2 Health Insurance Options That Might Save You Money

When it comes to saving money on health insurance, you might figure that skipping your next appointment is the best way to go. However, you might be able to spend less on your premiums while getting the care that you need by taking advantage of some of the programs your health insurance company offers. Here are two health insurance options that might save you money:

1: Working With A Health Coach

Wouldn't it be nice if you had access to a professional, objective opinion about your health goals whenever you wanted? Believe it or not, some insurance companies offer health programs to help their employees to live a better life. Because healthcare costs are lower for people that take care of themselves, some employers even offer financial incentives when employees choose to participate in these programs. By simply signing up for a wellness program, you might be able to save as much as $10 to $15 biweekly, or around $390 a year. Here are a few ways these programs might help you:

Encouragement: Everyone has days when they don't feel like working out, but your wellness program might be able to help. Because health coaches are typically available via phone, email, or even text message, you can get a little pep talk whenever you need one.
Answer Questions: If you have questions about wellness that you would rather not post online or chat about with your friends, ask your wellness coach. They might be able to offer friendly, private advice that you can use everyday.
Lifestyle Choices: Wellness programs are also designed to help you to make better lifestyle choices. For example, you might be able to talk with a health coach about how to stop smoking or cut back on recreational drinking.

Although it might seem expensive for your insurer to offer this service, every dollar spent on wellness decreases medical costs by about $3.27 for your employer. By improving your own lifestyle, you might be able to preserve the financial stability of your company, and save a little of your own money in the process.

2: Using Telemedicine

Nothing is more frustrating than making a doctor's appointment a few days away—only to have your symptoms disappear the day of your visit. In addition to being out your copay, you might also have to foot the bill for your portion of the visit cost—which can get expensive. However, some insurers now offer telemedicine options, which means that you can contact a doctor day or night for help.

By simply calling a hotline or sending an email, you can have a professional doctor get in touch with you to evaluate your condition and answer questions. If you need a physical examination, your telemedicine doctor might even use video conferencing to check out that rash or sprained ankle. Here are a few reasons you should strongly consider using telemedicine the next time you get hurt:

Inexpensive Alternative: If you are worried about the cost of calling your doctor in the middle of the night, you shouldn't be. Telemedicine consultations are actually cheaper than traditional office visits, because doctors don't have as many overhead expenses. In fact, most telemedicine consultations cost about $25.
Save Time: If you are a busy professional, telemedicine consultations might help you to save massive amounts of time. Instead of making an appointment, getting time off, and then driving to your doctor's office, you might be able to get help right when you need it from the comfort of your own home. In fact, most telemedicine consultations only take about 17 minutes.

By using the programs that your health insurance company offers, you might be able to live better and keep a little more money in your pocket. For more information, contact local insurance companies like Fiscal Fitness.

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