I’ve recently read several articles written about health coverage. Some have criticized the health carriers, many have extolled the virtue of the Canadian system, and others have provided helpful information for consumers of health plans. However, most articles miss or purposely omit the role of the consumer. Yes, that’s you.

I think it’s time for all of us, the users of health plans, to take a much more participative approach. If we would more responsibly use our coverage everyone would spend less. So how can you help? To start, read your plan booklet before going to the doctor, know which doctors are in network and what procedures are and are not considered pre-existing. If offered a group plan through your employer remember that how you utilize the plan affects the entire group. Take a few extra second to ask about generic prescription drugs and see if paying for the entire drug would be cheaper than the co-pay. There are several things you can to do influence the cost of health care. By taking some personal responsibility for the current health care challenges you can make a difference. In the process, you’ll probably notice that your wallet’s a little fatter.

Jake Lunt is the General Manager of Idaho operations for A Plus Benefits, Inc.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 27th, 2007 at 9:18 am and is filed under Benefits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.