5 health plan features to look for during open enrollment
During open enrollment season for health benefits, your focus may be on selecting major medical coverage to help with care and financial protection, in case you experience a health issue, illness or accident.
While those are valuable aspects of having a health plan, it is important to be aware of the additional benefits that might be available, such as vision, dental or hearing coverage.
Plus, some plans may feature other programs designed to improve your well-being and help maximize the value of your benefits.
Here are five things to look for as you make benefits decisions for 2023
1. Connected fitness support
Technology makes it possible for your workouts to come to you and be more personalized. For instance, your health plan may offer access to fitness apps and wearable devices to help you stay active.
Some health plan programs may provide a wearable device like a smartwatch or an activity tracker. Members who use a device to meet certain daily activity goals may earn financial incentives of approximately $1,000 per year to help cover out-of-pocket medical expenses.2
2. Treatment of low back pain
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days at work. The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends nonpharmacologic therapies as the first treatment. If the problem persists, the ACP advises nonsurgical options, such as exercise, physical therapy, chiropractic care or acupuncture.
Some UnitedHealthcare members with low back pain may have access to these noninvasive treatments at no additional cost, including waived deductibles and copays. This benefit for physical therapy and chiropractic care, which is available in plans through some large employers, is designed to help:
- Make care more affordable
- Improve health
- Avoid unnecessary, potentially harmful treatments
The app option: Another potential option is a self-paced program called Virtual Physical Therapy. It uses the Kaia Health app to help guide eligible members through physical therapy exercises.3 Motion coaching for exercises, mind-body relaxation techniques and educational videos are all included.
3. Vision protection and improvement
Our digital world has many people logging long in front of screens, resulting in increased exposure to blue light. This excess screen time may contribute to digital eye strain, which includes symptoms such as dry eyes and headaches.
To help reduce exposure to blue light, eligible UnitedHealthcare Vision members may have access to discounts of up to 20% on Eyesafe® blue-light-blocking screen protectors for smartphones, tablets and laptop computers. They may also be able to save on laptops with embedded blue-light filtering technology.
Your vision benefits may also include support for correcting your eyesight. For example, you may be eligible for a member discount for LASIK, a surgery that uses a laser to permanently change the shape of the cornea to improve vision.
4. Dental care for teeth straightening
Leaving crooked teeth untreated might not only affect your willingness to smile but may also lead to problems like tooth decay and gum disease. Funds from a health savings account or a flexible spending account can be used to address dental issues, including misaligned teeth.
One option may be home-delivered clear aligners for improving your smile. Some dental plans with orthodontic coverage help connect members to a licensed dentist and reimburse qualifying costs for personalized clear teeth aligners.
5. Help with hearing aids
A growing number of people are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds. Nearly 29 million adults in the U.S. with hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids, according to the National Institutes of Health.
With some employer-sponsored or Medicare Advantage plans, you may be able to buy custom-programmed, prescription hearing aids for less than devices sold through other channels.4 To streamline the process even further, virtual hearing care options may offer improved convenience and help with remote fitting and support.
For more ideas on features that may be in your health plan options, check out this quick video:
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