The Pain Center of Arizona has opened up another center to help patients suffering from chronic pain.  The center is in the Valley location and is another location patients can visit the more premier pain clinic in the state.  The resident physician at the clinic will be Dr. Ramoun Jones assisted by Todd McMurdie, Physicians Assistant.  This team will be working together to bring as much pain management as they can to their patients.

The procedure center is state-of-the-art and offering a wide array of options for patients.  Dr. Jones will be taking special care of his patients and performing pain procedures and seeing patients for office visits in new exam rooms that have been designed with comfort in mind.  All of the Pain Center of Arizona locations have a focus on multi-disciplinary pain medicine while prioritizing treating each patient as an individual with their own set of needs.

The Pain Center of Arizona is known for their high quality of care.  It is a collective group of some of the best pain management doctors in the state of Arizona.  Pain clinics are a crucial part of health care since they give patients hope for a more comfortable future.  Many of the pain management specialists have been trained at some of the best institutions in the nation.  Pain centers are such an important part of the healing process since it helps patients get back to life so it’s great to hear more centers are being opened.

Written by Sam Tabes

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Not all health insurance companies offer a comprehensive dental program, but consumers find this to be a valuable asset.  Dental health is extremely important and often overlooked in the health care industry.  Human health insurance recognizes the importance of dental health care which encouraged them to launch their HumanaOne Dental Loyalty Plus Plan.

The HumanaOne Dental Loyalty Plus Plan is marketed towards individuals including retirees, self-employed business owners, and employees who do not have a dental plan available at work.  The article on Business First by Ed Green talks about some of the highlights of the new plan.  Their dental program offers incentives for consumers who remain loyal to the plan for a certain number of years.  Dental coverage actually increases the second and third years of the dental plan until a maximum amount is reached.  This is an innovative way to encourage their customers to stick with their plan.

Other perks of this new dental plan include no co-payments or co-insurance premiums for most preventative services and it pays up to 70% of the cost of basic dental care in addition to about 50% of more advanced care after the first three years.  I am pleased to see more and more insurance companies stress the importance of good oral health through offering good quality dental plans.  Considering more research is coming out showing a link between oral health and overall health, you would hope more health care providers will make dental care a priority for their customers.

Written by Sam Tabes

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Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Florida has opened a new Tallahassee center for their customers.  With this opening, BCBSFL will have eight facilities in the state based on the news article from ABC 27 in Florida.  The new facility is located on Apalachee Parkway and the community should benefit from the new jobs to help strengthen the local economy.

The mayor of the city, John Marks, sees great potential for the facility which had a ribbon cutting ceremony with local leaders.  He’s encouraged by the new buildings and the growth of new jobs.  More business for everyone is good for the community and he looks forward to the continued growth.

Jobs are a hot topic throughout the nation and it’s no different in Florida.  The Chairman and CEO of Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Florida claims workers are already moving into the facility and they intend on hiring people in the local community.  Currently, Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Florida has about seven million customers.

Written by Sam Tabes

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As previously mentioned, many states are working towards health insurance exchanges in response to health care reform.  Colorado specifically has a plan in place to incorporate an effective exchange.  The state started their exchange process back in 2006 with the appointment of a Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform.

By 2008, they had recommended a ‘connector’ similar to an Exchange.  Once the federal government passed health care reform, Colorado started working with the state legislatures to host public meetings about the Exchange.  In June 2011, the State legislature passed a bipartisan bill to establish the independent Colorado Health Insurance Exchange.

A 12-member Exchange Board was set up and an executive director was put in place by July of 2011.  $18 million in grant support was approved in December and they are well on their way to creating the Exchange the federal government has in mind.

Written by Sam Tabes

Each state has their own structure for providing health insurance to children.  There are many updates throughout the nation for 2012, and it’s important you know how you may be affected if your child needs health insurance protection.  ”Child-only” plans are individual policies which are offered to children 18 and under with no guardian listed on the same policy.

Many health insurers have stopped offering these types of plans, partially due to the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Car Act which prevents the insurers from declining applications due to pre-existing conditions.  Insurers are worried parents will wait until a child gets sick before they start applying for health insurance coverage.  This could be disastrous financially for many insurers.

With this said, some states and health insurers have designated open enrollment periods for child-only plans as a possible solution according to the press release from eHealthInsurance found on Yahoo Finance.  These specific enrollment periods give parents and guardians a window of opportunity to enroll their child in their own individual health insurance plans and they will not be turned down due to pre-existing conditions.  Yahoo Finance offers a state by state summary which represents a brief overview of current rules and regulations by state.

As an example, Arkansas has availability of child-only plans and enrollment periods vary from insurer to insurer.  This differs from Maine where child-only health insurance policies are available throughout the entire year.  Some states, such as Iowa, have specific enrollment periods.  Iowa residents can enroll their children from July 1 through August 14, 2012.  Utah is an example of a state that requires a certificate of insurability which can be obtained by applying and being declined for the state’s high-risk pool.  As you can see, each state has a slightly different system in place, so be sure to look up how your state is handling child-only health insurance plans.

Written by Sam Tabes

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It’s been about two years since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act and got America’s health care reform underway.  A lot has taken place, despite a good amount of opposition and resistance.  At this point, 47 states are part of the new premium rate review system where insurance companies need to justify the rationale for insurance premium increases that are in the double digits.  About half of the country is working towards establishing their own Affordable Insurance Exchange which is an important part of the new law that needs to be structured.

In order for health care reform to truly be successful, cooperation is necessary. The Affordable Insurance Exchange aspect of reform is crucial.  They are one-stop marketplaces where America’s consumers can choose a health insurer plan that meets their individual needs.  Exchanges will choose health plans qualified to offer coverage, provide consumer help, include shopping and enrollment, as well as coordinate eligibility for the Exchange.  The Act aims to give states more power by setting up their own Exchanges if they choose to do so.  The WhiteHouse.gov website says the Department of Health and Human Services awarded $49 million to 48 states and the District of Columbia to start planning activities.

The site has done a great job of summarizing the actions states have taken towards establishing Exchanges and gives examples of some of the actions and planning meetings taking place throughout the nation.  They offer a snapshot of ten states and their progress.  They didn’t necessarily profile the states that are the furthest along, but rather they show some of the diverse approaches being taken towards progress.  It’s an informative look at what’s really going on with health care reform at this point in time.

Written by Sam Tabes

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Alaska is looking to spend a surprising $200k per year for each high risk pool member based on Kaiser Health News article by Phil Galewitz.  Alaska is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States and these increased costs apply to health care as well.  High risk pools are being set up under the federal government to assist uninsured individuals who have pre-existing conditions.  Alaska expects to spend $10 million this year to include about 50 members which equates to around $200,ooo per person.

Cecil Bykerk, executive director of the Alaska Comprehensive Insurance Association, which is running this pool, points out how expensive Alaska health care is, and although there’s a small number of people, the average cost of a claim is higher than expected.  The high risk pool appeals all types of high risk patients including pregnant women, and children who need heart transplants.  The costs far outweigh the original allocation of $13 million from the government under the pre-existing condition insurance plan.

Alaska is one of nine states to need additional funding and hopefully it will all work out since New Hampshire and California have already received more money.  Alaska has already spent $4.5 million since the pool started in September of 2010.  In December, Alaska asked for more money to avoid running out of funds before the plan ends in 2014.  According to Bykerk, Alaska officials are still awaiting a decision on whether or not their needs will be fulfilled.

Written by Sam Tabes

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A new individual health insurance plan is available from Highmark called the Simple Blue PPO plan.  This plan goes into effect on February 1, and the the article on IFAWEBNEWS.com by Bob Graham says the plan is geared towards being simple, affordable and predictable.  The health insurance coverage aims to have lower premiums and lower deductibles with a more predictable copayment structure.

Highmark is based in Pittsburgh and serves western and central Pennsylvania.  Their new Simply Blue PPO plan is medically underwritten and targets individuals without group coverage and covers all preventative care services.  Steven Nelson, senior vice president of health services strategy, product, and marketing at Highmark, says they listened to members’ feedback to come up with a more affordable plan without a large upfront deductible.  They are trying to meet the needs of their customers and future customers.

At this point, the plan does not offer maternity health insurance, so if this is a valuable benefit to you, the plan might not work out.  The program uses Highmark’s Progressive Formulary which is a new generic prescription drug plan that works with members to seek lower cost drug options but still continuing access to brand name prescriptions.  Premiums for the plan start as low as $90 per month with a $500 deductible for males between the ages of 25-29.  Simply Blue will be offered in 29 counties in Western Pennsylvania and should prove to meet the needs of many customers.

Written by Sam Tabes

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There has been a lot of talk in Congress about raising the eligibility age on Medicare to age 67 to save costs.  This has been talked about for years, but it faces a lot of opposition in Congress.  According to the article “Raising Medicare Age Would Save $148 Billion, CBO Says” by Meghan McCarthy and Katy O’Donnell on National Journal, the Congressional Budget Office recently lowered how much the government would actually save.

Previously, the CBO stated there would be a savings of $162 billion, but this did not factor in the premiums lost from seniors paying into the program.  A CBO official stated that a senator requested the new analysis of increasing the Medicare and Social Security eligibility ages to clarify savings.  Many think that these savings are not significant enough to warrant changing the age.  The savings may not affect the deficit, but it could create funds to create the “doc fix”, which is a permanent solution for a temporary pay raise Congress would legislate for Medicare doctors on a yearly basis.

The CBO estimates that raising the Medicare age could drop federal Medicare outlays, net of premiums, and other offsetting expenses by $148 billion from 2012 through 2021.  The agency put out a very detailed report outlining how this will be accomplished.  President Obama supports increasing the age, but faces a lot of opposition from other Congressional members.  It’s definitely not all bad news for seniors who may miss out on some Medicare benefits.  People from 65-67 who have to find private health insurance could find that they have better access to doctors than they may under Medicare.  Time will tell as usual.

Written by Sam Tabes

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Quality health insurance for individuals in South Carolina can be challenging to find, but Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina is putting an invigorated effort towards quality and wellness for residents.  According to the news release on the BCBSSC website, many South Carolina residents find that the rising costs of medical care threaten their access to high-quality care.  They recognize that these tough times need a company to focus on creativity, collaboration and community involvements.

US health care costs currently exceed about 17% of GDP based on reviews done by Harvard economist Michael Porter.  This large number hurts our country on many levels.  Inability to pay for health care is often cited as one of the biggest reasons individuals file for bankruptcy.  As health care reform strives to fix the system’s problems, insurance companies need to work with the health care system to make costs more affordable now.  BlueCross is engaged in multiple efforts to make health care more affordable for all Americans.

BlueCross is proud of their efforts to help today’s health care recipients.  They are linking provider payments to coordinated high-quality health care delivery.  They hope this plan will shift the health care system’s focus on wellness, instead of illness.  Early intervention to disease is very important and in addition to this, the model aims to integrate improved health care services, with an extra focus on those with chronic conditions.  It links provider reimbursement with patient outcomes that are positive and rewarding.  Hospitals and physicians across the state are working towards these goals, hoping they will have a major impact on health care costs.

Written by Sam Tabes

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