If you’re one of the lucky Americans to have access to health insurance, you may be thankful that you have it at all.  But there’s a slight chance you may not have the type of coverage you think you have.

There are several questions you can ask to ensure your family isn’t left at risk financially should a medical crisis arise where you have to call on your health insurance provider – only to discover you aren’t covered as you thought you were.

First, find out if the health plan has a cap or a limit on your out-of-pocket expenses.  That means, for charges that are normally covered under the insurance policy, is there a set amount you’ll have to pay out of your own wallet before the insurance policy will cover the rest 100%?

You want to find a policy that sets a limit as to how much you’ll be responsible for, after the deductible and coinsurance payments, or else a prolonged hospital stay could bankrupt you even though you’re technically covered by insurance.