Open Enrollment

Written by HealthHarbor

An annual benefits open enrollment period may just be the most crucial time of the year for most families and individuals when it comes to saving money on healthcare. The decisions that you make during this period will make the difference how you receive care, how it is paid for, and what kinds of things you can do during the upcoming year to stretch your healthcare dollar.

We have observed that many people do their open enrollment in haste, without really thinking about how they want to manage their healthcare during the upcoming year. The deadline for open enrollment approaches, you feel the pressure to get it done, and you spend 10 minutes updating your forms to do the exact same thing you’ve done in years past.

This section is intended to be a guide for open enrollees. We can’t take the place of your company’s Human Resources Department – they should always be the ones you seek out for the finer points of the choices you have – but we can provide some food for thought on the open enrollment process.

You’ll likely be faced with a few key questions during open enrollment. Click on the links below for more information about these questions, or go to our forum to hear what others have done in similar situations.

• Flexible Spending Accounts: How much should I save
• Health Savings Accounts and High Deductible Health Plans - - Are they right for you?
• HMOs, PPOs, and POSs – What are they?
• Should you decline your employer’s coverage? (probably not, but maybe)