Mariel Segarra

Could be an 80-20 split, a 70-30 split.

It depends on your plan.

A lot of folks sign up for high deductible plans because of the cheap premiums, but then they get surprised later.

If you signed up for a high deductible health plan and now you're wondering, how do I use this thing?

We are here to help.

on this episode of Life Kit, a playbook for using your high deductible health insurance plan.

One tip as a preview, if you know you have to get an expensive procedure or surgery or test done, try to time it out so you meet your deductible as early in the year as possible.

Hey Jackie.

Hey, Mariel.

You mentioned that someone you interviewed has to meet a $6,000 deductible before insurance will start paying for their care.

Takeaway one, if you have a high deductible plan, find out what your deductible is.

If you take out your insurance card, it'll probably be on there.

Or you can also look in your portal online or in your plan documents.

And then if you go to the doctor, remember you might have a lot of bills to pay up front.

These can range.

You know, maybe you're used to paying a $30 copay when you go to see the doctor, but now the office is asking you to pay $130 for the same visit.

Or you get a blood test done and you have to pay a couple hundred dollars for that.

So one of the challenges, right, is that when you have a high deductible plan, you end up with a lot of upfront costs.

How does that play out for a lot of folks?

Takeaway two, though, is there are ways to manage these upfront costs.