Nationwide, the cost of health care is rising, and UAB is working to balance the impact of these costs on our employees and the organization. Here are some things you can do to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.
1. Get annual check-ups and screenings
The best way to ward off many illnesses and is not to let them sneak up on you. That’s why all UAB plans cover preventive care at 100 percent, with no deductible for physicals, immunizations, routine screenings and preventive generic prescriptions. It costs you nothing to stave off more costly health conditions.
2. Reduce office visits and co-pays
Get help without leaving home for a number of common conditions that can be safely and accurately diagnosed without a physical examination. UAB eMedicine offers online clinical service at a discounted rate of $10 to employees and eligible dependents ages 18-65 who are enrolled in a UAB health plan. Log in 24/7, answer the interview questions, pay $10 and a board-certified clinician will respond within an hour 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Any needed prescriptions will be sent directly to your pharmacy. If symptoms are too complex or advanced, patients will be referred for additional care without charge for the online consultation.
3. Avoid unnecessary trips to the ER
A trip to the emergency room after hours or on weekends for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries can easily cost $100-$200 just for walking through the door. UAB Medicine Urgent Care clinic, located at 125 20th St. South, offers convenient access and a less costly alternative for those at the same price as an office visit. Walk-in appointments are available 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Lab and X-ray services are onsite. Free parking is available in the attached deck.
4. Quit smoking
Employees enrolling in a UAB medical plan who have used nicotine products — tobacco or e-cigarettes — in the past six months must pay a $50 monthly nicotine surcharge on medical premiums. That’s $600 extra each year. You can get that removed — and any surcharge paid in 2019 refunded — if you register for one of the free cessation courses by Jan. 31, 2019, and complete the course in person or online. Free tobacco-cessation products also are available; the annual limit is two 12-week cycles of treatment.
5. Set aside to save on taxes
At UAB, you can set aside money from your paycheck — before it is taxed — to pay for qualified health care expenses in two ways: flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts. You'll save an amount equal to the taxes you would have paid on the money you set aside. For example, if you set aside $1,000 you save about $250 in taxes. Any amount you choose is deducted from your payroll in equal monthly installments and can be accessed using a debit card provided for the account or by submitting a reimbursement claim form. Deductions will be reflected in your January 2019 payroll. For 2019, you can set aside up to $2,650 in a flexible spending account (FSA) for health care expenses, a tax savings of more than $600. It’s best to estimate your expenses carefully before signing up; any FSA funds you do not spend by the year’s end are forfeited.
Health savings accounts (HSA) are employee-owned accounts — paired with consumer-driven health plans — to be used for qualified medical expenses now or saved for long-term expenses. If you enroll in Viva Choice, you will be enrolled automatically in an HSA, and you will be ineligible to contribute to a health care FSA. The amount of pre-tax dollars you can set aside in a HSA for 2019 is $3,500 for single coverage and $7,000 for families. Unlike the FSA, all the money you invest is yours — even if you don't spend it all this year — and balances carry over year to year. UAB will fund the first $600 for single coverage and $1,200 for non-single coverage for employee’s enrolling during annual open enrollment; that is yours to use whether you invest additional funds or not.
6. See if you’re eligible for premium assistance
To ease the cost of medical premiums for qualified employees, UAB offers a premium-assistance program for eligible employees. This year the subsidy increases to include covered employees whose household income, based on family size, is two times the federal poverty level or less. Employees are required to re-apply each year for the program. Details are available in the open enrollment toolkit on the UAB for Me portal.
7. You may qualify for pharma co-pay assistance
Prescription benefits for all UAB-provided health insurance — traditional and the consumer-driven plans — are managed by Express Scripts, which offers a co-pay assistance program for certain specialty medications that enables eligible employees to reduce their out-of-pocket costs. Express Scripts proactively enrolls eligible members in this program.
8. Have your drugs delivered
For people on long-term maintenance drugs, Express Scripts offers home delivery for a 90-day supply of medications at a discounted rate with free standard shipping. Once you’ve set up your account, you can refill and renew your prescriptions from the website or mobile app available in your device’s app store.
