How To Save on Health Insurance Costs

One very important aspect of health care reform is the financial assistance the federal government provides to lower monthly premiums and limit out-of-pocket expenses for people who qualify. They are also called subsidies.

An HSA is a tax-exempt medical savings account that can be used to pay for your and your dependents’ eligible medical expenses. HSAs enable you to pay for current health expenses and save for future qualified health expenses on a tax-free basis. We offer several plans that coordinate with an HSA and feature higher deductibles and lower premiums.

Knowing where to go when you need medical care is key to getting the best treatment and paying the least. One of the best places you will get consistent, quality healthcare is your primary care provider, also known as your PCP.

If your PCP is not available, you have many choices for care. Just keep in mind where you decide to receive care—like an urgent care center or the emergency room—has a direct impact on how much you will pay for those services.

Some of your choices for non-life threatening medical care include convenience care centers—also known as retail health clinics as they are located inside a retail store like CVS, Target or Walgreens—or urgent care centers (for example, Patient First, Righttime and Doctors Express). Both convenience care and urgent care centers accept walk-in patients and can treat minor injuries and illness.

Also keep in mind:

1. Have lab work done in your plan's network.
2. Have outpatient surgery done at a freestanding surgery center, not a hospital.
3. Don't schedule doctor's visits at the hospital—you’ll often get charged by the doctor and by the hospital.
4. Use a convenience care or urgent care center for non-life threatening emergencies.