Planning to meet your family's health needs

As you grow up, you take your parent's health plan for granted. There always seems to be enough money around to pay for the treatment you need. Then comes the magic birthday. Suddenly you are 18 and you can start making your own decisions. Yet, there seems little incentive. You are fit and healthy. Why bother? Well, if there is no job with a health package thrown in, the earlier you begin paying into a private health plan, the more money builds up to your credit with that insurer. Over time, you will pay less because of that accumulated value. If you wait until you are older and the probability of poor health is higher, the premiums will start at a higher number. That said, the majority of people put off getting a plan until children are on the way. Perhaps paranoia comes with being a parent, but it's surprising how often you take your children to see the doctor. This is very expensive if you are uninsured. More generally, it's also worth remembering that everyone lives longer these days. Having a health plan in place from a young age gives everyone the best value coverage.

The reality of children is a strain on your household budget. Until they arrive, you have no real idea just how expensive they are going to be. That means finding a health plan offering the maximum coverage and paying as much of the expenses as possible. There will be little slack in your budget and you do not want to hit your savings every time you see a physician or need to buy medication. Suppose you have agreed to a high deductible or the levels of copayments and out-of-pocket expenses is capped on the high side, you might have to delay treatment until you have saved enough to pay. You might not be able to afford the price of the must-have drugs. If you have to watch your children getting sicker, this is going to increase your stress and anxiety levels. It's a source of poor health for you. But if you have put a good family health plan in place, you can sleep better at night and, if the worst happens and a claim has to be made, you can focus on what's important - getting the children well again - without having to worry about finding the money to do it.

With the right planning, you can find affordable family health plans. To start, you need to define your needs and do a little calculation. What coverage do you and your dependents need? What can you afford to pay as instalments? What savings do you have? It's possible you can pay for visits to the doctor and reserve the coverage to hospital-based treatment. Only when you know what combination of cover you need and what you can afford to pay, can you ask for health insurance quotes. Once you have the quotes, take the time to work through them. If any of these health insurance quotes are unclear, pick up the telephone or send e-mails asking for more information. Insurance companies exist to profit from the policies once sold. Before you buy, they are anxious to help. When you have the best information possible, decide on the plan to give you peace of mind.