“Mama always said that life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.”
Tom Hanks said these words in one of my favorite movies, Forrest Gump.
Whether you have health insurance or Medicare, your health care can also be like a box of chocolates especially if you don’t have a clear understanding of what is does and how it works.
Free preventative services are often one of the first to be consumed because there are no costs associated with having them done. In my experience, that tastes pretty good.
What doesn’t taste good is the fact that you may have had lab work associated with your preventative service done at a non preferred facility. This actually happened to me.
After a physical, blood work was ordered for the normal routine tests that are done with a physical. I went to a facility where we always go and in the past, was a preferred facility. This year, it wasn’t and it ended up costing about $300.00 more than it would have if I had used a preferred facility.
Getting the bill was like biting into a gel filled chocolate – it tasted awful.
All health insurance companies have a website for you to research their network. It’s important to note that even though some doctors, hospitals, etc are in network, they may not be preferred. This means that they could charge you more and the consequences of that is more out of pocket expenses for you.
It’s like being able to look at the cheat sheet or guide on a box of chocolates and getting exactly what you want.
Every year, we get calls from clients on Medicare picking up their prescriptions from a non preferred pharmacy. The pharmacy will gladly take their Medicare Prescription Drug plan, but because they aren’t a preferred pharmacy for that plan, they can charge more. In some cases, what would have cost the client $0 for a medication at a preferred pharmacy costs $20 at a non preferred pharmacy.
This adds up and can be hard to swallow.
When working with clients on their Life Insurance needs, picking out a plan is more complicated than satisfying your chocolate craving.
You can’t bite into the policy, put it back, or throw it away. Some plans, just like chocolate, will suit your tastebuds, while other plans may not.
If you don’t know what chocolate you are choosing, it may come with disappointment when you bite into it.
Before poking your fingers into a plan that will be messy, satisfy your hunger for peace of mind by giving us a call at Balanced Care.
The taste will be sweet and never bitter.
Terri Trepanier is the owner of Balanced Care Health and Supplemental Insurance and a licensed insurance consultant and broker with Associated Brokers. Licensed in both Maine and NH, her specialty is working with small businesses, individuals, and families with their health and life insurance needs. She is certified to offer health plans both on and off the exchange and is contracted with every health insurance company that offers plans in both New Hampshire and Maine. Her other passion is assisting Medicare beneficiaries with their Medicare Supplemental, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, and Medicare Advantage plans. Terri has seen firsthand the importance of insurance products and how they help families. Her goal with Balanced Care is to “Insure Security and Peace of Mind One Family at a Time”.