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- I chose a health insurance plan with the lowest monthly premium.
- I would have chosen a different plan if I knew what the terms like deductible and co-insurance meant.
- Next year, I’ll weigh the pros and cons of having a higher monthly payment vs. a higher deductible.
I was 30 years old when I started my first full-time, corporate job (which was here at Insider). Before that, I worked as a freelancer and dependent on California state’s health insurance, Medi-Cal, for two years. Back in New York, when I was working in the fashion industry, I worked at a startup that only offered one affordable health insurance option.
Working full-time at Insider is the first time I’ve had to choose between different tiers of health insurance plans. While I did my best to research my options, I still felt unprepared to make the decision. There are four terms I wish I’d known before choosing my current plan.
1. Out-of-network provider
Thanks to Medi-Cal, I was able to find a physical therapist just a 10-minute drive from my house to help me prepare for and recover from top surgery, and I didn’t have a copay. My new health insurance through work is accepted nationwide, but I noticed more providers on the east coast were in-network than providers on the west coast, where I live.
It turns out that my physical therapist didn’t