Woof Woof Mama

To help bring you & your family this important information, I’m participating in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Aflac. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating, but as always, only present info I think will be of value to our readers.

This is the time of year when we all get super busy…there’s Halloween costumes to make or shop for, Thanksgiving dinner to start organizing, holiday shopping bargains to start watching out for, and for many of us it’s also time to get ready for Open Enrollment. Every year around this time, the hubby brings home big packets and envelopes of insurance brochures, paperwork and forms from work and it can be overwhelming. I’m self-employed now, but when I also worked for a large employer, we had double the amount of information and plan options to sort through, so I’ve become somewhat of an expert at handling it.

Whether you’re also the designated (or self-appointed) household administrator or share the duties with your spouse, it’s super important to make informed decisions when it comes to benefits for your family. If you aren’t exactly sure what Open Enrollment period is, it’s the time of year when employers give you information about all the insurance options they offer, and employees make decisions about which options and levels of coverage they will choose for themselves and their family. During this time, it’s important to take control and prioritize understanding coverage options and changes to your benefits in order to choose the right insurance policy that fits your family’s needs.

The new health care reform has brought lots of changes and new options when it comes to insurance, and that’s a great thing! But it also means taking a bit more time to fully understand all the choices available to you. If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed, you’re not alone. For example, the 2013 Open Enrollment Survey conducted by Aflac found that 74 percent of workers sometimes or never understand everything that is covered by their insurance policy today.  Aflac encourages you to take advantage of your company’s open enrollment period by first educating yourself and your family. Take time to talk with your HR manager, review your options and do the necessary homework. Find out if your policy options have changed to include new benefits made available by health care reform, higher deductibles or changes in co-insurance. They’ve also put together these Open Enrollment Resources to help educate yourself and prepare for benefits selection.

It’s human nature to procrastinate, especially about complicated stuff like insurance, but invest the time now to be sure you make the best decisions for your family…then you can get back to planning holiday family get-togethers and all the other FUN stuff that comes with this time of the year!