It’s that time of the year again – Open Enrollment! Open Enrollment can be stressful, especially for families because the information can be overwhelming. As a working mom of two, I wanted to share three tips that I used during this Open Enrollment Period for my family’s health insurance coverage for 2019.
Although Open Enrollment can be stressful it is so important to take the time to review the health plans available so that your family receives the care that they deserve and need. Dignity Health provides great resources for choosing a health plan that will suit your family.
1.) Consider the providers available to you and which providers that you would like for your family to see or what providers are in your area for convenience and accessibility. Is there a family doctor that you would prefer for your family to see? Is there a pediatrician that your friends and family recommend? If you are at work, is there a provider that is nearby so family or a caregiver can have access to give your children the care that they need?
Factoring in location, accessibility, and recommendations can relieve some stress during Open Enrollment when deciding on health coverage and can narrow down the plan options, which is always helpful.
2.) Only you know what your family needs. Do your children go to the doctors often? How is everyone’s health in the family? Is anyone in the family on medication? During this time there are agents available to assist and guide you in the right direction when choosing a plan, but you are the only person who knows the needs of your family.
Make a list of the needs of each family members health so that you can visually see what each person needs. If your list requires quite a bit of medical attention then you may be able to remove some health plans from your list and only consider the plans that would work for your family.
3.) The biggest tip and this may seem like a no-brainer… If you are unsure, then ask an available agent. Get the answers that you need in order to feel comfortable with your decision on a health plan. At times, I feel so overwhelmed with all of the information provided that I forget to ask questions. Jot down questions you have and simply just ask for help.
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