During the annual Healthcare Insurer "Open Enrollment" period, it's a good time to remember a couple of key points when choosing a plan:

•  According to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the median deductible for "bronze" plans—those with the lowest premiums deducted per pay period—are in the range of $6,992 per insured.

•  Network lists should be reviewed to make sure your primary care physicians and any frequent specialists (Ob-Gyn, ENT, Ortho, etc.) are included in the plan.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) has this Open Enrollment analysis piece, geared especially to those who 1) purchase their own insurance, and 2) have unpredictable future concerns due to the pre-existing condition of Covid-19 infection.

Whether you're shopping individually for coverage, or a plan participant at your place of employment, it bears keeping a couple of points in mind, related to the above bulleted items. On the first point about deductibles:  your primary or your specialist may request a test like a CT-Scan or MRI. Usually the practice has a preferred clinic. Ask for a list, or search on your own. Prices vary greatly, such as in my area (Memphis, TN) where an MRI can range from a low of under $400 to over $2,300. The deductible means that amount is coming out of YOUR family budget.

If you are an individual healthcare consumer, you might have a Health Savings Account (HSA) to help with out-of-pocket expenses. If you are a plan participant, in most cases you are barred from having an HSA. Many large corporations are self-insured. All of these are powerful incentives to shop for values in Healthcare spending, helping the family AND the company to survive and then become more competitive by controlling claims totals. For employees, ask HR how they feel about savings on medical purchases, and if they can help with competitive/value data. (Hint:  That's where DOC$ comes in!)

On the second point, Your doctor AND the local hospital or surgery center he or she uses might be in your network, but beware of out-of-network providers lurking in the hallways. Add a statement to the facility's "Authorization for Treatment" that grants a "Qualified" authorization—only authorize In-network providers.

Know the Cost of Healthcare BEFORE You Go In!