It’s that time of year again.  Open Enrollment.

Are you shopping for coverage?  Do you know someone who is?  I am not kidding when I say that you could waste hours of your precious time playing around on a government website trying to filter through options.  And, don’t even think about putting your phone number into a website that promises to see you low cost health insurance….  Your phone will be ringing non-stop and your head will start to spin from all the information that the callers are trying to give you!

Your time is precious.  So is your health.  When you are looking for coverage, consider a few important things:

1.  Which doctors do you see?
2. What medications do you take?
3.  How much can  you afford to pay for your premiums and other out of pocket costs?

Answering these questions will give you a good start on filtering through plans that might work for you and your family.  Remember that the higher the monthly premium is, the broader the network of doctors will be.  Plans may have different co-pays for medications, so check to see how the plan you are considering will work.  You may have a co-pay for medication or the plan may state that you are responsible for paying a percentage of the cost of the medication.  Most plans are named a metal level such as bronze, silver, gold or platinum.  The different metal level indicate the different out of pocket costs you will have after you meet your deductible.  For example, the bronze plan may state that you pay 30% of doctor bills after you meet your plan deductible until you have met the maximum out of pocket the plan requires for you or your family.

Open enrollment can cause your head to swim.  Consider how often you go to the doctor, what types of medications you take and how often you visit the doctor.  When you have answered these questions, you are off to a good start on what type of plan will work best for you and your family.