7 Common Mistakes People Make When Buying a Medical Insurance

Updated on March 22, 2019

Finding the right health insurance according to your needs and means takes time. Most people rush and end up paying for the wrong insurance. This mistake costs them dearly. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, we are mentioning a few common mistakes people make when buying an insurance policy.

1. Over-Insurance

It can be hard to evaluate how much basic insurance you need. It’s true when you factor the liability insurance. Therefore, you need to reach out to an insurance agent and have a talk about your health and what’s the best insurance plan according to your needs and means. You don’t need an expensive insurance plan if you are young and healthy. But this chances as you age and if your health deteriorates. 

2. Under-Insurance

Another common mistake people make when getting health insurance, but it ends up cost you severely. When you realize the basic insurance is not good enough, you have to mind the maximum amount the insurer is liable to pay if you need it. If you have health insurance, then you have to consider the maximum amount your policy pays. 

Sometimes, a high amount seems good enough. But if you have a severe health issue, then the operating costs will exceed this amount. 

3. Paying for the Wrong Insurance

You might sign up for the wrong basic insurance or too many policies at once. In such a case, you end up spending your money buying policies that have no use to you. If you are young, you don’t need every insurance policy available. You have to understand the policy before you apply for it. If you understand what you are paying for, you won’t be surprised to learn the facts when you file for a claim. 

4. Not Doing Enough Research

When it comes to making a serious financial commitment, you must shop around for a basic insurance policy. You need to do this every few years. This way, you can save money by switching to a new policy. So, you have to review different policies that offer an attractive discount. It won’t take much time to shop around, but doing so will save your skin in the long run. 

5. Miscalculation

A common mistake most people make when it comes to getting insurance is overestimating their means and later facing trouble to pay the subsidies. Yes, there are rules in place which makes health insurance plans easy access to people who qualify for them. But you better mind your income when signing up for insurance. 

Yes, you will be tempted to overestimate your come, but you might consider the fact that your subsidy and actual earing are reconciled as you file federal taxes. Don’t worry, iSelect always provide you with accurate calculations.

In case you have more subsidy help than the one you qualify for, you are going to pay it back in a tax return.

6. Forgetting About Tax Penalty

If you think there is no tax penalty, you are a mistake. Yes, you will be forgiven if you go uninsured. However, we believe this will change with the no tax reform bill. The tax penalty is strong, and you can’t expect it to be rescinded in the near future.

7. Going Uninsured Because You Missed Enrollment

You still have coverage options even if you missed open enrollment.   Medical insurances are available throughout the year. But you have to mind things as short term medical insurance, medical indemnity, and packaged insurance products. They don’t meet the needs of law most of the times. So, it’s possible you get denied if there is something wrong in your medical history. Still, it’s better to have some coverage than nothing. 

+ posts

Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.