According to the U.S Geological Survey (USGS), earthquakes pose significant risk to 75 million Americans in 39 states. While California carries two-thirds of the nation’s earthquake risk, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), earthquakes hit many other parts of the country, too.

Historical norms aren’t always a good guide. If recent weather conditions, like droughts and flooding, are not corresponding to historical norms, who’s to say fault line activity won’t diverge from historical norms as well?

Take Superstorm Sandy: Many of the impacted areas weren’t prone to extensive flooding prior to the storm. Because of this, many residents did not have flood insurance. When these homeowners fell victim to flooding and wind damage from the powerful storm, it was too late to get coverage.

Earthquakes are no different. It’s not just Californians who may want to think about coverage. East Coast residents, for example, have experienced tremors in the past, and Virginia—not normally thought of as a hotbed of earthquake activity—experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in 2011.

This begs the question: How do you figure out whether you need this coverage?

Start by checking out the seismic hazard maps provided by the USGS. These maps, which are broken down by state, can give you an idea of the probability of an earthquake hitting your area.

Earthquake insurance can provide protection against shaking and cracking that can destroy buildings and personal possessions; costs incurred from stabilizing the land under your home; costs associated with debris removal; and living expenses you may have while your home is being rebuilt or repaired.

It is strongly suggested that you review you coverage and discuss your options with your insurance provider. Remember to ask whether the policy you’re considering covers the aforementioned natural disasters that often occur because of an earthquake. If not, ask about the availability of supplemental coverage.

Other damage that may result from earthquake activity, like fire or water damage, may be covered under your homeowners insurance policy, but be sure to confirm that this is the case with your existing policy.

I have yet to meet an insurance professional who can predict the future. While we have the ability to model a homeowner’s exposure to certain events, it’s impossible to be 100 percent certain. If you feel you could be at risk of experiencing an earthquake in your area, now may be the time to talk to your insurance professional about coverage.

Karen Skoler has been in the insurance business since 1969 with a background in marketing, claims, servicing, sales, and supervising with both insurance carriers and independent agents. She earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation in 1994.

Presently, Karen is employed as a commercial lines manager at Petschauer Insurance Agency in Ridgewood, NY. She often writes content for blogs in the interest of helping people understand insurance coverages they have either purchased or are contemplating purchasing. You can follow her blog posts at www.jpins.com.

Scenario #1: Injuries to a guest in your home

Whether you have a pet who nips a visitor or your child hits a baseball through a neighbor’s window, renters insurance may help protect you, provide defense, pay for damages, or investigate allegations when claims are made against you by third parties.

For example, consider an elderly customer of mine who was at home recuperating after a heart attack. During a visit with a friend, his guest tripped over a loose wire and fell, breaking an ankle. Unfortunately, the elderly customer did not purchase renter’s insurance because, he said, at his age he had nothing worth insuring in his apartment.

Had he purchased renters insurance, however, his insurance policy may have provided medical payments for his injured guest. It also may have provided liability coverage, or at the very least defense costs, potentially protecting him against lawsuits from the guest.

Scenario #2: Building malfunctions

Contrary to popular belief, your landlord isn’t always responsible for damage caused to your possessions from building-related issues.

Case in point: My mother, who resided in an assisted living facility for the last seven years of her life, came home after an afternoon of shopping to find that her room had been inundated by water. The cause was an overflowing toilet in her room that would not stop running. Many of her possessions were damaged beyond repair. Had she not had renters insurance, she would have been on the hook for replacing them. Luckily, she had heeded my warnings and purchased a renter’s policy some months prior to the loss.

Her policy paid for the replacement of the items under the replacement cost provision of her policy. Needless to say, she was thrilled with her insurance purchase after that event.

Scenario #3: Off-premises events

Many renters insurance policies can also cover losses that occur away from the rented home.

In one case, a friend’s daughter took her new comforter, computer, and clothing to college, only to have everything destroyed in a dorm fire during the first week of school. Happily, she learned that under her parents’ renters policy, 10 percent of the coverage carried by the parent’s in their residence could be allocated to the contents lost in their daughter’s dorm room fire.

My father always said, “Ignorance isn’t bliss—it’s just ignorance.” In the case of renters insurance, ignorance can be very costly. To decide whether renters insurance is right for you, make a list of your personal possessions and their estimated replacement costs, and weigh those costs against the cost of an annual renters policy.

Then, consider the aforementioned scenarios. Could one of these happen to you?

Karen Skoler has been in the insurance business since 1969 with a background in marketing, claims, servicing, sales, and supervising with both insurance carriers and independent agents. She earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation in 1994.

Presently, Karen is employed as a commercial lines manager at Petschauer Insurance Agency in Ridgewood, NY. She often writes content for blogs in the interest of helping people understand insurance coverages they have either purchased or are contemplating purchasing. You can follow her blog posts at www.jpins.com.

Whether you are gearing up for a trip to your storage unit to pack away more stuff or thinking about renting a storage unit for the first time, you’ll want to make sure you have the insurance policy you need to protect your belongings.

“If an item is valuable enough that you are willing to pay for storing it, the item should be financially protected with the proper amount and type of insurance policy,” says Loretta Worters, vice president of communications at the Insurance Information Institute.

“Even in the best managed storage facilities, theft, fire, and other disasters can and do occur. That’s why before signing a rental agreement, it is important to find out what types of losses will be covered by the storage facility and whether supplemental insurance may be needed.”

Before you start rummaging through your closets and drawers deciding what can be stowed outside of your home, consider these six questions to make sure your storage insurance needs are met.

1. Do you have off-premises protection through your homeowners or renters insurance?

Before purchasing any additional insurance for your stored items, make sure to check how much off-premises coverage is included in your homeowners or renters policy, says Pete Moraga, spokesman for the Insurance Information Network of California.

If you have off-premises protection, the items in your storage unit might already be covered from fire damage, theft, tornadoes, and other disasters listed in the policy.

Off-premises coverage will vary by state and policy—some insurers may limit the off-premises coverage for personal possessions to 10 percent of the overall amount of your homeowners insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Regardless of the total amount of off-premises coverage, there may also be a limit per item. Most standard homeowners and renters policies limit the dollar amount for theft of personal possessions, like jewelry, to $1,000 to $2,000.

2. What type of insurance is available through the storage facility?

Your storage facility will probably require your insurance to cover the full replacement cost of the belongings in your unit. If you need to supplement the coverage you already have, consider purchasing insurance from the facility itself.

Keep in mind that the majority of storage facilities will limit the value of property you can store in the unit based on the size and the amount of your rent. That limit is normally around $20,000, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

3. Do you need extra coverage for expensive items?

If you are planning to fill your storage unit with expensive items, like jewelry, art, or antiques, consider adding an endorsement, which extends the existing coverage, or a floater, which provides coverage for a specific item whether it’s in your home, your storage unit or on a trip with you, to your homeowners or renters policy.

There are special storage facilities that regulate temperature and humidity levels for valuable items, and a bank safe deposit box can be a good option for small pieces.

You can also pay for additional coverage through the storage facility, but some storage insurance might still exclude costly belongings.

4. What’s excluded from your policies?

In addition to valuable items, most insurance—whether it’s through your homeowners, renters, or storage facility policy—does not cover damage caused by flooding, earthquakes, mold, mildew, vermin, or poor maintenance.

“A storage unit may have a separate earthquake or flooding policy, but you can’t assume that,” Moraga says. “It’s one of the things you want to make sure you specifically ask.”

5. Is transportation covered?

If you are using portable on-demand storage, where you pack up the storage unit at home and then have someone take it to the facility, Moraga says to check if your insurance covers your belongings while they are being transported from house to storage unit.

6. Have you made a home—and storage unit—inventory?

While you are cleaning out the old to make room for the new, consider creating an inventory of all of the items in both your home and storage unit. This might seem like a daunting task, but it will help your determine if your insurance coverage is adequate and will also serve as an important resource if you ever have to make a claim. If you need help staying organized, check out home inventory software programs that allow you to scan photos and upload receipts.

Spring will be much more enjoyable if you are able to put a lock on your storage unit and know that all of your belongings are protected.

Joslin Woods is a researcher, writer, and Web producer at Think Glink Media, with a background in print and digital media. Previously, Joslin worked as a news reporter for the international news agency Agence France-Presse and as a freelance reporter for the Sun-Times News Group. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Northwestern University, where she received a master’s degree in journalism.

Who is at fault in this sticky situation, and how is your unit covered?

“The worst thing is for folks to do nothing on the assumption that someone else’s insurance will cover the damage,” said Rich Rykens, a claims team manager from State Farm.

This could turn into a complex situation because multiple parties are involved, including the other condo owner and possibly the condo association. In addition, your condo association’s bylaws—and even state laws—may affect who ultimately foots the bill.

Although it’s difficult to look at this scenario and immediately determine who is responsible for the damage in your condo, there is a protocol that you can follow to get the mess cleaned up.

Be proactive. Immediately file a claim with your own insurance company, which may cover the damage according to the limits of your condo owner’s policy.

Unlike homeowners insurance, there is no standard insurance policy for condo owners. The type of insurance policy you have as a condo owner is dependent on the master policy held by the condo association. You probably contribute to this on a monthly basis through assessments. Although it differs from building to building, the condo association master policy usually covers the building’s structure, exterior parts, and shared spaces.

Once you file a claim with your own insurance company, it will investigate whether or not a third party—like the upstairs neighbor, the condo association, or a plumber—was responsible, said Justin Herndon, a member of the Allstate National Media Team.

If a third party is at fault for the damage in your unit, your insurance company will then subrogate the claim with that party, which means it will try to recoup what it paid out in the claim. If your insurance company is able to recover any of the costs, it may refund you for repairs paid for out of pocket, according to Rykens.

This procedure should apply to submitting insurance claims for other types of damage in your condo. Shared living spaces can be difficult at times, but as a condo owner, it’s important to read both your master and individual policies so you understand how you are covered before coming home to another accident.

Ilyce R. Glink is the author of several books, including 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask and Buy, Close, Move In!. She blogs about money and real estate at ThinkGlink.com and at the Home Equity blog for CBS MoneyWatch.

A package insurance policy—sometimes called trip insurance or a trip plan—usually features the most coverage in a single plan by bundling multiple types of coverage into one. This often includes coverage for cancelled or interrupted trips, medical emergencies, emergency evacuations, and lost luggage.

“[A package insurance policy] is a full suite of coverage, and that’s the most common,” says Jim Grace, CEO of insuremytrip.com, which acts as an insurance agent. “Many of the other areas of coverage or types of policies are monolithic and focus on specific coverage.”

Travel insurance typically costs between 5 percent and 8 percent of the insured trip, depending on factors like the type of plan and age of the traveler.

Whether you are shopping for a package policy, a travel medical plan, or a specialty policy designed for adventure travelers, ask yourself these four questions to help you with your purchasing decisions.

1. Is there a chance you might have to cancel your trip?

Whether you are staying within the country or traveling abroad this spring, ask yourself if there is any chance you might have to cancel your trip, especially if you are considering a package policy.

The cancellation coverage is usually what makes a package policy more costly than other plans, says Damian Tysdal, founder of Travel Insurance Review, an online travel insurance resource. But, he adds, extensive cancellation coverage is difficult to find anywhere else.

If you have to cancel your trip because of a weather disruption, a family member getting sick last minute, or an emergency at work, for example, your travel insurance could cover the lost costs.

2. Are you paying for travel activities in advance?

When considering the risk of canceling your trip, also think about how much money you will be paying before you even depart—for cruises, airfare, hotels, or organized tours, for example.

“Cruises and tours are notorious for bad cancellation policies,” Tysdal says. “At least with most airlines you can rebook the flight for a fee so there is some recourse there. With cruises, if you cancel anywhere within a month, I think you are losing at least 75 percent of the cost.”

On the other hand, if you are taking a spontaneous trip with minimal prepaid costs—such as if you are only paying for airfare—you may feel that you can absorb the cancellation risk on your own.

3. Are you traveling outside of the U.S.?

If you are traveling to an overseas destination, consider your medical coverage. Not all medical insurance plans provide worldwide coverage, according to Grace. Plus, if you are out of network for your policy, you could be faced with a large deductible. It’s important to note that Medicare recipients receive no international medical coverage.

Companies that provide travel insurance have networks of doctors and hospitals pre-screened around the world so they are equipped to manage your care abroad. If you are hurt overseas, medical evacuation coverage will take you to the nearest appropriate hospital to receive treatment or bring you home.

4. Is your trip covered through other types of insurance?

Some credit cards come with travel insurance as an added feature, but it may have a low annual limit. Check with your credit card company to see if the insurance provided meets your spring break needs.

If you are traveling domestically, your health insurance should have you covered most of the time, but make sure to familiarize yourself with your out-of-network deductibles.

Instead of coverage for lost luggage, your homeowners or renters insurance may cover off-premise theft, but again, check into the amount of the deductible. You may have to list specific items on your policy in order for them to be covered.

But given young drivers’ learning curve, families may want to find a mileage-based policy that offers savings, solid coverage, and the ability to improve their children’s road skills, from the first stop-and-go session in a parking lot to that more challenging trip down the interstate—and beyond.

Simply signing up for a mileage-based program may earn a minimal discount, but people who spend fewer hours behind the wheel can be eligible for further and more substantial reductions in premium. Less drive time can also help reduce bottom-line costs by cutting wear and tear on a vehicle, as well as fuel and maintenance costs. There is even a green benefit: Decreased driving leaves a smaller carbon footprint.

How mileage-based car insurance works

In a mileage program, a palm-sized device is installed in the car to track its overall performance and to record miles driven, speeds, rates of acceleration, braking, and time and location on the road. The unobtrusive monitor fits into a diagnostic port, usually under the steering wheel in most vehicles made after 1996.

Drivers—and their parents—can review the device’s data on a secure website. Knowing they are being monitored tends to have a positive influence on drivers, especially teens. A 2009 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that adolescents in mileage programs behave better behind the wheel. According to the Insurance Information Institute, car crashes are the prevailing cause of death among American teens, with excessive speed and distraction playing key roles, so this technology can be critical for young drivers. And adolescent drivers also are the most lethal, involved in three times as many fatal crashes as other drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

With Travelers’ IntelliDrive® program, customers can log in to a dashboard that provides detailed driving reports for as long as they are enrolled in the program. They also can set up time and distance parameters for their teens. Another option: text or email alerts to a parent if teens break curfew or go beyond agreed-upon limits.

Because the device and website are objective sources of data, the program lessens the eternal conflict between parents expressing legitimate concerns and teens primed to tune out such worry. The information gives parents a vital opportunity to coach their children on safe driving practices.

For example: If the data shows a teen accelerating too quickly or speeding, a parent can calmly explain, “With drivers racing through yellow lights and ignoring red ones, intersections can be tricky to navigate. That’s why so many accidents occur there. Slowing down and staying alert can help you through them safely.”

Parents have the most significant influence on their teens—despite the groans and eye rolling—and the enhanced skills learned within these programs can ultimately help young drivers.

Finally, do note that these programs can also benefit experienced drivers. The driver feedback they provide can go a long way toward recognizing and breaking bad habits while reinforcing and inspiring good ones.

Tony Hare is managing product director for Travelers Personal Insurance.

For the past five years, most homeowners have been watching their homeowners insurance rates go up, even as their homes drop in value. This has led some homeowners to wonder: If my home is worth less, shouldn’t it cost less to insure?

Unfortunately there is no insurance break on the horizon for homeowners, regardless of the market value of their homes. There is no direct link between insurance costs and the value of a home.

Insurance companies value homes differently than a real estate agent or tax assessor might, and market value isn’t a factor for insurance agents. Insurance companies calculate what it would cost to rebuild the same kind and quality as your home on your exact property, either as replacement cost coverage or actual cost coverage. The difference between the two is simply that actual cost factors in depreciation, while replacement does not.

Neither of these values takes into account market factors, such as your community building a new park nearby or the prices that comparable homes are selling for in your neighborhood. If your home’s value took a hit during the past five years, it’s not really relevant to your insurance company.

That does not mean, however, that the cost to replace your home has not changed. In fact, it probably has.

“It’s always a good idea to review your insurance annually,” says Loretta Worters, spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute. “While it’s true the market value of the home has no bearing [on your insurance coverage], the cost to rebuild can change.”

For example, the cost of construction and building materials may have changed over time. As a result, it may cost more to build your home now than it did when it was first insured five years ago. In the past year alone, construction costs are up 3 percent and building costs and materials have gone up 2 percent, according to Engineering News Record.

“There can also be changes in building codes, if you’ve upgraded a kitchen or added square footage to your home, such as a family room or a dormer,” Worters said. “So this can determine whether you have the right amount and type of coverage.”

You may find, based on these factors, that the value of your home has actually increased in the eyes of your insurance company. If so, you may need to upgrade your homeowners insurance coverage to avoid a situation where your insurance company writes you a check that doesn’t meet today’s costs.

Plus, in any insurance review, you may learn that you qualify for newly introduced discounts or savings, that you made safety improvements that actually lower your insurance costs, or that bundling insurance plans is a good option.

If your insurance rates do go up, consider making an extra-careful examination of your insurance policy and look around at other insurance companies. But remember: Saving pennies is not always smart with insurance plans. Make sure that you’re not sacrificing your long-term needs for the best bottom-line price.

Ilyce R. Glink is the author of several books, including 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask and Buy, Close, Move In!. She blogs about money and real estate at ThinkGlink.com and at the Home Equity blog for CBS MoneyWatch.

Susan Pisano, spokesperson for America’s Health Insurance Plans, noted that in a recent survey, 90 percent of health insurance companies said they offer some kind of healthy living discount program. Before embarking on a weight-loss plan, check with your insurance company to see if it offers any applicable discounts on wellness programs—or offers a program of its own.

Discount programs provided by health insurance companies

Insurance companies including United Healthcare, Humana, and Aetna offer discounts on weight-loss programs and health supplies such as exercise equipment and fitness apparel. They also offer discounts on other health-related initiatives such as smoking-cessation programs, massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic sessions, vitamins, and supplements, as well as books and DVDs about fitness and healthy eating.

In addition, many insurance companies have started offering free or discounted blood pressure screenings and weight-management initiatives. Exercise programs offered by the insurance companies may focus on walking, running, weight training, yoga, or basketball.

Healthy living programs sponsored by employers

You might also want to check with your employer, which may run some kind of healthy living program of its own—a trend many larger companies are starting to adopt. These programs typically include features such as gym-membership discounts, gift cards, or participation-based incentives. With these programs, you complete a course and then do a health-risk assessment that generally results in either a discount on your monthly health insurance premium or money that can be put into a health savings account.

Currently, employers can offer wellness incentives of up to 20 percent of the cost of coverage, but starting in 2014, this can go up to 30 percent—and in some cases 50 percent.

According to Pisano, the person who can have the biggest impact on someone’s health and well being is the patient – him or herself, not a provider. However, prodding people to take better care of themselves through such initiatives can provide real cost-savings—not just for the people who take advantage of these programs but also for the providers and employers who see reductions in healthcare costs.

“I think that consumer engagement is the name of the game,” Pisano said. “We have a healthcare system today where it’s clear that prevention and wellness are the keys to good health and also to affordability. If you’re thinking about 50 years ago, we had a healthcare system pretty much focused on acute care, and we didn’t really subscribe much to the idea of prevention and wellness. Now, we understand those are really the major tools that we have.”

Michelle Stoffel Huffman is a researcher and staff writer for Think Glink Inc. Prior to joining Think Glink, Michelle worked for the Chicago Tribune as a daily news reporter and community manager, covering local government, business, tax issues and crime. She now specializes in real estate industry news, consumer financial reporting and home design and decor. She is a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago.

It’s good to do a little research before any blind date so that you’ll know with whom you’re dealing on some basic level. It’s the same with an insurance agent: You want to know that this person is reputable and well liked, and when you do meet, you’ll want to have a few topics lined up to discuss with him or her.

One of the first things you should find out about an insurance agent is with whom he or she is affiliated. Is the agent independent, meaning he or she represents a wide range of insurance companies? Or is this person a captive agent, meaning he or she represents only one company?

Before your meeting, search for the agent through the Better Business Bureau and see if there are any complaints, or check out reviews on services such as Yelp or Angie’s List.

When you meet for the first time, you’ll want to ask a few important questions to determine if this is really the right agent and policy for you. Keep in mind the following five questions to ensure a productive first “date.”

1. What is your role as an insurance agent?

People typically think that an insurance agent handles all aspects of insurance, but that’s not the case, said Linda Rey, an independent insurance agent with her family’s company, Rey Insurance, in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

“An agent helps to facilitate between the insured and the insurance company, helps resolve discrepancies, or intervenes with any kind of dissatisfaction,” she said.

For example, an agent helps set up the policy and billing, and he or she can help get the claim reported, but the agent does not necessarily handle the claim from start to finish.

2. How do you handle insurance claims?

Asking the agent about the procedure for handling claims can reveal how he or she operates. Is this agent very hands on, helping you deal with a claims adjuster, for example? Or does he or she only offer help when you hit a snag with the insurance company? What happens if you’re dissatisfied with the insurance company’s payout—does the agent intervene?

3. Why do you need my Social Security number?

According to Rey, she and her agents are frequently asked why an insurance company needs a customer’s Social Security number and for what it will be used. Frequently, it’s used to check your credit score.

“The credit score has been proven to have a direct correlation with the policyholders’ bill-paying habits and maintenance of their policy,” she said.

Basically, the higher your credit score, the lower your premium may be if you’re a “low-risk policy holder.”

4. How do insurance policy renewals work? What about raising premiums in the future?

To get the specific answers you need, ask the insurance agent the following questions: How are the insurance policy’s deductibles applied? Is the deductible applied per year, per claim, or in the case of auto insurance, for example, per member of the family? When can I renew or review my policy?

As far as cost goes, Rey says to expect increases periodically across all lines and all companies. “If it doesn’t happen,” she says, “embrace it and consider it a bonus.”

5. What does or doesn’t my policy cover?

If you need a little more explanation of your insurance policy, try throwing out some scenarios to your agent to test your coverage. It’s a good way to understand how your policy functions—and how your agent thinks.

And like with any date, don’t settle. If you don’t click with the agent and he or she is not offering you what you need, keep looking. As the saying goes, there are plenty of fish in this particular sea.

Michelle Stoffel Huffman is a researcher and staff writer for Think Glink Inc. Prior to joining Think Glink, Michelle worked for the Chicago Tribune as a daily news reporter and community manager, covering local government, business, tax issues and crime. She now specializes in real estate industry news, consumer financial reporting and home design and decor. She is a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago.

The staff members at eHealthInsurance.com, a website that helps consumers find health insurance, frequently field questions about health insurance policies. They have seen quite a few complaints from people who thought a healthcare provider took their insurance but who found out they weren’t covered in the way they thought after they received a bill.
There are two typical scenarios that often occur. Some patients may find that a member of a medical professional’s office staff said that their insurance policy provided coverage, but it actually did not. Other times, patients simply didn’t understand their insurance coverage when facing a test, a service, or any procedure other than a regular doctor visit—and they received a bill for which they weren’t prepared.

Coverage for office visits

Keith Mendonsa, consumer health insurance expert at eHealthInsurance.com, said, “There are lots of dentists and optometrists who will be glad to accept your insurance and submit the bill to your insurance company. This doesn’t mean, however, that they are in-network and contractually obliged to accept a certain dollar limit, which may be less than their full charge, as payment in full.”
Unfortunately patients who find out too late that they were not in-network have limited options.

“In the end, it’s always considered the patients’ responsibility to make sure that they’re seeing network providers,” Mendonsa said. He added that a 2012 provision of the health reform law requires health insurance companies to make summary of benefits and coverage forms available for the plans they sell, which may help patients looking to better understand their coverage.

“These are standardized forms that answer a number of basic—and not-so-basic—questions about what policyholders should expect to pay for specific medical services. If you haven’t already received one of these forms from your health insurance company, ask for one,” he said.

Your best bet is to call up your insurance company ahead of time, make sure you completely understand your coverage, and verify that a provider is in-network, even for small things like co-pays. For example, some office staff will take you at your word when you say you think your co-pay is $35—when actually it’s $25—and then not uncover the error in a timely manner.

Coverage for medical procedures

Patients can also get hit with unexpected medical bills when a doctor orders medical tests, services, or procedures that go beyond the scope of a simple office visit. Typically, these bills crop up when patients don’t understand for what they’re personally responsible in terms of co-payments and deductibles.

“X-rays are generally covered, for example, but if you haven’t met your deductible for the year, you may end up paying for [them] out of pocket,” Mendonsa said. “That said, if you’re at the doctor’s office or hospital and a specific procedure is being ordered for you and you’re concerned about whether it will be covered at all, you can certainly contact your insurance company or ask the doctor’s office to check with the insurer on your behalf.”

What to do if you’re hit with a medical bill

Unfortunately, if you’re stuck with a bill for something you thought was covered, you don’t have a lot of options.

If you can’t pay the bill right away, contact the hospital or billing department to figure out what you can do before it’s too late. Some hospitals and doctors have patient advocate services to help you navigate health insurance policies, procedures, and bills, so start there. If the bill is bigger than you can afford, request a cash discount or ask to set up a payment plan. But above all, do not ignore the bill. If you don’t pay, it could wind up in collections.

TIP: Have you checked your credit score in the last year? Pull a copy of your credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com to see if you have any medical bills to pay.

Michelle Stoffel Huffman is a researcher and staff writer for Think Glink Inc. Prior to joining Think Glink, Michelle worked for the Chicago Tribune as a daily news reporter and community manager, covering local government, business, tax issues and crime. She now specializes in real estate industry news, consumer financial reporting and home design and decor. She is a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago.