Employee Benefits

What can I do to minimize costs?

With health care costs continuing to increase, we would like to offer you some tips that may help minimize your expenses:

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining your own health can help to minimize your health care costs. The County of San Bernardino – Human Resources EBSD offers a great wellness program -My Health Matters! - that encourages and assists employees in achieving healthy lifestyles. The healthier you are, the less likely you are to need health care services - which means you spend less on co-pays, deductibles, etc. Schedule an annual physical, eat right and get plenty of exercise.
• Use a provider who is part of the managed care network. If you are enrolled in the Health Net PPO or Delta Dental PPO plans, use in-network providers. The in-network benefits are covered with lower out of pocket costs for you. Visit Health Net’s (www.healthnet.com) or Delta Dental’s (www.deltadentalins.com) website for the providers’ directory.
• Look for ways to save on prescription drug costs. With prescription drug costs increasing as rapidly as they have been, you may be able to reduce your costs based on how you use your prescription drug plan. For example, try to use generic drugs whenever possible - not only are the overall costs for generic drugs lower than for brand name drugs, but the prescription drug plans we offer provide a higher level of coverage for generics than for brands. Also, you may be able to save on costs for long-term maintenance prescriptions by using the mail order program.
• Use the emergency room only for emergencies or life-threatening situations. If you are unsure about the severity of your symptoms, call your medical clinic or doctor. Utilize the urgent care facilities that are part of your plan for non-emergencies or when medical care is needed outside of your doctor’s regular office hours. Many facilities have a doctor on call 24-hours a day who can answer questions or recommend the appropriate level of care.
• Always make sure that your current Primary Care Physician (PCP) and dentist are still “in-network” in your plan.
• Treat health care as you would any consumer good. Educate yourself about health care services and their costs and learn how to use your health plan to obtain the best value.
• Review your health care bills. You might be able to identify and prevent unnecessary health care costs. Here’s what to look for to determine if a bill is correct:
• Does the date of service on the bill match the date you went to the doctor or the hospital?
• Did you receive all the services or procedures listed on the bill?
• Are you charged for x-rays or lab work in excess of what you received?
• Is your share of the cost correct?
  
  Call your provider to report any errors you find on your bills or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) forms.
  For more information, please contact EBSD at 909-387-5787 or via email at ebsd@hr.sbcounty.gov.