Key Takeaways:

• Be proactive, not reactive when it comes to understanding your insurance policy. You deserve accessible and quality healthcare, and it is your responsibility to understand your plan.

• Insurance is really complicated! Don’t beat yourself up for being confused.

• Our office is available and willing to help you navigate the beginning-of-year insurance game.

Happy New Year! While there are many changes afoot in our individual lives, in the experiences of our community and neighbors, and in the state of our world, there might also be important changes to your insurance plan this January 2023.

If you are a client in private practice who pays for sessions using insurance – either at Start My Wellness or elsewhere – it is important to be aware of how insurance cycles work. Your insurance plan is essentially a year-long contract between you and your insurance company (examples are Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Priority Health). When the year ends, your contract restarts. That means that deductibles/copays/coinsurances and HSA/FSA accounts reset on January 1st.

Insurance resetting means something different for each person’s plan. It is your responsibility to know how your benefits work so that you can see quality healthcare that meets your needs and is financially accessible. If you do not know what your benefits are, you can find out more by locating the member services number (usually on the back of your insurance card) and contacting a representative.

At Start My Wellness, our wonderful administrative staff works to re-verify all insurance benefits of current clients. However, it is still the responsibility of the individual plan holder to understand their plan and make choices accordingly.

Insurance is a complicated aspect of the US healthcare system. Whether you just switched insurance plans or have had the same plan for years, it can be confusing to navigate. Rather than view this confusion as a failure or a source of anxiety, work to see it as an opportunity to learn about how to better advocate for yourself and your care. Our office is available and ready to answer questions that you might be having.