BE SMART about your health benefits!

Best plan for your needs? Consider the four Cs: Changes to current plan options; Cost of premiums, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance Coverage information: Is your doctor still in the insurer’s network? Choices of benefits — Find out more about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) or Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs)

Employer offerings. A variety of options may be available to you, some new and some that you may have overlooked in the past. Find out if your employer offers a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Did you know that the money you put into an FSA is exempt from most taxes? So you can reduce your taxable income and have pretax dollars available to pay for eligible health care expenses.

Screenings, preventive care and wellness incentives. Many health plans cover or partially cover annual physicals and preventive screenings, and may even offer discounts on gym memberships, and nutritional supplements. In addition, a growing number of employers are offering wellness rewards — incentives for being physically active, eating a healthy diet, losing weight or quitting smoking.

Make a list of your benefits priorities. A list might help you determine the aspects of your plan that you used the most in the past year.  Consider how often you visit the doctor, and whether you use specialists routinely. If so, maybe a plan without referrals is a better option for you.

Actively engage to make the best use of the benefits available to you. Does your plan offer mail-order prescription drug service? With some plans, you can get a three-month supply of your drug but only pay for a two-month prescription!  Also, talk to your doctor about generic prescription medications, which could save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Research the online resources available through your health plan. Use health plan comparison tools to find cost and quality of care information so you can get the most value from your plan.

Try downloading or ordering your free copy of the new Navigating Your Health Benefits For Dummies at http://www.planforyourhealth.com/health-benefits-dummies-guide/.  It is loaded with more tips to help you choose the health benefits plan that’s right for you so you can maximize your health benefits.

To read more money-saving tips for open enrollment, visit: www.planforyourhealth.com/openenrollment/

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.8 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.