The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) states that children must be offered health care coverage regardless of their health status. As a result, almost all carriers decided to drop new “child only” plans from their portfolio, fearing that parents would only enroll their child once they became ill. However, a new bill signed into play by Arnold Schwarzenegger will bring this practice of denying any child health insurance coverage to an end as of January 1, 2011.
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Children Guaranteed Health Coverage Thanks to Assembly Bill 2244
Thursday, December 30th, 2010Preventive Services and Your Health Plan
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010With health care reform came certain guidelines that would be implemented right away. One provision states that health plans must cover preventive care at 100% – with no cost sharing (i.e. co pays, deductibles, or coinsurance). However, does this mean you can rush out to take care of all those things you have been postponing? Well, yes and no, as many items listed under the government’s guidelines are age and gender specific. Add to that the need to ensure your provider codes the preventive care correctly so it will be covered completely, this can get tricky. Here are some important things to note once your plan has added the preventive care benefit on your plan:
Disability Insurance Provides Peace of Mind Protection
Thursday, December 16th, 2010While many of us know the importance of protecting ourselves against unexpected medical expenses, we tend to overlook the added fact that while we recover from an accident or illness, we are going to lose our income. Sometimes an illness or injury can keep you from working for years, and the added stress of lost income only further hinders your recovery. How many months would you be able to continue paying your bills if you lost your ability to earn an income? Assuming Social Security will cover your expenses is not the safest bet, as income from this source is usually not enough, and not readily available. Therefore, supplementing your coverage with a disability plan can bring peace of mind during the most trying times, and ensure your income and assets are protected.
Calfornia First In Line To Set Up Health Care Exchanges
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed two bills (SB 900 and AB 1602) which puts California at the forefront of establishing health insurance exchanges. Although these exchanges won’t be open for business until 2014, this bill will start California on the road to implementing this vital piece of health care reform. Federal guidelines do outline how the exchanges work, but each state is allowed leeway to create the exchange to work with their individual state’s needs. Proponents of this bill believe that as California becomes the first state to being the framework, it is expected that other states will be looking to California’s model for guidance in how to create their own structures. Opponents fear that this surely means an increase in taxes and fees.
Blue Shield Ends 12 Month Rate Guarantees
Thursday, October 28th, 2010
Grandfathered Plans and Your Options Now
Friday, September 24th, 2010What does it mean to lose “grandfathered status”? This may or may not be a concern to you. In a nutshell, this means is your plan will now have to comply with all regulations mandated by health care reform. One of the most important things to know is that along with guarantee issue coverage for all applicants, premium ratios cannot exceed 3:1. Currently, most carriers implement rate variations every 4 years — i.e. 30-34, 35-39, and so on and so on. With the reduction of rate brackets (from 8 to 3), one can only imagine that premiums for younger clients will be much higher than they currently are in order to meet this requirement.
Whooping Cough Overshadows H1N1 as New Epidemic
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010While promising reports from the Center for Disease control proclaim that the Swine Flu (H1N1) epidemic is “over”, another illness appears to be emerging as a major cause for concern. It seems that Whooping Cough, or Pertussis, has been declared an epidemic, and is the worst that has been seen in years. As of July 21, six infants in California died after contracting whooping cough. This bacterial disease ravages bodies, but affects infants most of all because they are so small. The cough itself is named for the sound one makes while trying to catch their breath between the coughing fits. Coughing fits can be so severe that one breaks blood vessels in their face, eyes, and even their brain. Vomiting often accompanies the coughing fits, and if you notice this symptom, seek medical attention. Treatment is more effective the earlier it is administered, starting with antibiotics. More severe symptoms may require fluids, sedatives, and even oxygen support. Note – even though the disease is dangerous to children, adults are just as likely to contract the illness, and it is just as important that they seek care for their symptoms early on.
Expired COBRA Subsidy Leads to Coverage Lapses
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010The COBRA subsidy program remains in limbo, and as a result many enrollees are choosing to discontinue coverage altogether. This program, which was intended for anyone terminated from September 1, 2008 to May 31, 2010, offered a 65% subsidy for up to 15 months. The subsidy, however, would be less for anyone whose modified gross income exceeds $125,000. While this is of great assistance to COBRA enrollees, anyone who has exhausted their 15 months or is newly unemployed, relief seem to be nowhere on the horizon.
When to Worry About a Child's Fever
Monday, August 23rd, 2010Starve a fever, feed a cold? Or is it feed a fever, starve a cold? Whatever the old myth states, we all know how frightening it can be when your child has a fever. While it is a necessary process your body uses to fight off infection, it is vital to keep track of the fever both in the number and length of its duration. However, keep in mind that the number on the thermometer has little to do with the seriousness of the situation. Keeping a watchful eye on your child and noting behavioral changes is just as important as anything else.
Doctors Face Major Cuts in Medicare Reimbursement Rates
Monday, August 16th, 2010The American Medical Association is working diligently to fight the cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates, which is about 21% less than current compensation rates. Though the House delayed the cuts via HR 3962 (Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010) until at least November of this year, many physicians see this as only a temporary fix to a flawed system. Congress states they have no other choice, as mounting deficits play a role in their decision. Medicare overall is in a difficult financial state, leaving little to no room for improvements. The only choice doctors will have, other than dropping Medicare patients altogether, will be getting more patients in the door. Either way, patient care will be compromised if the Medicare pay cuts occur.
