Online Individual/Family Health &Dental Applications   

 WA State

1. Medical Insurance  is expensive but having none costs more.

There are smart ways to save money on Washington medical insurance, but avoiding coverage isn't one of them.  Medical insurance bills from even a small  car accident can ruin  your savings - an  illness  or injury requiring a hospital stay can push you into bankruptcy.

2. If your Washington state employer sponsors a medical insurance plan for employees,  go for it.

Washington group medical insurance coverage, especially when the employer is kicking in some or most of the premium  is almost always a better value than anything you can get on your own.  Even if you are young and healthy as a horse. If you are not, it is definitely a better deal.  If you need coverage for dependents, in many cases the employer is not contributing so it is very possible a better value to get Washington individual medical insurance thru your medical insurance broker.

3. Comparing Washington medical insurance plans can be time consuming  but is necessary.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a standard medical insurance plan in Washington state.   Benefits and costs vary widely from plan to plan. If you have choices, you'll have to examine each medical plan closely to find the best deal.  Enlist the help of a knowledgeable Washington  health insurance broker who knows the plans where you live.       

  4. The lowest premium isn't always the best value medical plan.

It is crucial to compare not only premiums but to compare the benefits in relation to how you would use the plan and which exact benefits would be important to you.  For example, a lot of guys will buy policies that will cover maternity  but doesn’t cover diagnostics labs and x-rays  until the deductible is met when a competing plan will pay for the lion share of those latter type of expenses right up front.   Ultimately, the cheapest plan is the one with the best price for the benefits you're most likely to use.

5. Even good Washington medical insurance coverage can have big loopholes.

You can count on your medical insurance in Washington state  to cover you for a hospital stay. Most policies cover doctor visits, but benefits for maternity,  prescription drugs , dental care and vision correction  are strictly optional.  Coverage for organ transplants can be limited to $100,000 and may have up to a 12 month waiting period.

6. Freedom costs.

This is not about politics. Medical insurance plans with the best coverage at the lowest cost require you to use a specified network of preferred hospitals, doctors, labs, and other providers.  The more flexibility you demand, in terms of where you can go for coverage, the more you'll pay.  Plans in order of lowest freedom to highest generally go as follows:  Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Point of Service (POS), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), and Indemnity or Traditional plans. 

7. You can see which providers are in network or preferred providers.

Go to the medical insurance plan’s website and check out the providers to see if the people you want to see are in it.

8. In Washington state,  if you lose your job, you can keep your medical insurance.  

State and federal regulations protect you from losing your health coverage in the event you lose your job. Unfortunately, they offer little protection from high premium costs. 

If you work for an employer with less than 20 employees, and have been on a group plan for at least 24 months, you can immediately move to an individual-family medical plan automatically.  

If you work for an employer with at least 20 employees, you will have available COBRA benefits.  If you exhaust COBRA, you may immediately come onto an individual-family plan

9. If you are a working couple in Washington State, you will have  more to think about.

If you both have medical insurance available thru your employers,  you must decide  whether it makes more sense to have two policies or for one of you to cover the other. If you have kids, you need to decide who's going to cover them or if it makes sense to cover them thru individual medical policies.

10. Tax breaks can help.

Ordinarily medical expenses, including insurance premiums, are not tax deductible until they exceed 7.5 percent of your income. However, if you're self-employed or your employer offers a flexible spending account, you can get a tax break without meeting the threshold.