While looking for the best health insurance plan you have to find the health insurance providers who have a well-established Health Insurance Department. The best health insurance companies in Pakistan include Alfalah insurance company, Allianz EFU health insurance, Jubilee general insurance, among many others.

The staff should be competent and well experienced. They should be able to serve the insured members with the best possible healthcare at an affordable cost. In th end it is all about the economy, the efforts and your relationship with the company.

Health insurance in Pakistan is not something everyone understands or takes advantage of. Here we have outlined a few question that you should ask your health insurance provider before making any decision.

1. How to pay the monthly premium at the most affordable price possible?

First, you need to ask your employer if he offers Health insurance. Avail this opportunity if presented to you. This is generally the best option around because the employer typically contributes 50% or more of the monthly premium thus making it more affordable. You do not have to pay for it all on your own.

Secondly, remember to let your broker know your (or your family’s) annual projected income for the upcoming year. Why? Simply because this exercise will determine if you are eligible for premium assistance through your state or otherwise.

Third, determine as soon as possible whether it is better to go with a high deductible plan to keep your premium cost down while applying for an individual/family plan. This will help you save money at least on the monthly premium.

2. What is the best plan for you and your family, and why?

The best possible way to answer this is by first understanding what you can afford, your needs and medical usage history. After discussing this with your health insurance provider, you can look over the advised plans, and choose what suits your needs.

Another thing to consider is that can you change the plan if it is necessary later, and how much change will it be to move to a different plan if your situation changes.

3. What Does the Plan Cover?

Different health insurance plans might cover different types of medical care. For example, some might not cover mental health, prescription drugs, or maternity care. All insurance plans must cover these ten “essential health benefits”, or most of them.

• Emergency services
• Hospitalization
• Laboratory tests
• Maternity and newborn care
• Mental health and substance-abuse treatment
• Outpatient care (doctors and other services you receive outside of a hospital)
• Pediatric services including dental and vision care
• Prescription drugs
• Preventive services (such as immunizations and mammograms) and management of
• chronic diseases such as diabetes
• Rehabilitation services

The rules for insurance provided by larger health insurance companies might be different but most of them will cover these set of benefits. If you are selecting from plans from a larger employer and are unsure what the plans cover, ask your employer to provide you with the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC), which is a standard form that will state exactly what the plan covers and does not cover.

4. How Much Does the Plan Cost?

When you’re looking at the cost of health insurance plans, consider two main factors:

First, what will be the amount that you will pay to the insurance company for your plan, usually paid monthly. This is called the premium.

Secondly, and quite important what is the amount you will pay out of your own finances when you receive medical care.

These amounts will be reflected as a combination of deductibles, coinsurance, and copays.

These are called your out-of-pocket costs.

To make plan and cost comparison easier, the plans will be displayed in standardized various combinations of premiums and out-of-pocket costs. If not, you should ask your health insurance provider for these.

Make sure you understand the new plan coverage levels. Which plan coverage will be right for you depends on your health and financial situation. If you have an expensive medical condition or have a planned medical procedure, consider a plan with a higher premium that covers more of your costs. If you are generally healthy you might come out ahead by paying a lower premium and a bigger share of your health costs. Of course, you need to be prepared to pay more if you unexpectedly become sick or injured.

5. Ask about everything you are unsure of

Will you be able to continue seeing your current Doctors? Ask about the things you need to keep in mind when choosing your doctors and hospitals. Ask for a list of the doctors and hospitals that are covered to decide if the plan is right for you, and make sure all is in order.

What information do you need to provide to the health insurance provider in order to receive a health insurance plan? Now days only the basic information such as names, address, birth dates, social security numbers are needed. and if you are applying through a state your family income and proof of residency are required amongst a few other things.

In the end you will have to rely on your health insurance provider to guide you, so keep in mind that you have to find a health insurance .provider who you feel comfortable with. They should take time to listen, understand your economical and medical history, and give you advice and support to make the critical decision of choosing a health insurance plan which will be smooth and easy. Just remember to think through everything.

Khurram Zahid

The post 5 Questions to Ask Before Going for Health Insurance in Pakistan appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

While planning to get health insurance or once you’ve got health insurance, you should be aware of the Dos and Don’ts to make sure that you are able to get your money’s worth and don’t run into any issues later on during the course of your coverage period. These set of best practices will ensure you get proper healthcare without it becoming a burden on yourself. Let’s talk about the things you should do when you plan to purchase a healthcare policy or have already done so.

1) Get the right policy:
This is the most important aspect of any insurance policy. Whether you are buying the individual policy or one for your family, make sure that all your possible requirements are covered.  Read all coverage details given for your policy by the provider to see the things that are covered such as maximum amount of cover, routine checkups, emergency care and medications. Some plans offer inbuilt maternity benefit, some don’t. Some health plans have certain caps and sub-limits on room rents; some don’t impose any such limit etc. Sometimes coverage for certain scenarios are sold as add-ons hence make sure to include those to your insurance policy if needed. Also if you’re a family it’s better to buy family insurance rather than individual insurance for each person as family insurance plans tend to bear expenses for child birth along with extra benefits and coverage.

2) Do your research:
This will help you choose the right insurance policy within your budget. Search and compare for policies from different providers to see differences between coverage levels within same price tiers to find out which one offers better value as it’s a long term affair if you plan to take up healthcare insurance seriously. Also if for any reason you are not satisfied with the policy you’ve bought, cancel it within the provided 15-day window to avoid losing your money.

3)Inform the insurance provider:
If you plan to get hospitalized, it’s best to inform the insurer before-hand so that any necessary formalities are taken care of in due time and doesn’t cause you a hassle later on once the treatment begins. Also if there is an emergency try to inform your provider on an ASAP basis. Also if you are not at a network hospital then it’s best to keep all the necessary documents such as medical prescriptions, consultation, diagnosis and medical/lab test bills and any purchase receipts to make sure you get reimbursed for the correct amount incurred.

Now let’s talk about a few important things that you should NOT do while buying or having a health insurance policy.

1) Don’t hide or misrepresent anything:
Whilst buying an insurance policy, don’t hide any previous ailments or medical history nor lie about your age or make a false claim after you’ve been insured. The consequences are severe as they can lead to the insurer rejecting your claim at the least to cancellation of policy coverage altogether and in the worst case scenario you could be blacklisted and the insurance company might not offer you any type of insurance policies in the future as well as you could  be at a risk of being totally barred from multiple insurance companies as they usually have a shared database regarding defaulters/blacklisted claimants.

2) Never delay policy renewal:
Don’t let your insurance cover lapse and renew before it expires because without a renewal your insurance policy will be terminated even if a single day has gone by which could cause in any of your claims being rejected. Thus timely renewal is vital to keep your insurance cover intact and you will be able to file successful claims with the provider.

3)Don’t travel abroad with your health insurance policy:
Sometimes people have this misconception that usually happens due to not reading the terms and conditions of their policy completely. You may think that just because you’ve already purchased a health care insurance for yourself, you will be covered for any health related issues abroad as well. This is false and fact is that you need to get separate travel insurance to be able to get compensation in case of health related issues abroad because such scenarios are only covered under travel insurance. Thus if you plan to travel abroad, make sure to get travel insurance. It’s quick and easy and you only need to buy the insurance policy for the duration of your travel only. At Smartchoice.pk we have a dedicated travel insurance portal where you can search, compare and purchase travel insurance policy with real time quotations from multiple providers in just a few clicks. It doesn’t get any easier than this!

Merely having a health insurance isn’t enough, but having the right healthcare plan will help you reap the benefits when needed the most. Complying with the above measures can ensure that the provider can process the claim efficiently, which in turn translates into quicker payment/treatment for the claimant. Always read all the terms and conditions and make sure that what you are getting is the right thing for you before you get your health insurance policy. We wish you a healthy and safe life!

Khurram Zahid

The post 6 Vital Dos And Don’ts Of Health Insurance Plans appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.