New Year's Health Insurance Resolution

Each year we face not only increasing waistlines, we face increasing health insurance costs.  In 2009, the time is right to really look closely at controlling health insurance costs.

Below is a list of ideas for your health insurance resolution:

• Develop a long-term strategy that engages employees in health care costs
• Consider Health Risk Assessments
• Evaluate health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements
• look at claims experience for possible problem areas
• institute a wellness program with strong incentives for employees so they participate
• develop a long-term cost analysis (at least 5 years) and assess the value of implementing any of the above

Health insurance costs continue to rise for a variety of reasons that are out of your control.  However, there are strategies you can take to impact your companies claims.   Implementing a health risk assessment will allow your company to inventory health conditions and create a road map for the future.

This road map, along with your 5-year projection on health insurance costs will be one New Year's resolution that you can begin and that you will stay with for a long time while lowering your health insurance costs.