wellness
5 tips to help prepare for open
enrollment and save on health care costs
Millions of Americans will soon select
or switch their health benefi ts plan
during open enrollment, so now is the
time to prepare for that important decision
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that usually happens once a year.
More than 70 percent of Americans
say they are prepared for open enrollment,
yet most people struggle to understand
basic health insurance terms,
according to a recent UnitedHealthcare
survey. Only 9 percent of survey respondents
could successfully defi ne all four
basic health insurance concepts: plan
premium, deductible, co-insurance and
out-of-pocket maximum.
To help people make the most out of
their health benefi ts, and better understand
how to use their health care dollars,
Rebecca Madsen, chief consumer
offi cer of UnitedHealthcare, off ers the
following fi ve tips.
1. Know your open
enrollment dates
Open enrollment isn’t the same or at
the same time for everyone, so there are
key dates to keep in mind depending on
your situation:
• For the more than 177 million
Americans with employer-provided
coverage, many companies set aside a
two-week period between September
and December when employees can
select health benefi ts for the following
year.
• For the more than 59 million seniors
and other people enrolled in Medicare,
their Open Enrollment runs from Oct.
15 to Dec. 7 each year.
• Health insurance marketplace or individual
state exchange open enrollment
runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.
For most people, changes made to coverage
during open enrollment take eff ect
Jan. 1, 2018.
2. Take time to review
your options
Every person or family has unique
health and budget needs, so there is no
one-size-fi ts-all approach to selecting
a health plan. Take the time to explore
your options, and understand the benefi
ts and costs of each plan so you can fi nd
the coverage that works best for you and
your family members.
• Check if your current coverage still
meets your needs and if your benefi ts
will change next year.
• Determine if the plan is a good fi t for
your budget, and pay attention to more
than just the monthly premium. You
should also understand the other outof
pocket costs, including deductibles,
copays and coinsurance.
• Make sure your medications are covered.
Even if you don’t expect to
change plans, it’s important to ensure
your drugs will still be covered next
year.
3. Make sure your doctor
is in your plan’s care
provider network
Even if you don’t make any changes
to your health insurance this year, it’s
still a good idea to ensure that any doctor
you see regularly - or plan to visit in
the coming year - is in your benefi t plan’s
care provider network. If you plan to visit
a doctor or hospital outside of the network,
be sure to understand how your
costs will diff er from a network care provider
because those costs will most likely
be higher.
Also, check if your plan includes 24/7
telehealth services for consultations on
minor health issues. Oft en, telehealth -
defi ned as online, or virtual, visits with a
doctor over a computer, tablet or mobile
phone - is available to people enrolled
in employer-sponsored health plans and
group Medicare Advantage plans, as well
as select individual Medicare Advantage
plans. Virtual visits may provide convenient
and aff ordable access to care for
minor medical issues, including allergies,
bronchitis and seasonal fl u.
4. Don’t forget about
additional benefi ts
Additional benefi ts such as dental,
vision, accident or critical-illness insurance
are oft en aff ordable options that can
protect you and your family from head
to toe. For people enrolled in Medicare,
many are surprised to fi nd that Original
Medicare doesn’t cover prescription
drugs and most dental, vision and hearing
services. But many Medicare Advantage
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MEDICARE
AND MEDICAID
ENROLLMENT
plans do, oft en at a $0 monthly premium
beyond the premium for Original
Medicare.
5. Take advantage of
wellness programs.
Some health plans off er discounts on
gym memberships and provide fi nancial
incentives for completing health assessments,
signing up for health coaching
programs, lowering your cholesterol, losing
weight, meeting walking goals or stopping
smoking. Programs are designed to
reward people for making healthy choices
and being more engaged in improving
their health.
For help navigating open enrollment,
visit UHCOpenEnrollment.com for articles
and videos with easy-to-understand
information about health benefi ts and
health insurance terms.
Courtesy BPT