Health insurance is a type of insurance wherein the health insurance company pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured falls sick or meets with an accident. The claim of medical costs is governed by the type of health insurance plan you have purchased. For this the individual has to give monthly premium to the insurance company. In the United States most of the health insurance is provided by the employers be it corporate or government. However the trend is changing and more and more companies are opting out of providing medical coverage to employees due to the exorbitant cost of providing health insurance.

As a result more and more people are being forced to buy an individual health insurance plan or a family health insurance plan. There are literally thousands of health insurance plans available online or through agents or banks. It is easy to get confused if not bewildered by so many plans. However few basic points can help in choosing a health insurance plan to suit your needs and your pocket.

Deductibles: Higher deductibles, lesser premium. Deductible is the amount of bill you pay and the rest of the medical bill is paid by the insurance company.

Length of coverage: Short term coverage costs less and the premium is the cheapest available in the market today.

Doctor access: Most insurance plans provide doctors networks to reduce their cost. If you want your family physician check before hand whether the insurance plan includes your family physician or your preferred hospital.

Type of Coverage: Basic coverage costs less and coves only hospitalization and surgery. Comprehensive is costlier and covers preventive care, prescription drugs, routine medical check ups and the costs covered in basic coverage.

Specialist Visit: insurance plans usually require a general physician to recommend a specialist, rather than going directly to a specialist doctor. If you want that flexibility in your plan, then you have to pay more premiums.