Insurance Shopping for Health Care... It's not easy!

disclosure: This post is sponsored by United Healthcare but all opinions are my own. 

Insurance shopping can be EXTREMELY stressful, but this go around, I am learning that it doesn't have to be.

UnitedHealthCare is making it as easy as 1-2-3. Here is some help with open enrollment.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Affordable Care Act or ACA, but I’m not sure how much you know about it. In the simplest terms, the ACA helps more people get quality and affordable health insurance. It gives people the consistency and flexibility to make informed choices about their health care in ways they’ve never had before.

Did you know that almost 87% of health insurance applicants were eligible to receive a discount last year? Many are not aware of the money they can save by knowing just a little more about health insurance. I will be providing tools and assistance to make finding the right health insurance as simple and easy as possible. I want to help you learn more about this campaign and how it might help you.

The more you know about the Affordable Care Act, the better prepared you'll be to make smart decisions about your coverage. First,learn about what has changed in health care. The ACA has raised the Medicaid limits in some states so more are eligible and is offering subsidies to eligible income levels above medicaid but still in the realm of struggling. See what open enrollment is all about and why it matters to you. Essentially, you need to use the time of open enrollment to get the proper health plan bought and set for your family. Find a plan between Nov 15 and Feb 15 to have coverage from the marketplace in 2015.


There are certain qualifying events that allow you to use a special enrollment period. The exchanges or the marketplace is a website that allows you to compare plans from a variety of providers much like Travelocity. This website will be either the government Healthcare.gov website or your state’s individual marketplace website.




So, you are discovering all of this new information about health care and what’s involved in the shopping process, but it’s only fair that you should know how to get the most out of your health care plan. Costs within health care can be daunting. Check your deductible and out-of-pockets on a regular basis to stay ahead. When deciding on a plan, look for value ads provided by the company such as nurse lines, apps, and health club discounts too! Also, make sure to ask you Doctor how much medical tests will cost and if there are less costly alternatives.

Best of luck in this process. I hope this helps to make things a little easier. For me, Health insurance shopping has been really important. I left my job in May and had to shop for insurance. I didn't do my homework and relied on someone else to find my plan. I got a very inexpensive plan, but NONE of my doctors accepted my insurance, and the only people who did were 45 min. away. That was a problem. Especially when I broke my foot. It opened my eyes to being informed. At the end of the day, the only person who is going to check and double check things is me!

Before I even started shopping, I contacted my Gyn. That is my most important doctor because I have had health issues over the last year and ovarian cancer runs in my family. I called them and asked which plans they were going to accept. I made sure that I had an informed list from them. Then I called my primary care to ensure that they would accept the choices.  Now, I am informed and ready to find the best plan for my money. I am taking into account deductibles, prescription plans, and co-pay cost. It's a little scary, but I know that I am prepared for shopping this time. I hope you are too.

What is the biggest worry that you have about insurance?