Good Cheap Health Insurance

Finding good cheap health insurance is challenging at the best of times; if you have a pre-existing condition, it can seem nearly impossible. Fortunately, there are options available even for those who may have had difficulties in obtaining health insurance in the past. New legislation under consideration in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives promises to guarantee coverage even for those with pre-existing conditions, but this legislation may take years to implement. For consumers who need health insurance right away, some other options may be more immediately useful.

Most major carriers offer health insurance options for individuals, families, and self-employed persons; depending on the company, these can be surprisingly affordable for basic coverage alone. Even if you have been rejected by one insurance company, others may not use the same criteria for determining who is eligible for coverage. It pays to shop around to find the best possible deal, regardless of your current health. In some cases, membership in a national organization can provide access to good cheap health insurance; by taking advantage of the group rates available through organizations like AARP, individuals can obtain a comprehensive insurance plan for far less than by attempting to obtain the same level of health insurance on their own.

Discount medical plans offer significant savings on basic health care procedures like routine examinations, immunizations, tests, X-rays, prescription medications, and simple emergency services, but do not provide any real insurance value for major or catastrophic health needs. For instance, the plan might offer a 20% to 40% discount on routine office visits, and a sliding tier for prescription medications depending on whether they are generic, approved brand-name, or high-end brand-name medicines; this can represent a significant savings over the regular price of these medications. These plans typically cost only a few dollars per month; by combining them with an inexpensive bare-bones catastrophic medical insurance plan from a national provider, healthy individuals can sometimes create their own custom-made insurance solution for much less than the cost of the same services from only one provider.