Do health insurance quotes help get better prices?

Answer 1

The rates are the rates, there is really no negotiation. Getting quotes though will help you pick the best one for you.

No, but understanding health insurance quotes can help you make better buying decisions. Rates are generally fixed and by law and non-negotiable.

If you go to some popular quoting websites you will often get in excess of 70 quotes. For my family I got 79 ranging in price from about $300 to $2000. This may be interesting but totally irrelevant unless I know how to distinguish between them. Often their �recommendations� are based on paid sponsorship not your best interest.

You need to understand how you use healthcare service. Do you see the doctor often, take prescription drugs (generics only or formulary), need maternity coverage and much more. How much is a routine visit? How much do you pay before the insurance starts paying? Does the plan have any limitations on services or amounts of coverage?

Wanting the insurance company to �pay for everything� is great but very expensive. Would you agree to pay $5000/yr in expenses before the insurance company paid for anything if you could save $6000/yr in premiums? Balancing your need, anticipated usage, cost and benefits is the key.

Medical Insurance is not a self-service product. If you want an insurance expert that specializes in Consumer Driven Health Plans I suggest you go to the web site of the National Association of Alternative Benefit Consultants (www.naabc.com) and click on their member directory. Select your state and you will get a list of specialists qualified to sell insurance in your state that understands the latest in this field.