What Do Health Insurance and Pecans Have In Common?

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What Do Health Insurance and Pecans Have In Common?
Wesley Watkins

What do health insurance and pecans have in common? Both are hard “nuts” to crack! Pecans have definitely been around longer than health insurance, however, pecans weren’t an industrial commodity until the civil war and great depression era, which is around the same time the first sign of health insurance became known in America. Another commonality is the vast amount of choices. There are over 1,000 types of pecans (even ones that survive in Canada). There are also many types of health insurance. Lastly, both pecans and private health insurance will survive health care reform.

On a more serious note, which type of health insurance plan do you think has the best chance of surviving health care reform? Is it a plan such as a HMO that has $10.00 or $20.00 copays for services? How about a PPO plan that has a mixture of $25.00 copays and inpatient deductibles? Or maybe a Health Savings Account plan where all eligible services credit toward a large deductible such as $2,500 and all expenses are tax free?  The answer is the plan that will survive health care reform is the plan that American Consumers believe in most!

So, what do most consumers want in their health insurance plan? It is reported that most consumers want a plan that is affordable and provides peace of mind when something happens. Basically, we would like to have coverage that takes care of us if we need it and is reasonably priced.

In order to reform health care, consumers must be an integral part of the decision-making process. This means that consumers must be the ones to make decisions about their health care. The one plan that engages consumers the most is a Consumer Driven Health Plan such as a Health Savings Account (HSA). These plans are designed to make the consumer think about his/her health care purchase and are very effective in cost containment. People with these types of policies tend to choose generic over name brand and investigate the most efficient way to pay for care. These types of plans have the best chance at surviving the health care environment we face today.

The need for everyone to become involved in his/her health care costs is huge. If you don’t know the actual cost of your health care (prescriptions, doctor visits, surgeries, etc.), then you need to find out. Take control of your health care spending now. If you or your company need benefit counseling from a trusted advisor who will help educate and inform you and/or your employees, feel free to contact me at (318) 445-9359.