7 Key Health Insurance Terms You Always Need to Know

Forget Obamacare. It is falling apart fast and in the process of being replaced by Congress and the President. 

Affordable health insurance is coming soon and knowing the meaning of key health insurance terms is essential whether you are comparing policies, or need to know what to ask an agent.

Below is a list of key health insurance terms to help you understand more about what your health insurance plan has to offer.

1. Deductible
The deductible refers to the amount of money that you need to pay before any benefits from the health insurance policy is paid. This is usually a yearly amount. Consequently, when the policy starts again, usually after a year, the deductible would be in effect again. Some services, like doctor visits, may be available without first meeting the deductible. Usually there are separate individual deductible amounts and total family deductible amounts.

2. Co-insurance
This is usually a percentage amount that is  your responsibility to pay. A common co-insurance split is 80/20. This means that the insurance company will pay 80% of the procedure and you are required to pay the other 20%.

3. Co-payments
Co-payment is a fixed amount that you are required to pay at the time of service. It is usually required for basic doctor visits and when buying prescription medications.

4. Out-of-Pocket
This is the cost you would pay out of your own pocket which can refer to how much the co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible is. Also, when the term annual out-of-pocket maximum is used, it is referring to how much the insured would have to pay of their pocket, excluding premiums, for the whole year.

5. Lifetime Maximum
This is the most amount of money the health insurance policy will pay for your entire life. Pay attention to individual lifetime maximums and family lifetime maximums as they can be different.

6. Exclusions
The exclusions are the procedures that the insurance policy will not cover. 

7. Pre-existing Conditions

This is something you had before obtaining the health insurance policy. Some plans will cover pre-existing conditions while others may completely exclude them. Then again, some health insurance plans will cover pre-existing conditions after a certain time period.

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