Chris Holman welcomes Scott Norman Vice President of Business Development at Physicians Health Plan on the Michigan Business Network. Sparrow PHP’s open enrollment period for individuals and small business owners is open and now is the time for people to shop and select their plans for 2019.

Individuals selecting coverage options in the 2019 should see mild premium increases and that the average increase for most health plans has been very low single digit increases with some plans actually decreasing in costs. It is still important to shop and review options and that coverages change from year to year due to federal regulations so to make sure you know what your coverage is now so you can make decisions about what you’d like to purchase in 2019.

Helpful tips for individuals or small business owners.
• Shop early: This is very busy time of year with the individual open enrollment period and about 60% of employers renewing coverage. Don’t wait till the last minute – health plans get very busy and you don’t want to miss a deadline or feel rushed to make a decision. The open enrollment period ends Dec 15th which is only a few short weeks ahead.

• Do your homework: The best thing to do is talk with a local independent agent – they can help you shop, explain different coverage options and help you make an informed decision. They can also help you make sure your doctor participates with a health plan you may be considering. It doesn’t cost you any more to use an agent and they can be big help.

• Price isn’t the only thing: A lot of plans offer unique benefits and options that goes beyond the price. In 2019, all of the PHP individual and small group plans offer a low $5 copay of telehealth services and we added an new wellness application to help people manage their health. Great convenient options that don’t always show up when your shopping for premium.

• Service matters: The last thing to consider is the service you get from your health plan. 
Sparrow PHP has been the top rated plan in Michigan for a number of years and we make sure we take a personal approach to providing each of our members with the service they expect.
So…shop early, use a local agent or, if your in the Mid-Michigan area, contact PHP direct at 517-364-8484

Listen now to full interview with Scott Norman below