services that are not
covered.
Compare Policy #1,
Policy #2, and Policy #3 to determine which is the best buy for you.
What is your monthly
premium?
Policy #1
Policy #2
Policy #3
Individual:
Family:
Multiply by 12 for
annual cost:
What is your deductible?
(if there is one)
Individual:
Family:
What is your coinsurance
rate or copayment, if there is one?
(Note if there is a
higher rate for special services, such as outpatient mental health
care.)
Are there any annual
limits fordays or services covered and the amount spent on you?
What is the maximum you
will have to pay out-of-pocket each year?
What is the lifetime
limit, if any, that you will bere imbursed?
Total estimated yearly
cost to you:
Now look at the
checklist of services that are important to you. Is your best buy the
same policy that gives you the most services you need?
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