Whether you elected a new health insurance plan for the new year, or stayed with your same coverage from the previous year, you should consider your health insurance plan a brand new plan every year. Most likely, but with some exceptions, your new plan began on January 1st.
First things first, you should make sure you have setup a way to pay your new premium to your insurance carrier. Most insurance carriers offer online payment options and autopay, and if you signed up for a new plan this year you will have received instructions to setup payment directly from the carrier. If you continued on the same plan from the previous year, your premium amount may have changed, so double check your payment options to make sure you’re prepared to pay the new amount due each month.
Once premium payment is setup, you can expect to receive new insurance ID cards. You’ll use your new insurance card for all of your medical care during this new calendar year. As a tip, it’s not a bad idea to hang on to your previous card in case you need to file any lingering claims from the previous year.
Next, you’ll want to review your annual deductible and out-of-pocket maximum amounts stated by your plan. Even if you continued on the same plan as the previous year, the deductible and out-of-pocket maximums restart at $0 at the beginning of the plan year. If you have questions about deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums, reach out to us or visit our educational video library for more information.
Preventative care benefits also reset at the beginning of the year, so if you’d like to schedule your annual check-up, you are good to do so!
And finally, networks can change from year to year. This means that a doctor that was previously in or out of your plan’s network could have opted in or out of that network for this year. With this in mind, you’ll want to use your carrier’s Find a Doctor tool or contact your doctor directly to make sure they are still in network.
If this brings up any questions for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to us, we’re here to help. Happy New Year!
