Protect Your Health With Health Insurance: Advice And Tips
Health insurance seems to be getting more and more expensive. However, it sure is nice to have in case an accident or other unforeseen event happens. No doubt, you need to stay well informed. This article can provide you with some helpful ideas regarding health insurance, read on:
When considering a health care insurance plan from your employer, be weary of certain incentive based plans that attempt to lure you. These may seem attractive at first, but there may be hidden costs or loss of previous benefits. Always read the contract thoroughly and do not be afraid to ask questions about anything you are uncertain about.
To save money on health insurance, one strategy is to pool your resources with a group of people. Doing so lets employers offer cheaper insurance to their employees. If you're on your own, you may be able to take advantage of these savings by forming your own group or joining an existing one.
When purchasing health insurance make sure that the underwriting terms of the insurance policy meet your requirements. Many health insurance provides now exclude all pre-existing medical conditions. Make sure that you fully understand the financial and health implications of this restriction when considering whether the health insurance policy is suitable for you.
Use health insurance to pay less on taxes! There are many people who don't know that any health insurance premiums you pay can be deducted from your taxes. Any money you pay for your deductible, co-pay, or even prescriptions are claimable as well. Federal and state taxes are different, so it's best to check the guidelines.
Take out insurance to protect yourself against financial ruin. Health insurance should be one of the highest financial priority on your list. Health problems are always a possibility and if health concerns arise, the cost of hospital bills alone could easily bankrupt someone who does not have health insurance.
Before any major procedures, confirm if you need to get pre-authorization from your insurance company and make sure they check on every aspect of your procedure. Stories about of people receiving large bills because the anesthesiologist was out of network, or that you needed to try a different medical option before going for a surgery. Save yourself the headache and get everything in writing before heading in to the hospital.
When considering your health insurance options, look at the reputation and security of each company. If a company lacks in reputation, or is not secure, they might not be able to pay for claims submitted. A company that cannot pay your claims isn't worth a dime. So even if they are the cheapest option, they might not be the best.
You need to get health insurance so that you are protected, in case anything happens. If you do not have health insurance and break an arm, you will have to pay for the medical bills, out of pocket. A visit to the emergency room can cost over $10,000. Most people cannot afford such a hefty bill and end up in extreme financial straits because they did not have health insurance.
Don't take the default health insurance plan your employer provides, instead look at all the options that are offered to you and choose the one which best fits your family's needs. Compare what you here could get by signing up for private insurance with the offerings you're given at open enrollment time - it's possible you could find a better plan on your own!
When filling out your enrollment form, do not leave any information out. Keep a copy of this form so that you know exactly what you sent to the insurance company and can contest their decision of rate if necessary. If your insurance company finds a mistake on your enrollment form, they could cancel your policy.
Think twice before purchasing a supplemental policy, such as cancer insurance. Often the benefits from your cancer policy will go unused because your primary insurance policy already has you covered. In addition, most supplemental policies have very strict guidelines and limitations with regards to how they can be used.
While the decision to purchase a specific kind of health insurance often comes down to what one can afford, other considerations are important because the entire purchase of insurance is based on the possibility that an individual will need expensive medical care. This article has given you the information to make an informative decision. Take your time to digest and you will make right choice.
Telehealth changing care from outer space to local clinics
A coach for the Detroit Red Wings hockey team beams an ultrasound image of a player's ankle from the locker room to a nearby hospital. Doctors diagnose a fracture.
A similar ultrasound device, miles above on the international space station, peers into astronauts' chests and examines how their lungs weathered a recent spacewalk.
Welcome to the world of telehealth. Those examples are a few from the field, more narrowly defined as telemedicine. Telehealth uses digital technology to project a doctor's presence in places as different as rural Kansas and outer space, without the patient ever stepping into a physician's office.
Telehealth made a shaky debut in the early 1990s, when high costs, regulatory barriers and plodding Internet speeds hampered its acceptance. But today, improved technology and falling costs have made innovations like videoconferencing, home medical monitoring and digital records available to more Americans.
It has even become a White House priority.
"The 21st century health care system is using a 19th century paperwork system," President Bush said during an address last month in Baltimore.
Bush cited the subject in his State of the Union address this year, asking Congress for $100 million to improve health care information technology. A presidential committee has said it will release a report in June recommending that federal agencies make it an integral part of the nation's health care planning.
Interest in better medical oversight has spiked since a federal study in 1999 estimated that 98,000 people die annually from medical errors that occur in hospitals -- some of which could be prevented by computerized systems to check prescriptions, monitor drug interactions and offer better access to records.
"Patients will be the greatest winners," said Jeffrey Dunbar, who founded a telemedicine firm in the mid-1990s and now works for Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. "The technology has come a great way ... We have taken a quantum leap in the past five years."
https://edition.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/05/10/tele.health.final/index.html
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZiSk2MOF17UdugnGNqOAojsLDrM0Qu-pLwshdGqch_M/edit?usp=sharing