Whether you’re completely new to health insurance, trying to improve your current coverage or aren’t sure of the coverage you have on your current plan, there are many things people usually assume are covered that aren’t in reality. Knowing what you are and aren’t covered for is essential if you want to make smart healthcare decisions. In this article, we’re going to look at some of the things that usually aren’t covered by most health insurance plans.
Travel Vaccines
This may be confusing to some people as many vaccines are covered by most healthcare insurance plans. However, if you’re planning on going abroad for a vacation and need a Yellow Fever or Typhoid vaccine, you’ll usually not be covered. Only vaccines that are considered “medically necessary” are covered by health insurance plans, such as the flu per instance.
As a matter of fact, according to a study by the University of Arizona for its accredited master of public health – MPH degree program, the Center for Disease Control strongly recommends that every person over the age of 6 months get the flu shot to protect the general public.
Alternative Therapies
While alternative therapy is increasingly being recognized and respected, many health insurance plans do not cover things such as holistic medicine and acupuncture. Also, it is worth noting that some services might be seen as essential in some cases and alternative in others.
This is the case with chiropractic care. If someone sees a chiropractor after an accident, it will usually be deemed as essential by insurance companies and will usually fall under their normal coverage. However, if someone decides to go for period visits to the chiropractor for no apparent reason, the fees will usually not be covered.
Cosmetic Surgery
This is another tricky category. While in some cases, cosmetic surgery will be covered because it falls under the “medically necessary” category, in some cases it won’t. If one is getting cosmetic surgery strictly for aesthetic reasons, it will usually not be covered under their normal plan.
Dental Care, Vision, Hearing
Dental care, vision and hearing is usually not covered by the average health insurance plan. Most people who want these services to be covered will usually have to go for a separate plan that covers one or all of these areas. However, please note that most of these insurance plans aren’t under the ACA rules, which means that they have no specific coverage requirements. In addition, they don’t have the same limits and regulations on out-of-pocket costs.
Insurance plans can be confusing at first when you don’t know much about them. However, with the right advice, you can start piercing through the fog and better understand the scope of your insurance coverage. Make sure that you understand every clause in your insurance plan in detail before you sign anything and don’t be afraid to seek advice from a third party if you still aren’t sure about your coverage.
