At one time, only a few such as the self employed really had to know much about selecting medical insurance because for many years, the majority of the working population was working in "employee" status and Medical Insurance was a company benefit, and one that had very few choices involved.
Today that benefit is either disappearing or being offered with choices ranging from family plan to PPO to HMO to no participation; choices also include the amount of payroll deduction based on plan choice, and it's a complex situation to decide.. does one opt for the plan with a $500 person/$1000 max deductible which has virtually no payroll deduction, or the plan with the $250/500 but with a $25 per month deduction. Of course those figures are arbitrary for the purpose of the article and cited only as examples.
But there are choices that can and need to be made.. in fact, some times those choices now come down to "where can I get my own insurance... period?" as so many companies have either layed people off or cut the Medical Benefit entirely.
Let's say you are one of those people.. hopefully not, but we need to cut to the chase.
The first thing to see is if a spouse is working, is insurance offered from their employer? Possibly they were not on a family plan, but this is now required.
Usually even with an employer requiring a contribution, a employer provided plan is less costly than going out 100% percent on your own. This should really be checked out. Employer group rates are generally less than an individual getting their own insurance.
But let's say this does not apply. But the principle of bulk or group purchasing does. Your next step is to see if there is a group that you can join that offers group rates. If you are self employed or have your own business, chances are that your business or profession may have a professional or trade organization that offers Medical Insurance through the group.
The writer of this article resides in Pittsburgh, Pa where he has been involved quite indirectly in the construction industry. When we say "quite indirectly" we are talking about being in sales and having a sales business which provides pumps and equipment to contractors. Because of that association, the writer qualified for membership in the local Builder's Association which had pooled its many members to obtain group rates. This is cited in this article because you as a reader may not have an apparent direct connection to a group, but you might qualify through an association as the writer has done. If you need to provide your own medical insurance, by all means check this out.
Are, or were you involved in federal or military service? You may find a group association here.. try your VFW, your TROA, your American Legion. One company that advertises for the self employed is NASE. I've never checked them out, but I do hear advertising.
So let's assume you have found a supplier, regardless of your status. Most suppliers offer a choice of programs ranging from HMO to PPO. What may seem to be the best deal may not be so at all because of length of time to coverage.
BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ON THE PRE-EXISTING CLAUSES. Even if you consider yourself healthy and not under treatment, if you had a past work related physical or other physical and a condition was noted as detected.. but you felt it was not worth pursuing treatment for, and in fact, you are not having a treatment or medication... if it's on the record SOMEwhere and you subsequently have a claim... if it's related to the diagnosis, not only could that claim be denied, but your entire policy voided under the provisions of fraudulent application if you did NOT state a pre- existing condition.
Yes, insurance companies want your money and to have you as a client, but they are there as profit makers first, and if they can find a way to NOT pay you that they are legally entitled to... you won't get a claim paid. You MUST have everything in writing including any exceptions to a precondition. Better to be turned down up front than canceled when you need them.
Lastly, if you can not get or pay for insurance, but have a family with minor children: Many states have programs that will insure your minor children at no or nominal fees. These state programs will not necessarily seek you out and sign you up.. you need to do your research. Do not hesitate to call your county health association or your state insurance commissioner. Someone will know.
We hope that this article, and the fact you probably found it on the Internet will help. Be sure and use Internet tools and search engines and you'll probably find more resources than you ever thought existed. Search terms such as "discounted medical insurance" or disease/condition specific insurance will yield results. don't spend another day unprotected.

About The Author

Joe Leech has been self employed for over 15 years and has had to purchase his own insurance. Now semi retired, he writes articles and ebooks and he offers a full insurance information site at http://medins.ouronlinebusiness.com.