Posts Tagged ‘preventative care’
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Retail clinics, which are walk-in medical clinics found in supermarkets, drug stores, and pharmacies is on the rise among young healthy people. Not only are these facilities available more often than typical doctor’s offices, they are usually staffed with nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants, much like their typical doctor’s office for non-severe illnesses. Most cases were seen for minor conditions, such as coughs, colds, and sinus infections, and expressed that should the clinics not be available to them, they were not likely to seek out the care with their primary care physician. This is not only due to convenience; it also was shown that these costs were 30% to 40% cheaper than their doctor’s office, and up to 80% less expensive at the emergency room. With a drop in general practitioners nationwide, this also may be a reflection on the need for more providers in these fields. However, as long as access to inexpensive and quality care is available, people will seek out means that are easily fit into their hectic schedules.
In this day and age where every minute counts, and we are constantly on the move, being able to seek out quick care at the drop of a hat is priceless.
Permanent link to this post (205 words, estimated 49 secs reading time)
Tags: added benefits, health insurance, individual health, preventative care, wellness
Posted in Family, General, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
Alarming trends show that almost half the United States population will be obese by 2030. In California, rates have doubled in the last 20 years – resulting in over 20% of the State’s residents falling under the category of obese. With increasing size comes increasing health problems, such as diabetes and heart conditions. In 2009, obesity related medical costs were 15.2 billion in California, which is the highest in the country. The rest of the country in not far behind, however, and only further demonstrates a need for change.
According to a CDC report:
- Obesity rates were higher among people ages 50 and older (most likely due to an aging population)
Tags: Chronic Condition, health care costs, pre-existing, preventative care
Posted in General, Individual, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
While preventive screenings are now an integral part of (most) health care policies, employees are still bearing the brunt of stressful job environments, and lack of exercise. Obesity continues to rise, even with all of the education available to us. Add to that the added dangers of stress on a taxed body and mind, and you are looking at some serious sick time. Thankfully, employers are becoming more proactive in the work place, offering healthy bonuses and wellness programs, and insurance carriers are covering preventive screenings on most plans with no out of pocket costs. Much needed in this time of economic stress, employees can work on their top concerns:Weight loss – 39% of polled employees stated losing weight as their main concern
Reduction of stress — 23% reported reducing stress a major importance in their life
Tags: added benefits, preventative care, wellness
Posted in Employees, Employers, Group, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
With 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:
Tags: health care reform, health insurance, preventative care, Universal Health Care
Posted in Employees, Employers, Federal, Government Run Health Plan, Laws, Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, December 9th, 2010
While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires that plans remove annual and lifetime limits on plans, many part time and seasonal workers are now faced with the possibility of losing their medical coverage altogether. Many large employers, such as Disneyland and McDonald’s, do make an offer of some very basic coverage for their part time and seasonal workers, such as a plan that may only offer a few thousand dollars of medical coverage. While this doesn’t sound like much, some feel it is better than having no medical coverage in place at all, as many of these employees don’t qualify for the comprehensive full time medical plan, and would not qualify for other plans due to pre-existing health conditions. A few thousand dollars, albeit no good in the event of a catastrophic illness or accident, would at least provide incentive to seek basic preventive care on an annual basis.
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Mini Medical Plans Face Extinction Due To Health Care Reform
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Tags: group health, health care reform, health insurance, preventative care
Posted in Employers, Federal, Group, Laws | No Comments »
Thursday, October 28th, 2010
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Blue Shield Ends 12 Month Rate Guarantees
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Tags: health care reform, health insurance, individual health, preventative care, Universal Health Care
Posted in Family, Federal, Individual, Laws, Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
Many small business owners are now facing the tough decision as to whether they should grandfather their plans, or make necessary changes to bring down their costs. There are pros and cons to both sides, and the decision should not be a rushed one. Therefore, we want to provide some guidance tools to help you make the right choice.
With the recent rate increases there may be a desire or need to choose a higher deductible plan with lower rates.
- If you increase the deductibles, coinsurance, or maximum out of pocket exposure, your new plan will be subjected all changes in the recently passed healthcare reform act.
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Should You Grandfather Your Group Plan?
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Tags: added benefits, Coinsurance, deductibles, group health, health care reform, preventative care, Universal Health Care
Posted in Employers, Federal, Government Run Health Plan, Group, Laws | No Comments »
Friday, September 24th, 2010
What 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.
Tags: deductibles, health care reform, health insurance, preventative care, Universal Health Care
Posted in Federal, General, Government Run Health Plan, Laws, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
While 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.
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Whooping Cough Overshadows H1N1 as New Epidemic
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Tags: children's health, health insurance, preventative care, wellness
Posted in Family, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Starve 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.
Tags: children's health, preventative care, wellness
Posted in General, Resources, Tools | No Comments »
