Open Access - Health Insurance Definition
An Open Access health insurance
plan means that you - as the consumer - can seek
out health care services from any source and the
insurance will pay as usual. It’s important
to note that even an open access plan may have
some limitations.
Typically, this insurance program will pay only
for approved treatments. That means that an experimental
drug, holistic medicine, chiropractic services
and other “medical” costs won’t
be paid. However, the fact that an insurance policy
has an open access policy does mean that you can
choose any doctor and any health care facility
for treatment. For some people, that’s vital.
If you drive a truck, make out-of-town sales
calls or even regularly visit friends and relatives
who don’t live near you, you run the risk
of needing medical treatment while you’re
many miles from your primary care physician. If
that happens, an open access policy ensures that
you would have adequate insurance coverage. It’s
important to note that many closed
access policies provide for emergency health
care if you become ill or have an accident away
from home, even if you use an out-of-network
physician. But that may not be enough if you’re
often on the road. There are times when a visit
to the doctor isn’t really an emergency
but is necessary. And if you have the appropriate
health insurance, you’re more likely to
find a physician willing to see you in that situation. |
