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#DHOpenEnrollment

Life brings us the unexpected. And then we have babies and life, well… life gets a whole lot more complicated. Pregnancy and all of the changes that come along with it, delivery and the un-expected that can happen during that time, the many appointments during that first year, the bumps and the bruises and trips to the doctor or the ER. Life as a parent is AMAZING - it’s incredible. But life as a parent is also a whirlwind rollercoaster and we never know which way it’s going to go.

With Ava, everything went smooth through pregnancy, delivery and through that first year of well visits and I think we only added maybe 1 or 2 additional sick visits in there but really, it was smooth as smooth can be. With Franky, however, it was a bit more complicated. I had un-explained rashes during pregnancy, unbearable pain for months that couldn’t be figured out, specialists with no answers and then his birth — induction, heartbeat drops, getting stuck during birth, NICU staff and really, it was all totally un-expected after such an easy pregnancy and birth with Ava (click here to read Franky’s full birth story). And you know what? That’s just life as a parent. Well, that’s life as a human — we need to expect the un-expected and when choosing the best health plan for each of us, there are so many factors to consider.

You see — open enrollment is complicated and then you add pregnancies and babies and kids and big families into the mix and it gets a whole lot more overwhelming. The don’t call me the overwhelmed mom for nothing — even the thought of figuring out which insurance plan is best for us makes my head spin. Each and every time open enrollment comes along, I really just want to hide in the closet and make my husband do all the choosing for us (just ask him and he’ll tell you how much I get overwhelmed when it comes time to choose our family plan).

And I’m sure I’m not alone in this!

So to make it easier on all of my (myself included), I’ve partnered with Dignity Health during this open enrollment period (through January 31st) to put together a list of things to consider when making those decisions for your family:

• Expect the unexpected. Remember all of that unexpected stuff that happened to me with Franky’s pregnancy and birth after having a totally smooth experience with Ava? Those un-expected circumstances make a difference. Look into each plan and look into the possible “what-ifs” to plan ahead, just in case the un-expected happens.

• Look ahead at potential life changes. Right now we have two kids but over the next year we may add to our family. Franky has a potential up-coming surgery when he’s about a year old, I may be pregnant over the next year and really, so many things can change in such a short amount of time. So look ahead and plan ahead and take the future into consideration when deciding which plan is right for you and your family.

• Consider the care you’d like to receive instead of looking just at price. I know, I know. It’s so easy to choose the one that’s the cheapest because those big numbers can be daunting but we all want the best care for ourselves and our families, right? Whether you’re pregnant and visiting your OB monthly or weekly or three times a week, visiting the ER with your kid for an x-ray, taking your kids to their well visits at the pediatrician or whatever it may be, great care is an investment we want to make for ourselves and our families.

I’ve come up with a list of Health Insurance FAQ’s that are super common to help navigate this open enrollment period for yourself and your family:

What’s the difference between an HMO and a PPO?

“One type of health insurance is not better than the other, but there are differences. With an HMO plan you will choose a Primary Care Provider (PCP), who will coordinate the care you need for any specialists.  Services are all provided through physicians and facilities in the health plan's HMO network.  With a PPO you may also choose a PCP, but you will not need a referral to see another physician.  It will usually cost less to see in-network physicians than an out-of-network physician.  Whether you are considering an HMO or a PPO, you can check which doctors, medical groups, hospitals, etc are in the network before you enroll.” - Dignity Health

What is a copay?

A copay is a “fixed dollar amount that a patient must pay out-of-pocket. This is often associated with an office visit or emergency room visit. For example $5, $10, or $25.”

What is an out of pocket maximum?

Some costs are not covered by your plan, including deductibles, co-insurance and co-pays. Your out of pocket maximum is the maximum amount of money you would be responsible for paying before an insurance company takes over payments toward your medical care.

What is a deductible?

A deductible is “an agreed amount that a patient must pay before the insurance company will pay anything toward medical charges. Usually the amount must be met and paid by the patient each year.”

For more information on open enrollment and health plan options for individual or family coverage in 2020, click here to head to the Dignity Health page and get started!