Give Yourself A Head Start With These Health Insurance Tips

Many people feel that health insurance is something that is too expensive and that they don't need. They may plan to get it "someday". But health insurance is not something to be taken lightly. Important information, such as the information in this article, can help you to understand the true importance of insurance.

To defray the cost of medical expenses, you should carry health insurance. Even though you may have a savings account, medical bills can still wipe you out financially because they are often much more than any cash you may have on hand. For instance, an appendectomy can cost as much as $32,000 and heart surgery can be as high as $100,000, depending on what you're having done. These are expenses that would have to come out of your pocket, if you don't have insurance.

When considering a health care insurance plan from your employer, be weary of certain incentive based plans that attempt to lure you. These may seem attractive at first, but there may be hidden costs or loss of previous benefits. Always read the contract thoroughly and do not be afraid to ask questions about anything you are uncertain about.

Before you fill a prescription to be covered by your health insurance, check to see if there's a less-expensive generic program. Many large pharmacy chains and discount stores with pharmacies offer low-cost generics of common drugs. Depending on your coverage, it may actually be cheaper to use that discount than to submit your prescription claim to your insurance.

If you engage in dangerous hobbies or if your profession carries a level of risk, you may want to consider a change or be ready to pay more for your insurance. If your idea of a fun weekend is jumping out of planes, you'll be paying more for your insurance policy than someone with two feet on the ground.

If you are short of cash, consider taking out a short term health insurance plan. Short term health insurance policies usually costs less and the application process is fast. Most insurance companies offer policies that provide between one and twelve months cover, so short term health plans can be great if you are between jobs.

Check your health insurance policy to make sure your spouse gets the same coverage you do. Some insurance companies will only provide the same coverage for your spouse if you pay a much higher premium. Search for a policy that offers you both the same benefits, for a price that you can afford.

Consider the pros and cons of the different types of health insurance plans that are available. You will need to research Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Point of Service (POS), Health Savings Account (HSA) and traditional indemnity. Find as much information as possible about each kind before enrolling into the program.

The high cost of health insurance has caused many people to reconsider having coverage. But responsible families realize they don't know when sickness/illness is going to occur, so to protect themselves in the event this happens, they choose to purchase health insurance.

When thinking about getting a health insurance plan, not many people think of using a broker to get them the best policy. These brokers can find insurance companies that are well suited to an individual, get the best rates offered, and will be there to explain all the aspects of a particular health plan.

Before you choose your health insurance, you may want to check out both federal and local laws regarding health insurance. Normally it is very standard information, but arming yourself with knowledge before talking to an agent can ensure that you aren't taken advantage of by an agent looking to get the best commission.

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, you may have to provide proof of your marriage.

Make sure when you buy a health insurance policy you read all your literature carefully. Many policies out there do not cover pre-existing conditions. If you have cancer or some other ailment prior to purchasing the policy they will refuse coverage for any illness related treatment. So make sure you are not spending money on premiums for no services.

When shopping around for health insurance, it is important to be knowledgeable about regulations or laws governing health insurance that may affect you. An example of this is the wording regarding preexisting medical conditions. Is there any current legislation that already provides you with protection for this scenario? Knowing these sorts of regulations is important when trying to figure out if your health insurance provider is denying you coverage that you are legally entitled to.

If you're self employed and looking for health insurance, you may find that an individual health plan is cheaper than a group plan. Group plans often cost twice as much as individual plans, since they have to cover everyone, regardless of health status. If you're in good health, an individual plan may save you money.

Ask your accountant to check into health insurance premium deductions on your get more info small business income tax. This year (2011) small business owners were able to deduct their premiums a second time on Schedule SE, and with the current economy the government will definitely be offering additional similar deductions to keep people going.

All health insurance prices can vary based on the state you are in. One of the best ways to save money is to do research on your state's insurance web site. You will get a list of the companies that are avalible in your area, and the prices that they cost.

Take a careful tally of any expenses you have when considering new health insurance policies. Consider the cost of any rented equipment like respirators, wheelchairs, or oxygen tanks. Figure out how much they may cost without insurance coverage so you know if you are saving, or losing, money in the long run.

As was stated in the beginning of this article, millions of people are without health insurance, while many of those who do have it are not happy with it. The information given to you in the above article will assist you when making the choice of which health insurance is perfect for you.

 

Telehealth and telemedicine for coronavirus: What it is and how to use it now

 

What is telemedicine?

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, telemedicine is defined as “the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. A physician in one location uses a telecommunications infrastructure to deliver care to a patient at a distant site.”

Testa says his hospital is using telemedicine both within and outside the hospital to manage the influx of patients needing care. “We're using video visits inside of our hospitals, and inside of our emergency departments, to minimize exposure to our staff, as well as exposure to other patients who are immunocompromised,” he says.

How to use telemedicine

A good place to start is to check with your health care provider, provider system or hospital’s app for a telemedicine portal, download it and follow the prompts.

“We've been doing video visits for over a year and a half — we've already done about 15,000 of them,” says Testa. “What we've learned in interviewing our patients is that more often than not, they had plans to either go to their primary care doctor and it is off-hours, or they had planned to go to a brick-and-mortar urgent care. Virtual urgent care is just more convenient than those options.”

At NYU Langone, for example, Testa says these video visits are fully integrated into patients’ online health profiles, and visible to their primary care doctors who can easily see what labs or X-rays have been ordered.

If you don’t have a primary care doctor and prefer to use urgent care when you need it, virtual urgent care apps, like PlushCare, Doctor on Demand or MDLive, can give you virtual access to a doctor, 24/7.

Ryan McQuaid, CEO and co-founder of PlushCare, says that under normal circumstances, patients who use his telemedicine platform tend to use it as a primary care provider.

He says these patients usually fall into three buckets: They use telemedicine to manage ongoing conditions, like depression, diabetes or hypertension; everyday care issues like hair loss or birth control; and urgent care issues, like cold and flu, sinus infections or UTIs. And their patients aren’t just tech-forward millennials — McQuaid says elderly patients have begun to embrace telemedicine.

 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZiSk2MOF17UdugnGNqOAojsLDrM0Qu-pLwshdGqch_M/edit?usp=sharing

 

Los Angeles clinic puts underprivileged community at greater risk of contracting coronavirus, health care workers say

 

The clinics serve an area where the proportion of people living below the poverty line is more than double the national average, according to census data. Many patients live in multifamily homes or homeless shelters and have chronic medical conditions, compounding their chances of contracting and spreading the coronavirus, the eight professionals said. African Americans and Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"My fear is that once it hits this patient population, it will be the epicenter of L.A.," one of the professionals said.

When the coronavirus broke out, some of the professionals called patients to reschedule routine visits and refill prescriptions over the phone, but they were quickly reprimanded by management and told not to call their own patients, they said.

"This is the first place I've worked that as a provider I'm not given the autonomy to care for them [my patients] medically," one of them said after having encountered resistance to suggesting that patients with non-urgent needs be moved to telehealth visits.

"When you're suppressing the expertise, the knowledge, the morals, the morale of providers who are here to take care of an underserved people, you're almost just kind of re-oppressing them," the professional said.

 

 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZiSk2MOF17UdugnGNqOAojsLDrM0Qu-pLwshdGqch_M/edit?usp=sharing



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