Health insurance isn’t just for emergencies. In fact, you’d be surprised by the wide variety of wellness benefits your health plan may offer its subscribers. While this isn’t the case for every health plan out there, it’s certainly worth exploring your options or speaking with an insurance representative to figure out what other benefits are included in your plan.
If you haven’t considered what health/wellness benefits your insurance policy may offer, here are some you should ask your insurance provider about:
Nurse Advice Hotline
If you’re confronted with a minor/moderate health concern and your co-pay for an urgent care visit is pretty expensive, then you might consider calling your insurance company’s nurse advice phone service before deciding whether or not you should go to the doctor’s office. For minor, non-life threatening conditions, connecting with a trained nurse over the phone could save you the trip to urgent care if they determine your injury/illness isn’t severe enough to necessitate immediate, in-person attention from a doctor.
Many health plan companies offer nurse advice free-of-charge, so if you can’t decide if you, your spouse or child needs to go to the hospital, then go ahead and call your tele-nurse hotline before scheduling an appointment with your doctor.
Fitness Discounts
Many health insurance companies offer gym discounts or rebates on fitness club fees because insured individuals who work out more often are less likely to develop serious health problems like cardiovascular diseases or diabetes. Some companies offer discounts for any reputable fitness facility while others partner with specific health and fitness clubs like the YMCA, 24 Hour Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Crunch Fitness and more.
Depending on your insurance provider, your choice of gyms may be somewhat limited; nevertheless, you could save quite a bit of money on a gym membership if you go through your health plan company instead of directly through the gym itself.
Health and Wellness Coaching
Did you know that your health plan may also include free wellness coaching? A majority of health insurance providers offer phone-based health coaching services to help members with any of the following personal health concerns:
- Quitting smoking
- Managing stress
- Dieting and weight management
- Improving sleep quality
- And many more!
With a health coach, you can create a personalized action plan to meet your health and wellness goals.
Holistic Treatments
If you already lead an active lifestyle and eat healthy meals for the most part, then how else can your insurance company help you? Some lesser-known health benefits offered either with a modest co-pay or free-of-charge (depending on your plan) include: chiropractic and acupuncture sessions, discounts on yoga and/or pilates classes, massage treatments and more!
These types of holistic treatment options are ideal for people who are suffering with joint or muscle pain and do not want to rely too much on pain medications to manage their health concerns. Before forking over hundreds of dollars for holistic care out-of-pocket, check with your health plan provider to see what discounts or complimentary benefits you’re eligible for.
Maximize Your Health Plan Benefits
As you can see, there are plenty of supplementary wellness benefits out there, but not very many individuals know about them. Be sure to ask your health plan provider what discounts and wellness services your plan offers. If you’re unsatisfied with their wellness coverage options, consider switching to a new health insurance provider to access the services you need to live a happy and healthy life.
