Why You Should Get Insurance While You're Still Healthy

In all our years selling health insurance, there's one piece of advice we've repeated over and over again: you should lock in your good health before it's too late.

People in good health don't usually think about getting insurance. Most of them assume they'll someday find a job that provides it for them. Or they just bank on their good health and end up taking a big gamble.

Many people are surprised to find out that they can't qualify for an individual health insurance policy. Most learned how health insurance works when they got coverage from their job. But under that system, you don't have to worry about your health status. Large employers buy group policies with attractive benefits to recruit the best, brightest, and hardest-working people they can find. For most people, the employer will pay more in premiums than they receive in care. So when someone with a health condition joins the team, the extra costs they bring to the group insurance plan are made up for.

When you buy your own health insurance policy, the story changes. Now the only person whose health is under consideration is you. And if you have a pre-existing health condition, your insurance premiums could be sky-high or you could be turned down entirely.

Health Insurance Is About More Than Just Paying Bills

Having health insurance means that your medical bills will be more affordable. But that isn't the only reason to buy health insurance. The reason to have insurance is to manage your risk. That means you aren't just paying premiums to cover your trips to the doctor, you're paying premiums to have the peace of mind that goes with knowing you'll always have access to quality healthcare whenever you need it.

This is the mistake most healthy people make. They think paying a health insurance premium every month is a waste of money. The problem is, when they do have a health issue, it's often too late to find an affordable policy. You can't purchase an auto insurance policy to take out the dents you already have in your car and health insurance works the same way. Our agency has had people call us on their way to the hospital to enroll in a health plan. If they had bought a plan even a month earlier, they could have saved tens of thousands of dollars on the hospital bill.

A Policy That's Yours To Keep

Even when you have a policy through your employer, you might be paying too much for it. Here' why: your premium is based on the average health of everyone in your workplace. So you end up paying for someone else' poor health.

Even if your employer pays the entire cost of your premium, what happens if you leave your job? The cost of continuing coverage under the Federal COBRA law can be more than your employer was paying for it and you can only keep that coverage for 18 months. When you have an individual plan, you get coverage that' yours to keep.

And these days, many employers pay little or none of the premiums for dependents. Getting a family health plan can be cheaper than the amount your employer would deduct from your paycheck for similar coverage.

How To Lock In Your Good Health

If you're in good health, buying a plan now lets you get it at a rate that's healthy for your budget. And if you ever do need expensive care, you'll have a plan locked in place to cover it. Remember, insurance carriers are not allowed to raise your premiums based on you health claims.

That doesn't mean you should run out and buy the first plan you find. Not all plans offer the same amount of coverage. And when you're trying to determine the value of a plan, you need to look at more than just the monthly premium. You need to consider your personal needs, your medical history, and the reputation of the insurance carrier offering the plan.

This may all sound like a lot to consider. But that's why we're here. We're always happy to help you find the right plan. When you're ready to get started, get your your quotes. You'll be comparing plans online in less than a minute.