The gloves are off

Employee Benefit News, September, 2008 by Karrie Andes

Switching health insurance is no picnic. Restless nights, dark under-eye circles, late-night chocolate binges, weight gain and a moody disposition are common side affects for me at renewal time. I downright hate it. About 2,000 people on our health plan count on me to make solid health care decisions. To say it causes me stress is an understatement.

I can sit through a sales meeting for hours, ask a gazillion questions and still find out something later that I should have known before. Unfortunately, there's no crystal ball. But when I stare into mine (that is, after we've switched carriers and my group thinks I wear a witch hat), here's a list of areas that I've learned to focus on:

* Agreements: Get price guarantees for two or three years. The legal beagles need...