Health Insurance And A Few Words Of Advice
You want the truth about health insurance, not just what some random person has said on the Internet. There are scores of self proclaimed experts out there, but you need to know the correct information and be assured that it is legitimate. You will most likely find exactly what you are looking for in this article.
Living in the suburbs can have a significant impact on health insurance savings. The cost of medical care is generally lower in areas of lower population. Dense populations tend to put a strain on the health care facilities available and thereby drive the cost up. Living in a suburban area can not only reduce the cost but also increase the quality of care
If you are employed at any job in the country, take full advantage of your employer's insurance policy. Because of the recently passed healthcare legislation, every employer now has to offer insurance to employees. It might be a bit costly, but it's far more affordable to go through your employer for coverage.
When you are thinking of getting health insurance, ensure you figure the costs and sit down and think about it. All the different parts to a policy like co-pays, premiums and deductibles can be confusing, so make sure that you understand it all before you purchase anything.
If you have health problems, be sure to shop around for your health insurance. Some insurance providers have more liberal medical guidelines when compared to their competitors. For example, some insurance companies allow a total cholesterol level of up to 270 to qualify for their cheapest policies, whereas other insurance companies specify a total cholesterol level of up to just 230.
When choosing a health insurance policy, look into the quality of the company. The company that holds your policy should be able to back it up. It is good to know if the company you have chosen will be around to take care of any claims you may have.
Learn the differences between HMO's, PPO's, and POS plans and determine what will be the best fit for your health needs. They all have benefits and negatives that will affect the way you pay for and use your insurance. HMO's require provide less flexibility but higher cost, PPO's give you more options however the fees can be pricey. A POS plan combines aspects of both HMO's and PPO's.
Make it a point to find out which prescriptions are covered by your health insurance. The list of covered prescriptions changes annually, so it is important to be certain that your medication is here still covered.
Pre-existing conditions like diabetes or heart disease may make it harder to find good coverage, so do your homework. There are many companies who won't give you coverage if you already had a medical condition before signing with them, or they will charge you signifcantly more. Start your research by reading the article below, and you'll be equipped to have the best health care experience that you can.
When you've decided on a plan, be very careful filling out your application. If you write anything that is dishonest, or if you make simple mistakes, the policy could become null and void or it could be denied. Slowly and carefully fill out your application. Don't wind up paying for silly mistakes.
If your health insurance coverage is about to expire, do not wait until the last minute to find a new one. Make sure that your new health insurance will start covering you as soon as your current policy expires. Do not go without coverage, even if it is only for a few days.
When shopping for health insurance, consider your need for maternity coverage. Maternity coverage is often expensive and leaving it off can save you thousands. Even if you are planning to add to your family, consider your desire to use a birth center or participate in a home birth. These options might not be covered by your policy, even with maternity coverage, so the extra premium paid may be wasted.
As mentioned above, health insurance is a great way to make sure you can afford to take care of your health. Health insurance itself can be expensive, though, and it can be difficult to understand at times. With the advice from this article you should be better prepared to make good decisions regarding your health insurance coverage!
The coronavirus pandemic could push telemedicine into the mainstream
Telemedicine has been around for more than two decades, but its adoption among Americans has been relatively low. The coronavirus pandemic is quickly changing that.
With millions of people around the country forced to stay home in lockdown and worried about potentially exposing themselves to the virus, many of them are turning to telemedicine companies' virtual consultation services. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people that contract the coronavirus only suffer mild illness and can recover without leaving their homes. Telemedicine companies are stepping in to give patients a chance to talk through their symptoms and decide if they need to be hospitalized.
CareClix, a virtual health platform based in Alexandria, VA, has more than 20 million users across the US and says it saw a 50% increase in usage in March. Zipnosis, another telemedicine company based in Minneapolis, reported a 3,600% increase in virtual visits on its platform over an 11-day period last month.
"Unfortunately, it's taken some pretty extraordinary circumstances, but I think this will be a watershed moment for the industry," Zipnosis CEO Jon Pearce told CNN Business. "Certainly in the past few weeks with Covid, I think people's desire to have trusted advice from medical providers is just gone through the roof ... and that's what we can facilitate in a very fast fashion. And more importantly, we can facilitate that without leaving your home."
Both companies have different approaches to telemedicine.
CareClix, founded in 2012, connects patients to doctors through an on-demand video platform that attempts to recreate the in-person experience in a virtual setting — similar to chatting with your doctor on FaceTime.
"We really try to mimic what's done in brick and mortar," said CareClix co-founder and CEO John Korangy. "From the user's perspective for the patient and... the doctor, they're not doing anything different than they would if you came and saw me face to face. The only thing different is now we have a monitor in between us."
While CareClix's technology is used by hospital networks and healthcare providers around the US, the company also has an internal team of doctors that can provide remote services to patients.
Zipnosis, on the other hand, operates in what is known as asynchronous care — where the doctor and patient don't need to be in the same place (even virtually) at the same time. The company, founded over a decade ago, has users fill out a virtual questionnaire through a chatbot-like tool that packages their responses for a doctor to review and diagnose. Zipnosis claims this can dramatically speed up the process, allowing doctors to make a diagnosis in an average of 89 seconds.
"Instead of talking to a doctor over video, you would answer a series of yes [or] no questions," Pearce said, "the same questions they would be asking you in real life when instead of doing that, we have a really smart computer system do it."
Telemedicine has its limitations — some complex diagnoses and treatment may require in-person interactions. If a patient appears particularly sick, telemedicine companies will recommend they go to a clinic or hospital. But the technology can play an important role in easing some of the initial load from walk-ins, particularly as the global pandemic places strain on the healthcare system and makes people nervous about being exposed to the virus.
"What's happening is that people are worried," said Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the American Telemedicine Association, a non-profit organization focused on increasing the adoption of virtual health technologies. "People don't know really what to do, where to go, whether or not they should get a test for the virus. And so the hospitals are really deeply concerned about managing exposure."
CareClix has begun offering free Covid-19 evaluations to its users, while over 40% of health care providers that use Zipnosis's technology are also offering free screenings.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/27/tech/telemedicine-coronavirus-wellness/index.html