Posts Tagged ‘preventative care’
Use of Retail Clinics on the Rise
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012Obesity Rates Increasing in the U.S.
Thursday, November 17th, 2011- Obesity rates were higher among people ages 50 and older (most likely due to an aging population)
Top Employee Wellness Concerns
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011Reduction of stress — 23% reported reducing stress a major importance in their life
Preventive 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:
Mini Medical Plans Face Extinction Due To Health Care Reform
Thursday, December 9th, 2010While 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.
Blue Shield Ends 12 Month Rate Guarantees
Thursday, October 28th, 2010
Should You Grandfather Your Group Plan?
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
- 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.
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.
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.



