Sunshine Coast Calling! Affordable and Low Cost Health Insurance for Floridians

If you’re self-employed,  have chosen to take an early retirement, or can’t receive health insurance through your employer, finding affordable health insurance in Florida can be a nightmare.  Premiums are at record highs with no sign of dropping.  You’re not alone, if you’re having trouble getting insurance that meets your needs without breaking the bank.  More than forty million Americans are without health insurance at any time, with unpaid medical bills being the leading cause of personal bankruptcy.  In the past several years, there’s been a trend of employers cutting benefits, so many jobs no longer provide the insurance that we used to take for granted.  While we used to be able to assume that a good job would take care of us, this is no longer the case.

Unlike some other states, Florida has not legislated that insurance companies can’t discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions.  The law allows companies to turn down individuals for coverage based on illnesses they may currently be suffering.  If you’re lucky enough to obtain your insurance through your employer, you will not have this problem, but the self-employed or those who don’t have jobs that provide that benefit are at risk.  This means that people with pre-existing conditions will have an even harder time finding acceptable insurance without having to resort to very expensive high-risk plans.  Those with families can rest a little easier.  The state does offer insurance for uninsured children under the age of nineteen whose families meet income eligibility requirements. 

Start your search for affordable health insurance online.  You’ll have access to a wider variety of providers there, and be able to easily compare plans.  People who are unemployed or employed without benefits for a short period of time, and are expecting to remedy the situation soon, may find that a short term policy will benefit them.  These policies are less expensive because they reimburse a smaller percentage of costs, but can act as a safety net in emergencies.  Beware of low-deductible policies.  These health insurance plans offer a very low deductible, but charge extra for the privilege.  The extra charges can actually cause you to end up paying more for the plan over the course of the year than you would with a higher-deductible plan.  Unless you end up in the hospital early in the year, it’s more cost effective to choose the plan with the lower rates and the higher deductible.

Once you have a set of plans that you’re considering, have a professional go over them with you.  They can assess your needs and tell you which plan is most likely to benefit you.  Don’t be tempted to curtail coverage for such things as outpatient hospital services.  These seems like “extras,” but can cost tens of thousands of dollars.  Before using any insurer based outside Florida, be sure to check with the state insurance department to make sure that you’ll be protected if the company tries to raise your premium.    Careful shopping can help you find the most affordable health insurance plan for your needs.