Healthy Habits: Making Decisions

Health care reform is beginning to change the options people have for health care benefits, and it's a good time to re-evaluate your health benefit options. According to a survey at Be Smart About Your Health almost 70% of Americans say they’re paying more attention to what options are available because of health reform.

Health benefits choices can be confusing - half of the participants said it was easier to understand Shakespeare, and many would rather do their taxes than choose benefits. Be Smart About Your Health is trying to make it easier than that. The site incorporates tips and tools, including expert advice on managing health care spending and key facts about health care reform.

They have a section of the site devoted to making health care decisions in sixty minutes or less, that they call the "power hour."

First of all, you need to know your priorities. What are the health care elements your family needs most. Will you be having a baby, do you use prescription drugs on a regular basis, do you want dental or vision benefits incorporated?

Next, figure out the money side. You can use last year's expenses to help you estimate this years. You also need to decide if you want a low-deductible, high-premium policy, or if a high-deductible, low-premium policy is better for your budget. If you have a high deductible, your monthly cost is low, but you will need to pay more when you have a major health issue come up - and costs do add up quickly.

Along with premiums, figure out your FSA. The savings account is pre-tax dollars, so it helps you save money, but it's also use-it-or-lose-it. So make sure you don't have more put into your FSA than you can use in a year.

Check out the extra benefits, too. Your workplace or insurance plans may offer discounts on things like health club memberships, or even on eyeglasses or other things not covered by traditional insurance.

Finally, make sure your kids are covered. Keep them up-to-date with immunizations and well child visits. These are often covered 100% by most insurance plans, so it makes it free to keep them healthy. Also, with the new changes, you will be able to keep your kids on your plan until age 26, if needed.

For more information, tips, and resources on choosing your benefits, or other good health planning topics including being a health care consumer or how healthy habits save money be sure to check out the Be Smart About Your Health website.

Disclosure: “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.”