Getting The Right Protection For Your Health
Why is it that so many people are so unhappy with their health insurance. There are many reasons for this, but the most common reason is because they did not do their homework in order to get reliable health insurance. The information in the following article will help you to not make health insurance mistakes.
For those whose vision is already impaired eye care coverage is a must. This type of insurance pays for a portion of the cost of eye exams and check-ups as well as corrective lenses like glasses or contacts. Vision coverage is not required, and a number of people keep their wallets a little thicker by eschewing this particular insurance.
One of the most basic tips about insurance is quite simple: never, ever put yourself in a situation where you have no insurance at all. Even if it means paying extra to your former employer to stay on COBRA, you never want to be without health insurance. Too many contingencies could come up that would very quickly put you in a precarious situation. The same is true for auto insurance: never drive uninsured. It's against the law in many states, so it isn't just a bad idea; in many places it is actually a crime.
If you have recently lost a job, signing up for COBRA insurance is the quickest fix to keeping you covered, however it is not the cheapest. COBRA allows you to keep the same insurance coverage that you had with your employer however you will be paying the full costs which can get quite expensive.
All insurance plans are going to differ slightly, so the most important thing you can do is ask questions. Health insurance is nothing to play around with. If you do not get everything you absolutely need, you may be left footing the bill when you fall ill. That's going to be expensive and possibly even life threatening.
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.
If you are the sole proprietor and only employee of your business, you may be able to negotiate group health insurance rates in some states. In this case, you would be considered a "business-of-one". If you are self-employed, in need of health insurance and just cannot afford private insurance rates, be sure to ask your insurance agent if your state offers this option.
Familiarize yourself with your state laws and regulations in regards to purchasing health insurance individually. There are certain states that may have individual protections if they have pre-existing health issues, but some may not. It is of utmost importance that you know and fully understand the rules where you live.
Prioritize your concerns. Do you want to stick with a certain doctor or health care facility? Do you want the lowest premiums? Do you have specific health requirements that need to be addressed? Once you make a list of your priorities, you will be able to narrow down the number of health insurance companies that are suitable for your needs.
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.
When your doctor prescribes you a drug, ask him if there is a cheaper version, or here an over-the-counter option, which you could use instead. For example, my husband had a stomach parasite which required three drugs to treat. The doctor was going to prescribe him a combination pill which would have cost literally ten times as much as if we got each drug separately!
Even if you have a job, as long as you are a low income family you can qualify for Medicaid. This can help by lowering the amount of money you pay out of pocket for medical care, and therefore you can sign up for a non-comprehensive insurance plan to cover the bills you do pay.
If you are asked additional information in the follow up call that you aren't familiar with, such as how a procedure is performed, don't answer it. Tell them to contact your doctor with those questions because you don't know the information. Never guess your information and be honest with the insurance company.
If you are going with a private insurance plan you should talk to your doctor about conditions in your file to make sure everything is up to date. Private insurances have the option of going back, up to 10 years to check your medical files for conditions you had prior to getting insurance through their company.
As you can see, simply knowing your insurance company is a useful tool in getting the best care possible. Doing your research really pays off in the long run, and asking questions can help you evade any surprise bills. You are responsible for your health, and knowing how to handle your insurance company is part of this!
Is seeing your doctor online working?
Telehealth has been around for years but never really took off - until the Covid-19 pandemic. As US health centres had to close their doors, seeing a doctor online became a real alternative to the in-person visits of old.
As the country still grapples with the pandemic, millions of Americans have been meeting doctors from all specialties - from urgent care to neurology - from the comfort of their homes.
And many happily so. Patients are as likely - or even a bit more likely - to highly rate their care providers following telephone or virtual doctor visits compared with in-person care, suggests a national Press Ganey survey released last month.
The healthcare company, which surveyed 1.3 million people across 154 medical practices between January and August 2020, found that patients felt positive about "all measures of providers' concern, ability to establish a connection, and trust-building".
Madison Russell, a 20-year-old disabled college student from Atlanta, Georgia, says that, throughout the pandemic, there has always been a doctor available whenever she had a matter of urgent care.
Would you be happy to see your doctor online?
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Even if she had to hang around a little in a virtual waiting room, Ms Russell says "it was still better" than cooling her heels in a doctor's office as she could "be productive and do something else meanwhile, such as clean the kitchen".
'Covid forced us to recognise telemedicine's value'
Telemedicine peaked at around 37% of all medical encounters in early May, decreased to 22% in early July, and remained steady at 15% since mid-August. But that's still far above the pre-pandemic rate of less than 1%, according to Press Ganey.
A key reason behind this rise was the removal of regulatory hurdles. Before the pandemic hit, Medicare, the US programme for elderly Americans, limited how providers were paid for telemedicine appointments.
Most remote visits would not necessarily be reimbursed at the same rate as if they were happening in-person, says Dr Jessica Dudley, chief clinical officer at Press Ganey and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.