The Right Health Insurance Plan

1. You may have a choice of several types of providers. Base your decision on access to quality careand what the plan does and doesn't pay for. Examine deductibles, co-payments, limits on out-of-pocket expenses, lifetime maximum benefits and prescription coverage. 

2. Have your medical needs changed? A plan that couples higher premiums with lower co-pays is better for people with health problems. 

3. You can pay out-of-pocket health-care expenses with a flexible spending account using pretax dollars, meaning Uncle Sam covers as much as a third of the tab. But you'll lose what you don't use in the calendar year (employers can extend the deadline to mid-March), and you can't take it from job to job.

4. You may be able to lower your premiums by taking advantage of employee incentives to lose weight, exercise and stop smoking. (Your employer's plan cannot single you out for higher premiums or drop your coverage if you develop health problems.)