Health Insurance Blog

Upon the heels of the H1N1 virus outbreak, Geisinger Health Plan hospitals will continue to have visitation restrictions.  Geisinger Medical Center and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center will keep enforcing the visitor restrictions to help prevent the spread of H1N1 and other dangerous viruses.

Dr. Lisa Esolen, Medical Director for Infection Control at Geisinger Health System says that this has been an unpredictable flu season and they are committed to protecting patients.  Children under 12 are restricted from visiting all areas and everyone else will be screened for flu-like symptoms.  The H1N1 pandemic has slowed down but seasonal flu is starting up.  Past flu viruses have shown spikes in January through March.

Many people each year are hospitalized for the flu which is just one more reason to ensure you are protected with individual health insurance.  With the new health care reform bill which recently passed in Congress, most Americans will be required to carry health insurance coverage which will help cover costs for such flu pandemics.

To recognize Veterans Day, State Farm Insurance is helping to say thank you to military members and their families according to the article found on reuters.com through PRNewswire sourced from State Farm.  State Farm, which offers State Farm health insurance, auto, and property insurance, will be donating $1 for every “thank you” sent on the newly launched website, ThanksforBeingThere.com.  The money will be donated to the Fisher House Foundation. 

The Fisher House Foundation is a military support organization which offers a helping hand to military families whose relatives are being treated at military or VA medical centers across the country as well as Germany.  They will be sending donations up to a total of $50,000. 

There are 43 Fisher Houses located on 18 military bases and 13 VA medical centers in the US.  Homes are operated by the Army, Navy, USAF, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Their main goal is to provide a home away from home for families struggling with a loved one who is injured or sick and seeking treatment.  In 2008, these homes saved military families over $12 million in lodging expenses, which is a huge relief, especially during these tough times. 

Go Blue Florida has helped many Florida residents find affordable health insurance.  At blueadvocacy.org you can learn a bit more about the program.  This product, which was designed to provide affordable access to health care, makes health insurance simpler for people in Florida.

Go Blue health insurance provides easier access to doctor visits, preventative dental care, and pharmacy services at competitive premiums.  Prices can be as low as $26/mos for a 25 year old.  Members have access to the Florida PPO network and protection against balance billing, which can be a huge relief for many.  Another excellent benefit is that no applicants are denied enrollment. 

Some other health care needs that are covered include prescription drugs, dental care and lab services.  They reimburse up to $50 toward each visit for qualified services.  As long as members pay their monthly premium they can receive benefits indefinitely.  This is a unique approach to ensuring more Florida residents are insured.  With the economy struggling and health care up for a possible major reform, it’s definitely good information to have. 

Nobody should have to worry about becoming ill from utilizing health care services (such as visiting their doctor etc. ) however that has been happening far too often.

Patients have been picking up infections, ranging from from pneumonia to antibiotic-resistant staph (MRSA), while under treatment for other medical issues, or even while just in the hospital having a baby.  This recurring problem can and should be completely avoidable.

These maladies cost the U. S. Health Care System an estimated $20 Billion annually, not to mention the other inherent concerns with these incidents.

Kimberly-Clark Health Care has made it a priority to address this concern and is on the forefront of protecting patients from Health care-Associated Infections (HAI).  They have developed a site dedicated to eliminating HAI called HAI Watch: Not on My Watch.  The site has information for both health care professionals and health care consumers.

You can visit the site at http://www.haiwatchnews.com/

A health care cooperative is a private, member-owned health plan that would serve states or regions.  The health care co-op that is being proposed by the senate finance committee, would have them governed by elected officials rather than by the Federal Government.

There are currently several health care co-ops in existence around the country, the most well known is probably Seattle based Group Health Insurance Cooperative with roughly 580,000 members.

Republicans like the idea of a co-op because it requires less government involvement.

Congress may be backing away from their idea of a public option only health insurance plan.  The New York Times reported earlier today that public health insurance may not be included in their plan at all according to Sheryl Gay Stolberg on the NY Time’s site. 

White House officals state that President Obama hasn’t fully put aside the idea of a government only plan, but the door has been opened.  The president still believes there is great value in having a purely government plan, but he views it as only a small piece of a broader goal.  Ultimately the initiative is to control costs, make coverage available to as many people as possible, and make health care a much more efficient program. 

President Obama envisions the public health insurance option as a flexible plan backed by the government where consumers can buy public or private individual health insurance based on what fits their needs most.  Over time the plan would be financially self sustaining and require no additional subsidies.  But there is fear that this would drive private insurers out of business over time.

According to the article “Immigrants soon to lose state health insurance” by Kay Lazar on boston.com 30,000 legal immigrants are receiving letters informing them that their Massachusetts health insurance which is subsidized by the state, will no longer be available after August 31.  It will be replaced by patchwork care until Massachusetts officials can determine a comprehensive plan for the critically sick.

It is still to be determined what type of coverage these immigrants will have available to them.  The interim plan only covers emergencies and a few other limited services.  This is leaving many worried as to what is going to happen when health care is needed by the affected group.  Immigrants will be receiving emergency health care in hospitals through the Health Safety Net and MassHealth Limited.

It’s very likely that coverage for routine and preventative care from their current physician will not be covered.  The federal government doesn’t help to pay for these 30,000 legal immigrants.  They are more expensive for the state to insure as they are not yet citizens.  Many states in the US have stopped covering immigrants in this category but Massachusetts has continued to cover this group for comprehensive care until now.

Blue Cross Blue Shield member plans initiatives to  increase access to affordable health insurance by the uninsured.

Part III.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (BCBSD) launched a suite of health plans called BlueIndividual.  The BlueIndividual health plans provide access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage to Delaware residents who are ineligible for employer sponsored health coverage.

There are three products in the BlueIndividual portfolio, and each one can be combined with a tax-advantaged HSA Plan.

More Information about Delaware Health Insurance.

J.D. Power and Associates rating of the top health plans for the South East Central region lists two health plans tied for the top spot for 2009 - Anthem Blue Cross Blue shield of Kentucky and BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama.

CIGNA & Humana finished close behind while still receiving designation as being among the nations best.

Aetna & Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee were rated as “about average” while  United HealthCare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi were rated below average.

According to an article on Emaxhealth.com by Hareyan, medical identity theft is related to health insurance.  Medical identity theft is when someone uses your name and information to obtain health insurance or they use your current policy to obtain treatment or prescriptions.  If there is false information placed in your medical records you could end up losing coverage or being denied when you apply for individual health insurance. 

It is very important to safeguard your medical identity to prevent this type of theft.  With health care costs increasing, medical identity theft is becoming more common, so protect yourself by following these tips:

1. Do not give your personal information to someone you did not call
2. Avoid using your social security number for identification unless it is required
3. Keep tabs on your health records and look for inconsistencies
4. Safeguard your health insurance card and know its location at all times

By following these simple precautions you decrease your risk of becoming a victim of medical identity theft.  Dealing with the repercussions of identity theft can last for years as databases are often slow to update.