THINGS TO REMEMBER Picking the Right Plan To make the best health insurance choice for you and your family, you can’t look just at the “sticker price”—the premium. Consider all the costs related to the insurance, as well as what you are actually getting for your money. Keep these things in mind when choosing a plan: „ Usually, a lower premium means a higher deductible, and a higher premium means a lower deductible. The choice you face is whether you want to pay less per month but pay higher medical costs out of pocket if you get sick, or you can pay more each month but pay lower medical costs when you need care. (Don’t worry about preventive care like check-ups, vaccinations, and mammograms—deductibles usually won’t apply to these services.) „ Some plans have separate deductibles for different services. For example, a plan might have one deductible for medications and a separate deductible for other services. „ Remember that there may also be differences in copayments and co-insurance that you should consider. However, these likely won’t apply to preventive care. „ Don’t assume that deductibles and copayments or co-insurance are the only differences between plans– even when plans are offered by the same company with similar names. Be sure to check whether all the same health services are covered, and be aware of any