DIY Hacks: Navigating Your Health Plan

When it comes to healthcare and insurance, it is easy to feel like you've taken a backseat and aren't able to be a part of your health plan. However, there are Do It Yourself (DIY) portions of your health insurance that you can start now to ensure you stay knowledgeable and remain part of your health journey.

Hack 1: Accessing your digital ID card

There is no need to postpone an appointment because you haven’t received your physical ID card in the mail nor do you need to fret if you happened to misplace it. You can access your digital ID card through your Select Health member account where you have the option to either print or email it.

Having your ID card on hand at any given time can relieve any unwanted stress during sudden mishaps. To ensure you have your card, you can download the Select Health app to easily pull up your ID card on your phone.

Hack 2: Finding in-network doctors to address your health needs

It’s important to find a doctor who specializes in the care you need. Instead of calling around and waiting for a response, you can take charge and view online, using the Find a Doctor tool, the available doctors in your network who are accepting new patients. You can access this tool from your member account or the Select Health website.

You can search for doctors by name, location, specialty, and languages spoken, among other filters. Each doctor listing is supported with a five-star rating score that is based on real patient experiences and additional information related to the doctor’s schooling, credentials, and affiliated hospitals and clinics are provided.

Related: 3 Tips for Choosing a Primary Care Doctor

Hack 3: Locating accessible facilities nearby

Similar to finding a doctor, you may be wondering if there is a facility closer to home that can offer the same health services. Once logged in to your member account or from the Select Health website, you can do a quick search to get a list of nearby clinics and hospitals that can be filtered by several categories such as facility type and ZIP code. The quick facility snapshots provide details to help you decide if it is the right location for you.

Hack 4: Exploring prescription expenses

Managing prescriptions can be hard, especially when you are wondering about the cost of certain medications. You can be proactive in your search by using the RX Lookup tool that is only accessible through your member account. The RX Lookup tool shows estimated costs of prescriptions and provides generic and specialty alternatives to give you the whole picture.

Related: How We Empower Our Members to Be Smart Shoppers When Filling a Prescription

Hack 5: Reviewing details and potential costs of specific procedures and services

Understanding your care plan is crucial to staying healthy. Whether it is a preventive service such as a yearly cancer screening or a more involved procedure, you can do your own research using the Medical Cost Estimator. This tool helps you learn more about the procedure or service and the associated cost. To use this particular tool, log in to your member account.

Arming yourself with the knowledge of your health plan and realizing what you can do on your own can help you save time and regain control of your health journey.