Internet Insurance Policies

The internet is awash in advertisements for medical insurance policies. Here’s what you need to know about them: Don’t buy one. At least not until you’re certain you understand what you’re buying.

Internet sites make impressive claims about the coverage they offer and the low-cost premiums. But buyer beware. It can be risky to purchase an insurance policy this way. Without a storefront or headquarters, it’s difficult to judge if the business is legitimate. Your only way to research its track record is through online reviews (and folks that leave reviews online aren’t always the most level-headed or informed). Internet medical insurance policies are usually the least expensive, but you may not know if the company is legitimate until it is too late. If you do go this route, please do plenty of research on any company you inquire with and get a second opinion on any quote given—it’s easier than ever in this digital age to do your own due diligence.

Worst case, you could end up sick or injured in a foreign country only to find, when you try to contact your insurance provider for coverage, that it doesn’t in fact exist. It’s easy for a business to take your money up front. That doesn’t guarantee it’ll be there to follow through when it counts. I know horror stories about health insurance bought over the internet, so please be careful when shopping online.