Being in between jobs and unemployed can bring in many financial problems to your doorstep. You might need to depend on someone else to help you with covering your day to day expenses. With all these troubles if there is any medical emergency requiring immediate attention, it just adds to your preexisting problems. For this reason, you should have health insurance to cover you in case of a medical emergency. But, how do you bear the brunt of paying for health insurance when you are unemployed. There are options which you might have no knowledge about.
For unemployed people, there is COBRA, a law that entitles people to be covered under the previous employer’s insurance plans even after leaving the job. This is considered ideal for a person who is in between jobs and does not require any treatment for a long period of time. This can be in place for a year to a person who is qualified to receive this coverage but the amount towards premium may be burdensome to the person who is unemployed. So, if you have the eligibility and are in a position to bear the premium expenses, it is best to use this facility for your family and yourself. To check if you are eligible to get health insurance through COBRA, it is best to find out at the benefits department with your local employer and complete the necessary formalities.
You can even check other options for health insurance You can find many health insurance experts online who are certified to be trustworthy by the Better Business Bureau Online. These people can provide you with good advice on which is the best health insurance plan you can opt for and get to know the premium charged by the insurance companies and help you get the right coverage to meet your insurance requirements.
Life is with uncertainties and no one can predict any unexpected events that will necessitate emergency medical care. So, it is best to have the safety blanket offered by health insurance plans that will ensure that you remain burden free in terms of any health expenses. But, finding a right health insurance plan on your own is very burdensome and may not be to your benefit. Finding some health insurance expert will ensure that this process will be made easy and you get to choose the right plan for you. Also, these services provided by these experts are free of cost.
If you are currently unemployed, there are high chances that you and your family are not covered under any kind of health insurance plan. This is a high risk situation as any kind of medical expense incurred by you towards providing care for yourself or your family can put you in financial jeopardy. But, fortunately, there are several means for you to place yourself and your family under a suitable health insurance plan that is within your affordability. So, if you are not covered under any health insurance plan, it is best not to leave the possibility of incurring heavy expenses towards medical treatment to luck or fate and tempt the possibility of unbearable financial burden.
By: Dana B. Smith
Archive for January, 2009
Health Insurance for the Recent College Graduate
January 28th, 2009
As you graduate college and head into the great, big, scary world, there are probably a lot of things on your mind. First and foremost is finding a good job, then finding a place to live, and then maybe figuring out how to pay back those student loans. One thing that might not cross your mind is health insurance. All of your life, you’ve most likely been a dependent on your parents’ coverage, but that ship is about to sail—if it hasn’t already.
We know what you’re thinking, “Why do I need health insurance? I’m young, I’m healthy, and doctor visits are few and far between. So why pay for something I’ll never use?” Hey, we understand where you’re coming from. But accidents and illnesses happen without warning, even to the strapping young adults such as you. Sure, health insurance is expensive, but not having it will cost you dearly.
First things to know
Let’s get one thing straight, health care in the United States is a nightmare, few will argue that. There are thousands of options when it comes to receiving care and paying for it, some of them good, some of them not so much. When it comes to choosing an insurance policy that’s right for you, confusion abounds. So let’s learn a little more about your options.
There are two essential categories of health insurance: managed care and indemnity plans. Though you’ll pay more for indemnity coverage, it offers much more flexibility than does a managed care plan. Through indemnity coverage, you’ll have your choice of doctor, lab, hospital or specialty clinic. When you seek medical care, you’ll have to pay an out of pocket expense—called a deductible—before your coverage will kick in. Deductibles range from a few hundred dollars up to $1,000 or more, depending on your policy. Also, indemnity plans require a co-payment on medical care; meaning you’ll be responsible for a percentage of the treatment costs along with your deductible. Generally, indemnity plans pay only for accidents or illness; they usually don’t cover preventative care.
Managed care is the complete opposite of indemnity coverage. Deductibles are usually smaller, co-payments are lower, and preventative care is usually covered. Your options, however, are limited. Through a managed care plan, you can only choose between health care providers who are contracted by your health maintenance organization. If you go elsewhere, you pay—the full amount. Since that’s a pretty rough deal, many managed care plans are offering hybrid options that include many of the desirable characteristics of an indemnity plan.
Which way to go
If you find a job that offers health insurance and you’re single, take it. It may not be perfect, but it beats anything you can find on your own. When you sign up through your employer, you’ll probably be confronted with many options. Take a good, long look at them and ask for help from a human resources representative if need be, but make sure you choose the plan that’s right for you. Chances are—if you’re young and healthy— you’ll want a plan with a low premium and higher deductible. Look for a plan that minimizes your out-of-pocket expenses. When it comes to choosing between and indemnity plan or a managed care plan, you may or may not have a choice depending on your employer. Both offer advantages and disadvantages, so make sure to crunch the numbers before committing to one or the other.
Make yourself a deal
Though health insurance is a costly part of our lives, there are ways to save. If you’re self-employed, shop around before you commit to a plan. If you’re under 50 and in good health, insurance companies will want your business, and cut rates are to be had. Also, take advantage of breaks from Uncle Sam. The self-employed can write off up to 45 percent of their insurance premiums. Some employers offer flexible spending accounts, where you can pay for premiums and costs not covered by insurance with cash that isn’t subject to taxes.
If you’re married and your spouse also can get coverage from their employer, weigh your options carefully. It might benefit you financially and coverage-wise if you measure the pros and cons of separate coverage, double coverage, or one of you opting out of your work’s plan and enrolling in the other’s.
Finally, if you’ve been healthy and believe you can get by with minimum health coverage, look into purchasing “catastrophic coverage”. This indemnity policy offers extremely low premiums, but deductibles can be very high—up to $2,500. Coverage is extremely limited to “catastrophic” events, which you’ll need to learn all about.
By: Joseph Kenny
Personal Health Information – Keeping Tabs On Your Health In Texas
January 28th, 2009
Your personal health information — do you know who has it or where to find it in Dallas, Houston or in the other Texas cities where you have lived? Do you have it? In most cases, a complete record of all of your personal health information can’t be found at any single location or in any consistent format. Each one of your healthcare providers (family practitioner, allergist, OB-GYN, etc.) compiles a separate medical record on you. And often times, these multiple medical records can lead to an incomplete story about your health.
Keeping your own personal health record (PHR) provides doctors with valuable information that can help improve the quality of care you receive. A PHR can minimize or eliminate duplicate tests. It can also help you receive faster, safer treatment and care in an emergency. In short, with a PHR, you can play a more active role in your healthcare.
Starting a Personal Health Record
Your health information is scattered across many different providers and facilities. A Personal Health Record is a collection of this information about your health or the health of someone you are caring for, such as a parent or child that you would actively maintain and update. The information comes from your healthcare providers, and most importantly, from you.
Why Start a PHR?
Your own PHR should provide a different perspective, showing all your health-related information. It can include any information that you think might affect your health, including information that your doctor may not have, such as your exercise routines, dietary habits, or glucose levels if you are diabetic.
In addition, the PHR is a critical tool that enables you to partner with your providers. It can reduce or eliminate duplicate procedures or processes, which can save healthcare dollars, as well as your time and the provider’s time.
What Should be in Your PHR?
When collecting information from your health records, make sure you include:
* Personal identification, including names, birth dates, and social security numbers
* Emergency contacts
* Names, addresses, and phone numbers of your physician, dentist, and other specialists
* Health insurance information
* Living wills and advance directives
* Organ donor authorization
* A list and dates of significant illnesses and surgeries
* Current medications and dosages
* Immunizations and their dates
* Allergies
* Important events, dates, and hereditary conditions in your family history
* A recent physical examination
* Opinions of specialists
* Important tests results
* Eye and dental records
* Correspondence between you and your provider(s)
* Correspondence between you and your health insurance company
* Permission forms for release of information, operations, and other medical procedures
* Any information you want to include about your health – such as your exercise regimen, any herbal medications you take and any counseling you may receive.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a PHR
Young, healthy people move, often frequently. Therefore you are likely to have health records scattered over all over Texas and beyond. Remember the flu last year in Dallas? And the routine exam three years ago in Houston? Keeping your own personal health record (PHR) provides new and existing doctors with valuable information that can help improve the quality of care you receive.
To start your personal health record, you will need to request a copy of your health records from all your healthcare providers, including your general practitioner, and your eye doctor, dentist, and any other specialists you have seen. Don’t feel that you need to gather all your health information at the same time. One way to handle your record retrieval is to ask for your recent records each time you visit a healthcare provider.
Incorporate the following steps, at your own pace, when creating your own personal health record:
1. Contact your doctors’ offices, the health information management (HIM) or the medical records staff at each facility where you have received treatment. Ask if your records are in an electronic format that you can access, or if you need to request copies. Also, ask your physician or the HIM professional to help you determine which parts of your record you need. Furthermore, find out if your provider has his or her own plan for helping patients to create their PHRs.
2. Ask for an “authorization for the release of information” form. Complete the form and return it to the facility as directed. Most facilities charge for copies. The fee should only include the cost of copying (including supplies and labor), as well as postage if you request the copy to be mailed. It can take up to 60 days to receive your medical records, so ask when you can expect to receive the information you’ve requested.
3. Now that you’ve gathered your information, there are a few different ways you can maintain your PHR. One way is to simply gather your information in a file folder. Not all information may be available to you in an electronic format, so an old-fashioned file folder or three-ring binder may be the easiest and most inclusive format. You can divide the binder into sections by family members. Then, within each family member’s section, divide information by year or illness.
4. There are many great digital PHR tools and services to help you get organized. You can burn data onto a CD. Also, portable devices, like keychain USB drives that plug into most computers, will make your PHR information extremely portable. There are also Internet-based services where you can store and retrieve your health information, including services which may be sponsored by your insurance company. Some services even help collect your data from your doctors and other healthcare providers.
Some of these digital PHR tools may be available free of charge and others are products or services you will need to purchase or pay a subscription fee to use.
5. Bring your PHR to all healthcare provider visits so that you have the information with you. And remember to keep adding and updating it with entries from providers, yourself, or your family member.
6. Because you won’t always have your PHR with you, create and carry a card that has vital information on it—such as medications or allergies—with you at all times.
7. Remember, this private information is yours and your family’s, so protect it and maintain its confidentiality. Let trusted family members know it exists, and where it’s being kept, but beyond that, keep it safe and protected.
Knowledge is power and your Personal Health Record can certainly empower you. The information gathered gives you information you can use when preparing for medical appointments. And it gives you more intimate knowledge of your healthcare, including giving you an active role in your preventive care and care management.
It’s easier to start gathering your medical records while you’re a young, healthy Texan compared to when you’re older and have a more complex medical history. Start with your parents and work your way up to your current healthcare providers.
With your PHR in hand, you will then want insurance to help with the costs when you need to visit physicians or have an unexpected hospitalization. Why not take a look at the revolutionary comprehensive individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for young, healthy individuals? Precedent offers affordable, individual health plans,. For more information, visit us at our website, [http://www.precedent.com]. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.
By: Patt Carpenter
