the one best for you. Shop around and ask a lot of questions. To avoid
purchasing a fraudulent health insurance plan, call your state
insurance department and find out whether the insurance agent and
company are licensed in your state. Information about how to contact
your state insurance department can be found on the NAIC Web site,
http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm.
6. If you are 65 years of age or older and will be using Medicare as your
primary health insurance, make sure you understand the different
coverage options available to you. When enrolling, you will need to
decide whether you want traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage
plan. Before purchasing a Medicare Advantage plan, find out which
hospitals and doctors are in-network.
7. When enrolling in Medicare, you might want to consider purchasing a
separate Medicare supplement (Medigap) insurance policy to pay for
medical/hospital expenses and deductibles not covered by Medicare.
Contact Medicare, http://www.medicare.gov, for a list of approved Medicare
supplement (Medigap) insurance providers.
8. When choosing Medicare options, you might also want to consider
enrolling in prescription drug coverage (Medicare Part D), which will
help pay for the cost of medications prescribed by your doctor during
treatment. Keep in mind, if you choose to waive this coverage during
enrollment, but enroll at a later date, you will pay a penalty fee.
9. Be wary of health discount cards. Discount cards are not insurance! If
you are considering the purchase of a health discount card, investigate
whether company is legitimate and whether any complaints
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| SOURCE National Association of Insurance Commissioners Copyright©2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved |