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There
are many different types of health insurance available in New Jersey.
Each has pros and cons. There is no one "best" plan. The plan
that's right for a single person may not be best for a family with small
children. And a plan that works for one family may not be right for
another.
For example, if your family includes just two adults, in NJ, it may be less
expensive for each of you to have individual coverage than for just
one of you to have a family plan. If you have children, or if you might
have children soon, you need a family plan. Because your situation may
change, review your health insurance regularly to make sure you have
the protection you need.
Choosing
a health insurance plan is like making any other major purchase: You
choose the plan that meets both your needs and your budget. For most
people, this means deciding which plan is worth the cost. For example,
plans in New Jersey that allow you the most choices in doctors and hospitals
also tend to cost more than plans that limit choices. Plans that help
to manage the care you receive usually cost you less, but you give up
some freedom of choice.
Cost isn't
the only thing to consider when buying New Jersey health insurance.
You also need to consider what benefits are covered. You need to compare
plans carefully for both cost and coverage Compare plans here.
Managed
care influences how much health care you use. Almost all plans have
some sort of managed care program to help control costs. For example,
if you need to go to the hospital, one form of managed care requires
that you receive approval from your insurance company before you are
admitted to make sure that the hospitalization is needed. If you go
to the hospital without this approval, you may not be covered for the
hospital bill.
Medicare
is the Federal health insurance program for Americans age 65 and older
and for certain disabled Americans. If you are eligible for Social Security
or Railroad Retirement benefits and are age 65, you and your spouse
automatically qualify for Medicare.
Medicare has two parts: hospital insurance, known as Part A, and supplementary
medical insurance, known as Part B, which provides payments for doctors
and related services and supplies ordered by the doctor. If you are
eligible for Medicare, Part A is free, but you must pay a premium for
Part B.
Medicare
will pay for many of your health care expenses, but not all of them.
In particular, Medicare does not cover most nursing home care, long-term
care services in the home, or prescription drugs. There are also special
rules on when Medicare pays your bills that apply if you have employer
group health insurance coverage through your own job or the employment
of a spouse.
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