But, if this is not an option for you, it is still important for you to seek coverage. You may be pleasantly surprised with the variety and affordability of the family health insurance plan options available.

Family health insurance plans are usually described as either “indemnity” or “managed-care” plans. Put broadly, the major differences concern choice of healthcare providers, out-of-pocket costs and how bills are paid.

Typically, indemnity plans offer a broader selection of healthcare providers than managed care plans. Indemnity plans pay their share of the costs for covered services only after they receive a bill, which means that you may have to pay up front and then obtain reimbursement from your health insurance company.

There are several different types of managed-care family health insurance plans that typically make use of healthcare provider networks. Healthcare providers within a network agree to perform services for managed-care plan patients at pre-negotiated rates and will usually submit the claim to the insurance company for you.

In general, you'll have less paperwork and lower out-of-pocket costs with a managed care health insurance plan and a broader choice of healthcare providers with an indemnity plan.

If the flexibility of an indemnity health insurance policy appeals to you, you should consider the cost of your families’ prescriptions and other preventative medication costs, which typically aren't covered under an indemnity policy.

Paying the out-of-pocket costs for the annual check-ups of your family can be expensive as well especially if you have a large family, and change your decision on which family health insurance plan to choose.

On the other hand, if some members of your family have trusted physicians who aren't in a managed care network, the lower cost of a managed care health insurance policy might not be worth having to give up that security.