Things to keep in mind during open enrollment

As we all reel from higher prices on everything from steak to gas to furniture to bedding, here’s another big-ticket item that you need to think about: health insurance. In its annual survey of costs, Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage are up 4{6f90f2fe98827f97fd05e0011472e53c8890931f9d0d5714295052b72b9b5161} from last year, “with workers on

average paying $5,969 toward the cost of their coverage. The average deductible among covered workers in a plan with a general annual deductible is $1,669 for single coverage.”

Given a renewed focus on the fragility of our health and the surge in job leavers and changers, this would seem to be an especially important benefit season. Let’s try to fight the impulse to throw in the towel and just do what you did last year and instead, make smarter — and potentially — money-saving decisions.