Are you preparing to go through open enrollment again? We are in a world where you can DIY just about anything and “life hacks” offer handy solutions to everything from your health to your car. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a few simple ways to get the most out of your high-deductible health insurance plan? Open enrollment is right around the corner and a recent survey conducted by The National Business Group on Health found that roughly one-third of employers plan to only offer high-deductible health plans. Reid Rasmussen, health benefits expert and CEO of freshbenies, has created a list of hacks to help Americans save time, money and frustration when faced with high-deductible health plans.

“As a former Canadian healthcare insider, I learned first-hand that when medical benefits are scaled back, people need help to fill the holes,” said Rasmussen. “ I wanted to suggest hacks to help people spend less on healthcare and become better health care consumers.”

Rasmussen outlines five hacks to help you squeeze the most out of your high-deductible plan:

Skip the Doctor’s Office (and the out-of-pocket cost) with Telehealth

For minor maladies, use telehealth to talk to a board-certified doctor who can diagnose and prescribe medication over the phone. A doctor’s office or urgent care center visit could cost up to $250 with a high-deductible plan, but oftentimes a telemedicine service won’t cost you an out-of-pocket penny. Some employers provide this service, or a family can sign on for about half that cost annually. When you just need allergy medication or an antibiotic for a sinus infection, the only thing you’ll pay for is the prescription.

Call a Medical Health Advisor   

These are typically registered nurses or healthcare experts who can help you navigate the healthcare system by locating quality providers, obtaining competitive cost estimates for a procedure at nearby medical facilities, explaining tests and  treatments and even scheduling appointments. Because prices for the same procedure can vary widely between hospitals, you’ll feel better knowing that you’re getting a fair price before treatment.

 Use a Medical Billing Expert

With a high-deductible plan, you have to meet your deductible before insurance pays for many medical expenses. Many medical bills have errors. The bills are high enough with the correct charges; don’t overpay just because you don’t have an expert to investigate for you. Medical billing advocates can review your bill, find errors and negotiate lower prices on your behalf.

Get Discounts on Vision and Dental Costs

Most Americans don’t have dental and vision insurance and could benefit from a discount plan. Find an affordable plan that has multiple, nearby providers offering discounts of 30 percent or more.  

Save on your Rx

It’s possible that the cholesterol medication your spouse takes or the ADHD medication your child takes will not be covered by your new high-deductible insurance plan. Investing in a prescription discount card will save you money on many medications not covered by insurance.

Rasmussen’s company, freshbenies, helps offset skyrocketing out-of-pocket healthcare costs. freshbenies offers non-insurance health services that are bundled together in one easy-to-use card.  These services include 24/7 access to a board-certified medical doctor, advocacy services that help Americans navigate “the system” with price transparency and medical billing help, discounts on dental, vision and prescription needs, and more.  freshbenies offers employers and consumers packages that are affordable (starting at $8.50 a month per family) while providing relief to those dealing with higher deductible medical plans.  Services like freshbenies are not intended to replace medical insurance and usually complement a medical plan.

freshbenies

Founded in 2009, freshbenies helps offset the skyrocketing healthcare and out-of-pocket costs with non-insurance services. Members save time, money and frustration on everyday expenses while employers control healthcare costs. Members have access to multiple innovative services such as the ability to call a doctor 24/7 and get a prescription written (if needed), access to expert health advisors who help navigate “the system” including medical billing issues. freshbenies also provides high-quality dental, vision and prescription discount networks as well as security services – all bundled into one easy-to-use card.