Why Hospital Care Only is a Bad Choice

Posted in Health Insurance , Hospital Care Only

March 27th, 2009

If you have health insurance needs that require in-patient care but dont have a ton of money for coverage, you may be tempted to take on hospital care only. However, this type of coverage alone is often discouraged. Lets learn more facts about hospital care insurance, and why some suggest that you stay away if at all possible.

What is Hospital Care Only?

Hospital care only refers to health insurance policies that only cover the expenses that incur as a result of in-patient hospital services. So for instance, if you have a major surgery coming up and no insurance to cover the experience, taking on this type of coverage can pay for those expenses while youre considered an in-patient.

Why is Hospital Care Only a Bad Idea?

There are a number of reasons that you probably want to avoid hospital care only coverage. Lets look at what they are:

• Basic medical needs are not covered. With this type of health insurance coverage, no services are provided that rest outside of you being a patient in the hospital. This includes any initial or follow-up doctors visits, annual exams, x-rays, lab services, or annual exams even if they are directly related to a condition that required in-patient care.
• Not all hospital expenses are in-patient. Despite the fact that hospital care only is a type of health insurance that covers those actually in the hospital, if you receive any treatment at the facility that is not considered in-patient, you wont be covered. This can very quickly make your coverage more of a hindrance than a help if the hospital insists that you only need outpatient treatment or even surgery for a condition that is ailing you.

The main reason that hospital care only is frowned upon is because it simply doesnt cover enough services. It may seem like an inexpensive way to make sure that hospital bills are taken care of, but if you dont have a back-up health insurance plan for all of your other needs, you will soon learn that you will have been much better off paying a little more for comprehensive coverage.

>>> See our whole Understanding Hospital Care Insurance series