Assistance

• Most employers schedule a certain week for you to meet with the sales agent, granting you a chance to ask questions about the policy changes and get a better overview of what is now available.
  
  When you meet with the sales agent, you will be provided with a listing of the plans offered and the benefits of each option. For example, the plan listing will tell you how much deductible you will have to meet, what the co-payment for doctor visits are and what you are expected to pay for your medications.
  
  Listed separately will be the different premiums for each plan: employee only, employee and spouse, employee and children, or an entire family. You will see a discount to your required premium, as the company must cover a certain percentage of the cost. There may be a discount to you for your dependents, but it is not required by law for the company to assist in paying for your loved ones' coverage.
  
  

Options

• When choosing a plan, take into consideration how you will be using the coverage. If you are healthy and rarely visit a doctor, a plan with a higher deductible and lower monthly premium may best suit your needs. If you wish to have the coverage for yourself and a young child, you may want to get a plan with lower doctor co-pays as you will have to visit regularly for scheduled checkups. The prescription plan is also something you wish to research if you are on daily medications. Choose the plan that will offer the most savings to you while still covering you in case of an unpredicted illness.
  
  

Changes

• If you wish to keep your coverage the same as the previous year, the only paperwork you will need to fill out is a form stating you are happy with your current coverage. If you wish to waive coverage, you must sign a form stating you were offered coverage but declined it of your own choice. Usually no errors occur with this kind of paperwork.
  
  If you wish to make changes to you current coverage, complete a new application. The form will request identifying information such as name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number. You will also need to provide this information for any dependents you have on your policy as well. This paperwork will state the coverage you currently have. Confirm that this is correct and then list the name of the new plan you wish to enroll in.
  
  The new paperwork will be submitted to the insurance company for any changes you requested. Confirm that your new policy is correct when the plan goes into effect. This way, if there are any errors, they will be discovered before the coverage is needed.