3
Sep
Posted by thehealthquote in Health Headlines, Healthcare Reform, Heath Industry News, health insurance. Tagged: Health Care, Health Care Crisis, health insurance, Health Insurance Crisis, Healthcare, Healthcare Crisis, healthcare industry, Healthcare Reform, Obama Healthcare Reform. Leave a Comment
Our company helps people find health insurance (amongst many other types of insurances). So as you might imagine, the “health care crisis” is a hot topic for us on a daily basis. Many people want to know our opinion about what’s going on and with what the government is trying to do.
At TheHealthQuote.com, we genuinely want everyone to be insured. Not so we can make a profit, rather, so people’s lives and finances can be protected. However, as professionals in this industry for over 25 years, we stand firm that the government’s plan simply should not be an option.
The list of reasons why it is a nighmare could go on and on, and we don’t have the time to make this list. Fortunately, a highly regarded professional, Brian Tracy, nailed everything in a nutshell.
If you have a few minutes and want to know why the government run healthcare system WILL NOT work, please read THIS article. He touches on every myth and point that is relevant to this ongoing debate.
Some of his eye opening statistics…
“The “health insurance” crisis is largely manufactured. Fully, 85% of Americans already have health insurance. Of the 47 million Americans who supposedly do not have health insurance, many of them are between jobs. 12 million of them are illegal immigrants who cannot come out of the shadows to buy health insurance, so they simply go the local hospital or clinic and get their health care for free.
“30% of the uninsured are young people aged 20 to 34 who will not buy insurance at any price because it is too expensive, and because they are quite healthy. It is simply not a good investment for them.
“Another 30% of the “uninsured” earn more than $50,000 per year and simply choose not to buy health insurance so that they can spend it on lifestyle. Ten to 15 million people already qualify for Medicare or other government plans but have not applied for it.”
How true this is. Brian Tracy breaks it down to the tee about the truth of healthcare.
This is not to say that the healthcare industry is perfect and that insurance companies are the end all. It is to say that things are much less flawed then the government has blown it up to be.
Again, take a few minutes to read his article. We have no doubt it will enlighten you about the reality that is the US healthcare system.
3
Aug
Posted by thehealthquote in Health Headlines, Heath Industry News, health insurance. Tagged: affordable health insurance, Health Care, health insurance, healthcare industry. Leave a Comment
The best health insurance plan rankings from US News & World Report are officially in. The health insurance plans were separated into three categories: commercial plans, Medicare plans and Medicaid plans. They were then ranked on a variety of factors including effective prevention and treatment of illnesses and affordability (see the methodology here).
The highest rated commercial health insurance plan was a tie between Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HMO/POS) and Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization (HMO/POS). Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is a non-profit health insurance plan that provides a number of health insurance options and self-funding arrangements to over 1 million members in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
The top rated Medicare insurance plan was MVP Health Care (previously known as Preferred Care), an MMO available in New York. Fallon Health Care Plan (FHCP) of Massachusetts won the title of best Medicare plan. FHCP is the only plan that is both an insurer and a provider of care.
There are a number of services available online to help you find the right health insurance quote for you. Before settling on a health insurance plan, be sure to utilize resources like the US News & World Report to help you make your decisions. Customer reviews and experiences with an insurance company are extremely telling, as is the overall health and prevention success of plan subscribers. You can see exactly where you’re insurance company ranks. The Kaiser Health Plan of Georgia for example ranks 27th in the nation with a score of 86.7 out of 100.
This list of top insurers sets a good standard for what to look for in an insurance company. Every American has the right to health care and when you pay a company a monthly fee to provide you with insurance, remember that you’re paying them. Whatever health insurance plan you have, you should receive good customer service, have access to prevention care, get appropriate medical coverage, and more.
To view the report in its entirety, go to http://health.usnews.com/sections/health/health-plans/.
15
Jul
Posted by thehealthquote in Health Tips, Prescription Meds. Tagged: affordable health insurance, Basic Medical Coverage, Expensive Medications, Expensive Prescriptions, Health Tips, medication, Prescription Medications, Prescription Meds, prescriptions. Leave a Comment
Many of us are sensible enough to have some sort of health insurance. Unfortunately, not all health plans make prescriptions available to their policy holders (which is one way to lower the cost of the policy for the insured).
For California residents, we wanted to provide a couple of tips to those of you needing help with expensive prescriptions. For the rest of you, a similar program may be available in your state!
First, if you have health insurance, but it does not cover prescripiton medications, or even the specific medication you’re needing, you should still have your pharmacy run your insurance card. Many policy holders are unaware that even though they may not have a co pay for prescriptions, they can take advantage of the negotiated rates that the insurance company has implemented.
Negoitiated rates are simply a discount off what you would pay without insurance. Let’s say you go to pick up a prescription and the cost without any insurance is $400. Well your insurance company has already worked with the pharmacy to prohibit them from charging more than an alloted amount. This means that instead of $400, you may only have to pay $200 for the prescription. While it’s still a costly medication, I’d rather pay $200 than $400, wouldn’t you?
So at least ask the pharmacist to give you your insurance company’s negoiated rates for your prescription if you have insurance. You may come out saving a few dollars, and in today’s economy, every cent counts!
The other tool we wanted to provide for you is the California Rx Card program. This is for anyone, with or without insurance. It simply offers a discount on prescriptions, and it’s free of charge. all you need to do is sign up.
Based on some of the rates we’ve seen, they are very comparable to the insurance company’s negotiated rates! So give it a try next time you’re needing a prescription, or at least compare the standard retail rates to the rates available with this program!
You can sign up at their website for the California Rx Card.
We hope these tips offer a little assistance for obtaining more affordable prescriptions! And of course, visit our website, TheHealthQuote.com, for help with obtaining affordable health insurance!
13
Jul
Posted by thehealthquote in Health Tips, Your Health, health insurance. Tagged: affordable health insurance, dental insurance, hearth health, medical and dental insurance. Leave a Comment
Yearly dental exams are an important part of dental hygiene. A little yearly teeth cleaning can potentially save you from gingivitis, root canals, or losing a tooth altogether. Prevention is one of the most important parts of dental medicine. Insurance providers recognize this and most insurance companies will include a yearly cleaning and checkup in your dental insurance plan.
Dental work can get very expensive very quickly and most dental insurance providers would rather include checkups and prevention care in the policy so that they can save money on more expensive dental procedures later.
Good dental hygiene has also been linked in multiple studies to having a healthy heart. Patients at risk for infective endocarditis, for example, are strongly encouraged to maintain very healthy teeth and to try and reduce the amount of bacteria present in their mouths. For this reason, there are a number of medical and dental insurance plans that work together to incorporate dental health and hygiene into overall healthcare.
The respect for dental care and its place in healthcare is a relatively recent development. Dental hygiene was not always considered to be necessary or important. It took several decades for dentists to gain the respect they deserve in the medical community. Dental care now is considered a necessary part of every person’s life, starting in early childhood. There are now numerous affordable dental insurance plans available where there used to be none.
9
Jul
Posted by thehealthquote in Uncategorized. Tagged: affordable health insurance, california health insurance, Healthcare Reform. Leave a Comment
The California economy has been struggling for some time now. With the state deficit at $24.3 billion dollars and growing, things are starting to look desperate. Compounding this issue is the declining state of health care in California. Fewer doctors are available in emergency rooms, clinics are understaffed and overwhelmed with patient loads, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find affordable health insurance.
The lack of affordable health insurance plans providing adequate coverage has caused California legislators to open a discussion about a government-funded health insurance and health care plan. The belief is that creating a government health insurance policy to compete with private health insurance plans would help insure the 50 million California residents that are currently without health insurance coverage.
Naturally, the proposed government alternative health insurance plan is controversial for Californians. Some argue that the government-funded health insurance plans will put the private insurers out of business. Others are concerned about adding to the already enormous California budget deficit. The opposing argument is that competition of this nature will be healthy for the health insurance market, forcing the private health insurance companies to become more competitive with pricing. There are currently a number of private health insurance providers that offer affordable health insurance rates, but not all insurers have followed suit. Shopping around for health insurance quotes can tell you what the best price is for the type of insurance you need.
To read more on this topic, view coverage from the Sacramento Bee at http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1984973.html.
29
Jun
Posted by thehealthquote in Healthcare Reform, Your Health. Tagged: affordable health insurance, family insurance plans, Health Care, health insurance, healthcare industry. Leave a Comment
With health care becoming more expensive and difficult to access, most people are grateful for the chance to even be seen by a doctor. Long wait times, expensive co-pays, and understaffed clinics eventually lead to subpar health care. Many patients don’t realize that their health care provider may not be giving them the treatment they are entitled to.
Here is a list of basic treatment standards that should be met by any physician you see:
- Timely Care
- If you are sick or experiencing side effects from a recently prescribed medication, expect to be seen by your doctor immediately. Serious medical problems should not require any sort of wait.
- Availability
- If it is not a serious issue, but you have questions regarding medication or a new symptom or complication, your doctor should be accessible by voicemail and return phone calls in a timely manner.
- Attentive Listener
- Your doctor should take the time to listen to what you have to say regarding your health concerns. They should ask relevant questions and make you feel comfortable divulging personal information.
- Information on Prescription Medications
- Your doctor (not your doctor’s assistant) should take the time to explain what medications they’re prescribing, how to take them, and what side effects may occur.
- Easy to Understand
- Your doctor should speak to you in a manner that you can comprehend. You should feel comfortable asking questions and should be given as much time as needed to discuss your treatment.
If you do not feel that your doctor is meeting these basic standards for care, try communicating first. Doctors, like the rest of us, can get caught up in their daily workload and unintentionally rush patients. Expressing your feelings to your doctor in a respectful way may be all it takes for them to slow down and provide you with the care you deserve.
If none of these suggestions work, it may be time to start looking for a new physician. Your health is important and having a doctor that is attentive and interested in your health and well-being is essential. Consult your family health insurance provider to find another health care provider near you that is covered under your health insurance plan.
For more information on the patient rights and safety, visit the National Patient Safety Foundation at http://www.npsf.org/. CNN also offers this helpful article on patient rights.
24
Jun
Posted by thehealthquote in Health Tips, health insurance. Tagged: health insurance, scams. Leave a Comment
When shopping for health insurance, it’s important to be mindful of health insurance scams and fraud. There are, unfortunately, a number of scams out there that aim to take advantage of people in need of health insurance.
One way to avoid getting scammed on health insurance is to get your health quote from a trusted source. Trustworthy websites, such as TheHealthQuote.com, have a number of verifiers readily available to bring you peace of mind. Safe health quote websites will be verified with a seal on their home page from the Better Business Bureau. This means that they are a legitimate business in line with the BBB standards and expectations.
Another accreditation trustworthy websites will have is a seal from TRUSTe. TRUSTe concerns the information privacy and protection standards of such businesses. A seal from TRUSTe means that the website in question adheres to all government and industry standards regarding personal information security.
Other things to look for are:
Current Licensing – ensure that the website you are using is appropriately licensed and current in every way. This information should be readily available on their website.
Familiar Companies – look for names you recognize such as Aetna or Blue Cross. Legitimate health insurance underwriters will work with larger, recognizable companies in addition to smaller, specialized institutions.
Cost – should not be an issue. Most health insurance quote providers can do it at no cost to you. Anyone that asks for money up front to provide you with quotes is up to no good.
22
Jun
Posted by thehealthquote in Health Quotes, Healthcare Reform. Tagged: COBRA Insurance, health insurance, Health Quotes, Healthcare Reform. Leave a Comment
3TV, an Arizona news station, did a story last night on what to do about health insurance if you’ve recently become unemployed. While a less than ideal situation, especially if you have health problems, there are ways to stay insured, even during periods of unemployment.
COBRA
Cobra health insurance is an extension of the coverage you had prior to unemployment. You need to apply to be covered by Cobra insurance within 60 days of becoming unemployed. This coverage is available for up to one and a half years after you lose your job. The drawback to Cobra is that you are paying the full premium price, including the portion your company had paid for you. Cobra can get pretty expensive this way.
Did You Know?
An upside to Cobra is that if you were laid off between September 2008 and December 2009, the US government will pay 65% of your monthly premiums.
HIPAA
Another option is a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) policy. This is an insurer of last resort policy. Everyone is protected by certain healthcare rights mandated by HIPAA. One such right is the right to insurance. This, however, does not mean affordable health insurance, and some of these individual health insurance policies can be quite pricey. Work with insurance providers to get health quotes so you can find the most affordable policy available. Getting health quotes from insurers will also help you decide if you should elect to choose extended health insurance (Cobra), or will resort to an individual health insurance policy.
For more information regarding unemployment and health insurance, take a look at this clip. For free, informative health quotes, visit www.thehealthquote.com.
11
Jun
Posted by thehealthquote in health insurance. Tagged: affordable health insurance, Basic Medical Coverage, Catostrophic Health Insurance, family insurance plans, Health Care, health insurance, Health Insurance Coverage, Health Insurance Plans, Individual Health Insurance, medical insurance plans, Megalife, United American. Leave a Comment
Many people are easily sold on health insurance plans through companies like MegaLife and United American. They’re cheap, there’s good coverage and the require very little medical underwriting. It all sounds so glamorous so I can’t blame people that fall in these traps.
TheHealthQuote.com does not represent these companies. Why? Because it’s not true health insurance, rather these are plans that will put you in more hot water than you can imagine.
The problem with these companies is that they are not up front and honest with the people they insure. They sell you on fabulous benefits with a low price tag, but the truth of it is you will get what you pay for, especially when you don’t read the fine print.
For instance, these “wonderful” plans advertise no deductible and 100% hospital coverage for let’s say, $50/month when you’re 55 years old. You’re right, that sounds fabulous! Now, let’s read in between the lines. What they don’t tell you is that there is no deductible and they pay 100% of your hospital bills, up to a limit of $5,000-$10,000! Now since an average day in the hospital could reach $50,000, who is responsible for the excess costs? Take a guess…that’s you.
I only wish I could say that I was making up these statements or even exagerating. Unfortunately, we have people contact us daily who are now facing bills that they never imagined receiving. They tell us the same story time and again, “the person I bought it from said I wouldn’t have to pay anything, now I have these bills that I can’t afford.”
This story is just the tip of the iceberg with these types of individual and family health insurance plans. But I hope it at least makes you stop and think about what you’re purchasing before you sign the papers. Even if you don’t use one of our health plans, read the fine print and make sure you understand what your health insurance plan truly entails. We don’t want you being the next call with a horror story from one of these companies.
8
Jun
Posted by thehealthquote in Healthcare Reform, Heath Industry News. Tagged: Affordable health care, affordable health insurance, barack obama, Expensive Healthcare, Health Care, Health Care Costs, health insurance, Healthcare, Healthcare Costs, healthcare industry, Healthcare Reform, Obama Healthcare Reform, Rising Healthcare Costs. Leave a Comment
It’s no secret that the cost of healthcare is on the rise. Your health insurance premiums are increasing each year and your benefits are probably getting worse! One of the most common questions we get is, “why is healthcare so expensive?”
Wellpoint, the parent company of insurance carriers like Anthem Blue Cross and many others, recently sent out a release to explain where all of your money is going. They do their best to make it clear that the increases you receive each year are not due to insurance company profits, rather the majority of costs are spent towards member services like physician payments, hospital costs, drugs, etc.
Here’s a breakdown that the AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) compiled:
As shown here, only 3% of your healthcare premium dollars are used to turn an insurance company profit. Hopefully that makes you feel a little better to know that while insurance companies are no question turning a profit, that’s not where the majority of their income goes.
The other constant variable that is seen repeatedly is lifestyle choices. For example, people who choose not to exercise and eat unhealthy, are more likely to have heart issues or even diabetes. The cost of their medical care is now increased, compared to the health conscience individual that exercised and watched their diet. Unfortunately, there are many Americans that fall in this category and they’re playing a large role in driving up health care costs.
Of course, there’s no one factor, so if you’d like to have more specific answers, you can check out this study by Wellpoint right here. It will help answer some of the frustrating questions as to why we must pay so much for healthcare.
It’s a topic that is never ending and always evolving. We all want healthcare reform in a way that everyone comes out ahead. While the Obama administration has put a priority on this issue, implementing changes will not happen soon enough. In the meantime, protect yourself, stay insured, find affordable health plans!
