Health Insurance Articles
How To Access Low Medical Insurance Rates For Obese Patients
2010-11-27
Obese patients may find that they have a hard time getting medical insurance at an affordable rate. These patients may decide not to seek out medical insurance for this reason, but there are ways to go about getting good coverage even if you are obese. Just because someone is obese does not mean that person has health problems. An obese patient who is generally healthy may want to consider just getting catastrophic, or emergency, coverage. This type of medical insurance would cover anything significant that goes wrong, such as injuries sustained in an accident, but would not provide basic coverage for doctors' visits and the like. For people who are healthy, this type of medical insurance provides a good, inexpensive way to get coverage for when it's needed.
High Deductible Plans
The deductible of an insurance company is the amount the person pays out before the insurance company begins to kick in. Raising your deductible is a good way to get lower premiums. For obese patients, medical insurance may be more affordable with a high-deductible plan. Getting somewhere in the neighborhood of a $2,000-$3,000 deductible can be a way to get premiums down to an affordable price.
Less Coverage
Another option for obese patients is to get lowered coverage. This coverage would include paying a larger percentage of costs but would allow the patient to have lower monthly premiums. This type of coverage could be useful even if the person has health problems. If a patient develops a good rapport with her doctor, then she will find that she can ask only for tests that are necessary and may be able to save some money this way.
Small HMO
Going with an HMO often means giving up some of your choice with regard to the doctors you are able to see. While that situation isn't ideal, qualifying for an HMO plan usually is easier and costs less than a PPO or open provider plan.
Individual Medical Plans
Some large hospital networks or even large doctors' offices offer an insurance-type plan just for their office or providers. Obese patients can look into these limited choices for medical insurance. While they cover only certain doctors, they are a way to get seen at a decent rate.
The key to getting lowered premiums if you are obese, or have any other risk factors for illness, is to work on the problem. Making an effort to begin to eat differently and exercise, if possible, will help you to qualify for lower rates. Getting re-evaluated annually or anytime you have lost more than ten percent of your body weight is a good way to help get your costs lowered.
