Maintaining a healthy routine can be expensive. From filling prescriptions and going to the dentist, these routine medical and dental costs can add up quickly. Additionally, costs that come with seeing an optometrist and having an adjustment with a chiropractor can add to those bills. This can be difficult enough before taking into consideration unexpected surprise expenses, such as when you injure yourself and need to see a physiotherapist.
Health and dental insurance helps to pay for these annual costs and other unexpected expenses that would otherwise be paid for out of pocket.听Protecting both your health and your budget there are insurance plans that fit all stages of life and lifestyles.
For health and dental insurance, you pay an annual or monthly premium and the insurer covers all or a percentage of the costs.听The types of services covered by your plan and the percentage covered is chosen before you purchase a policy. Having a discussion with a can help determine what level of coverage makes sense for you.
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Why you need health and dental insurance
Like with all types of insurance policies, health and dental insurance provides peace of mind and security. Coverages can include everything from eye exams to cleaning and checkups at the dentist. These are services that the government health insurance plans don鈥檛 cover. In addition to regular and routine checkups, there are also coverages for the unexpected treatments, such as a cavity filling. With insurance, you鈥檙e not faced with the difficult decision about whether you can afford to get that filling right away or whether you need to put it off for a later time, since a portion of the cost will be paid by your insurer.
Employee group plans vs individual plans
Some employers offer employee group plans as part of your benefits package. In these situations your employer may cover all or a portion of the premiums so there鈥檚 less out-of-pocket expenses for you. With employee group plans, however, your company chooses the group plan for all of its employees. Employers can decide what type of health and dental treatments the plan covers, what percentage of the cost will be covered by the plan and whether the plan will cover just you or you and your family.
With individual plans you are in the driver鈥檚 seat. You can tailor the plan to fit your budget and needs. For example, if you have no need for orthodontic coverage, you can choose a plan that doesn鈥檛 offer this, but then opt for a plan that provides coverage for a physiotherapist, who you know you will need treatment from several times a year. Given that you鈥檙e the one selecting the plan, you can also choose who is covered under the plan and add family members to it. You maintain your plan even if you change jobs or move.
Individual plans can be especially beneficial for you if you are self-employed. Managing the expenses for routine medical checkups, prescriptions and unexpected health expenses can add up.
But can you have both employee group benefits and an individual plan?
Yes, you can have both employee group benefits and your own individual plan. It is not uncommon for people to top up any benefits that are missing from the employer group plan.
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If you鈥檙e looking to choose between your employer鈥檚 group plan or an individual plan, you need to consider what works best for you, your family and your health and financial situation. When it comes to the cost, consider that while your employer may pay for all or a portion of the premiums, with an individual plan your premiums may be tax deductible, which can make an individual plan more affordable. More things to consider when deciding on getting an individual plan on top of your employee group plan:
鈼 Are my employee group plans portable? If I leave the company, can I take the plan with me?
鈼 Am I able to top up or add coverage to my employee group benefits?
鈼 Can I remove some components that I don鈥檛 need or want?
鈼 What type of choices does the group employee plan offer?
What about health and dental plans for retirement?
One of the many things you鈥檒l have to think about when it comes to retirement is whether you will have health and dental insurance in place. A good first step is to inquire if your employer offers retiree health benefits. If they don鈥檛, you may want to consider an individual plan for you and your family for when you retire. Consider you and your family鈥檚 health status and routine appointments, including:
鈼 How often do you (or your family members) visit the dentist?
鈼 Do you (or your family members) wear eyeglasses or contact lenses?
鈼 Do you (or your family members) regularly see a physiotherapist, registered massage therapist, naturopath or chiropractor?
鈼 Does the government cover all of your prescription drug expenses?
鈼 Do you have a health fund set aside should you (or a family member) ever need hearing aids, a wheelchair, walker, or in-home nursing care?
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Health insurance plans offer additional wellness benefits, too
A growing number of insurance plans offer non-insurance services, too. For example, some plans offer virtual health care services鈥搒o that you can access medical professionals by phone or online 24/7 for prescriptions, mental health care, diagnoses or referrals. Many insurers also offer wellness programs to help you lead an active, healthy lifestyle.
Only you can decide if getting an individual health and dental plan is beneficial to you and your family
While 91原创 does have universal access to health care, not everything is covered. Having your own insurance in place provides peace of mind as you don鈥檛 have to worry about unexpected medical costs. Only you can decide whether the pros of having your own insurance outweigh the cons, what works for your budget and health regimen. With so many plans to choose from, a at can work with you on finding the one that offers the best coverage for you.
Learn more about health and dental insurance by contacting a at 1-888-444-6711 or 听
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