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    • Mar 24

How your health plan can save you money

Updated: Mar 28


If you’re like most people, you don’t spend much time thinking about your health plan. You know it’s there if you get sick, so what more is there to think about?

 

Quite a bit, in fact!

 

While you probably know that your health plan is a safety net against high medical bills, you might not realize how much money you can save just by using its various programs and perks.

 

Want to put hundreds (or even thousands!) of dollars back in your pocket? Keep reading.

 

Preventive care is free.

Practically everything you need to do in a doctor’s office to prevent illness and chronic disease — things like routine medical and dental check-ups, well-child visits, cancer screenings and vaccinations — costs you zero under your health plan. 


 

Bonus: You can even earn money — up to $50 a year — by getting an annual physical, dental checkup and certain cancer screenings through Cigna’s MotivateMe incentive program.

 

Mental health care costs you nothing.

MNPS believes so strongly in supporting the mental and emotional health of its teachers that all cost sharing has been removed. In other words, your plan pays 100% and you pay zero for these services (learn about them all in your Mental Health Resource Guide):

  • Employee Assistance Program, which helps with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and marital conflicts, job pressures, and legal and financial concerns

  • Virtual counseling with licensed professionals at Synchronous Health

  • Maternal mental health care before, during and after pregnancy with Mamaya Health

  • Mental health care for kids and teens with Brightline

  • Care from a Cigna in-network behavioral health provider — this includes office visits, virtual counseling, outpatient therapy and inpatient treatment

 

Bundled care for certain conditions costs you $0.

It’s a cool, new concept: Bundle together everything you need to treat certain conditions and pay nothing — your health plan covers it all. Vanderbilt offers MyHealth Bundles for:

  • Maternity

  • Shoulder pain

  • Hip pain and surgery

  • Knee pain and surgery

  • Medical weight loss

  • Surgical weight loss

  • Kidney stone treatment

  • Substance use disorder

  • Cardiac arrhythmia

  • Cancer treatment support

 

 

A slew of additional benefits that cost you zero.

Do you (or a covered family member) live with a chronic condition, like IBS, migraines, musculoskeletal pain, excess weight, high blood pressure or diabetes? Chances are there’s a benefit — covered at 100% — that can help. Visit MNPSBenefits.org/hip and search the list of conditions.


 

 

Want to get even more out of your health plan?

Here are some tips:

 

Lower your health plan premiums by $800 per year. Got 15 minutes? When you take the online Cigna health assessment, you score the lowest health plan premiums for the upcoming year — saving you $37-$40 per paycheck (depending on your work schedule). Why do we ask you to take this confidential questionnaire? Learn more here.

 

Stay in-network. You save in two ways: Your plan covers a higher percentage of costs when you stay in-network. And providers who participate in Cigna’s network have agreed to discount their rates, so the percentage you pay is based on a lower total cost.

 

Go generic. A 30-day supply of a generic drug is $5, while its preferred brand name counterpart is $25. A 90-day supply is just $10 for a generic vs. $50 for a preferred brand name. It’s also good to know that generic drugs must match their brand name counterparts in active ingredients, safety, strength, dosage form, effectiveness and strict manufacturing standards.

 

Use the Health Care Centers. Because you’re covered under the certificated health plan, services at the MNPS Health Care Centers are no cost to you. Additionally, the Employee Wellness Center in Berry Hill offers a roster of expanded services, like physical therapy, chiropractic care, health coaching and acupuncture, also at no cost to you.

 

Visit the fitness center. Located in the Employee Wellness Center, it has all the fitness bells and whistles — at no cost to you. You have access to:

 

Give Vanderbilt Total Health (VTH) a try. Have a medical concern and not sure where to start? VTH can help! Your VTH nurse navigator is like a personal assistant for your health and can help with a variety of concerns, like finding the right provider (for in-person or telehealth care) or being connected with a mental, spiritual or emotional health professional.

 

Simply book a free consultation with MNPS’s VTH nurse navigator and explain your concern. The nurse will connect you to the best care or benefit for your need. She can even book appointments for you. If the navigator recommends a service that has a cost share under your health plan, you'll be informed in advance.

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