When considering health insurance quotes, it is more a buyer beware market than ever before. One way in which health insurance companies are adjusting to rapidly increasing buyer scrutiny is by means of add on health coverage. More employers are looking to save money on the health insurance policies they purchase for employees, and more individuals who are self-employed are looking to save money on individual policies. Add on health coverage is essentially a means of stripping down a health insurance plan in a manner not so different from the way a car manufacturer strips down their automobiles; the purpose is to create a more basic and affordable model with less bells and whistles. The caveat is that, just as in the car example, there are not only less benefits to the basic model, there are also more risks.

Take a basic health insurance quote as an example. It might cover annual physical exams and a certain percentage of the cost in the event of an emergency room visit. Such a quote might be affordable to the buyer, and might be especially appealing if that buyer is in good health and single, but what bells and whistles are missing? Most likely it is options such as prescription coverage, visits to specialists, or for women, maternity coverage (the latter of which has an especially significant impact on the cost of a policy. Such an option typically adds between $200 and $300 to the cost of a monthly premium, often doubling what would otherwise have been considered an affordable policy).

In addition to lacking bells and whistles, another factor perhaps less examined when considering the impact of add on health coverage is deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. More than ever, these items are being used as variables to separate health insurance providers' many available policies by nothing more than these two items and their associated costs, essentially treating them as "options" or "benefits." To make a generic example, one policy from a company might be called "Good Health 500" with an annual deductible of $500 and a $250 monthly premium, whereas another policy from the same company might be called "Value Health 1500" with an annual deductible of $1,500 for a $150 monthly premium, but in all other ways the coverage for the two policies is exactly the same.

It is more important now than ever that the buyer be vigilant when comparing the optional benefits and costs of health insurance quotes that have resulted from add on health coverage, lest an individual find him or herself in a situation where they believed they were covered, but suddenly find themselves responsible for thousands of dollars in medical costs.