Fort Lauderdale Florida Health Insurance

For residents of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, health insurance is an important concern. Sunshine state dwellers love to spend time out in the sun, at the beach and enjoying nature as much as possible. However, both preventative and chronic treatments cost money. Without appropriate health insurance those of you in Fort Lauderdale, FL will find that the costs of medical care and prescriptions will eat up your funds and cause stress that can lead to more illness.

The New York Times recently reported a Harvard study that said that the occurrence of several health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes was twice as high in people who lose their jobs. Of course, many of these folks lost their employee sponsored health insurance at that time too. Even if you still have a stable job, and good health, taking a closer look at your health insurance options is a good idea for several reasons. Here are some tips to help you select the best coverage possible from a reputable Florida health insurance provider.

Fort Lauderdale Private Health Insurance Options

The first reason for investigating private health insurance options is the cost savings. While group plans are often touted as less expensive because the insurer makes a deal at a lower cost with the employer and the providers, there is also a flip side. The healthiest members of any group pool actually pay higher amounts for the risk of the least healthy members. This can include those people with high risk lifestyles like smoking. So, healthy members should look at the costs of private insurance.

Another reason for taking a second look at your current insurance plan is simply that someone else may give you a better deal. In fact, setting a side one day a year to compare offers saves people a lot of money. Finally, chances are that your needs will change from year to year. As people have babies, marry or divorce, and have changing health and medical needs, their health insurance needs change to. It truly pays to be on top of these items.

Cost Saving Advice

Whether you are seeking coverage or looking to compare your current policy with others, you need to be aware of what you can and cannot do to affect the rates you will be offered. While companies will vie for your business, they will also measure your perceived risk of using the coverage and therefore costing them money. The higher risk you show, the higher your premium (the amount you pay monthly or annually to keep your policy current and in effect) will be.

So the first thing you need to look at is any way that you can lower your perceived risk. Obviously there are some things, like your age, that you just can’t do anything about. Here are some risk factors that you can control, as least in some situations.

Smoking- Don’t does it, or stop today. Smokers are seen as high risk and pay higher premiums. One statistic shows that smoking rates in Florida actually went up 21% this past year. Don’t be one of those people.

Your weight- If you are overweight or obese, that is seen as a risk factor. Losing weight affects health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes, so overweight policy holders pay more.

Your lifestyle- Avoid high risk activities. If you sky dive or bungee jump for a hobby, you may not even get covered. If you have a high risk job this will also cost you more.

Your deductible- A deductible is the amount that you have to pay up front every year before your insurer will pay a dime. The good news is that you can get lower monthly premiums if you are willing to pay a higher deductible. But- be careful! If you can’t afford to come up with the $1,000 dollar deductible in an emergency do NOT agree to that amount as your deductible. You’ve got to be able to afford both the deductible and the premium on any policy you sign up for.

What else do you have control over? Well, you do get to choose the insurer and the policy that best suits your needs. By using a quote tool like the one above you can give all the same data one time to a number of insurers that you are interested in. Each will then contact you with a rate quote based on that information. This makes it easy for you to compare their offers. Still, it doesn’t mean you won’t have questions. You should!

Look at these items when comparing rate quotes from the different insurance companies.

  • What is the deductible and premium on the policy?
  • Does this policy cover vision, dental or prescription drugs?
  • Are there any exclusions on the policy?
  • Is everyone in my family covered?
  • Are the needs of children or chronically ill family members covered?
  • Is maternity care covered?
  • Does this company have a good solid rating from auditing groups like Moody’s or A.M. Best?

Compare Ft Lauderdale Health Insurance Quotes

By asking these same questions for each policy you are offered, you will have a much clearer picture of which company and policy is best for your needs. If you still have questions, call the number on this page. The independent agents can give you quality and unbiased advice to help you make an informed choice. You can start this process by putting your zip code into the quote box above. Why not start getting the Fort Lauderdale health insurance quotes you need now? Get started finding Florida health insurance now!