Although most people hate doing it, it's a good idea to go over your health insurance options during open enrollment season (usually October/November), to ensure that you have the best insurance plan for your current and future needs.

Here are some steps to take:

• Compare your current plan to the available plans for the coming year. If you stick with what you've got now, what will change? How much more of your premium will you have to contribute? Will your deductible and co-payments rise?
• How has your health changed lately, and is it likely to change further? Are you planning to add to your family? Will you be needing more frequent visits to the doctor, and are you likely to need more emergency treatment? In that case, you might want to pay a higher premium in exchange for lower co-payments. If your health is first-rate, find a plan that has higher co-payments and lower premiums.
• If your whole family is covered under your employer's plan, find out whether it would be more cost-effective to move some of them to a separate plan.
• Are you likely to change jobs in the coming year, or be laid off? Have a plan to deal with those contingencies.
• If you have a good relationship with one or more doctors, make sure they'll be part of the provider network available to you under a new plan.
• If you haven't been doing so, keep track of your healthcare costs in the coming year. This will better inform you of what kind of plan you'll need when open enrollment time comes around again.