Philadelphia Business Journal:

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"Virtually any employee who is attractivee to a business is attractivwe to other organizations as and health care isthe No. 1 thinyg employees ask about aftert compensation," Tassey says. But if you'vw never offered a health plan at yourbusiness before, the research process can plungre you into an unfamiliar worlde of acronyms - HMO, PPO, HSA- and the optionws can be overwhelming. So if it's your first trip into the watera of healthinsurance shopping, you would probably be wise to work with a brokee or insurance adviser.
Health insurance can be a confusinf consumer decision to and having a trained professional on your side can make all the notes Tassey, who recommends that people ask trusteed friends, family, or professional contactse what broker they work with to obtaim a good list of potential If you can't get a referrapl that way and have to resort to cold-calling ask for the names of two or threer of their clients who you can call to ask how satisfiede they are with the service they'rew receiving. Tassey says it's the least you can do when choosin g the individual who will handle one of your most importany internalbusiness decisions.
"You want to be dealing with an insurancw adviser who has experience inyour market, and it's very appropriate and very much expectede for you to ask that person for a couples of references," he "If you're in a smal business, you've got your family and your and probably a pet. But if you'rew going to marry your life to a it pays to take the extra minute and checkthosd references." Once you've found a broker, Tasseyg says he or she will help you considet what kind of plans to offer.
He says a good broked often can give you a picture of what kind of healthn care plans are most common in your industryu or for businesses of your size so that you can stay If you're offering a health benefit for the firstr time, you'll also need to thini 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 dependentsz of employees. And will you require new employees to work for your companyh for a certain amount of time before qualifyingfor benefits?
If you have a small business and choose to research insurancr plans independently, without a broker, one piece of informatiohn might save you some time. Tassety says the fact of the matter is that wherea 500-employeee business has some bargainingb power when it comes to theier health plan rates, small groups are usuallhy quoted a uniform price based on size, and it typicallyg doesn't leave a lot of room for Speaking of price tags, anothetr tip is this: When it comes to choosing a health plan, the bottom line is not alwaysw the bottom line.
That's to say that while cost is a majort concern for almost anyone shopping for healtuh insurance coveragethese days, what you get for the money should be considered along with the price tag. Janic e Torrez. of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New recommends groups and individuals consider the restrictions or options that come withcertaibn plans. For instance, Torrez a plan that places no restrictions on what physicianh a member can see might come at ahigher Likewise, a plan with a low monthly premium could sport some whopping out-of-pocket expenses shoul d one need a service like home health hospital stays, or medical equipment.
The LIFE organizatio advises when shopping for a healthcare plan, businessez and individuals start by considering what health-related services are important to Included in the list of services to considee are inpatient hospital services, outpatienf surgery, office visits, medical testsd and X-rays, prescription drugs, home health care visits, physical maternity care, preventative care for infants and and health screenings.
Then compare the cost of planxs that offer youthose