Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
However you may feel about health care reform and the changes it will bring, one major outcome will be the mandatory implementation of preventative care on all policies. It is proposed that preventive care will be covered without any co pays or deductibles. Considering it is thought that half the conditions we treat in our health care system could be avoidable, the expansion of preventive screenings and vaccinations should help to bring down the number of chronic conditions that we see today.
It is estimated that 75% of our health care spending in on such chronic health conditions. If these illnesses could be treated and diagnosed in the earliest stages, the better the outcome for the patient. Plus, it would result in less financial strain on our health care system. While opponents to the bill state that “unnecessary screenings” will ultimately cost us more, you can’t argue that prevention yields a longer, healthier, and more productive life.
Tags: Chronic Condition, health care costs, health insurance, preventative care, wellness
Posted in General, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
As of June 1, 2010 major changes will be made to the Medicare Supplement industry. This comes via HR 6331, also known as the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, which was passed on July 9, 2008. This act intends to modernize the current Medicare market by dropping some coverage options and adding others to streamline the plans. Here is an overview of some of these changes:
“At-Home Recovery” benefit will be dropped from all 2010 Medicare Supplement plans
Medigap Plans I and J will no longer be available for new sales
Plan G will be modified to increase excess charges from 80% to 100%
New Hospice Benefit will be added to all plans
Two new Medigap Plans M & N will be available in 2010
The new plans will include the following choices – A, B, C, D, F, High Deductible Plan F, G, K, L, M, and N. Though some current plans will no longer be offered for sale, current enrollees can either choose to remain on these “frozen” plans, or consider moving to one of the new modified versions.
Tags: health insurance, medicare supplement, medigap
Posted in General, Resources, Seniors | No Comments »
Monday, May 17th, 2010
We are now well into the first year following the passing of the health care reform bill. However, we still are not completely sure of what the changes are going to be, and how it will affect all of us. While some portions of the bill are clear cut, such as extending coverage to overage dependents, many of the larger concepts remain to be fully explained. How are small and large businesses going to be able to afford coverage for their employees? How will the tax breaks help or hurt? How can coverage for all Americans remain affordable?
We have yet to see where this will take us, but we are going to do our best to keep up with each passing moment in the world of health care reform, and pass on the information to you. It will be a lengthy learning process, but we are jumping in headfirst to the plethora of information out there. It is our ultimate goal to get the answers you need!
Tags: group health, health care reform, health insurance, preventative care, Universal Health Care
Posted in General, Government Run Health Plan, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
Health Care Reform promises to ensure that all Americans have access to medical coverage. The most pressing concern is the fact that many children are without coverage and the care they need now, so the bill states that by September 23rd, 2010, no child can be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. While this is well needed, it does bring to light the fact that there is an increasing shortage of Pediatric Specialists. With an influx of new patients entering the system, and the demand for both medically necessary and non-medically necessary treatments rising, will there be enough physicians to handle the load?
The problem lies in the way these specialists are compensated. Since the majority of their reimbursement comes from Medicaid, and is only covering about 67% of the cost, many new physicians decide to pursue alternate fields of specialty. With limited doctors, the average wait time to see a specialist can be as long as 114 days. This may cause parent’s to turn to the emergency room instead of waiting for a pediatric visit, putting the child at risk with inferior medical care. Hope lies in requiring Medicaid to pay Medicare rates, assisting new doctors with outstanding medical school loans, and funding for continued training. If we lose our pediatric specialists, we put our future at risk.
Tags: children's health, health insurance, pre-existing, Universal Health Care, wellness
Posted in Family, General, Individual, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Recent polls show an interesting correlation between age and health insurance coverage. Though many other factors, such as income, also play a major role in who obtains coverage, and who chooses to go without does depend greatly on the age group of that individual. According to a newly released
Gallup Poll:
• 84% of 18 year old children have coverage
• Once these individuals reach the age of 22, the percentage drops to 66%. Currently, as these older dependants reach this age, or graduate college, they no longer qualify to be covered under their parent’s coverage (note – with the implementation of health care reform, these numbers will be expected to drop as the eligible dependant age is extended to 26)
• This number rises only slightly through the remaining years, until Medicare age is reached. At this point, 95% of American’s are covered
These statistics are startling, as more and more young adults find it next to impossible to find a job with benefits, or feel that they are too healthy to need the burden of monthly premiums. These individuals risk financial ruin for themselves, and their families. Therefore, obtaining some sort of coverage, even if it is hospitalization only coverage, remains a vital priority.
These numbers also play an important role in the passing and implementation of the health care reform bill. Opponents state that even though coverage will be extended to all Americans, the cost will rise as much as 17% for younger individuals, while dropping slightly the cost for older Americans. Proponents find that the number of currently uninsured younger (healthier) clients is the reason that premium pricing is so skewed. By increasing the number of healthy individuals in the pool, the overall “risk” for everyone will be reduced.
Tags: health care reform, health insurance, health plan, individual health, medicare
Posted in Family, General, Individual, Seniors | No Comments »
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Though some fine tuning will be taking place, the plan for implementing the Health Care Reform Bill during the first year will (most likely) look something like this:
- Dependent children will be eligible to stay covered under their parent’s plan until their 26th birthday. The House is still pushing to make this coverage last through their 26th birthday.
- Insurers can no longer impose exclusions on pre-existing conditions in children. Children are considered exempt from this until their 19th birthday
- Lifetime maximums on benefits and annual limits on coverage will be discontinued
- A “high risk pool” will be created for people who cannot otherwise obtain individual coverage due to pre-existing conditions
- Seniors will receive a $250 rebate for help them cover the costs of their medication while in the “doughnut hole” (between $2700.00 and $6154.00)
- The implementation of covered preventative care services requiring no co pays
Though the final outcome is still yet to be known, these are some of the highlights of the plan of action for health care reform in 2010. Though changes will be made, and battles will be fought, we can expect some of these changes to take shape in less than 6 months from now. From then on? No one knows for sure. We do know, however, that every American will be watching and waiting to see what happens next.
Tags: doughnut hole, health care reform, health insurance, pre-existing, preventative care, Universal Health Care
Posted in Federal, General, Government Run Health Plan, Laws | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
A recent poll shows that 57% of Americans do not like any of the proposed health care bills, and agree that Congress should start fresh, rather than attempting to piecemeal a model from scrapped ideas. Trying to reach a bipartisan agreement as to what needs to be done is not an easy task, but it is vital to ensure that resolution is achieved. These polls shows interesting trend among voters as to how they feel now, as compared to a year ago in regards to health care reform:
• 53% said they strongly or somewhat oppose the legislation in both House and Senate plans
• 33% stated they were more supportive of reforming the health care system now
• 24% said they were just as supportive as they were a year ago
• 38% of voters now think it is at least somewhat likely that the plan proposed by the president and congressional Democrats will become law this year
• 51% believe passage of the plan this year is unlikely
• 24% of voters now say health care reform is the budget priority the president is most likely to achieve
Regardless of where this leads us, we will be there to guide you through and answer any questions you have.
Thanks for your continued support!
Tags: health care reform, health insurance, health plan
Posted in Employees, Employers, Family, General, Group, Individual, Resources, Tools | 1 Comment »
Sunday, February 14th, 2010
Recently, the California Department of Managed Care has released some new guidelines for HMO patients, in order to create a more efficient and comprehensive level of care for these patients. Among the new rules:
• A physician appointment within 10 business days of a request
• A specialist appointment within 15 business days of a request
• An urgent care visit within 48 hours of a request
• Telephone access to a health care professional at all times.
The state is giving health plans one year to comply with these new regulations. After the one year grace period, non-compliant carriers will face heavy fines. With the implementation of these new rules, it is hoped to reduce emergency room traffic, as more patients are able to obtain urgent care visits instead, as well as the overall reduction of appointment wait times (which benefit all patients – HMO and PPO alike).
Opponents to these new regulations feel that this adds to an already strained system of primary care physicans, who are already in shortage. Fears also lie in the fact that the doctor would now be forced to spend less time with each patient. However, with the average waiting time to see a general practitioner at 20 days, it does seem that the pros outweigh the cons with these timely-access rules.
Tags: health insurance, HMO plan, network provider
Posted in Employees, Employers, Family, General, Individual, Laws, Resources, State | No Comments »
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Disturbing news shows that children without insurance are 60% more likely to die from a serious illness, such as pneumonia or asthma. This is most likely due to the fact that care is not sought out until it is much farther advanced. This is tough to swallow, but keep in mind there are always options to ensure that your children are not without the coverage they need.
The best news this year is the fact that Healthy Families (medical, dental and vision coverage for California children) has received much needed funding, and is now enrolling new members once again. In addition, many carriers have released catastrophic plans, which ensure low cost coverage for times when you need it most. There are also plans that offer coverage for immunizations and preventative care, allowing your child to keep as healthy as possible, and avoid trips to the emergency room altogether.
We will help you find the best coverage for your child. Call us today or visit the website for a quote today!
Tags: children's health, health care costs, health insurance, preventative care
Posted in Family, General, Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Recent studies show that the United States spends almost 44% more for health care than Switzerland, though Switzerland has the second higher per capita health care costs. Even with these escalated costs, Americans have fewer visits and spend less time with their doctors, as well as experience shorter hospital stays than any other industrialized nation.
The reason for this is also one of the strongest arguments for health care reform: Americans pay more for the same level of care than anywhere else in the world. Part of the problem lies in the fact the governments set the rates that will be paid for different treatments and drugs in other countries, while this is not the case here in the United States. This results in private insurers paying higher rates for the same services – at times astronomically higher — as they are carrying the load of negotiating fees. This results in a trickledown effect as consumers face skyrocketing insurance premiums, and ever higher deductibles and coinsurance.
As Americans, we need to take control of our health care costs and re-evaluate what we consider “medically necessary”. The latest and greatest technology, though nice to have on hand when necessary, should really only be used if they achieve a desired clinical benefit. By controlling unnecessary spending, we can curb excessive spending, and put the money back in our pockets for when we really need it.
Tags: health care costs, negotiated rates, wellness
Posted in General, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
