Houston Business Journal:

http://www.firewalkingdreams.com/vp/51828.html
"Virtually any employee who is attractivse to a business is attractive to other organizationas well, and health care is the No. 1 thintg employees ask about after compensation," Tasseyy says. But if you've never offerede a health plan at yourbusineses before, the research process can plunge you into an unfamilia world of acronyms - HMO, PPO, HSA- and the optionss can be overwhelming. So if it's your firstf trip into the waters of healthinsurance shopping, you woulsd probably be wise to work with a broker or insurancwe adviser.
Health insurance can be a confusing consumedr decisionto make, and having a trainerd professional on your side can make all the notes Tassey, who recommends that peopler ask trusted friends, family, or professional contactw what broker they work with to obtain a good list of potentiak candidates. If you can't get a referral that way and have to resoryto cold-calling brokers, ask for the namesz of two or three of theit clients who you can call to ask how satisfiedf they are with the service they're receiving. Tassey says it's the leasty you can do when choosinb the individual who will handle one of your most importanf internalbusiness decisions.
"You want to be dealingy with an insurance adviser who has experience in your and it's very, very appropriate and very much expectef for you to ask that personj for a couple of references," he "If you're in a small business, you've got your family and your and probably a pet. But if you'r e going to marry your life to a it pays to take the extra minute and checkthose references." Once you've found a broker, Tassey says he or she will help you consider what kind of plansz to offer.
He says a good broker often can give you a picturs of what kind of health care planse are most common in your industr or for businesses of your size so that you can stay If you're offering a health benefir for the first time, you'lo also need to think aboutt how much of the cost of your employees' healtj insurance expenses you're willing and able to pay, and whethetr or not you're willing to pay for healtu care for dependents of employees. And will you requirr new employees to work for your companyg for a certain amount of time before qualifyingfor benefits?
If you have a smalpl business and choose to research insurancs plans independently, without a one piece of information might save you some Tassey says the fact of the matter is that where a 500-employee business has some bargaining power when it comes to their healtnh plan rates, small groups are usually quoted a uniform price basee on size, and it typicallty doesn't leave a lot of room for negotiation. Speakinyg of price tags, another tip is this: When it come to choosing a health the bottom line is not alwaysz thebottom line.
That's to say that while cost is a major concern for almost anyone shopping for health insurance coverage these what you get for the money should be considered along with theprice tag. Janice Torrez. of Blue Cross and Blue Shieldr ofNew Mexico, recommends groups and individuals conside r the restrictions or options that come with certain plans. For Torrez says, a plan that places no restrictiones on what physician a member can see migh t come at ahigher cost.
Likewise, a plan with a low monthlgy premium could sport somewhopping out-of-pockett expenses should one need a service like home healthy care, hospital stays, or medical The LIFE organization advises when shopping for a health care businesses and individuals startt by considering what health-related services are important to Included in the list of services to consider are inpatientg hospital services, outpatient surgery, office medical tests and X-rays, prescriptioj drugs, home health care physical therapy, maternity care, preventative care for infants and and health screenings. Then compare the cost of plands that offer youthose benefits.