If you’re meaning to buy private health insurance, then one of the foremost factors likely to be in your mind when you make your choice is how it’s going to cost you. Of course, one has to be careful to think about not just how much they’re likely to pay in monthly premiums, but how much you can expect to pay in deductibles when you actually need to use that insurance.

That said, cost should not be the only thing that matters when you choose a health insurance plan. Here, we’re going to look at what else should be on your mind.

The provider network

One of the things worth considering is what health care providers are part of your insurance provider’s network. All too often, a person will visit a doctor for years, only to find out that a new insurance agreement means that their trips to that doctor will no longer be covered because the doctor is not on their network. Make sure that you take a look at who is on your insurance provider’s network and that if you want to keep your doctor, you will be able to. Otherwise, you might have to pay extra for the pleasure.

What it covers

Every health care plan comes with its own details on what it does and does not cover. There are aspects of treatment that are generally covered, such as hospital charges, outpatient consultants, necessary surgery, cancer treatment, and a few others. When it comes to more specialized forms of treatment, such as mental health care, chronic conditions, pre-existing conditions, prenatal care, or drug abuse, such as is discussed at this source, then there are no guarantees. Some are more common across plans in some states, but others you might have to pay a little extra monthly to get. You need to choose your level of coverage based on your needs.

Insurance and medicine

Aside from the various types of treatment you can get, you should also make sure to check that any medication and medical subscriptions you need are covered extensively by your health care plan. The majority of plans cover medicine, but to a certain limit, and not always exhaustively. There are medicines that may not be included in your plan, which can include a lot of medicines that are used for mental health or for fertility and pregnancy care, even when they’re not used for those explicit reasons. Make sure you get an idea of approved medicines, such as at this link, when you are choosing a plan.

HSA contributions

Aside from insurance, many individuals and families will make use of a health savings account (or HSA for short) to help them pay for treatments. While funds can be withdrawn from the money for any reason before 65, any withdrawals made to pay medical expenses are tax-free. It’s important to know that certain insurance plans will allow you to make contributions through your insurance plans. There are others that do not allow you to do so, or may charge a higher deductible for this feature.

Family members

If you’re looking to get coverage for only yourself as an individual, then this point might not matter too much. However, for anyone with children, it’s only natural to make sure that your family members are covered by your plan as well. Family plans do not only cover children, however, as you can see at this source, but can also cover parents, siblings, grandparents, and a spouse. Not every plan offers family coverage, however, so you need to make sure that you’re choosing one that covers family members and, specifically, the types of relationships that you want to provide for.

Additional perks you might want to consider

The above factors are some of the most common considerations that you might want to make, but there are health care plans that come with a range of additional perks going beyond what we have covered here so far. For instance, some plans may include the use of a gym membership in their cost, or additional wellbeing plans and treatments that can help with preventative care. Others can offer incentives such as rides to doctor appointments, video conferences with doctors, free counseling sessions, and even legal consultations. These tend to be mostly available in the more premium plans, however.

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when you’re considering the various health care plans. When you’re comparing them, make sure that you’re getting the right deal, not just a cheap deal.