Health Insurance: Workplace Enrollment

It’s that time of year again. Companies are opening enrollment in health insurance plans, and if you haven’t gotten a peak at the 2015 changes, be advised, you may get sticker shock when you do. Deductibles will rise 7 percent this year as companies forecast higher healthcare costs.

Premiums and copays are likely to rise as well. If you work for a small company, watch out because your prices may rise even more than that 7 percent average.

The changes are more of the same. According to Kaiser, worker contributions to health care coverage have nearly doubled since 2003, from $2,412 to $4,565. Deductibles have jumped from $584 a decade ago to $1,217 today.

As you begin to compare plans, don’t assume your plan from last year is the same this time around. Plans are converging and looking more and more like each other. While HMOs, or health maintenance organizations, originated the co-pay, now PPOs or Preferred Provider Organizations are charging them as well.  Given that, you’ll want to think about what services you’ve used in the past and are likely to use again as you shop.

And, remember that premiums aren’t the sum total of everything that you will pay. Check out deductibles, co-pays, and whether you have to pay co-insurance even after paying your deductible.  If you are not a big user of health care, you might want to think about a high-deductible plan which will give you lower premiums. If you choose this route, consider setting aside money in a health savings account to cover your costs.

Don’t miss our User’s Guide to Choosing the Best Health Insurance tonight 5pmET on FOX Business