Think health insurance is just for people with families who are most susceptible to frequent visits to the hospital for broken bones, bruises and the like? If so, think again. Anyone of us is liable to have a reason to visit the doctor or even the ER at any stage of our lives. Anyone is liable to need to have a medical scan and everyone should be scheduling regular visits to their dentist. A good health insurance plan provides rebates or financial covers for such medical costs.
Should a medical or dental emergency occur, by having adequate health insurance cover, you will have no need to panic or avoid seeking treatment simply because of the potential financial burden that may follow. You can rest assured that your health insurance provider will cover these costs. Health insurance, in turn, can encourage you to ensure that you look after yourself better by seeking the right treatment as and when it’s needed. There are several different health insurance plans available for single people and they typically offer cover for the following 3 areas:
In-Patient Cover
The in-patient cover offered will vary from plan to plan but there are certain elements that you should ensure are included in your premium. A & E cover, general hospital costs and day care surgery are likely to be the in-patient services that you are most likely to require at some stage in your life so these are probably the most important cover options to ensure are included in your plan.
Outpatient Cover
The best health insurance plan for single people should include out-patient cover or at least percentage rebates for optical and dental visits, GP visits, physio or specialist treatments, health screening and scans. Other additional add-on outpatient cover options include cover for prescription fees, birth or adoptions, 24-hour nurse services or surgical appliances.
Personal Accident Cover
Standard health insurance policies will not typically provide cover for any personal accidents or injuries such as broken or fractured bones, disabilities, accidental death or facial disfigurements. Because of this, to ensure total peace of mind, the best insurance cover for you should include some level of personal accidents cover. Be prepared to pay in excess of €500 per year however to enjoy such a level of insurance cover. Always be sure to check your life insurance policy if you have one before asking for your health insurer for personal accident cover as many life insurance companies include personal injury cover in their premiums.
Health insurance has become a very competitive insurance market so be sure to shop around when looking for a premium. A typical health insurance plan covering the majority of the recommended in and out patient services mentioned above will typically cost about €150-€250 per year. Decide on the services that are most important to you before enquiring about cover or risk getting sold cover for medical services you are unlikely to ever need! We hope this guide helps you to better decipher the best insurance plan for you as a single person.