When it comes to health insurance, Alabama doesn’t really come to mind. The more popular association to Alabama, perhaps, is a Hollywood movie or two with the word “Alabama” in the title (and it does sound sweet). But here’s one thing you should know about Alabama: it’s one state that is very particular about the healthcare of its citizens. In fact, the state governor even proposed to legislate tax breaks to small-time businesses that offer healthcare benefits to employees.
But Alabama is not really that much different from all the other states in the United States, and there are some facts that may be or less true for others.
* Prices are the same, always
It doesn’t matter if you’re getting your healthcare plan from the healthcare provider head office or from your insurance agent. Prices across health insurance plans (specific to healthcare providers) remain the same. Under certain law, insurance providers are not allowed to sell programs at prices much than the price offered by agents.
* Don’t take it personally if your pre-existing condition is not covered
Like anywhere in the United States, health care insurance providers are not prohibited from excluding pre-existing conditions from their coverage. But of course, you can always qualify for guaranteed issue health insurance if you meet certain criteria.
* Employment at bigger companies is better
If you want to save on health insurance costs, then choose to be employed at a company with 25 or more employees. Under the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973, companies with 25 or more people on their payroll are required to offer healthcare benefits to their employees.
* More options for dental healthcare plans
For dental healthcare, there are actually three kinds of plans that you can choose from: the traditional dental HMO plans, dental PPO plans, and dental discount plans. These are available throughout Alabama.
HMO and PPO plans are the real insurance plans: you pay the premiums and then the insurance company pays for the dental healthcare provider. Dental discount plans are not insurance plans, you pay an annual fee so you can benefit from dental services at discounted rates (typically 50% to 60% of professional fees). The rest of the billed amount you will have to pay from out of your own pocket.
* There are many healthcare providers
When it comes to healthcare plans, keep in mind that there are many healthcare providers and that the Internet has made it all possible for practically anyone and everyone to get health insurance quotes in minutes. When choosing a healthcare plan, it’s best to keep these things in mind:
- Your Actual Real-life Needs (Are you single or trying to raise a family? Do you need to go to a doctor often?)
- What You Want (Will any doctor do for you? Do you prefer to keep your doctor?)
- Your Budget (How much can you set aside to pay for monthly premiums?)
The state of Alabama health insurance is most likely true elsewhere in the United States. So if you’re reading this article from New Jersey, you can very well take those truths stated above like they were some pieces of good advice.
