The 2011 Census showed that more than 48.6 million Americans were uninsured during the whole year, compared to 49.9 million in 2010. While this may seem like a relatively insignificant drop in the number of uninsured individuals, it is the lowest level since 1999. Nevertheless, this still means that as …
Why You Should Consider Long Term Care Insurance
People are living longer than ever these days. Unfortunately, they are not always able to take care of themselves throughout their entire life. Often people either outlive their spouse, or no longer have family around when they get to the point that they can’t take care of themselves anymore. Long …
What You Should Know About HIPAA When You Change Insurance
HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is the federal law that protects your personal health information and limits who has access to it. Your healthcare provider, as well as your health insurance plan, must abide by these rules. HIPAA covers conversations with your doctor, anything written …
How to Choose an Independent Insurance Agent in California
When you need to find your own health insurance in California, it can be hard to know where to turn. Many people have no experience purchasing individual health insurance plans. But if you are no longer covered by your employer, have started your own business, or you are working on …
How Health Information Exchanges Improve Patient Care
Health information exchanges are systems that allow the sharing of data electronically across healthcare organizations. They enable physician’s offices, hospitals, laboratories and other facilities within a community, hospital system or region to exchange vital patient data. This kind of information sharing offers many benefits—for example, HIE systems allow for quicker …
What Is a Medigap Policy and What Does it Cover?
Medigap policies (also called Medicare Supplement Insurance) are health insurance plans designed to fill in the “gaps” of Original Medicare, such as copayment and deductible charges. It is important to note that Medigap is not a Medicare Advantage Plan. Medicare Advantage Plans, such as those offered through Anthem Blue Cross, …
Timeline of Changes under New Healthcare Law
Under the Affordable Care Act enacted in 2010, dozens of changes to the healthcare system have already gone into effect. Among these changes was the inclusion of provisions for free preventive care services on or after September 23, 2010, which includes mammograms and colonoscopies. Effective January 1, 2011 the law …
Patients with Health Insurance More Likely to Seek Preventive Care
It is undeniable that preventive care measures like diabetes and blood pressure screenings are vital services. The sad reality is that individuals and families without health insurance in California and nationwide are much less likely to obtain these vital services. Individuals can help prevent the onset of diseases like diabetes …
Oral Health Issues Can Indicate Serious Health Problems
Many people avoid seeing the dentist, especially those who don’t have dental insurance. Others are simply afraid of the disconcerting nature of having work done in the dentist’s chair. But skipping dental visits is a bad idea, especially in light of evidence that oral health problems can indicate more serious …
Many Preventive Services Covered Free by Original Medicare
If you have original Medicare you may be eligible for some preventive services free, under the Affordable Care Act. In addition to a “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit during the first 12 months of Part B coverage, Medicare also offers tobacco use cessation counseling and annual wellness visits to help …