Released on = December 9, 2005, 3:20 pm

Press Release Author = Benefits Boutique

Industry = Accounting

Press Release Summary = \'Tis Open Enrollment Season! With skyrocketing health and
medical insurance rates, industry expert from Benefits Boutique.com offers five
tips on how small businesses and employees with families and can lower the cost of
affordable family health insurance coverage with out sacrificing quality of
benefits.

Press Release Body = FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dallas, Texas
12/9/2005


Don\'t Get Scooged by your Company\'s Health Insurance this Season!

\'Tis Open Enrollment Season! Company health insurance rates are up again, and small
businesses are passing a more of the cost of health insurance costs to employees
and their dependents. What can small business owners do to avoid being Mr. Scrooge
to their employee Bob Cratchetts?

Health Insurance industry expert Mike Chapman from www.Benefits Boutique.com offers
five tips on how small businesses and employees with families can cut health
insurance inflation without sacrificing quality of coverage.

First, shop around for innovative benefits that save employees and employers on
taxes and premiums. There are a number of innovative plans worth checking.

Second, offer employees a choice of benefits at different premium rates. More
employees elect coverage, which lowers rates, improves employee morale, and lessens
absenteeism.

Third, learn the new lingo like HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and HRAs (Health
Reimbursement Arrangements) and even CDHPs (Consumer Directed Health Plans) that
save on insurance premiums and taxes.

Fourth, stick to the meat and potatoes benefits like health insurance and retirement
plans, and cut out the \"desserts\" like dental, vision, and life insurance. These
are easy to buy through an employer, but the employee pays a \"convenience premium\"
to buy them this way vs. shopping around.

Fifth, compare the costs to insure their a spouse or child in the company health
plan vs. in an individual plan. Most small businesses these days pass on the cost
of insuring the employee\'s dependents to the employee, and individual plans often
cost $200 to $300 less per person. This won\'t work if your employee is planning to
have a baby, as most individual plans do not cover maternity, and most individual
plans will not cover pre-existing conditions, like Tiny Tim.

But this can save employees thousands of dollars a year. Chapman cited a client\'s
employee, a single mom, who saved $3,600 per year by covering her two children with
an individual health insurance plan rather than the company\'s group plan. An
affordable new individual health insurance plan available in Texas and other states
through BenefitsBoutique.com offers unlimited doctor visits with $30 copays, and an
annual wellness visit, and costs about $100 per month for two kids--far less than
through group health insurance plans.

This can be a big win-win. Employees save a lot of money, and employers get better
productivity when their employees can focus on work and not how they are going to
have enough left in their paycheck to pay for groceries.

Smart small business owners who involve employees in controlling health insurance
inflation earn employees\' respect and reduce turnover, and what business owner wants
to be considered a Scrooge this time of year?

Arrange an interview with Mike Chapman for more insights into this topic. Direct
line: (888) 398-6246
Email: mtchapman@BenefitsBoutique.com Other helpful information can be found at:
http://www.BenefitsBoutique.com.


For More Information Contact:

Mike Chapman
mtchapman@BenefitsBoutique.com
www.BenefitsBoutique.com



Web Site = http://www.BenefitsBoutique.com

Contact Details = Michael Chapman