Accident Insurance – A Smart Way to Supplement High Deductible Plans

Accident Insurance, also referred to as Accident/Injury Insurance, is designed to pay money directly to the policyholder in the event of an accident or injury. The coverage will pay for out-of-pocket costs incurred as a result of an injury: urgent care, emergency treatment, exams and x-rays, hospitalization and other expenses related to the injury. The coverage can also pay for items not covered by insurance, such as travel and other incidentals.

Accident plans work well for active families with high-deductible major medical plans.

Finding The Best Dental Plan

dental insurance

Finding a good personal dental plan can be as painful as a root canal! If you do a search online, you will encounter dozens of websites that promote numerous dental plans – and it’s difficult to know which plans are good and which ones are not. Most people get confused and decide to go with a carrier with whom they are familiar – but that can be a big mistake. The best carriers for health insurance sometimes offer very weak dental insurance plans.

High Deductible Health Plans / Tools You Can Use

The trend towards higher deductible health plans has been forced upon us. With extremely high rate increases, employers and individuals have turned towards high deductible health plans as a way to mitigate costs.

I read an article today in Consumer Reports that provides statistics to show this trend is growing rapidly. However, the real take-away is at the bottom of the article in the “What You Should Do” section. This section references two helpful websites that allow consumers to compare prices for healthcare.

Harken Health: A New Insurance Carrier in Atlanta

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It’s mid-November and this is a super busy time during Open Enrollment.  Normally, I wouldn’t take the time to write a blog post, but I need to answer some questions about Harken Health.  This is my attempt to offer a review of sorts — a fair assessment of this new carrier.
Harken Health is an independently operated affiliate of United Healthcare.  Currently, they are offering coverage on the Exchange (the Marketplace) and off the Exchange in Chicago and Atlanta. 

Over age 64? Don’t Get Caught in the Plan F Death Spiral

 

Don't get caught in the Medicare Death spiral _ doctor holding sign

The Most Popular Plan      Over half of all people who enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan (Medigap) select Plan F.  Plan F is the most comprehensive plan available and covers almost all out-of -pocket medical costs not covered by Medicare Part A and Part B.  Medigap plans are standardized, so a Plan F with United Healthcare is (as required by Federal law) identical to Plan F with Blue Cross Blue Shield,

The Link Between Medicare and Social Security

It would seem logical to call Medicare when you’re first eligible for Medicare,  because of nearing age 65, losing employer coverage, or due to disability.  However, the first step is to call Social Security regarding enrollment in Part A and Part B of Medicare.

Lots of folks are suprised to learn that their Medicare Part B and Part D premiums are based on their income. In fact, Medicare beneficiares can pay more than three times the current standard Medicare Part B premium of $104.90/month. 

Early Signs of HIGH Health Insurance Rates for 2016

It’s still early in the summer, but we have some solid information this year on what to expect in terms of rate increases for 2016. All individual (and many group) plans are now based on a calendar year.  In other words, new plans and premiums will be available during Open Enrollment — starting November 1 — for plans to begin in 2016. So, everyone needs to compare plans and make a decision for the new plan year.

Medicare Recipients and Identity Theft Protection

If you’ve lost your Medicare card, there’s a form on the Medicare ...

Yes, this post is geared mainly towards people on Medicare, but it’s good information you can share with a family member or friend regardless of your age.

Almost every Medicare beneficiary carries their red, white and blue Medicare card with them.  This card shows their social security number plus a letter — also known as the Medicare Claim Number.  It’s a good idea to make a copy of your Medicare card and then black-out the last four digits of your social security number.

Paying Too Much For Your Medications?

Paying Too Much For Your Medications? - Rx bottle

People who have been prescribed expensive brand-name drugs know how much it can hurt their wallet.  The good news is that close to 80% of all brand-name medications have a generic counterpart. Oftentimes, generics are perfectly fine; other times a generic isn’t available or is not recommended by your doctor.  So, most people accept the higher cost brand-name drugs and figure there’s not much they can do.  Well, depending on the situation, there can be some very good ways to lower drug costs.

Georgia Hospitals Graded on Safety: Northside Hospital ‘A’, Piedmont Hospital ‘D’

A recent article by Georgia Health News reports on the patient safety ratings for Georgia hospitals. According to the article, the intent of the hospital safety report is to aid consumers in their selection of hospitals based on a very important measure of care: “the ability of hospitals to prevent errors, injuries and infections.”  They should have added “deaths” to the list.

The article cites a statistic that is quite alarming: “More than 1000 people die each day in the United States because of preventable hospital errors”