Health Insurance

Health insurance in the US provides coverage for visits to the doctor or emergency room, prescriptions, hospital stays and other medical expenses. There are a vast range of policies available, differing in what they cover, the size of the deductible, and the options for treatment available to the policy holder. Although many people receive group health insurance from their employer as a benefit, there are many others who must shop around for the right policy.

Although approximately 85% of Americans have health insurance, it is thought there are about 41 million people in the US who do not. A third of this figure includes young and healthy individuals with low risk of serious illness who don't believe that health insurance would be cost-effective, while one third of these are eligible for public health insurance programs but have not signed up for them.

In this section, we take a look at the different types of policies available, and what you need to know before buying.