Tips To Navigate The Health Insurance Maze
You've probably heard a lot about health care reform in the last couple of years. If you're like most people, you have trouble understanding your current health insurance policy, let alone anticipating what will happen to it in the future. This article will help educate you about how today's health insurance industry affects your life.
Your health insurance needs change as you move through life. Periodically, take a look at your health insurance coverage to make sure it meets your needs, particularly if you have a family. Does it still make sense to stay on your work's health insurance policy, or does your spouse's policy offer better coverage for this time in your lives?
As your children age into adults, their health insurance coverage will eventually run out. You need to begin talking to them early (say, in the last two years of college) about their insurance needs so that they understand how the transition will occur. Since many employers are cutting benefits, parents are keeping children on their policies longer and longer, but this gets expensive. Perhaps the best advice is to point out the advantages of full-time employment which will provide them with their own independent health coverage.
Vision insurance is a wonderful investment for those who have a high need for eyewear. If you need glasses or contacts to see in daily life, you need to have this type of insurance to help cut down the cost for all your eye care needs. Glasses and contact can become expensive when paying in full every time you need them.
Did you know that your health insurance can help you pay less on your taxes? Some companies offer a savings account for medical expenses. The money that goes directly into this account is tax free. Additionally, all out-of-pocket medical expenses are tax-deductible. Federal and state taxes are different, so it's best to check the guidelines.
When applying for health insurance, have a talk with your doctor. Have him pull your medical records so you can be sure that there are no inaccuracies, and that there is nothing that may be detrimental to your chances of getting insurance. Look back at least ten years, as some health insurance companies do.
Shop around different providers if you do have health problems that could be considered a risk for them to insure. Insurance company requirements vary and if you take the time to shop around, you may find that you are not high risk through one company but that you are through another.
When you get married, you should add your spouse to your health insurance right away. There are some companies that will not cover your spouse without you adding them to your policy. It does not take a lot of time and you can often add them to your policy over the phone. Although, more info you may have to provide proof of your marriage.
Check over your policy carefully before re-enrolling. The health insurance company that you have your policy through may have made changes over the last year and when you re-enroll these changes will take effect. Make sure you know what those changes are before paying your premium and re-enrolling.You may find that you do not like the changes and want to change providers.
If you're a man, you won't need maternity coverage. This is just one example of the coverage that may come in a health insurance plan that you DON'T need, but you're paying extra for. Another money saving option to look for is a plan that only covers generic drugs which can save you a ton of money on your premiums.
When choosing the right health insurance policy for you and your family, it is extremely important to shop around and research the different ones. Choosing the best valued health insurance can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year. The cost savings from plan to plan can be very dramatic.
Be sure to get pet health insurance for your pet while he is young. Accidents can happen to pets at any age, and just as with people, insurance is more expensive for older pets. In fact, cats and dogs that are more than ten years old may not be able to get a new pet health insurance policy. Additionally, pets with a pre-existing condition may not be able to get health insurance.
Is an HMO really the best way to go? It is a difficult question. With an HMO you have very little out of pocket costs however you probably do not get to pick which doctors you get to see. With a PPO you should be able to have more of a choice but will have to put out more money. In the end it depends on what your needs might be.
If you like your current doctor and you do not want to change providers then you need to make sure that you find out whether he or she is one of the network providers before signing up with any company. Many health insurance companies will not cover you if you see a doctor that is out of the network.
If you're on the phone with your insurance company after applying for health coverage, it's okay to say I don't know! It's better to admit you have no idea about the answer to a question than to make up an answer, or fudge the truth. Tell them that they'll need to contact your doctor for that information and they'll do just that!
Spend quality time reviewing coverages and their levels as you choose your health plan. If you can pay a higher deductible, and it ensures that you have a high level of coverage and reduces your cost, then go with this option. For many people it is a common practice to set aside a small amount in savings each week to be prepared for the deductible if needed.
Health insurance is an important thing for every person to have. Hospital bills can be absurdly expensive for some treatments and can absolutely ravage a person's finances, especially in the case of serious diseases such as cancer. Similarly, hospitalizing a person who has been in a serious car crash can be extremely expensive. Health insurance cuts down the cost of treatment significantly.
Always make sure to have a new health insurance plan lined up before your previous one expires. It can take months to put a new plan into effect, and if your old plan is out of service, you will be completely uninsured while dealing with starting up your new plan.
In conclusion, it can take a lot of time out of your day trying to find good information about health insurance. This article has compiled some of the best information available. Follow what is mentioned carefully and you will be in great shape for whatever you were hoping to accomplish.
Is the Time Right for Skilled Nursing Facilities to Embrace Telehealth?
Peck launched his previous company, Call9, in 2014, pushing telehealth into nursing homes as a means of reducing unnecessary and costly emergency transports and hospitalizations. But the success stories were few and far between, Medicare rules for telehealth were far too restrictive and the reimbursements weren’t enough to support the programs. Peck folded Call9 in 2019, vowing to try again.
“We talk about the shift to (value-based care) all the time … but we haven’t made the switch,” he told mHealthIntelligence in mid-2019. “We need to flip that switch from fee-for-service … and start rewarding (providers) for bringing value to patient care.”
Peck now thinks that switch is happening. He launched Curve Health in April 2020, fortified by $6 million in seed funding and an ongoing pandemic that was fueling an embrace of virtual care.
In November, a study conducted by researchers at the University of California in Irvine and published in the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine helped prove his point. The study found that a telehealth platform used by six SNFs reduced unnecessary transfers by as much as 80 percent.
READ MORE: Northwell Launches Telehealth Service for Skilled Nursing Facilities
“We have a lot of momentum now,” he said recently. “Doctors are using telehealth much more now (then before the pandemic), and payers want this as well. The world has changed even if our mission never changed.”
Peck says the coronavirus forced the nation’s healthcare industry to embrace telehealth much faster than it would have without the pandemic. For SNFs and assisted living facilities, that transition was much needed. They’ve always been on the front lines of the pandemic, dealing with people much more susceptible to catching the virus and incurring its worst effects, including death. A telehealth program could literally be a life-saver for them.
Curve Health is one of many telehealth vendors to jump into the space, and Peck says it’s important for SNFs to study the platform before choosing a partner. Some will partner with local physician groups or agree to partner with those recommended by the SNF, while others offer their own physician network. It’s also important to examine the technology used, to make sure SNF staff have an immediate link to an on-call physician and with nearby hospitals when triage and transfer are needed.
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