Busting Common Health Insurance Myths

As they apply for health insurance, many people in California have confusions about the whole idea and look for answers to queries that concern Medical insurance plan and benefits in their individual cases. Everyone may have different needs and reasons to seek insurance and while looking for a suitable California health insurance quote online, they can also consult private brokers for guidance on particular aspects.

Listed below are some common misconceptions or myths associated with health insurance and the reality behind these:

I cannot get health insurance because of my pre-existing condition - Obamacare has stopped the once common issue of being refused insurance due to pre-existing health condition. You can no longer be turned down for principal medical coverage and cannot be charged high premiums because of it. If you smoke however, you may have to pay a higher premium.

I will not be able to afford health insurance - If you feel that the cost of Medical insurance has gone way too high and you will not be able to fit it into your budget, remember that the federal government now provides subsidy for health insurance. In other words, you can get monetary help from the government to pay for your insurance. Subsidies are available not only for the people who are categorized as 'poor' but also for those with low incomes. What's more, subsidies are based on running income and not financial assets like a house or a car. So you are entitled to subsidies as per your yearly earnings and not the size of home that you live in.

Because I am old, health insurance will be too costly - Obamacare has offered solution for this problem too. Even though insurance providers are permitted to charge higher premiums as per advancing age, there is a limit as to how high can they go. Now, the premium on a health policy for the elderly cannot be more than thrice the premium for the younger members of the health plan.

Health insurance will pay for all of my healthcare expenses - Insurance does not pay for all of your healthcare costs. Even if you have health insurance, you need to pay some amount out of your own pocket every year to cover the expenses. Healthcare plans typically come with cost sharing clauses that require you to pay things such as deductibles, copays and co-insurance. Besides, you need to pay 100% of the cost of health or medical care that is not specifically covered as a benefit of your plan. A good thing is that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) requires health insurance to offer coverage for 10 essential health benefits that include emergency services, prescription drugs, maternity & newborn care, ambulatory patients services and laboratory services among others.

Health insurance will not pay for elective surgeries - This is not true and a number of surgeries that health insurance pays for are elective surgeries. The concept of an elective surgery should not be confused with something that is 'not medically essential'. Even a cosmetic surgery may be required for some body part to function properly. For instance some people may go for an eyelid surgery simply to undo the natural drooping of eye that starts with age, and look younger - this is not medically necessary and will not be paid for by Medical insurance. But there can be a case where due to a tumor or injury, the eye lid has drooped so much that the person cannot even see properly - here the insurance carrier is likely to pay for expenses as the treatment is required for an organ to function well.

Do not deny yourself the actual benefits of Medical insurance because of any misconceptions associated with the plans. Feel free to ask for professional help when you need details of specific concepts.