8 Tips If You Are Changing Your Health Insurance Carrier

 

Changing your insurance carrier from time to time is something we must do. When you do, what are some of the things you need to keep in mind?

 

Make Sure You Don’t Have a Doctor’s Appointment on the Day It Takes Effect

It never fails. Someone calls the office on the day they change their health insurance plan and say, “the doctors office says I don’t have any coverage”. In most of our meetings, I advise clients and employees of our clients not to schedule an appointment that early. Sometimes, carriers do not get everything loaded as quickly as we would like. Give yourself a few days into the new carrier plan just to make sure everything is loaded.

 

Give Your Doctors Office or Pharmacy Your New Carrier Information

I would say we get the most calls on this one point. Please make sure you give your providers the new updated information. Don’t just give it to them, make sure they change it. Pharmacies are known for this. You go and pick up your prescription and they tell you it’s declined. The next call is to our office. We make a quick call to the pharmacy and in a lot of cases they still have the old carrier information. You may give it to them but sometimes it just doesn’t make it into their system.

 

Fill Your Prescriptions Prior to the Change

This point is a good follow-up to the previous point. So there’s not an issue getting your prescriptions, fill them shortly before your current plan expires. Filling them early helps to ensure your coverage is loaded with your new carrier prior to you filling your prescriptions.

 

Review Your New Plan

“That’s not how it was on my last insurance policy”, is a statement we hear from time to time. No matter how many times we either go over it in an employer meeting or face to face in our office, this statement comes up. If you are a frequent user of your policy and foresee you using your new carrier coverage during the new year, make sure you do a thorough review.

 

Verify Your Doctors Are in the Network

This is a point most people can say they make. Especially if they use their coverage frequently. Always double check this before the coverage goes into effect. It’s never good to find out your doctor is not in the network, as you walk in their door.

 

Find the Nearest In-Network Urgent Care

Most primary care providers work 8am-5pm or you can’t see them today. Always know the nearest urgent care facility nearby that participates in your plan. Some are open past 5pm and take walk-ins. Always have a plan.

 

Have you met your out-of-pocket max on your current plan

“My deductible and out of pocket max starts over with the new plan, doesn’t it? I wish I’d scheduled this last month.” Always keep up with how much of your out of pocket max you have met. If you reach it, approved services for the remainder of the contract period are paid at 100%. The deductible and out of pocket max starts over at the start of the new plan year. Plan accordingly!

 

Download the new carrier app

I know there’s a segment of the population that loves to hold a paper copy of the ID card. I would say 99.9% of the adult US population walks around with a cell phone. Most will do their online banking on it. Downloading the carrier app allows you to get a digital copy of your ID a lot faster than printing it and waiting for it to show up in the mail. Plus, there are other benefits. You have 24-hour access to your plan summary, ID card, claims and how much of your deductible and maximum out of pocket you have met. It’s a great tool. Plus, it keeps one more card out of your pocketbook or wallet!

 

I hope you found this information useful. If you are looking for an employee benefits broker for your company or an independent insurance agent near Lancaster SC or Pawleys Island SC, call us at 803-286-1161 (Lancaster) or 803-429-3322 (Pawleys Island).