If you're getting your own individual health insurance plan, your quote will depend on many factors. You should know what to expect, and what questions to ask.
It's important to be honest when you're getting your quote. Lying won't get you anywhere! Tell them everything that might be important for them to know. Here are some things that will influence your health insurance quote.
Age
In general, the older you are, the more expensive you will be to ensure. If you are over 65, you can definitely expect your health insurance quotes to be higher.
Lifestyle
Smoking will definitely get you higher quotes! There's no doubt about that. If you have any substance abuse issues, that will affect your quote.
You'll be asked lots of other questions about your lifestyle, and it's important to answer them truthfully. Unhealthy habits raise your premiums.
They'll also want to know what prescription drugs you are using, and they may want to know some detailed information about what drugs you've used in the past.
One more thing: they'll ask you your weight. It's a touchy question, but it's their job to ask touchy questions. Obesity is such a huge factor in many illnesses; it's important for them to know.
Pre-existing Conditions
When you're getting your quote, they will always ask you about pre-existing conditions. What does this mean, exactly? From the insurance company's point of view, they want to know what chronic health conditions you have that they may be paying for treating.
For you, a pre-existing condition would mean something that you've sought treatment for in the last five years. Use your common sense. When describing treatment or your medical problems, give them all the details. Don't be vague about it. Every bit of information is important.
What they are mainly looking for is evidence of heart trouble, diabetes, cancer or other major illnesses. But, don't feel like a potential pre-existing condition is unimportant. Come clean and tell them about it.
Money Matters
Your quote should include detailed information about who pays when. This is all that small print you have to sift through. It's a pain, but it's important. You should know what to expect when you go to the doctor.
Each quote will give you a deductible. This is how much you pay when you go to the doctor. The premium is how much you pay the company each month to insure you. Higher premiums mean lower deductibles, and vice versa.
Another factor is "out-of-pocket" costs. This means how much of the remaining balance (after deductibles) you pay. Usually, you have a situation where you pay a small percentage and the insurance company gets the rest. Some plans pay everything, so you don't have any out-of-pocket costs.
In the old days, there were usually only one or two insurance providers in each town. This meant you had little choice; you had to go with whatever they quoted you. Now, this is not the case at all. You can get a quote in minutes over the internet. Now, consumers have the power to shop around. If you don't like the quote you get, keep shopping.
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