Get medical insurance or pay out of pocket ???

Question

currently live in Southern California and work part-time with no medical coverage. I was recently accepted to NYU College of Dentistry and will be moving there in July. Before that though, I need to get physical & immunizations. I will definitely get medical insurance once I move out there, but my concern is before that time.

Things I need for sure: Physical, TB skin test, Hep. B, and Meningitis immunizations.

My question is: Should I purchase a short-term insurance coverage to get the necessary physical/immuzations done or should I just do it out-of-pocket. Also, if it is worth getting insurance for this period, would you guys please recommend couple of plans for me. ( I am 24, Male, non-smoker).

THnaks in advance.

Answer 1

You should consider getting a short term policy until you get to New York. The short term will cover you in the event of an unforseen accident or illness but it will not cover the immediate needs you describe. You will have to pay for those items out of pocket.

You will need a trusted adviser to help you through the process of purchasing health insurance so that you understand what you are purchasing. Some may suggest going on line to get a quote but I'm sure you already know that there is much more to health insurance than price.

Ultimately, you are the one who determines the affordability of your health insurance plan by deciding how much you will participate in sharing the cost of your health care with your insurance company.

If you choose a plan that covers everything i.e. doctors office visits, prescription drugs, preventative health benefits, maternity coverage as well as low deductibles and low copays your monthly premiums will be significant.

On the other hand you are young, probably healthy and and likely that you use the health care system sparingly. With those circumstances you could consider a permanent health insurance plan that covers only the major health catastrophe. This will result in a relatively low monthly premium. You then can use the monthly premium savings to pay for the occasional doctor visit and still come out ahead.

Check with the agent that writes your home or auto insurance to find a temporary health insurance policy. Your California agent is likely not licensed to write a health insurance policy in NY State (nor familiar with the carriers and networks) but he/she might be able to recommend an agent that is familiar with what products are available.

That agent can provide you a health insurance proposal that takes into account your budget and health situation.

Answer 2

That short term policy is going to have a deductible, and isn't going to cover the physical/immunizations.

On recommendations - I recommend you buy from a LOCAL BROKER, with a real live office.  NOT over the internet.