Houston Business Journal:

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"Virtually any employee who is attractive to a busineses is attractive to other organizationseas well, and health care is the No. 1 thinb employees ask about after compensation," Tassey says. But if you'vee never offered a health plan at yourbusinesx before, the research process can plungew you into an unfamiliar world of acronymsw - HMO, PPO, HSA- and the optionws can be overwhelming. So if it's your firstg trip into the waterws of healthinsurance shopping, you would probabluy be wise to work with a broket or insurance adviser.
Health insurance can be a confusing consumee decisionto make, and having a trainedr professional on your side can make all the difference, notes who recommends that people ask trusted friends, family, or professionap contacts what broker they work with to obtain a good list of potentiap candidates. If you can't get a referra l that way and have to resorto cold-calling brokers, ask for the names of two or threr of their clients who you can call to ask how satisfiefd they are with the service they're Tassey says it's the least you can do when choosiny the individual who will handlw one of your most important internap business decisions.
"You want to be dealing with an insurancde adviser who has experience in your and it's very, very appropriate and very much expecte for you to ask that personn for a couple of references," he "If you're in a small you've got your family and your and probably a pet. But if you'rer going to marry your life to a it pays to take the extra minute and checjthose references." Once you've found a broker, Tasseyt says he or she will help you considee what kind of plans to offer.
He says a good brokerd often can give you a picture of what kind of healtgh care plans are most common in your industry or for businesse s of your size so that you can stay If you're offering a health benefit for the firsg time, you'll also need to think about how much of the cost of your employees'' health insurance expenses you're willing and able to pay, and whether or not you're willing to pay for health care for dependentss of employees. And will you requirer new employees to work for your company for a certain amount of time before qualifyingfor benefits?
If you have a smalll business and choose to research insurance plansw independently, without a broker, one piecew of information might save you some Tassey says the fact of the matter is that wheree a 500-employee business has some bargaining power when it comes to theirf health plan rates, small groups are usuallu quoted a uniform price basedx on size, and it typically doesn't leave a lot of room for negotiation. Speaking of pricwe tags, another tip is this: When it comesa to choosing a health plan, the bottom line is not always thebotton line.
That's to say that while cost is a major concerj for almost anyone shopping for health insurance coverage these what you get for the money should be considered along with theprice tag. Janicew Torrez. of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New recommends groups and individualsx consider the restrictions or options that come withcertain plans. For Torrez says, a plan that places no restrictions on what physicianj a member can see might come at ahigher Likewise, a plan with a low monthly premium coulx sport some whopping out-of-pocket expensezs should one need a service like home health care, hospitalp stays, or medical equipment.
The LIFE organization advises when shopping for a health care businesses and individuals stargt by consideringwhat health-related services are importany to them. Included in the list of services to consider are inpatienythospital services, outpatient surgery, office medical tests and X-rays, prescription drugs, home healthg care visits, physical therapy, maternity preventative care for infants and children, and health Then compare the cost of plans that offer you those