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Advice For Health Insurance And Why It's A Must

 

 

Health insurance is a necessity. Anything can happen to anyone at anytime. You could be doing a simple rearrangement of furniture and end up with a hernia in one breath. Sometimes, finding the right policy is difficult, but this article will offer some advice on how to sift through all of the options.

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.

Even with health insurance, getting emergency care can be expensive. Use hospital emergency room facilities only for true emergencies. For routine but urgent health problems, you'll save money by going to a walk-in clinic. Some pharmacies also have mini-clinics where you can be seen, get evaluated and get a prescription. If needed, they can help you find more advanced medical help.

Help keep your portion of health insurance costs low by taking advantage of perks your employer may offer. For example, a company may offer a rebate of the cost of one monthly premium when you provide proof of a preventative checkup. Read your employee manual or talk to HR to see what incentives your company offers.

Take advantage of any wellness programs offered by both your workplace and your health insurance company. Both of these may reward you in different ways, such as your workplace offering a cash-incentive for completing an exercise program, or your insurance company lowering your premiums if you follow a quit-smoking one. These offers are rare, but helpful.

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. Check your state tax guidelines to ensure you're adhering to both local and federal rules.

Instead of paying high rates for certain health insurance, go with an HMO. Not only will this save you a lot of money, but they are easier to use. Also, most HMOs do not have as many restrictions on pre-existing conditions as regular health insurance companies do, meaning it is easier to get approved for an HMO.

If you need more health insurance, do not take out a second policy. Instead, add a "rider" to your current policy. This is usually far less expensive. Only in some instances, is it more cost efficient to take out a second policy. If the person is in excellent health, you may want to shop around.

Take your time when shopping for a new health insurance plan. The last thing that you want to do is rush this decision. It could end up costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars in the future if you rush to enroll in a program that is not right for you and your family.

If you and your spouse are both eligible for health insurance through your individual workplaces, compare the two policies to see which one will benefit your family most. You may find that it is going to be cheaper to carry individual policies through your workplaces. Keep the surcharges that some companies charge for dependents when comparing the two.

Even if you don't personally qualify for Medicaid, apply for all of your family members in case one of them does. This can remove them from your insurance policy and reduce your premiums significantly. Remember to reapply for Medicaid yearly as your financial situation may change or the rules for Medicaid itself may be altered.

If you work as an actor or a writer, your job probably does not come with benefits. You can however join the Theater Entertainment Industry Group Insurance Trust. This group offers low insurance rates and extensive coverage. You can join this group if your main source of income comes from a creative activity.

When considering your health insurance options, take a look at a hospital only policy. Such policies do not cover regular doctors visits, but will take care of you in the event of an emergency that lands you in the hospital. The benefit is a lower cost premium, but the trade off is no day to day medical coverage.

If there is a chance that you are going to be laid off from the company that you work for, consider a health insurance plan with a lower premium cost. The government has changed things so that those who are laid off will have to pay their own premiums through the COBRA plan.

If you have questions regarding insurance coverage, you may want to seek out an independent insurance agent. An agent can help you with the enrollment process and also answer any questions you have about private insurance coverage. These agents also know the state laws and regulations which can help if you have any questions.

If your health insurance doesn't pay for your prescriptions in full, you need to do some shopping around. Pharmacies will charge different rates for prescriptions, and also different dispensing fees. Some more info pharmacies even mix their own medicines and charge far less for the resulting prescription, or will give you the medicine in forms other than hard to swallow pills.

Take advantage of preventative care benefits to save money and of course, your health. Most preventative screenings and procedures are covered by health insurance at no charge to the enrollee including vaccinations so stay up to date on everything your policy provides. By doing this now you can save a lot later.

You should know the regulations and laws governing health insurance before you purchase a policy. You should find out quite a few things, including if the local legislation has any protection for people who have preexisting conditions. Knowing these laws will allow you to correctly identify the provider that is right for you, but also know more about what you are getting yourself into during the process. You will also be in the know if they try to illegally deny you the coverage to which you are entitled.

The beginning of the article mentioned that proper research and reading is always a great start for finding the right health insurance company to represent you when you need it the most. No one is always healthy and health insurance helps you cover most or all of the costs when you need medical care. Apply the tips from the article above and you will be on your way to living a healthy and insured life.

 

Is the Time Right for Skilled Nursing Facilities to Embrace Telehealth?

 

Southview Acres Health Care Center in St. Paul, MN, and Affinity Healthcare Center in Paramount, CA, will be piloting a connected health platform this fall from Curve Health. The platform provides SNF staff with telemedicine tools that connect them with physicians and specialists, allowing them to seek help whenever a resident is in need of healthcare services.

SNFs and other assisted living facilities have traditionally faced difficulties using telehealth for resident care, primarily due to low reimbursement and challenges in proving sustainability. Few facilities were able to justify the expense of a telehealth service that Medicare wouldn’t support, and they couldn’t find enough data to prove better clinical outcomes over a large population.

That changed with COVID-19, which prompted state and federal lawmakers to ease the rules on telehealth access and coverage. Faced with a lack of access to in-person care, SNFs joined the rush, looking for platforms that would allow them to provide virtual care for residents without bringing in providers or transferring them to local hospitals.

"The pandemic has opened the industry's eyes to the importance of telemedicine-based services in SNFs, and the regulatory environment now supports the growth of Curve and its partnership with forward-looking organizations like Southview,” Avi Katz, who owns Southview Acres, said in a May 6 press release announcing the partnership. “We're expecting the immediate accessibility of physicians to enable a more seamless patient and family experience and a significant decline in unnecessary hospitalizations."

 

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