How can I learn all about a managed care plan before making a commitment?

You can read the Summary Plan Description (SPD), a guidebook of the plan, to get a better idea of the coverage offered and the cost of the coverage for a managed care plan.

Before you go see the latest movie, you read the reviews. Before you go on vacation, you get brochures and guidebooks or go online to learn more about the destination.

The same is true about managed care (or any type of health insurance for that matter). If you’re getting insurance through your employer, your benefits office should be able to provide you with the 411 on each plan before you have to sign on the dotted line. If not (or even in addition), there are tons of resources online (and in brochures) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the YOU Docs, and even the health insurance companies themselves. You can read the Summary Plan Description (SPD), a guidebook of the plan, to get a better idea of the coverage offered and the cost of the coverage. However, that can be harder to understand than a newly discovered language. So consult your friends at your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). They can give you free guidance about all of your options so that you can find a plan that fits you as well as Cinderella’s glass slipper fits her.

You can learn about your managed care plan options by carefully reading your Summary Plan Description (SPD). When you sign the managed care plan contract, you agree to the specific terms presented so it is important to know all about the managed care insurance plan before making a commitment. Your employer may provide you with a summary of your health insurance plan options. While you are reading about your plan options, look for how much is paid for a particular medical test or treatment, what the standard deduction is and whether a gatekeeper or primary care physician is involved in making referrals. You can find out what other people are saying about the plan by reviewing the Federal Government’s survey called Consumer Assessment of Health Plans (CAHPS). This survey provides important data of what members think of the health care plans they are in.