Health Plans 101
How health insurance works
It doesn’t take much time to understand the basics of health insurance. Designed to protect you against the high costs of health care, health insurance is similar to other types of insurance. People buy coverage for costly care by paying a monthly premium they can afford. Pooled together, everyone’s premiums help to pay for the care needed by some. When you or a family member need care – whether basic or for a serious injury or illness, you can protect your financial future thanks to your health care coverage.
See video: Know your health plan 
The articles here can help you know what you need to get the most from your health plan.
How to choose a health insurance plan
A health insurance plan is more than its monthly premium. You’ll find differences among plans in how much you pay out-of-pocket for health care services, which doctors and hospitals are included in the plan, what level of customer service the plan provides, and more. Be sure to consider all of your options.
Here you’ll find articles to help you weigh your options and make an informed decision.
How to save on health care costs
These days, everyone’s looking for ways to save wherever they can. There are ways to save on your health care too, and we don’t mean by not getting the care you need. Investing a few moments in understanding your health care options can help you keep your family healthier without breaking the bank.
Here you’ll learn about the options you may have, and when to use them to keep costs down. You can also find out about online resources you can use to make informed decisions.
Health info & tools
Here you’ll find health and wellness articles to help you live life well and be smart about your health and health care choices.
Health support
Take advantage of support and services brought to you by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota:
» Quit smoking help
» See weight loss stories
» Talk to a doctor online -- no appointment needed
Wellness center & other resources
Be your healthiest with help from these tools and resources:
» Make the most of your doctor visits
» Calculators — BMI, target heart rate and more
» Create a support website with CaringBridge.org
» How to increase your family’s physical fitness
» More health and wellness articles
Health care planning
Tools to help you plan ahead and make smart decisions about your health care:
» Estimate your health care costs
» Write an advance health care directive
» Learn how health care reform affects you
Safety & prevention
Be safe and practice prevention with these articles and guides:
» Blue Surgery Safety Checklist (PDF)
» See prevention guidelines
» Try a risk assessment tool
Health savings accounts
Are you thinking about switching to a health plan with a health savings account (HSA)? This can be a good way to help your family save on health care. A health savings account is money you set aside in a tax-deductible account to help you pay for health care services. It works with a high-deductible plan. It can even help you save for retirement.
These articles can help you learn more about HSAs and whether they might be right for you. You can also watch a video about consumer-directed health plans and HSAs.
