Steps You Can Take To Reduce And Plan For Health Care Expenses

Day in and day out, we moms are busy with our kids’ activities, school, driving kids here and there.  As we spend so much time and energy managing all of the minute details of daily life, big picture items can get pushed to the wayside.  Health insurance is often complicated and can be one of those things we push aside for “later”.  Cost is an issue for everyone.  Health care costs are rising, but there are things you can do to help your family reduce and plan for health care expenses.  You can Prepare; Plan; and Prevent.

Prepare

Know your health insurance!  Do you have an

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
• HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan)?

Questions to ask:

• How much are my premiums?
• Do I have a deductible?
• Do I have a co-pay?
• Can I get a Health Care Spending Account?

Once you know your insurance coverage, prepare for emergencies by knowing which urgent care facility you should go to.  Which is closest, what level of care do they offer, is there a non-urgent care facility that will take care of your needs less expensively?  Does your insurance company offer a health care hotline for routine questions?

Plan

Do you have a family budget?  Do you include health care expenses?  If you’re like most of us, you think, “Well, I don’t know when or if I’m going to get sick!  How do I budget for that?”  Surprisingly, many of the health care expenses are not from emergencies and unexpected illness.  Here are some common things that you should consider when preparing your family budget.  And now that it’s September, this is a good time to spend an evening reviewing where you are at for this year.

Here are some common health care expenses, you may need to budget for:

• Premiums
• Co-Payments
• Deductibles
• Routine Check-ups including School Release Check-ups
• Are you planning to have a baby?
• Are you planning to quit smoking?
• Prescriptions for chronic illness (allergy, blood pressure) or preventative (birth control)
• Over the Counter medications (colds, fever, allergy)
• Flu Shots
• Teeth Cleaning
• Vision tests
• Glasses
• Vitamins
• Weight Loss Program
• Health Club Membership

Prevent

Depending on your age and lifestyle, there are many annual screenings that can prevent serious illness by identifying it in early stages.  Examples are:

• Cervical Cancer Screening
• Mammograms
• Hypertension Screening
• Colorectal Cancer Screening

By scheduling an annual appointment with your doctor at the same month every year, you will remember to go and have the necessary all-important tests.

Cigna

Most of these tips are from Cigna.  Please visit their website and Cigna YouTube channel for valuable information and tips.  I expected information on coverage, etc. but I was surprised to find wellness tips and resources.  Here’s a helpful video on budgeting for health care costs:

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Cigna. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.