Medical care in the US is of very high quality and naturally it is also very expensive. When a person falls sick in the US he needs medical assistance. There are very few free services and most medical care is expensive even for a common cold.

In other countries there are national Health services or government sponsored health care but in the US there is only Medicare for people who are over 65 years of age and Medicaid for the economically weaker sections of society. The rest have to bear the medical expenses themselves. If health insurance is applied and the policy signed by the relevant authorities, then the organization which has entered into the agreement with the individual pays either part or bears the full expense of the illness and the treatment. Health insurance is bought to bear the expenses of illness, surgery or any health related emergency.

Medical health insurance is generally given by the employer or the organization which has group insurance for all the employees. The self-employed individuals have to apply for insurance coverage themselves. They can form a group, even if the group consists of only two individuals, so that the premiums to be paid are less.

Most insurance plans provide basic medical coverage. There are different types of plan and the person has to select the best one and the most suitable one for him (if he has a choice). An average type of an insurance plan will cover the physical exams and health screenings, care by specialists, hospitalization and emergency care, prescription drugs, vision care, dental services and others.

People buy health insurance to protect themselves financially. With health insurance a person protects himself and his family in cases of expensive medical care. Some years are good and the medical bills may be low but in the event of illness, the bills can be high. If health insurance is there, then many of the costs are covered by the insurance company. Even during pregnancy and childbirth, there are many tests which can be very expensive but are absolutely necessary. Monthly checkups, blood tests, sonography, medicines, the actual delivery, hospitalization etc costs a lot of money. For many, specialized care may be necessary. Insurance covers most of these expenses; otherwise it is very difficult for any individual to manage.

An insured person can avail of medical facilities and then present the bills to the insurance company for claiming the payment. The organization will carefully go through the bills and sanction the amount when it is fully sure that the claim is legitimate. In some cases it may be part payment of the expenses, in other cases it could be full payment.

There are a few medical procedures, which may not be covered by health insurance. Plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery, procedures like liposuction, body lifts and others, which can be included in the category of body sculpting procedures, may not be covered by insurance. However if it can be proven that some of these procedures are essential for health reasons, and then maybe some insurance companies will bear the cost.

It is necessary for the person who is buying the insurance to make sure of what he is getting and for what purpose.