Health Benefits Go Green
Simple Steps to Save Trees and Time
From the reusable bags at your local supermarket to global manufacturing companies tapping into renewable sources of energy, everything these days is "going green." The health insurance industry is certainly no exception. Many health insurance companies are implementing new programs that generate less waste and are more environmentally friendly, especially those that take consumers online and away from paper records. In addition to being environmentally friendly, this trend can also declutter your desk and free you from boxes of paper records.
By using some of the new features listed below, you will save valuable time and resources. You may also find that they are more convenient since you'll be left with more time and fewer piles of paper, all while keeping your personal health information safe and secure. Federal regulation (HIPAA) protects the security and privacy of online health information, and, much like the online banking industry, insurers use sophisticated online security to protect your information. For more information about HIPAA privacy standards, click here.
New Ways to Go Green
- Personal Health Records: Personal Health Records (PHRs) are a perfect way to save paper and time. They catalogue all of your important health information — from the date of your last tetanus shot to the dosage of your current prescriptions — in one, easy-to-use online record. If you have a PHR, rather than running around gathering medicine bottles and documentation of your child's immunizations for her upcoming summer camp physical, you can find all the information in one place with just one click. Even if your insurance company doesn't offer PHRs, there are private companies that offer options for you to set them up for yourself or your family. Remember that the privacy of the personal information in your PHR is protected under HIPAA if your PHR is maintained through your health insurer.
- Health Debit Cards: Some health plans offer flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) debit cards that allow you to pay for qualifying expenses at the check-out counter of participating stores. Just like regular debit cards they are now being accepted at many doctors' offices, drug stores and even websites, like for your mail-order prescriptions. These cards also help eliminate some of the paperwork associated with FSAs and HSAs.
- Paperless Reimbursement: In order to get rid of even more paperwork, many benefits providers are now offering paperless reimbursement for claims and qualifying purchases. This eliminates the need for you to manually submit a claim or send receipts after making a purchase with an FSA debit card. Instead you can go online to submit your receipts. This will save you postage and also give you time you'd rather spend doing other things.
- Online Enrollment: Think about all the paper brochures and information your HR department gave you before you enrolled in your health benefits plan, and the paperwork you had to fill out to sign up. Rather than wasting paper and cluttering your desk, many health insurance companies and even employer websites now let you select plans, get price quotes, apply and even track your application status online. They may even let you skip the paperwork altogether and enroll or adjust your benefits options at open enrollment online.
- Online Explanation of Benefits (EOB): Your explanation of benefits is another item that is becoming increasingly available online. EOBs are documents that insurance companies use to explain how each health benefits claim was paid. Stop and think about how many claims your insurance provider covers for you or your family in one month, let alone a whole year. For most people, this adds up to one big stack of paper. With online EOBs you can view and/or download your EOBs quickly and securely rather than having to keep track of countless hard copies.
Check with your health insurance company or HR department to see if these paperless options are available to you. If so, consider taking advantage of them. If they aren't, there are still ways that you can plan for your health while being kind to the environment. If you're researching health insurance, for instance, try looking at insurance companies' websites before calling and requesting a brochure. No matter how small, these changes can make a big impact on your time, storage space and access to information. You'll also get the satisfaction of knowing that you're doing something to help the environment.
