The least expensive option for health insurance is Medicaid, which is a type of insurance plan covered by the government. Medicaid health insurance usually costs you very little or is completely free. Guidelines vary from state to state, but in general, to qualify for Medicaid you must be considered low income or have a certain disability status. You will have to have an income that is below the income limit.
You can apply for Medicaid through the Health Insurance Marketplace during an open enrollment period or through your state’s Medicaid agency at any time during the year. If you qualify for a Medicaid plan, it is pretty simple to find nearby doctors and hospitals that take your insurance. You can do this by calling your insurance company or checking online.
Depending on your plan, be aware that many health insurance companies even have their own apps to make it easy to search for in-network providers. This makes it so that you do not have to call various offices in order to find a doctor that takes your insurance. You will just choose which kind of medical provider you are looking to see and enter other search criteria, like when and where you would like the appointment.
Additionally, there are also third-party websites and smartphone applications that allow you to search for a doctor based on the type of insurance that you have.
Once you have done an initial search for a doctor, be sure to call his or her office to confirm that they accept the type of Medicaid or other insurance plans that you have. To do this, you will need your insurance member I.D. number.
This can be found on your insurance card, which is usually sent to you a few weeks after you qualify for Medicaid or purchase health insurance.
If you do not qualify for Medicaid or cannot find an affordable plan on the Marketplace, you may be able to obtain health insurance through your job. While this private health insurance may cost more than Medicaid, you usually will not have to pay the full premium, since your employer may contribute toward a portion of your monthly premium. Additionally, job-based insurance can be cheaper because when your employer purchases many plans, they obtain them at a lower cost than an individual health care plan.
Click “Next” to learn about job-based health insurance options.
By Admin –
