Learn how medical deductibles work and take advantage of the opportunity to qualify for reduced deductibles in 2023 by answering the Call to Health. Reduced deductibles mean more money in your pocket if you or a covered family member is sick or injured.
When you participate in Call to Health* you can reduce your medical deductible for the following year. But what exactly is a deductible and why is it important to take steps to reduce yours?
The deductible is a specified dollar amount you pay each year for certain covered services before the Medical Plan begins to pay benefits. Your deductible amount varies depending on which medical plan option you’re enrolled in and whether you enroll any family members. The deductible for PPO participants, for example, is based on effective salary, while those enrolled in the EPO or HDHP pay a set amount.
If you use few medical services other than preventive care, you may not give much thought to your deductible. Even if you see your doctor regularly throughout the year, if you’re enrolled in the PPO or EPO, you pay a flat dollar copay with no deductible for office visits, so your expenses may never reach the deductible in a given year.
But what if you or a covered family member had an unexpected illness requiring hospitalization or were injured and rushed to the emergency room? Regardless of which medical option you’re enrolled in, you must first pay the annual deductible before the plan pays benefits for inpatient hospital admissions, outpatient hospital services, and emergency room care, as well as many other types of covered expenses.
Those costs can add up quickly. According to a Health Care Cost Institute report, the average price of an emergency room visit in 2019 ranged from $502 to $1,596 depending on the cause. That doesn’t include follow-up care or related services from doctors who bill for their services separately from the hospital. Before the plan would pay benefits, you would need to pay for these expenses out of your pocket until your covered out-of-pocket costs reached the deductible amount.
When you complete Call to Health* Level 1 by November 11, 2022, your individual and/or family medical deductibles will be reduced by as much as one-third for 2023. The potential savings are significant: $220 or more if you’re in the PPO, at least $500 if you’re in the EPO, and at least $750 if you’re in the HDHP. That means more money in your pocket if you or your covered spouse or child is sick or injured.
Don’t miss this opportunity to save on your deductible next year and lower your potential out-of-pocket costs for care. Get started today.
*Call to Health is available to employees and their spouses with medical coverage through the Board of Pensions; it is not available to members enrolled in Triple-S, GeoBlue, or the Medicare Supplement Plan.
