Open Enrollment Season

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- While lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue to debate legislation to overhaul healthcare, consumers will grapple with yet another year of choosing the best health benefits for themselves and their family.

To help you steer through the piles of paperwork, Kiplinger's Laura Cohn tells you the top five things you need to know when considering a health insurance plan.

Boost your medical flexible spending account contribution for 2010.  If your employer is increasing deductibles and co-payments for your health insurance, as many are, then it's a good idea to put more money into your flexible spending account.  Because your FSA contributions avoid income and Social Security taxes, you can save 35% or more compared with spending after-tax money on these medical expenses.

Make the most of dependent-care flexible spending account for child-care expenses.  This money avoids income and Social Security taxes, too, stretching your dollars much further.  Most families will come out ahead by using an FSA rather than the dependent-care tax credit.  Use this Kiplinger.com calculator to help decide how much money to set aside in an dependent-care flex plan (the maximum is generally $5,000 per year).

Consider buying more disability insurance.  Many employers offer a limited amount of disability insurance to their employees as a free employee benefit.  But these policies generally cover just 60% of your base pay,a nd your pretax monthly benefit may be capped at $5,000 to $10,000.  If that isn't enough to cover your bills, consider buying extra coverage through your employer.

Check your beneficiaries.  Make sure your retirement-plan and insurance-policy beneficiaries are up to date, especially if you've gotten married or divorced or had a child recently.  Keep in mind that your beneficiary designations supersede you will, so if you've kept your will up to date but haven't changed your beneficiary designations, the intended person may not inherit your accounts.

Look into long term care insurance.  More employers are offering long term care insurance coverage during open enrollment season.  In most cases, employees have to pay the full premium themselves, but they'll generally get a group discount of 5% to 10%.  Long term care policies offered through employers are usually a much better deal now than they were in the past.