We all know the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared! Well that same motto holds true as it relates to buying a new California health plan or using the California health insurance plan you already own. Let’s take a look at some ways where being prepared can help you save money!

• You’re shopping for a new California health plan: Find a health insurance information resource – either online via an informative California health insurance website or in-person with a California health insurance professional – where you can educate yourself on available plans and gain an understanding of health plan terminology and what features will work best for your unique individual or family situation.
• Think “outside the box”: Yes, that HSA-compatible health plan might come with a high deductible feature but do tax savings and tax deductions on the money you save in your HSA make that high deductible plan more attractive on second thought?
• Are you and your spouse or partner thinking or expanding your family? Make certain you get that California health plan with maternity coverage before you become pregnant. To secure a health plan with maternity coverage you must medically qualify and that means you must not be pregnant before you secure coverage. Do not underestimate the cost of maternity without medical coverage: Even a small complication during pregnancy/birth can cost a lot.
• Think like a health insurance underwriter: Maintain a healthy lifestyle with an eye towards proportional height and weight, and don’t even think about starting or continuing to smoke. Be active and proactive: Exercise and seek out free or low cost health screenings, and checkups. Many current health plans typically feature some form of preventive exams and now, starting in 2010 – thanks to Health Reform – all new individual market health plans must provide coverage for preventive services.  Recommended prevention and vaccination services will be covered without any deductibles or copayments. Preventive care is key to helping prevent more serious illnesses from developing.
• Know where you can get your prescription drug purchases at the best price: Major retailers like Wal-Mart and Target offer generic drug prescriptions with copayments as low as $4 for a 30 day supply. Thank ahead when it comes to selecting the drug plan benefits of your California health plan: Yes, generic-only plan benefits are cheaper but if you later need brand name prescription drugs and don’t have coverage, the costs of paying for prescription drugs out-of-pocket can cause financial hardship. Starting a new prescription at the direction of your doctor? Ask your doctor for free samples of the drug. Don’t be bashful: This is a perfectly acceptable patient request. If you don’t have the coverage you need for the prescription drugs you need, reach out to the drug companies themselves: Many offer patient assistance programs that might be able to offer help.
• You have a California health insurance plan: Stay in-network! Be prepared for a trip to an emergency room with your child by knowing which medical facilities in your community are in your insurance plan’s network of providers. Also: If you already own a health plan and find yourself shopping for a new family doctor or health care services, remember that staying in-network is critical to holding down costs related to health care services. Finally: If you’re shopping for a new California health plan, make certain that the health plan you’re thinking of buying will allow you to continue seeing your current family physician  as an in-network provider and also check out the strength of a new health plan’s provider network in general: Any savings you think you might achieve with a cheaper monthly premium might be quickly swamped by the out-of-network charges you and your family might incur with that new plan’s weaker or inadequate provider network in your community.

A final comment for this article: If a private individual California health insurance plan is not a viable option for you at this time, the Vitality Blog can still be an important resource for you and your family. Our Blog features many links to available state and local public health care services for residents throughout the state. Please use our Blog’s search function; review our ‘Health Insurance General’ category; and please be sure to subscribe to the Vitality Blog feed: We regularly post articles with important contact information for both private and public health care services such as the new federally funded high risk pool scheduled to start serving California residents later in 2010…