If you are requesting a health insurance quote the specific details of your plan are important and there a variety of questions which you need to ask. Simply looking at the premium that you are being asked to pay is insufficient and you must look at various different things including any limitations, exclusions, additional fees and payment requirements, restrictions on where treatment can be carried out and a number of other things.

Below are several important things which you should always consider when you are buying health insurance:

1. What deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses am I going to have to pay? Your premiums are simply the start and the majority of plans will require you to meet your bills up to a specified figure before your plan kicks in. Thereafter, you will normally also be required to make a contribution towards the cost of each individual bill.

2. Are health screenings and medical exams included in the plan? Look carefully to discover whether or not your plan covers you for routine medical examinations including things like breast exams, mammograms and pap smears for women.

3. How are referrals and specialist care treatments handled? Look at the procedures to be followed if you require referral for specialist treatment and whether or not there are any special provisions for meeting the cost of special care treatment.

4. What level of cover is given for hospitalization or emergency care? {Take a good look to see whether you will need pre-approval for hospital or emergency treatment. It might seem silly but some policies will not permit you to seek emergency treatment without the pre-approval of a specified physician.

5. Is cover given for prescription medication? A lot of plans will limit the medications which can be prescribed frequently specifying that a list of generic drugs rather than brand name drugs have to be prescribed. You should also look carefully at what percentage of any cost that you will be required to meet for medication.

6. Is cover for dental and vision care provided? A lot of plans do not cover dental and vision care at all while some limit treatment to merely routine annual dental and eye checkups.

7. Is psychotherapy, psychiatry and other mental health care cover provided? Not all plans will provide cover for mental health care and where cover is given you must look carefully at the extent of the cover being offered.

8. Is hospital, home and nursing home care covered? It is important to examine the extent to which cover is given for care in a nursing home, hospital or at home and whether or not there is a cap on your cover.

9. Is rehabilitation and physiotherapy cover provided? Accident or illness often requires rehabilitation or physiotherapy and so it is important to look at the extent to which these are covered.

10. Is alternative therapy covered? As an increasing number of people are turning to alternative treatments like the use of acupuncture or holistic treatments you should check to see whether these are covered if this is an area which you want to make use of.

The premium that you are paying for any health insurance plan is of course important but you have to bear in mind that it is merely one small element of the total package that you are buying.

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