How am I Billed for Hospital Care Only Coverage?

Posted in Health Insurance , Hospital Care Only

October 1st, 2009

Applying for health insurance is a tricky prospect because there are so many factors to consider, including how it is billed the same goes for hospital care only coverage. Even though it isn’t a consistent form of coverage in comparison to more comprehensive plans out there, it still may be needed at some point, which is why it’s good to know how it is billed in the event that you decide to take it on.

What is Hospital Care Only Coverage?

Hospital care only health insurance is coverage that only pays for in-patient hospital services. This means, any out-patient services, including surgeries, lab tests, x-rays, or doctor’s visits will not be covered in your plan. In addition, those services that occur as a result of, but are not in direct relation to, your in-patient visits aren’t covered either. These include follow-up visits or annual exams. This type of coverage is only meant to take care of specific in-patient hospital visits. If you need more coverage, it’s suggested that you use hospital care only as a backup plan.

How it is Billed

Different plans provide different options in billing. But most require that you pay a low monthly premium for the designated amount of time that you have agreed to finance your policy. If the time comes that you actually need to utilize your benefits, you will very likely have to pay a deductible of a predetermined amount first. The higher your deductible is, the lower your monthly premium will likely be, and vice versa. Because there is no doctor’s visit associated with this type of health insurance, co-pays are considered non-issues.

Deciding whether you want to take on hospital care only comes with a long list of pros and cons and determining whether you like how it is billed is just one of them. The good news is that continued research can help you choose, so that you know you’ve acquired the right health insurance for your medical needs.

Read Part Five of our Understanding Hospital Care Insurance series: Why Having Just Hospital Insurance is a Bad Idea
>>> See our whole Understanding Hospital Care Insurance series