GREENSBORO, N.C. — Health and your money. They're tied together, especially this time of year with open enrollment until December 15th.
Chase Smith with Alliance Insurance Services shares his recommendations for making sure you get the health care you need without spending more than you should.
While most of us look at price first, Smith says that shouldn’t dictate your plan. “It's important for sure, but if you have a doctor you like, you're comfortable with, is convenient to you, then you need first and foremost to make sure the plan you choose has your doctor in network.”
There are three insurance companies to choose from this year:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Ambetter
- Bright Health
Let’s look at some of the biggest mistakes people make when they sign up:
Not using an agent/broker to help enroll. It’s no cost to the consumer with professional advice and service. No strings attached. If someone asks you to pay--- walk out. You can find a listing of licensed agents/brokers by going through the healthcare.gov site. You’ll need to put in your zip code and follow the prompts for insurance and it will give a listing.
Buying a plan based only on the amount of the deductible. ”The low deductible plans are usually more expensive.
And while it’s true, the deductible amount you pay is lower and the co-insurance kicks in earlier, but if you have a big medical issue, you're still going to pay up to $8,000 in out of pocket expenses. And that, along with the higher premium charge, could actually be more expensive than a plan with a higher deductible but a lower premium plan.”