How to find right choice for insurance

Here are some expert tips for buying insurance:

Seek comprehensive coverage

Be sure the policy covers hospital care, ambulance trips, emergency room, physician fees, prescription drugs, outpatient treatment and mental health care, among other services. If the plan is advertised as “limited benefit,” it may not cover much. Ask to see the benefits in writing.

Check out other options

See if you’re eligible for insurance through a government program, a spouse or partner, or if you qualify for the new subsidy in COBRA coverage. Those can be better than an individual plan.

Cheapest may not be best

Don’t rush to the plan with the lowest premiums. Those policies may not cover much. You may want to consider a higher deductible and a health savings account if you’re single and healthy. Look at out-of-pocket costs like copays.

Beware of restrictions

Determine whether a policy limits the number of times you get a service. Your choice of medical providers can be restricted, too. Avoid fixed-dollar amounts on medical services, such as hospital days, doctor visits or drugs.

Do your homework

Check with your state’s insurance department to make sure the company is licensed in the state. And investigate the insurer’s complaint record. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has a Web site that gives national complaint data. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also analyzed companies that do business in Georgia. That information is available on ajc.com.

Sources: Consumer Reports; Families USA; National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Who has oversight:

If you have insurance through your job at a small or mid-sized company or you have individual insurance:

State Insurance Commissioner

If you have insurance through a large, self-insured company: :

U.S. Department of Labor

If you have insurance through the state’s plan or through Medicaid:

The state Department of Community Health