Buying Health Insurance Online in Today's Marketplace

You can browse offers without leaving your computer and without having to talk to another person. You won't feel pressured to make a decision and can instead take your time to determine the best individual health care policy for you or your family.

However, if you have never purchased health insurance online before, then getting started may seem like a daunting task. Here are some important steps that will get you started in the right direction:

1. Decide what type of health insurance you need. Before you begin shopping, you should sit down with your family and think about your insurance needs. If you're relatively healthy but are mostly interested in preventative care, then you may not mind a plan with a high deductible. If you are planning to start a family in coming months, then you would look for a plan that either includes maternity coverage or offers it as an affordable add-on to the plan.

2. Decide how much you can afford to spend. Work out a budget for your family and decide what you can pay for the coverage you want. Monthly premiums for individual health plans can be quite pricey so make sure you have the extra income available. You should also figure in the costs of co-payments, deductibles, and miscellaneous out-of-pocket expenses in your budget.

3. Find a web site that can help you purchase health insurance online. You have probably received emails from or viewed ads for companies promising to help you find affordable health insurance. Before you choose to work with one of these companies, make sure you check their qualifications. It's a good idea to make sure they are knowledgeable about the medical insurance rules of your state.

Action Steps

To buy health insurance online, these are the best resources available.

Work with an insurance broker
Insurance brokers are specially trained to work with consumers from specific states so they will be knowledgeable about your state's rules and the number of health plans available in your area. Since brokers do not work with any single insurance company, you'll be able to compare plans and have your questions answered honestly.

Know your rights
Before you begin shopping online, you should familiarize yourself with your rights in your state. For example, every state has its own definition of a pre-existing condition. You need to know that definition in order to determine which health plans are good choices for you and to ensure that you are being given accurate information about insurance carriers.

Check out the insurance companies
You want to do due diligence on any insurance company you consider doing business with before you pay a single penny in premiums. While they don't happen often, Internet insurance scams do occur. Some unfortunate consumers have ended up paying thousands in premiums without receiving any benefits. You don't have to be one of them.

Tips & Tricks

Choosing a reliable insurance broker is the best way to ensure that you'll be getting insurance offers from legitimate companies. Going through a broker is definitely safer and more convenient than requesting quotes from all of the companies individually or from purchasing a plan from some unknown company off the Internet.