Anthem Blue Cross recently announced that they have extended their provider network to include retail health clinics. These are walk-in clinics, albeit small, that are conveniently located in many of your local retail outlets, such as pharmacies and supermarkets. Rather than making an appointment with your primary doctor for such common illnesses as sore throats, coughs, colds, or minor fevers, you can walk into any of these clinics for an immediate exam and treatment plan. Clients who have utilized these services state that most visits take less than 15 minutes, and also include wellness and prevention services (immunization and screenings).
Archive for the ‘Individual’ Category
Anthem Blue Cross Introduces Retail Health Clinics
Monday, August 9th, 2010Pre-existing Conditions and California Residents
Thursday, July 8th, 2010Startling news shows that one in five California residents (under the age of 65) have a “pre-existing” condition, which could render them ineligible for coverage, or offered premiums at inflated rates. Though health care reform promises all Americans coverage by 2014, this still leaves many without the coverage they need for years. What is considered a pre-existing condition? Pretty much anything you have been treated for, or are currently under treatment for prior to applying for coverage. While not all conditions will result in your denial for coverage, it can result in an increase in the monthly premiums from 20% – 100% higher. If you had a lapse in coverage, but are approved for coverage on a new plan, there may be a waiting period of 6 months before anything relating to your pre-existing condition will be covered by your insurance plan. The good news is as of September of this year, children under the age of 19 cannot be denied coverage due to their pre-existing conditions.
Lack of Pediatric Specialists a Growing Concern
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010Health 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?
Insurers to Offer Overage Dependents Coverage Earlier Than Anticipated
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010As planned during six months following the signing of the health care reform bill, coverage will be extended for dependents up to the age of 26. This will allow parents to continue to offer health insurance coverage to their dependent children, even if those children do not live in the same household. This also holds true for young adults under 26 living out of state, and those that are married. Basically, unless they are offered employer sponsored health insurance, they can continue to remain on their parent’s coverage.
Maternity Coverage – Important Notice
Thursday, April 15th, 2010Important news for our Anthem Blue Cross clients in California who are on non-maternity plans! Prior to June 1st, 2010, if you became pregnant while on a plan with no maternity benefits, you would be offered their high deductible PPO Share 5000 plan. However, now that this is no longer the case, it is extremely important we evaluate your current situation to ensure coverage is in place when you need it.
Did you know that a C-section can cost around $30,000? Or that a premature baby can run up hospital bills in the $600,000 range? This only demonstrates the importance of making certain you are covered before becoming pregnant.
The Balance Between Age and Health Insurance Coverage
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Health Care Reform and Preventive Care
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010Though no one knows where the health care reform bills are headed, it is of utmost importance that disease prevention and health promotion are at the top of the list. If we aim to “fix” a broken system, we need to ensure that the system is designed to “fix” us as well. This will be achieved by balancing the cost of providing medical care with providing services to help avoid the need for such services in the first place. Some concepts for prevention strategies are (notes from San Francisco Chronicle):
- a yearly personalized prevention plan for Medicare patients
Public Views on Health Care Reform
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010A 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
California's Timely Access to Medical Care
Sunday, February 14th, 2010Recently, 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.
High Deductible Health Plans and HSA’s Growing in both Group & Individual Markets
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010According to studies done in 2010, High Deductible Health Plans increased significantly in both the group and individual markets. Many found that taking on higher out of pocket plans greatly reduced their premiums, while not affecting first dollar benefits, such as preventive care or doctor office visits. It was shown that individual enrollment in HDHP’s increased from 39% in 2007 to 51% in 2010. Numbers were similar when reviewing group enrollment in HDHP’s. It is believed that as more information is provided to potential enrollees of HDHP’s regarding the benefits of adding on a health savings account, more people wanted to take advantage of the tax benefits as well. Overall, many feel that these plans gave them more control over their health care needs and costs as a whole.
