Medical Insurance and Health Care

Graduation from college: the annual ritual that takes students into adult life and the real world. But with the real world comes responsibility: jobs, taxes, bills… and medical insurance. Yes, medical insurance. This is an important preventive measure, but often underestimated and can easily become part of the last tasks in the to-do list of a recent graduate, especially since most of them enjoy excellent health.

We ask experts Aetna gives some clear answers to common questions about medical insurance. These are the basics and some tips to ease the transition.

Do I need medical insurance?

No doubt. Did you fall while jogging? Do you need an antibiotic? Medical insurance greatly reduces medical costs for payment. In addition, many plans cover preventive medical visits, which helps you stay healthy the rest of the year.But it is not that the plan of my parents still cover me?
Depends. Usually, it only covers up to 23 years old, and only if it is a full time student. The rest of college graduates generally is covered by COBRA plan of government until 36 months, which is very important if you have a waiting period before your coverage starts work on a new job.

Then … How can I get medical insurance?
Generally, employers offer a medical insurance plan as part of a benefits package. It is very important to consult about the benefits before accepting employment. In fact, the benefits justify nearly 30 percent of the cost of an employer to an employee’s compensation. Wages and salaries are only about 70 percent. In some cases, to choose between different types of plans. Determine what is best according to their medical needs and your wallet. If your employer does not offer medical insurance, you should consider purchasing an individual plan. In many states, the website of the Department of Insurance will provide information on options for individual plans.

What health insurance covers exactly?
It really depends on the type of plan you choose. What you should consider is whether your plan will cover or not cover preventive visits (such as annual physicals and visits for healthy women) and the options and vision benefits, dental coverage and prescription plans.

What is the difference between an HMO and a PPO?
HMOs (Maintenance Organizations Health, for its acronym in English) and PPO (Preferred Provider Organizations), which are health benefit plans, provide health benefits options very popular.

Except in emergencies, an HMO generally provides benefits only for services provided by physicians and hospitals. In most HMOs, you choose a primary care physician may issue a written or electronic referral to see specialists (dermatologists, etc..) Network. In general, do not cover doctors or hospitals outside the network.

A PPO also allows you access to a network of participating physicians and hospitals (usually without any remissions). If you need care from one of these network providers, your costs will be lower disbursement. Or you can choose to visit non-participating physicians and hospitals and pay a percentage of the cost of care higher.

What plans are consumer-directed health?
The consumer-directed plans often include a health plan related to a high-deductible health fund or account of health. The account can be used to cancel part or the entire cost of the deductible by payment of covered medical expenses like doctor visits, medications for allergies or glasses. Depending on the fund or account, the remaining money can be saved and used for future medical expenses.

How can parents help?
Emphasize the importance of health insurance, and the consequences and risks of not having it. Talk about the costs associated with health insurance and how a small monthly payment to protect his son from charges for a hospital visit or a sudden illness.

Finally, make sure the new graduate fully understand the basics. Explain from your own experience how insurance works and the range of options available.