Buying health insurance could help you take care of some or all of your healthcare expenses. Here, such costs are covered by an insurer in exchange for a monthly premium. Although insurers have to follow Affordable Care Act (ACA) standards, a few health insurance companies may offer better quality plans and value for the price than others. So, before shortlisting the top insurance providers, you can consider the following tips for choosing a plan:

Calculate the costs
The first step in choosing an insurance plan is considering the cost, including deductible, premium, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket limits. Plans such as HMOs offer lower premiums, but they might come with restrictions. PPO plans usually cost more but give you the freedom of picking out-of-network care. You could also use a health insurance calculator online to estimate the costs of insurance premiums.

Look for in-network doctors
While an insurance provider might offer value-for-money service, you lose money if your preferred doctors and treatment facilities are out-of-network. So, to get the most out of your insurance plan, ensure that the doctor you choose is on your provider’s list.

Evaluate needs
Those who do not spend much on healthcare may choose a plan with a lower premium and a high deductible. Others who visit doctors regularly might benefit from paying higher premiums for lower out-of-pocket costs or deductibles. So, it is important to understand these requirements before purchasing an insurance plan.

Check coverage for prescriptions
An insurance provider may not always cover prescription costs. So if you are on a treatment plan, check with the provider to see if the prescriptions are covered. If yes, check how much is covered and the amount you would need to pay out of pocket.

Look for additional benefits
Apart from the coverage, you should also look for additional health insurance features of each plan, like if they offer telehealth services or 24/7 nurse helplines. Learning about such benefits could help you select the most suitable insurance plan for you.

Top insurance providers
You can consider the following health insurance providers and their features while choosing the best plan for you.

Blue Cross Blue Shield: BCBS offers a range of affordable packages. You can choose from various health insurance options, including HMO, EPO, POS, and PPO plans. Some BCBS companies offer additional benefits, such as $0 virtual care, pain management, and medical management programs for depression, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Kaiser Permanente: The provider offers plans for individuals, families, and businesses. Most packages by Kaiser Permanente offer 24/7 virtual care at no cost. The plans are bundled with Kaiser’s medical facilities, which makes it easier for policyholders to manage their insurance and health services using the same portal. Kaiser Permanente also offers health management programs for multiple conditions, including depression.

United Healthcare: You can find healthcare products such as individual health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage on the United Healthcare (UHC) website. The provider also offers short-term health insurance and dental packages. UHC offers a mobile app that enables you to schedule telehealth appointments, compare doctors, estimate procedure costs, and manage your plan to get the most out of your health insurance.

You can find quotes on the official websites of the abovementioned providers.