Co-insurance refers to a percentage you will pick up for services. For example, a 30% plan means that you will pay 30% (insurance will pay 70%) of the negotiated rate.

These are essentially the three ways an insurance plan handles the smaller bills.

5. How plans handle what is increasingly the most costly part of visiting the doctor...prescriptions

Brand name prescriptions have been increasing 20% per year and despite the political rhetoric...that's probably not going to change for a while.

In case you have been away the last couple of years, pharmaceutical companies have changed the way they market their products. It use to be that they would primarily market through the doctor...a "push" method. Now, with huge advertising campaigns, they are advertising directly to you, the consumer in the thought that you will then go and request that medication from your doctor...the "pull" method. Guess what...there is a cost to all this and you want to make sure your plan covers it.

Most insurance plans handle prescriptions with a copay, a fixed amount you pay. Typically, there is a different copay amount for brand name and generic stemming from the situation I mentioned above. Across the board, you usually find a $10 generic copay and a $25 brand name copay but make sure to check the policy...it might be different.

Well we have made it through...hopefully with few scars and a great deal more understanding of how to read the plans.

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