I'm a big fan of Skin Horse (http://www.skin-horse.com/). It's high wacky and science, with amusing characters and plot. Kevin and Kell (http://www.kevinandkell.com/) can also be fun. :)
For health insurance, all your options are going to suck to sort through. (They suck even for people who are used to dealing with this crap, so don't feel like being new to this is making it harder.) The big thing is, look at how much freedom you have in which doctors you can go to and how much of a copay you have. Checking the yearly payment caps (usually there's a cap on what they will pay, sometimes there's a cap on what they can make you pay) can also help. I tend to prefer larger groups because they allow you the freedom to choose between more doctors without the higher copay rates that most HMOs require, but the exact performance of any group will vary by area. Be sure to ask your HR contact when you can make changes to your enrollment if you don't like what you end up with (usually there's a chance to choose again once or twice a year).
I would also opt for dental insurance if you have a choice that is not too expensive. I don't know if Canada's health care system covers dental treatment, but I can attest to the fact that a good dentist is very expensive if you have regular problems with cavities or are likely to end up with crowns in your future due to a genetic propensity for bad teeth.
no subject
For health insurance, all your options are going to suck to sort through. (They suck even for people who are used to dealing with this crap, so don't feel like being new to this is making it harder.) The big thing is, look at how much freedom you have in which doctors you can go to and how much of a copay you have. Checking the yearly payment caps (usually there's a cap on what they will pay, sometimes there's a cap on what they can make you pay) can also help. I tend to prefer larger groups because they allow you the freedom to choose between more doctors without the higher copay rates that most HMOs require, but the exact performance of any group will vary by area. Be sure to ask your HR contact when you can make changes to your enrollment if you don't like what you end up with (usually there's a chance to choose again once or twice a year).
I would also opt for dental insurance if you have a choice that is not too expensive. I don't know if Canada's health care system covers dental treatment, but I can attest to the fact that a good dentist is very expensive if you have regular problems with cavities or are likely to end up with crowns in your future due to a genetic propensity for bad teeth.
Eva