What To Ask When Buying Health Insurance? 
There a many questions a consumer should ask when considering their health insurance choices . Some questions will be unique to an individual 's current or anticipated healthcare needs and are difficult to address in this forum . However , in the era of ObamaCare , here are some general questions I think any health insurance buyer should be asking when looking at different health insurance carriers and different health insurance plans . 1 -RRB- Would I qualify for a meaningful subsidy of my health insurance premiums if I purchase health insurance through a Federal or State health insurance marketplace ? 2 -RRB- What is the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum financial exposure I would have under a given policy ? 3 -RRB- Does the policy have copayments for visits to doctors , prescription drugs , urgent care and emergency room visits or are all or some of these commonly used services subject to the policy 's deductible and co-insurance ? 4 -RRB- Are the doctors and hospitals I want to use in-network providers for the health insurance plan I am considering ? 5 -RRB- Are the prescription drugs I am taking covered under the formulary for the health insurance plan I am considering and , if so , what is the level of coverage and will I be subject to step therapy to gain access to a prescription drug I am already using successfully ? 6 -RRB- What coverage , if any , will I have if I choose to go outside of my health plan 's provider network ? 7 -RRB- Are there any geographic service area restrictions to where my coverage applies ? 8 -RRB- Am I required to get a referral froma primary care physician before I can access care from a specialist or receive impatient or outpatient diagnostic services and treatment ? 9 -RRB- How financially stable is the health insurance carrier I am considering ? This is especially important if you are considering enrollment in one of the new Co-Op health plans created under ObamaCare . Obtaining answers to these questions that are satisfactory to you will go a long ways towards assuring that you get the kind of coverage that best suits your needs . Seeking out the guidance of an experienced independent health insurance broker is generally these best way for people to get the answers to these and other questions they might have . Representatives of specific insurance companies can only explain their company 's products to you and , of course , they will think that their company 's plans are the best . The so called , navigators available to help people purchase coverage through the government marketplaces are rarely licensed insurance professionals , have little depth of knowledge in the industry and are generally reading from a script or are providing you generic answers that they have been provided with . 