Be Smart About Your Health

TwitterMoms is at it again and this time they partnered with Be Smart About Your Health for a fun campaign about tips for staying healthy! They have great information for you. You can learn about some easy things you can do that can make a big difference towards your health benefits in just 60 minutes. There are simple steps for getting your health plan in order.


So why not take that 60 minutes and learn how to make the choices that are right for you.



1. Look back at last year! Take a few minutes and figure out where your expenses were. Did you have a large prescription expense? Choose a plan that has great prescription insurance. Have children that will be needing some serious dental work or orthodontics, choose a better dental plan. By taking a look at last year, you can also make a more informed decision about having an FSA account or the amout of money you should designate for that account.





2. Use an FSA account - FSA is a Flexible Savings Account. You can set a designated amount of money aside from your paycheck before it is taxed. This money can be used towards health care expenses such as dental visits, co-pays, and vision exams. It can also be used for medicines and other qualifying expenses! A good thing to keep in mind when thinking about an FSA is that health reform will put a $2,500 annual limit on your FSA by 2013.





3. Make sure the doctor or doctors you are using are on your insurance plan. Out of network physicians cost much more than the ones who are in your network. Make sure to think about all the physicians and hospitals you prefer to use before you make any decisions. Choosing a plan without making sure your medical provider accepts it can be a costly mistake!



4. Check out their prescription plans. Some insurance plans offer discount prices on mail order prescriptions. It can be much cheaper to get a 90 day mail order supply than purchasing a 30 day supply at a pharmacy. Check out their generic prices. Most generic prescriptions are less expensive than their name brand counterparts and offer the same result. Also read your formulary! Find out what price tier your needed prescriptions are under before it is too late!



5. Make sure you can afford the premium! Some plans can hidden charges you might not initially see. If you have problems understanding the policy or pricing, call the insurance company or the agent. Do not make yourself insurance poor by choosing insurance that is too costly for your family. If you think you will struggle paying the premium, consider a cheaper alternative.



I hope some of my ideas will help you make a more informed decision!





I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Aetna blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 Target gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.