Get a Free Copy of "Navigating Your Health Benefits for Dummies"


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Are you confused about how to choose the right health benefits?

City Girl reported that Aetna is giving away free copies of Navigating Your Health Benefits for Dummies. It only takes ten seconds to get the book — they ask for your name, address, and e-mail, and you don't even have to verify your e-mail address.

The book is co-authored by Dr. Charles Cutler of Aetna and Tracey Baker, CFP, of the Financial Planning Association.

I am not familiar with their background, but they’re apparently recognized as reputable sources by Bankrate, the Associated Press, and David Bach, the author of The Automatic Millionaire.

Some of you might feel skeptical about getting healthcare advice from an insurance company, but according to City Girl, the book is fairly helpful:

  • Pros: “Avaluable tool for anyone with open-season enrollment and have no clue what kinds of health care insurance are available."
  • Cons: Doesn’t show you “exhaustive detail on how to determine what your coverage.”

For the bargain price of FREE, I can overlook a few flaws here and there. According to Aetna, the six chapters in the book cover:

1. Choosing Your Health Benefits

This section takes you through the process of understanding the need for benefits to deciding which benefits you need, and finding a plan that meets those needs. This chapter also offers info on dealing with the once-a-year Open Enrollment opportunity to make changes to your benefits.

2. Making the Most of Your Health Benefits

Here they offer insight into the nuts and bolts of dealing with everyday issues such as finding a doctor, getting prescriptions filled, and having tests run.

3. Meeting Life Head On

This chapter talks about the adjustments you face getting married or divorced, starting a family or adapting to an empty nest, finding a job, losing a spouse, and easing into retirement.

4. Paying Up

This part explains how your health plan keeps you informed of your financial responsibilities.

5. Speaking Up

Here they suggest ways to communicate with your health plan and offers pointers on how to file a claim and appeal a decision.

5. Tracking Needs for Next Year

This section shows you how to evaluate your current benefits in preparation for making an informed choice next time.

6. Ten Tips for Managing Your Health Benefits

Last, there is a cheat sheet chock-full of ways to, well, manage your health benefits.

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