In the market for a California health insurance plan? Here’s information you should know when you go shopping!

And when we say ‘go shopping’ we mean it: Buying an individual/family affordable California health plan has all the features of shopping for any other “big ticket” item and as we all know: Paying for health care in this country is definitely expensive. Just as you would want to know the terminology involved in efficiently buying a house, a car, a boat, so too will you want to know the important terminology that is part and parcel of your California health plan and how these terms can positively or negatively affect your finances if you should suffer an illness or injury at some later point in time.

Beyond knowing the terminology we believe you’ll want to commit yourself to a second major component of the successful shopping process: Exposing yourself to variety. Since there are many different types of plans and premiums for similar plans from different California insurance companies can and do vary by a significant margin for the same applicant, the California health insurance professionals at Vitality would urge you to use the buying power that comes with consulting with Vitality, an independent authorized agency representing an array of insurance companies here in the state. To our way of thinking, variety in the plans and carriers you have under review invariably translates into greater buying power, lower premiums, and more affordable California health plans.

While you can go from company to company and speak to an agent representing each insurance company you contact, working with Vitality is a great “value-add” in the California health insurance process: Our consultation and service to you is always free. Always. Working with a Vitality Health Insurance professional brings variety and freedom of choice to you or to your “virtual doorstep” if you choose to shop for your new health plan via our industry-leading website. You also speed up the shopping process: The wide variety of our plan offerings means you don’t have to spend a lot of time shopping for plans one by one amongst the different health insurance companies. You should also be aware that – by law – the price for a health plan is the same whether you buy it from an agency like Vitality, any other agency, or “direct” from the insurance company: If you find a plan you like, you can rest assured you have found the best price for that plan right here at Vitality!

Here are other topics you’ll want to consider in creating a California health plan strategy designed to meet your unique health care needs:

• Be honest with yourself about projected health care needs: While an HSA-compatible high deductible health plan may have an attractive monthly premium, do you have kids and the local hospital emergency room is like a second home to your active family? Or perhaps saving money in a HSA isn’t really a budget-friendly possibility so you’ll be unable to really take advantage of that feature and offset the possible burden of a higher annual deductible. On the other hand, you’re young, single, healthy, and a HSA-compatible plan really fits the bill for your life here in your late 20’s, early 30’s. Now’s the time to really do an honest self appraisal and start the shopping process from there.
• Think about compromises and trade-offs in pursuit of near term and future savings: Really want that lower monthly premium? Be prepared to accept higher annual deductibles, higher coinsurance and in general higher out-of-pocket expenses moving forward. Conversely, a more conservative approach and the acceptance of a higher premium now can save you serious money down the line. Case in point: You have a choice between a plan with generic-only drug coverage while a second, more expensive, California health plan with generic and brand name drug benefits is also available. You’re not taking any prescription drugs now but later on you may be and the cost of name brand prescription drugs can become a serious financial burden. (If you’re already on a prescription drug for a chronic condition, check the plan formulary and verify whether that plan’s formulary is consumer-friendly to you.)
• Humans get sick. Humans get injured. You may feel at the peak of your physical prowess right now and that’s great! On the other hand, be certain to really look under the hood of that health plan you’re considering buying and pay close attention to the other parts of the plan: What are the costs of hospitalization, lab work, x-rays, emergency room visits, and here again what about those prescription drug benefits? Generic only? Both generic and brand name drugs? Also be aware of the existence of a separate annual deductible for medical and prescription drug benefits.
• As we always do here at Vitality, we are absolute fans of preventive care and maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a great method for holding down your health care costs and consequently your California health insurance costs. Thanks to Health Reform, health plans will now be mandated to include a preventive care module. Be certain to understand just what is contained in that component of your new health plan and please: Use that preventive care! As congress and the President have correctly pointed out, the use of preventive care is key to the avoidance of more serious and more costly health care issues in later life.
• A last but also important consideration: When shopping for a California health plan look long and hard at the strength of network providers of the insurance company whose plan you are considering. Here again, that lower monthly premium may have caught your attention but the quickest way to exceed your health care budget and eliminate any savings you might have reaped with that lower monthly premium is to find yourself using a lot of out-of-network health care services. Work with your Vitality health insurance professional to determine the strength of that insurance company’s network in your community.  And by the way: Think you might be moving from Southern California to Northern California or vice versa in a couple of months? Get the lowdown on the provider network where you’re moving! Finally: Have a doctor you like and trust? Make certain that doctor is in the provider network of the new plan you’re considering.

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this article and we realize that it may be a lot to take in. That’s why it is important to us that you have two venues from which to choose when shopping for a California health insurance plan that is right for you and your family. You have our website which contains a comprehensive amount of information about choosing the right health plan and you also have us – your team of dedicated California health insurance professionals – to provide the in-person, one-on-one consultation that removes apprehension and replaces it with peace of mind. You deserve affordable California health insurance – you deserve Vitality!