8 keys to Choose policy individual health insurance Shopping for health insurance of your own? Here's what to consider

Selection of health insurance is difficult enough to plan the employer, but at least the questions can be sent to someone on staff who knows more than you and will not steer you design The most expensive plan. When shopping for insurance on your own, the choice is much more complex. Most employers offer only one or two health plans as options. On the individual insurance market, you're likely to face dozens. And you're on your own.
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Grappling with the details of the policy are many different individuals can lead to a strong desire to choose one of the sound halfway reasonable. But halfway is not good enough. Hang in there, keep the following eight basic things in mind to cut through the fog of numbers and unfamiliar terminology:

1. Your "must-have." You can not foresee a sudden injury or illness, but you can anticipate a medical need. Not all policies provide coverage under maternity, for example, but it is a clear need to have if you are starting a family.

2. The cost of the basics. Just as it does not make sense to have a luxury car with a monthly payment you can not afford, there is not much point in thinking about a Cadillac insurance policies with higher monthly premiums if your budget can not handle it. It would be more realistic, if you are relatively young and healthy, to choose a policy with a deductible of you have to pay out of pocket, usually over $ 1,000 dollars, before the benefit rock . Your cost base should also higher copays (fixed fee for the office of medical examinations) and coinsurance (sharing the cost of regulation or hospital) to account.

3. Carrier. If you have a doctor primary health care and other professionals like your favorite, make sure they participate in the plan's network. Policies generally include a smaller cost of out-of-network care or not to include it at all.

4. Out-of-maximum. With some plans, there is no limit on the amount you pay out of pocket in the year, no matter how high. Steering clear of the plan without an annual limit. Even for such ceiling, the cost will be insured if the insurer considered medically necessary. And with multiple plans, you may have to continue to make co-payments.

5. Regulations. Any medications prescribed frequently you should be covered. The plan's drug list (formulary ") will show you.

6. Limits on coverage and services annually. Because health care reform, the annual dollar limits on coverage will disappear in 2014, but now, any individual policy you purchased may not be limited to less than $ 750,000. Above that amount, you pay the full cost of care once the insurance has expired. It can be a separate cap on benefits specifically defined, the rehabilitation services, and physician visits.

7. Dependents. If you have children under age 26 without health insurance from an employer, the law allows them to be on your insurance. The policy will also no longer able to exclude children under 19 years of insurance because of pre-existing conditions.

8. Ask for help. You can plow through health insurance policies to individuals is available in your part of the state, no need to provide your name, number or other personal information, in Healthcare.gov, released in the summer of last year by the federal government to provide consumers a tool for finding and comparing policies. Basic information about buying health insurance is also on site. If you need a live person to walk you though the more chaotic, the National Association of Health Insurance name and contact information for agents and local brokers are licensed.

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