Hidden Benefits of Your Health Insurance

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Read the fine print: Your plan might surprise you.Chances are, doctor visits and prescriptions are not all your health insurance plan has to offer. Many plans today offer disease management programs, improved coverage for mental health conditions and infertility, and much more. Be sure to ask about these benefits, because they may not be well publicized by your insurer.

Disease management
A buzzword in the insurance world these days is "disease management," which refers to programs that help health-plan members with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or asthma. For diabetics, this benefit could range from a counseling session on nutrition to a full-fledged program including blood monitoring and nurse consultations. Unfortunately, the buzz is often used in selling the plans to employers rather than to employees, many of whom are unaware that these programs exist. "There is a lot of sizzle on the marketing side, but customer service is often not really geared for it at this point. It's incumbent upon the member to inquire whether there is a disease management program," says Nancy Fase Guernon, director of operations at CareCounsel, a health-care advocacy outsourcing company.

Better mental health benefits
In the past, many benefit plans limited or excluded coverage for mental health conditions. Thanks to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, as of 2010 some insurance plans will be required to offer mental health benefits equivalent to those they provide for conditions such as cancer and heart disease. The new law is expected to expand access to treatment for conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and autism. "The parity act says that if insurers cover medical or surgical benefits, they have to cover mental diagnoses at an equal level," adds Fase Guernon. Some states supplement federal law by passing their own parity laws, she notes, so check with your state department of insurance to determine the level of coverage to which you're entitled.

Get the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus insights and updates from Health.com!