Health Insurance
Health insurance is a continually evolving field. How can an individual expect to understand and navigate through the myriad of regulatory bodies, doctors’ offices, hospitals, and insurance carriers’ policies? Here are four ways you can proactively take control of your care.
Use your insurance carrier’s website. Most carriers offer a website with both public pages containing general information and a secure self-service member’s portal. This portal is available 24/7 to help you find doctors specific to your plan, print temporary cards, provide a broad overview of your benefits, and review your claims. The resources here will not only help you ensure you are making informed decisions, but will also allow you to make sure you are not overpaying for services after the fact. Always compare your bills to the explanations of benefits to ensure claims are filed appropriately and billed in accordance with the insurance package you’ve paid for.
Ask questions beforehand. Once a procedure is done or a service rendered it is often too late. This is your health and your finances, any company involved in meeting your healthcare needs should respect that. Ask your doctor or medical facility if they are contracted in-network with your insurance plan, and if you expect more than an office visit, ask what billing codes will be used. Double check the provider’s network status with your insurance carrier and provide them the billing codes to ensure the service is covered. Learn your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, and know how they work together.
Use your preventative benefits. The old saw is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The truth now is that your Affordable Care Act preventative benefits can be worth several thousand dollars of cure. Early detection cancer screenings, routine labs, and a traditional routine physical examination can pay dividends toward your long-term health and well-being.
Lastly, Contact Us. The agents at Axelrod Insurance Services have decades of combined experience serving the San Diego and the surrounding area. Whether you need an individual health plan tailored to your budget, or a group benefits package tailored to your growth, we can offer guidance that takes care of your liability and your bottom line.