CIGNA encourages people to prioritize their health care plans

Sep 29 2009

How much time does the average person spend reviewing their health care insurance when it’s time to enroll or reenroll in a plan? A recent survey conducted for CIGNA shows that although 78 percent said they give it a lot or some consideration, almost half (46%) of those who say they’re responsible for the review spend less than 30 minutes on the task. In comparison, according to one report, individuals spend an estimated four hours researching a computer purchase, five hours researching a vacation and eight hours researching a car purchase.

Moreover, the CIGNA survey showed that people ranked their health care plan as the least understood among several different common household contracts -- in fact more people said they understood their mortgage agreement better than their health plan.

“Let’s face it, health care insurance isn’t top of mind for most people until they need to use it,” said Ingrid Lindberg, CIGNA's chief customer experience officer. “But ‘speed dating’ your health plan means you might miss out on the options that could be best for you and your family. As people sign up for their employers’ health plans this fall, we’re encouraging them to spend a little extra time to ’get to know’ their health plan.”

Lindberg said that starts with knowing what the plan includes and doesn’t include, learning about ways to find savings, and taking advantage of the help that’s available. As millions of people prepare to make decisions about their benefits, and as health care costs continue to be top of mind for many, CIGNA is offering tips and tools to help boost people’s understanding about the plans they are purchasing and the help available to them to save money on their health care.

Spend Time Online to Save

When asked how much they would need to save to make it worthwhile to spend 30 minutes on a Web site comparing costs of medicines or other health care services, 64 percent said they’d be willing to spend the time online to save $100 or less. Twenty-four percent said they would need to save at least $250 or more.

“Many people may not realize that the quality and cost of their health care can vary widely depending on which doctor, hospital, pharmacy or medication they choose,” said Dr. Jeff Kang, chief medical officer for CIGNA. “What’s more, ‘high cost’ doesn’t necessarily equal ‘high quality’ when it comes to health care. More information to compare cost, quality and treatment options is available to people than ever before. Many health plans have Web-based comparison tools that people can use to do a little research ahead of time if it’s not an urgent situation.”

Kang said time spent online can lead to savings of hundreds of dollars on things like prescription drugs, MRIs and elective hospital stays. For example, people who use a generic medication instead of a more costly brand name drug could save an average of $200 per year, per prescription. People who compare the cost of an MRI scan could, on average, save up to $150 on the amount they pay by picking the most cost-effective facility.

Healthy Lifestyle Might Help You Save or Earn

More and more companies are using incentives to encourage their employees to live healthy lifestyles. What do people think about that? According to the survey, Americans are divided almost equally among those who say people should receive a financial reward for doing the right things to be healthy (33 percent); those who say people should have to pay more when they do things that aren’t healthy (27 percent); and those who say there shouldn’t be any financial difference one way or the other (32 percent).

Dr. Charlie Smith, chief medical officer for CIGNA national accounts, notes one person’s health incentive “carrot” may be another’s “stick,” but either way the number of plans that contain these incentives and disincentives are on the rise. The key, says Dr. Smith, is to make those programs work for you.

“By embracing healthier behaviors, individuals may be able to save money on premiums if they don’t smoke or enroll in a program to stop smoking,” Smith said. “Or they might get money back for completing a health assessment, enrolling in a health coaching program for weight or stress management, or managing a chronic condition to stay well. People should check if any of these incentives are available, and take advantage of them as a way to save money and also earn better health.”

More Help, in More Ways

Making health plan decisions and navigating the enrollment process can be confusing, but there is help available. Lindberg said that many health plans have pre-enrollment telephone lines people can call if they have questions, and many also offer support through online tools, including cost comparison tools.

Here are a few tips from CIGNA to help make open enrollment easier:

• Know when open enrollment begins and know the enrollment deadline. Don’t assume because you’re enrolled now that you don’t have to do anything. Some employers require people to reenroll each year.
• Find out if your employer is offering an enrollment fair and if so, go. The people at the fairs are there to help you best understand how your plan options work, so use the face time!
• Confirm that your doctor participates in your health plan’s network, and use in-network health care professionals so you can take advantage of the lower prices for services that your health plan has negotiated on your behalf.
• Don’t guess. Spend some time thinking about your health care needs. Many people can anticipate at least some of the health care services they and their families will need in the upcoming year, especially for preventive care like well-child visits, care for a chronic medical condition, prescription needs or a teen who will need braces. Taking time to anticipate your needs can help you choose the option that will suit your specific situation the best. Even if you’re not offered a choice of plans, this step will help you better budget for health care costs.
• Check if your medications are covered. Most health plans post a list of covered drugs online.
• See if the health plan you’re considering gives you a way to compare quality and costs of different health care services. Use this information as part of your decision-making.
• Don’t forget about dental, vision and disability insurance. These are important coverages and usually cost less if you purchase them through an employer.