San Antonio Business Journal:

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"Virtually any employee who is attractive to a businessz is attractive to other organizationsas well, and health care is the No. 1 thing employees ask about aftefr compensation," Tassey says. But if you've neverf offered a health plan at yourbusinesx before, the research process can plunge you into an unfamiliart world of acronyms - HMO, PPO, HSA- and the optionss can be overwhelming. So if it's your firsty trip into the waters of health insurance you would probably be wise to work with a broker orinsurance adviser.
Health insurance can be a confusing consumetr decisionto make, and havinh a trained professional on your side can make all the notes Tassey, who recommends that peoplre ask trusted friends, or professional contacts what broker they work with to obtaij a good list of potentiak candidates. If you can't get a referra l that way and have to resorfto cold-calling brokers, ask for the names of two or threwe of their clients who you can call to ask how satisfiefd they are with the service they'res receiving. Tassey says it's the leas t you can do when choosingv the individual who will handle one of your most importanty internalbusiness decisions.
"You want to be dealing with an insurance adviser who has experience in your and it's very, very appropriate and very much expectex for you to ask that persoj for a couple of references," he "If you're in a small business, you've got your familt and your business, and probably a pet. But if you'ree going to marry your life to a it pays to take the extra minutee and checkthose references." Once you'vse found a broker, Tassey says he or she will help you conside r what kind of plans to offer.
He says a good broker often can give you a picture of what kind of healtuh care plans are most common in your industry or for businessesd of your size so that you can stay If you're offering a health benefity for the first time, you'llo also need to think about how much of the cost of your employees ' health insurance expenses you're willinb and able to pay, and whether or not you'rew willing to pay for health care for dependents of employees. And will you require new employees to work for your company for a certaim amount of time before qualifying forbenefits ?
If you have a small busines and choose to research insurance plane independently, without a broker, one piece of informatiobn might save you some time. Tassey says the fact of the mattedr is that wherea 500-employee businesz has some bargaining power when it comes to theitr health plan rates, small groups are usualluy quoted a uniform pricwe based on size, and it typically doesn't leave a lot of room for Speaking of price tags, another tip is this: When it comese to choosing a health the bottom line is not always the bottomm line.
That's to say that whil cost is a major concern for almost anyonee shopping for health insurance coveragethesr days, what you get for the mone should be considered along with the pricew tag. Janice Torrez. of Blue Crossw and Blue Shield ofNew Mexico, recommends groupsz and individuals consider the restrictions or optionsx that come with certain For instance, Torrez says, a plan that placesx no restrictions on what physician a member can see mightt come at a higher cost.
Likewise, a plan with a low monthlh premium could sport somewhopping out-of-pockegt expenses should one need a service like home health hospital stays, or medical The LIFE organization advises when shoppingy for a health care plan, businessew and individuals start by considering what health-related services are importan t to them. Included in the list of services to consider are inpatient hospital outpatient surgery, office visits, medicap tests and X-rays, prescription home health care visits, physical therapy, maternity care, preventative care for infants and children, and health screenings. Then compare the cost of plans that offed youthose benefits.