Be a Smart Consumer

They’ve agreed to charge only up to negotiated rates and bill your insurance company directly, which saves you money and time. Also, check with your insurance company to ensure that a service is covered before you receive care. 

It’s covered in full by all of our medical plans and can help detect and prevent potentially costly health issues early. You pay nothing for annual physicals, recommended immunizations, routine cancer screenings, and more when you see in-network providers.

Contributing to a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is easy and saves you money. You can set aside pre-tax dollars from your paycheck to use for your out-of-pocket costs. Keep in mind that with an HSA, you can only spend contributions that have actually been deposited into your account. And with an FSA, unused money in your FSA does not carry over to the next plan year; you must “use it or lose it.”

Using generic alternatives will almost always save you money — and they’re just as effective as brand-name prescriptions. Use the interactive tool on the Express Scripts to price a medication, find out what medications are covered, locate a pharmacy, and more. You can also take advantage of the Rx Savings Solutions transparency tool to find the best prices and save money on prescription medication. For your ongoing prescriptions, use the home-delivery service to save money and time.

The Healthy Huber initiative is designed to help you focus on improving your health, which could prevent the need for costly care. Plus, you’ll earn rewards when you participate in wellness activities!

Log in to the Aetna website to see how much of your deductible you’ve met, review claims, find in-network providers, use helpful cost-estimating tools, and more.

Facilities charge different amounts for the same services, so think about your options when you or a family member needs medical attention. Use the guide below to help you save money and choose the most appropriate care for your situation.

Coinsurance is how you and your medical plan share the cost of medical services. Coinsurance usually begins after you meet the plan’s annual deductible. For example, if your deductible is $3,000 and your coinsurance is 20%, once your out-of-pocket expenses reach $3,000, your plan would start to pay 80% of your covered costs, leaving you responsible for the other 20%. Your provider will usually send you a bill for the 20% you owe after your claim has been processed by your health plan.

A copay is a fixed amount that you pay for a covered health care service. For example, you might pay a $10 copay when you pick up a generic prescription from a local retail pharmacy. Your copay is usually due at the time you receive the service. The amount of your copay can vary based on the type of service.

A deductible is the amount of eligible expenses you must pay each year before your plan begins to provide payments for covered services. For example, if your annual deductible is $3,000, you must pay for your non-preventive expenses until your costs reach $3,000. Then, the plan will start to pay a percentage of costs through coinsurance.

Keep in mind that plans typically have different deductibles for individual coverage and family coverage. If you have family coverage, be sure to understand if there is a separate deductible for each covered member or one larger deductible that must be met before coinsurance begins for anyone.

Your in-network preventive care, such as annual physicals and immunizations, is covered in full, at no cost to you, so your deductible does not apply. 

A Dependent Care FSA is an account you can use to pay for eligible dependent care expenses with tax-free dollars. Since you don’t pay income tax on the money you put in an FSA, it’s like getting a discount on your child care or elder care costs! Eligible expenses for a Dependent Care FSA include day care and summer camps for children under age 13, and day care for dependent elders.

You contribute to your FSA through before-tax payroll deductions. When you enroll in the account, you select how much you want to contribute over the course of the plan year, then a proportionate amount of that annual contribution comes out of each paycheck. Keep in mind, you can only use money that has actually been deposited into your account.

Dependent Care FSAs have a “use it or lose it” rule, so estimate your contribution carefully. Typically, any unused money left in your account at year-end is forfeited.

A Health Care FSA is an account you can use to pay for eligible health care expenses with tax-free dollars. Since you don’t pay income tax on the money you put in an FSA, it’s like getting a discount on your medical, dental, vision, and medication costs! Eligible expenses for a Health Care FSA include deductibles, coinsurance, and copays for medical, dental, and vision care, as well as many over-the-counter items like bandages, sunscreen, and feminine care products. 

You contribute to your FSA through before-tax payroll deductions. When you enroll in the account, you select how much you want to contribute over the course of the plan year, then a proportionate amount of that annual contribution comes out of each paycheck. Your entire annual contribution to a Health Care FSA is available to you from the beginning of the plan year.

FSAs have a “use it or lose it” rule, so estimate your contribution carefully. At the end of the plan year’s grace period, you will forfeit any unused money.

A Health Savings Account, or HSA, is a tax-free savings account that is only available to participants in a qualified high-deductible health plan. You contribute to your HSA through before-tax payroll contributions and can use the money to pay for eligible medical expenses — including deductibles, coinsurance, and copays for medical, dental, and vision care. Huber makes an annual contribution to your HSA, too — $600 for employee-only medical coverage or $1,200 if you cover any dependents on your medical plan.

All of the money in your HSA rolls over from year to year and is always yours to keep. You can even invest the money in your HSA to build up savings to help cover health expenses in retirement.

Keep in mind, you can only use money that is actually deposited into your HSA, so plan accordingly. If you don’t have a high enough HSA balance at the time of your medical expense, you can pay another way (with cash, check or a credit card) and reimburse yourself from your HSA later.

An HDHP is a type of medical plan that puts you in charge of your spending through lower employee contributions, higher deductibles, and a tax-free HSA. With an HDHP, you can see any provider you’d like, although you’ll generally pay less when you stay in-network. The Choice I and Choice II plans are both HDHPs.

For non-preventive medical and prescription expenses, you pay 100% of your costs until you meet the annual deductible. After meeting the deductible, you and the plan share the cost of covered medical care and prescriptions through coinsurance. If your total deductible and coinsurance expenses reach the plan’s out-of-pocket maximum, you won’t have to pay anything further for the rest of the year — the plan will pay 100% of any covered expenses.

Keep in mind that in-network preventive care, like annual physicals and immunizations, is covered in full at no cost to you.

To help you pay your out-of-pocket expenses, this plan allows you to contribute tax-free money from your paycheck to an HSA. The money in your HSA is always yours to keep and can be used now or in the future.

An out-of-pocket maximum is a limit set by your medical plan. It’s the most money you would have to pay in a plan year for covered health care expenses. If your out-of-pocket expenses (such as your deductible, coinsurance, and copays) reach your plan’s out-of-pocket maximum, you won’t have to pay anything further for the rest of the year. Your plan will start to pay 100% of the cost for all remaining covered services.

A PPO is a medical plan that tends to have a lower deductible in exchange for higher premiums, which reduces your out-of-pocket responsibility and keeps your costs more predictable. With a PPO, you can see any provider you’d like, although you’ll generally pay less when you stay in-network. The Core plan is a PPO.

Typically, you pay the cost of your care in full before meeting the plan’s annual deductible. Then, the plan will share the cost of these services through coinsurance. Keep in mind that preventive care, like annual physicals and immunizations, is fully covered at no cost to you. And, you’re protected by an annual limit on costs — if you reach the out-of-pocket maximum, the plan pays 100% of any further covered expenses for the rest of the year.

Employee contributions are what you pay to have coverage. It’s the money you contribute from your paycheck to pay your share of the cost of being enrolled in a health plan. Huber also pays a large percentage of this cost.

The specific employee contribution amount you pay depends on the type of plan you choose and who you enroll in the plan. For example, a medical plan with a low deductible will have a higher employee contribution amount than a plan with a higher deductible. And, you’ll pay a lower employee contribution amount to enroll just yourself, while a higher employee contribution amount would apply to enroll your spouse and kids.

Preventive care services include routine physicals, well-child and well-woman exams, routine blood work, and recommended screenings and immunizations. In-network preventive care is covered free of charge regardless of which plan you choose. 

A qualified life status event is a change in your life that qualifies you to update your benefits enrollment before the next Annual Enrollment. For example, if you get married in April and your Annual Enrollment is typically in the fall, you wouldn’t need to wait until then to change your benefits. You could add your spouse to your coverage or drop your coverage and join your spouse’s plan within 31 days of your wedding. Only changes related to your life event are allowed.

Telehealth offers the convenience of seeing a doctor virtually, through a video visit on your computer or mobile device. Telehealth appointments are typically less expensive than going to an urgent care center, making it a great option for minor health concerns when your regular doctor is unavailable. Telehealth is available 24/7, 365 days a year. With the Huber medical plans, you also have access to Teladoc. The cost of a Teladoc general medical visit is $49 until your deductible is met, and then coinsurance would apply. In addition to general medical care, you can also schedule behavioral health and dermatology appointments through Teladoc.