Health insurance is like a prepaid deal. Whether or not you avail of the services and privileges covered in the plan, you will not be entitled to get any rebates and discounts for any unused and unavailed-of benefits. This page will not tell you whether you should utilize your coverage. Instead, it will educate you and give you a rough idea on where all your payment goes and which parties benefit. Check out the following list.

• MEDICAL CARE. Yes, you will get more than what you paid for because a huge chunk of your payments actually goes to medical care (both yours and other payers') and the respective health care providers. Medical care includes consultations with your physicians, professional care from healthcare institutions and individuals, prescription drugs (if they are covered in your plan), laboratory tests and analyses, physical checkups (the frequency of which will vary according to the plan you are availing of), emergency treatment and confinement in the hospital. If you are at least 65 years old, your medical care may also include blood subsidy, basic hospice care, basic home health services and basic privileges in a skilled nursing facility.

• COMMUNICATIONS. No business can stand without communications, so understand that a little portion of your payments will go to the back office of your insurance company which takes care of all the necessary paperwork and communication needs between you and the company's partner professionals and institutions.

Communication services include, among others, drafting and printing out forms, organizing and keeping membership records and other relevant files, updating the list of active clients and providers, and processing claims.

• CUSTOMER CARE AND SERVICE. Do not forget how fast you get your queries answered by that pleasant voice on the other line. A small portion of your payment also goes to customer care and service. While the skeletal work force of your insurance company takes care of the nuts and bolts, the customer care department makes sure that you, the client, are happy.

In fact, by aiming to keep you satisfied, the customer care and service department ultimately works to keep the company's relations with both the healthcare providers and the healthcare consumers are as smooth as possible. Customer care services include answering questions, providing basic advice, troubleshooting, documenting complaints and then notifying the right agency to act on them.

Depending on the plan you are getting, you could be paying off for your insurance on a regular basis – usually monthly, some others quarterly. If you are employed, consider yourself somewhat lucky because your company may agree to shoulder the costs for you or agree to co-pay for the premiums.

As you can see, your monthly contribution for insurance actually goes a long, long way: to medical care, to communications, and to customer care and service. You benefit from the medical services. The healthcare providers are assured of patients to care for. Your insurance company benefits too because the fees you pay are giving the insurance company workforce a steady job.