Should You Be Getting Health Insurance As A Single Parent?

Should You Be Getting Health Insurance As A Single Parent?
SHARE

Recent research has revealed that single-parent families see the parent often sacrificing their own level of health care coverage in order to keep their children’s at the same, comprehensive level. However, health insurance is essential for the whole family, and there are ways to get rewards, discounts and money savings, such as by shopping around annually and making sure each person’s cover is personalized to them. This means money can be saved and spent where it’s actually needed, helping to keep the whole family covered with everything they may need.

Why you need insurance and when to get it

As with any type of insurance, health insurance is essential for peace of mind. However, it also means you get to skip public waiting lists, such as in the UK and Australia where they can be months-long, your bills are entirely or mostly covered, and you often get your choice of hospitals and doctors. In Australia, you can save money by taking out insurance before you turn 31, otherwise, the Lifetime Health Cover Loading kicks in, which is a fee paid in addition to your cover. This is to encourage people to take out insurance at a younger age, helping to reduce debt caused by medical bills. Most countries have plans where children will be better off staying on their parent’s insurance until they turn 25, particularly if they’re still dependent on their parent.

The importance of switching from your family plan

You need to be registered as married or in a relationship to have a family insurance policy, so if you separate or divorce, you may find that you can’t make a claim if you haven’t updated your plan to a single parent policy. Children only need to be on their mother or father’s policy, not both, and they will still get the same benefits as they did on a family plan. It’s important for both parents to have good communication when switching children to a single parent plan.

Picking the right insurance plan

You can get several different levels of insurance on a single parent plan, just as you can with family plans. It’s important to look around for the best price and cover based on you and your child’s health and needs. Phoning your current provider can get you a lower price if you say you’re considering leaving if you find a cheaper price elsewhere, but be aware that your current insurance plan may have a leaving fee or set length of time before the policy ends, so it’s worth checking this first. The team behind qantas health insurance for single parents recommends their product because you get all of the benefits of a family plan, but without the additional cost, plus Qantas points that can go towards a family holiday. Children can also be covered for extras, such as eye appointments, glasses, and orthodontics, helping to personalize the plan.

Different levels of cover per person

Many people don’t realize that you can mix and match policies within a single parent plan to personalize it to each family member, which also helps to save money. You can pick one insurer to cover the whole family for hospital cover, and then add on extras through the same or a different insurer. For example, if children need physiotherapy, it’s good to add this as an extra for just them, but there’s no point paying for this for everyone when they’re unlikely to need it. Review extras each year, and take off any that won’t be needed, such as when children have had their braces and won’t need any more orthodontic care. Doing this can help to save potentially hundreds of dollars.

As a single parent, spending money on good health insurance can be an extra cost that may not be a priority, but it’s usually worth it in the long run, as it can help to save a fortune when the time comes for medical care, as well as providing peace of mind.


SHARE

I am a pop culture and social media expert. Aside from writing about the latest news health, I also enjoy pop culture and Yoga. I have BA in American Cultural Studies and currently enrolled in a Mass-Media MA program. I like to spend my spring breaks volunteering overseas.

Post Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.