When January rolls around I do two things: I look for deals on natural and healthy foods as I mentioned in my last post, and I log in to our health insurance to see what financial incentives are available when we make healthy lifestyle changes.
It took me no more than 30 minutes to:
- Take their Wellness Assessment questionnaire for which they deposited $50.00 into a debit card I can use to pay for co-pays and other medical expenses. My wellness score was higher/better than last year, so that was a nice surprise! My buds and can also earn $ 50.00.
- Review other computer-based health coaching opportunities that pay $30-40.00. These are online check-in programs for things like asthma, high blood pressure, etc.
- Take note that this year they have offered each family member 2 free “tele doc” visits (online medical consultations) for things such as dermatology, allergy, mental health, nutritional counseling, and general medical concerns. I definitely will take advantage of this because it saves a $ 30-40.00 copay, plus the stress of trying to get out of work and get to the doctor for an appointment.
- Quickly check to make sure that our prescription prices haven’t changed in the new benefit year.
It’s kind of amusing to me how my husband and I both have money-saving areas where we excel… for him it is getting the best price on cable/streaming TV, taking surveys, and maximizing Amazon subscribe and save prices. Utilizing our wellness benefits is one of my specialties!
Does your health insurance have wellness benefits?
The Healthful Saver 
I just learned that my new insurance offers $100/year for syncing their app with Google Fit to track steps. I use Google Fit anyway so this should be an easy $100.
Nice! Show me the money!
Hi Jen! Loving your focus on health and wellness in addition to financial wellbeing. I work for a hospital, partly because the financial savings benefits are almost too good to be true. Our company started doing these tele-health visits about 5 years ago, and now I would say about 50% of my daily practice is in the form of telephone appointments. We never charge for these visits, no matter how many a patient has per year. I wish other insurance companies would do the same for their patients, but sadly, I know it’s not the money-making machine that they’re looking for.
Thank you! I thought the TeleDoc was very convenient for my minor concern. I think it would be great for people with chronic health concerns to follow up on meds, diet etc. I think of a friend with diabetes who isn’t compliant with meds. Also, I stay far away from the Dr office this time of year because Influenza A and B are rampant.