Aflac Wants You To Be Educated During Your Open Enrollment

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Aflac. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

 

aflac logo

 

Thankfully my husband’s employer offers medical insurance in which our whole family is enrolled in.  His employer only has open enrollment one time a year which is now. During this time it can be stressful as We sit and discuss what plan our family needs. Over the last eight years we have altered our plan if I was pregnant, now with five children we are re-thinking our plan for the up and coming year we scour the different options and plans to decide what best suits our family. The insurance company that his employer uses is quite a large company however, we have had several situations when we have been disappointed.  Things such as the fine print between individual and family plans.  The fine print can be confusing and most times I do not even understand it so my husband asks a lot of questions during their open enrollment period. 

 

 Questions we ask ourselves:

 

What are the different premiums for each plan? Just because one premium maybe less than others does not necessarily mean that it’s the best plan.  The old saying goes into play, you get what you pay for. 

 

What are the deductibles? This is a big question we ask ourselves because what if we do not meet our deductible?

 

Are there co-pays and if so how much are they? Is it better to pay a high deductible and a lower co-pay? Do the math and see what works out best.

 

My husband also uses the health care providers estimation cost tool. He figures all the different options as well as the money that is involved to see what’s not just best for our family of seven but what is affordable at the same time. 

 

 

aflac open enrollment

 

 

Aflac recently took a survey and compiled an in-depth study about American’s and their understanding of Open Enrollment and insurance usage.  The Open Enrollment Survey shows scary statistics that show most Americans either do not understand their benefits or are not making the most of the benefits that are available to them.  In most cases, employers were not providing adequate information to their employees about Open Enrollment and the coverage options available to them.  Even if you are satisfied with your current insurance, your benefits plan changes from year to year and it is up to you (and/or your spouse) to be aware of what next year may bring.  Just because your insurance may cover something this year it may not cover it the following year.  During Open Enrollment, research upcoming changes and decide if you need to switch insurance providers.

  

I have known people who just pick any plan without doing their homework or did not understand the choices and it has resulted in costly mistakes.   According to Aflac, 56 percent of employees estimate they waste up to $750 because of mistakes made with insurance benefits elections.  I realize it maybe time-consuming and boring but spend the time and do your research your options.  Do not just stick with the plan you had last year because you do not want to be bothered, do your research! 

 

What  about you?  When is your Open Enrollment period?  Are you going to sit done and weigh out your different options for you and your family? Will your plan stay the same or will it change?  Aflac has a number of open enrollment resources that can help you with your research and decision-making. 

 

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Aflac. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”
Mama to 5 Blessings is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing these resources and your experiences. I have a lot to think about this year with insurance, it’s going to be a challenge, wish me luck!

  2. Aflac has great plans, and it pays to be covered.

  3. We have a private health insurance thanks to my husband. We have to co-pay when using some services, but we are happy with our insurance.

  4. Thanks for the info, our open enrollment ends this week and we are still undecided!
    Mitch

  5. Our open enrollment for insurance starts at work next week and The Hubs and I have to sit down and review which plans and figure out which is the plan that works best for us and our family vs the economics….

  6. We are going through open enrollment with my husband’s employer. I used to handle the employee benefits for my family’s business, and even with that experience, it’s still confusing!!

  7. Luckily my hubby’s company also provides health insurance benefits as far as prescriptions and dental, since for the most part health care is free out here in Canada, that’s one thing I don’t have to worry too much about. We do however still have to pay for prescriptions and dental, which is where the benefits from the hubby’s company kick in. But we’re really happy with what we have.

  8. Great to know!

  9. we have health insurance from my husband’s word- one benefit of being a federal employee– we may not love the coverage but we’ll always have it

  10. Great post! This is a topic we have been discussing in our household too, open enrollment from my husband job is coming soon.

  11. Our healthcare meeting (and open enrolment starts) November 15. Due to my family history, I opted in to Afflecs cancer insurance last year to lock in my rate. This year I want to add the Heart/stroke incident coverage as well.

  12. Insurance makes my head spin, this was very helpful. I appreciate the resources and helpful hints. I remember working in HR and I dreaded open enrollment – we had to know everything about the health plans and deductibles. It gets confusing

  13. This is a great post. I am so lost on all things like this and thankfully my hubby is in charge of it all, LOL

  14. I am also in Canada, and we are very blessed to have the health care system that we do. If we want the ‘extras’ (ie: massage, acupuncture, etc) we pay extra or get an add-on plan. My husband is eventually able to get dental coverage for the kids through his work plan, so that’s great too!

  15. Great info. We will have to choose a new plan shortly and it is always good to be educated.

  16. This is great information to consider when discussing health insurance. There are just so many options and things to think about!

  17. Great post. I am in the market for new insurance.

  18. I used to have Aflac and it was a great program! Thanks for the reminder it exists!

  19. Super helpful information!!!

  20. Insurance can be so confusing. Thanks for sharing! I will review my choices for 2014.

  21. I’m very blessed.. I work for the state and they pay 80% of my insurance premiums. Right now is our open enrollment, but I’m staying where I am for another year. The insurance has gone up almost $100 per month, and I’m not in the position to be swapping around for fear of less coverage for more money!!

  22. Insurance! It can be so overwhelming sometimes! I learned to get to know my insurance company when I was pregnant, and ever since, I make sure to keep in contact with our agent. We move quite a bit, and when we get to a new place, I make sure to call the insurance company for recommendations for our doctors so I don’t have to worry about extra costs associated with network. I’ve avoided a lot of headaches by talking to them up front about our benefits. It helps!! Thanks for the great info. 🙂

  23. We used Aflac open enrollment on our old insurance plan and it saved a lot of headaches.

  24. Thank you for the info. We are looking for insurance right now. Good post. I even grabbed a button!

  25. Great post. I love that little duck.

  26. Health insurance is so confusing. It wasn’t until I had to have surgery this year that I realized how crazy costs can be even if you have insurance.

  27. This is my first year without my insurance through my former employer, but when they had open enrollment I was always the first in line. I love reading small print and knowing every detail!

  28. Great information. We are getting ready for open enrollment and I always have some many questions. I want to make sure that I do the best for my family and at the lowest cost.

  29. I was just trying to explain all of this to my mom because she is switching jobs and unsure about all of this. Very important info to know, thanks for sharing.

  30. It can get a little overwhelming when trying to figure out what’s best, so it’s nice to have some of the info all spelled out!

  31. I am glad to see that the Aflac duck seems to have made it out of therapy. 🙂

  32. Totally love Alfac. They are amazing!

  33. Right now I’m on my parents insurance so I haven’t given this much thought .

  34. I had a job that offered Aflac before my youngest daughter was born. I wanted to join.

  35. Wow. This post has even opened my eyes. Reading all of the comments though a few years old, has truly gave me confidence in my decision in leaving corporate america becoming an Benefits Consultant with Aflac. I know it is time for open enrollment again and so many people just make rash choices because thy only have a certain amount of time. I have a young family myself who went through financial hardship b/c of medical bills and bad decisions in not knowing about my medical policy. Now that we have recovered I am dedicated to helping families and business owners truly understand there benefits available to them and with Aflac coming alongside to fill the gap and provide additional coverage and saving cost where needed in case of illness or injury.

    Thanks again for posting this.

    Blessings,
    Shari

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