Before you can even begin to consider signing up for health insurance, educate yourself on the basics. You’d be surprised at how many proud policy owners don’t know the difference between an HMO and a PPO. Don’t be in the dark. Keep these things in mind.

Quality
When you’re looking for a good restaurant, whom do you ask? Your friends and family, right? The same theory should apply to health insurance. Ask which company they have policies with and if they’re satisfied with the service. Get the opinions of people in the medical field, also. The National Committee for Quality Assurance rates many health insurance providers and provides a handy report card to help you.

Choice
You’ll have a number of options to pick and choose from. But some questions you’ll want to ask yourself are: Do you want to go to your own doctor? Do you mind the restriction of choosing from a list? Some plans only pay for basic or emergency care, while others pay for everything from doctor visits to prescription medicines. As you begin your search, you’ll want to find out which doctors and hospitals are covered. Are they in convenient locations for you? Do you need to have a primary doctor? Do you need approval before going to the hospital or seeing a specialist? Does the plan pay for mental health, dental, and eye care?

Cost
Getting insurance through your employer or your spouse’s employer will be easiest on your pocketbook. So, as you pick through policies, ask yourself: What can I afford? Ultimately, your goal is to get the best benefits at a cost that’s feasible for you.