If you are buying a health insurance plan the specific details of the plan are crucial and there a variety of questions which you must ask. Simply looking at the premium you are being asked to pay is insufficient and you need to look at a variety of different things including any limitations, restrictions on where treatment can be received, additional payments and fee requirements, exclusions and one ot two other things.



Here are a few very important things which you should always look at whenever you are purchasing a health insurance plan:





1. What deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses am I going to have to pay? Your premiums are just the start and the vast majority of plans require you to meet your bills up to a certain figure before your insurance kicks in. After that, you will normally also need to make a contribution towards the cost of each medical bill.



2. Are health screenings and medical exams included in the plan? Look carefully to see whether the plan includes cover for routine medical exams including things like breast exams, mammograms and pap smears for women.



3. How are referrals and specialist care treatments handled? Examine the procedures to be followed if you require referral for specialist treatment and whether there are any special provisions for meeting the cost of such treatment.



4. What cover is provided for hospital treatment or emergency care? {Take a good look to see if you will need prior approval for hospital or emergency treatment. It may seem ridiculous but a lot of plans will not allow you to ask for emergency treatment without the prior approval of a specified physician.



5. Is cover provided for prescription drugs? A lot of plans limit the medications which can be prescribed often specifying that listed generic drugs rather than brand name drugs must be prescribed. You also need to look very carefully at what percentage of any cost you will need to meet for drugs.



6. Is vision and dental care provided? A lot of plans do not provide cover for vision and dental care at all while some limit treatment to only routine annual eye and dental checkups.



7. Is psychotherapy, psychiatry and other mental health care cover provided? Not all insurance plans will provide cover for these areas and when cover is provided you need to look very carefully at just what cover is being offered.



8. Is hospital, nursing home and home care covered? It is very important to look at the extent to which cover is provided for care in a nursing home, hospital or at home and whether there is a ceiling on any cover.



9. Is physical therapy and rehabilitation cover given? Illness or accident often leads to a need for physical therapy or rehabilitation and so it is important to examine the extent to which such treatment is covered.



10. Is alternative treatment covered? As a growing number of people are choosing alternative treatments such as the use of holistic treatments or acupuncture you need to check to see whether these are covered if this is an area which you want to make use of.



The premium you will have to pay for your health insurance plan is naturally very important but you have to bear in mind that it is only one small part of the total package you are purchasing.