For the first time, you'll have to state on your taxes whether you had health insurance, through an employer, one of the exchanges or purchased privately.
Reported by nola.com 18 hours ago.
IRS to ask about health insurance coverage on tax forms this year
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Health insurance paperwork wastes $375 billion
Health insurance paperwork wastes $375 billion
Reported by ajc.com 18 hours ago.
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Exposure to US healthcare system leaves British expats appalled, baffled and enraged
Scottish-born David Gray, a creative director based in Brooklyn, was “doubled-up coughing in the snow” when he fell out of love with the US healthcare system. Gray, on his employer-provided health insurance, needed a US doctor for a checkup. A colleague recommended a doctor’s office housed in “a rea...
Reported by Raw Story 17 hours ago.
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Aetna CEO Asked Execs To Read Piketty, Then Gave His Lowest-Paid Workers A Raise
One CEO has taken a step that could help fend off Thomas Piketty's nightmare vision of rising wealth inequality: He's giving thousands of his workers a raise.
Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini announced on Monday that the health-insurance company will be raising wages for its lowest-paid employees. Starting in April, the minimum hourly base pay for Aetna's American workers will be $16 an hour, according to a company press release.
The 5,700 workers affected by the change will see an average pay raise of about 11 percent. The lowest-paid workers, who currently make $12 an hour, will get a 33-percent raise.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Bertolini recently requested that Aetna executives read Capital In The Twenty-First Century, by the French economist Piketty. The book, which has been hailed as the "most important book of the twenty-first century," warns that the gap between the haves and the have-nots is heading toward Gilded Age levels of inequality and calls on the world's largest economies to fix the problem.
The U.S. government, which last raised the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour in 2009, has not exactly scrambled to respond. Aetna's move is one way companies could help close the gap.
“It’s not just about paying people, it’s about the whole social compact,” Bertolini told the Journal. “Why can’t private industry step forward and make the innovative decisions on how to do this?”
Other factors may have influenced Aetna's decision to boost pay. The Affordable Care Act is helping millions of Americans get insured, which means insurance companies have to beef up their consumer services to stay competitive.
“Health care decisions are increasingly consumer driven," Bertolini said in a statement emailed to The Huffington Post. "We are making an investment in the future of health-care service."
The job market is healing, as well, which should eventually push wages higher. Last month capped the best year for hiring since 1999, as the unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent. That said, even though the job market has improved, wages have been slow to grow.
Still, some large employers, including Aetna, Starbucks and the Gap, have raised wages in the past year. Reported by Huffington Post 18 hours ago.
Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini announced on Monday that the health-insurance company will be raising wages for its lowest-paid employees. Starting in April, the minimum hourly base pay for Aetna's American workers will be $16 an hour, according to a company press release.
The 5,700 workers affected by the change will see an average pay raise of about 11 percent. The lowest-paid workers, who currently make $12 an hour, will get a 33-percent raise.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Bertolini recently requested that Aetna executives read Capital In The Twenty-First Century, by the French economist Piketty. The book, which has been hailed as the "most important book of the twenty-first century," warns that the gap between the haves and the have-nots is heading toward Gilded Age levels of inequality and calls on the world's largest economies to fix the problem.
The U.S. government, which last raised the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour in 2009, has not exactly scrambled to respond. Aetna's move is one way companies could help close the gap.
“It’s not just about paying people, it’s about the whole social compact,” Bertolini told the Journal. “Why can’t private industry step forward and make the innovative decisions on how to do this?”
Other factors may have influenced Aetna's decision to boost pay. The Affordable Care Act is helping millions of Americans get insured, which means insurance companies have to beef up their consumer services to stay competitive.
“Health care decisions are increasingly consumer driven," Bertolini said in a statement emailed to The Huffington Post. "We are making an investment in the future of health-care service."
The job market is healing, as well, which should eventually push wages higher. Last month capped the best year for hiring since 1999, as the unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent. That said, even though the job market has improved, wages have been slow to grow.
Still, some large employers, including Aetna, Starbucks and the Gap, have raised wages in the past year. Reported by Huffington Post 18 hours ago.
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What Are My Alternatives To Affordable Care Act Health Insurance?
The ACA aimed to make health care affordable for all Americans. But for those who fall into the “coverage gap,” options seem scarce and health care still seems too costly.
Reported by Forbes.com 17 hours ago.
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What are my alternatives to Affordable Care Act health insurance?
What are my alternatives to Affordable Care Act health insurance?
Reported by ajc.com 17 hours ago.
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The US Hasn't "Decoupled" And There Ain’t No Giant "Oil Tax Cut"
Submitted by David Stockman via Contra Corner blog,The buy-the-dip crowd went on a rampage last Thursday, lifting the Dow by 300 points in the first hour of trading. So doing, it got the stock averages back into the green for 2015—-thereby making short shrift of another 4-5% “dip” at the turn of the year.
But don’t think we are off to the races once again. This year may be different, finally
*Indeed, this time the Wall Street touts have got the narrative so dead wrong that the day-traders and robo machines who track them are likely to be smacked-down on the dips over and over—– until there are no more dips left, only an honest-to-goodness plunge.*
*The false narrative is an old standby that is usually revived when worrisome clouds form on the global horizon. Namely, that the US economy has “decoupled” from the troubles brewing abroad; and that this time the collapse of crude oil amounts to a giant “tax cut” that will send US consumers into a frenzy of new spending, thereby fueling a surge of hiring, income and growth.*
*Nice theory—but it’s not going to happen.* In the first place, the plunge in oil prices is not a “tax cut” and its doesn’t put a dime into the pockets of any consumer. That whole notion is just one more example of ritual incantation—–a baseless repetitive refrain that flows from Keynesian doctrine and Wall Street bullhorns.
*What will happen is that total “spending” in the US economy will be reallocated, not increased.* And now that net petroleum imports have dropped to a 40 year low, the math is pretty straight forward; and its not indicative of a windfall boon to the domestic economy, at all.
At the present time, total US petroleum product consumption—including gasoline, heating oil, jet fuel, chemical feedstocks and the rest of the refinery slate—is about 19 million barrels/day or just about 7 billion barrels annually. Assuming we get an average $60 per barrel price reduction in 2015—from the previous $100 trend to about $40—-the indicated annualized “savings” is about $420 billion.
Yes, that’s something. It amounts to about 2.3% of GDP and 3.5% of personal consumption expenditures (PCE). But net imports in the most recent month (November) were only 5.1 million bbls/day, meaning that fully 14 million bbls/day was accounted for by domestic crude oil, condensates, NGLs and refinery gains. So the domestic revenue hit at $60 per barrel will amount to a thumping $300 billion.
Now the net gain to the US economy of the $120 billion difference is nothing to sneeze at—even if it does amount to only 1% of the current $12 trillion of PCE. Yet even that is not all that meets the eye.
In the first place, net oil imports are virtually certain to continuing falling in 2015—notwithstanding lower prices to domestic producers. That is owing to the “sunk capital” phenomenon, which is especially true in the capital intensive petroleum industry, and especially in the shale patch. Based on fields already opened, production infrastructure in place and wells already drilled, shale oil production is likely to continue rising this year—- along with condensates and NGLs from the wet gas fields.
*Stated differently, what will be hit hard in the short-run is oilfield investment spending on drilling rigs, supplies, crews and new acreage leases.* The multiplier from that will hit restaurants, bars, car dealers and strip malls in Bakken,Eagle Ford and the five big oil states generally— long before daily production peaks and begins to roll-over owing to the steep decline curves on fracked wells.
As is by now well known, all the net gain in US payroll jobs since January 2008 have been attributable to the five shale states. Now, perforce, begins the great unwind.
This prospect marks a sharp change from the oil price plunge at the time of the 2008 financial crisis. Back then, net imports totaled 11 million bbls/day and accounted for nearly 60% of domestic consumption. Accordingly, if the oil price collapse last time was mainly “off-shored”, this time it will be predominately “on-shored”. Due to the lagged impact of price reduction on current domestic production, net petroleum imports are likely to fall under 5 million barrels per day this year, or to approximately the 1972 level.
In all, the net benefit to the US economy—-even on a crude first order basis—is likely to be less than $100 billion per year. Moreover, some of that re-allocated spending will go to imports of goods and services, reducing the mathematical net gain even more. After all, net imports on the current account amount to nearly 15% of GDP; and the overwhelming share of “stuff” that might benefit from spending reallocation—-shoes, shirts, i-Pads,furniture, flat-screen TVs and all the other trinkets sold at Wal-Mart—- still come from China and its satellites.
*But there is something else. Even the modest recovery in personal consumption spending over the last five year has been disproportionately attributable to the top 20% of households; the customers of Macy’s and Nordstrom’s.*
The rest of the main street households have experienced virtually no real wage gains and are still underwater or nearly so on their mortgages and have maxed out their credit cards. They have also already bought new cars on cheap credit at more than 100% LTV ratios and are facing sharp increases in the cost of employer provided or Obamacare health insurance. Most crucially, upwards of three-fourths of the bottom 80% of households don’t have even $500 of cash savings for a rainy day.
So its just possible that the Keynesian economists and their Wall Street fellow travelers have called for a consumption party that few American will join. Indeed, the chart below should be an ever-lasting rebuke to the Wall Street touts peddling the “oil tax cut”.
The household savings rate is again at rock bottom following a temporary uptick after the last crisis. It just might be that the $2 per day savings on gasoline now accruing to the 80% will end up in the piggy-bank, not cash registers at the strip mall.
In any event, the $300 billion net decline in cash flow to the domestic petroleum industry is certain to take a deep toll on the bloated level of capital spending and jobs that has resulted from more than a decade of rampant money printing by the Fed and other central banks on a worldwide basis.
The global commodity, industrial and construction boom that resulted from this monetary madness is already cooling visibly and relentlessly by the day. $30 oil and $30 (per ton) iron ore are already realistic possibilities. And those indicators are only the leading edge of an era of worldwide deflation of profits, investment, trade and debt fueled consumption.
The touts have it backwards. *This isn’t about greeters at Wal-Mart handing out tax cuts to hard-pressed American consumers.* Its about the coming liquidation of the massive malinvestments and bloated economies that have been enabled by rampant central bank money printing and the resulting madcap expansion of unrepayable debt.
Buying-the-dip was always a strategy that would work until it didn’t. *The “oil tax cut” tale is designed to ensure that Wall Street’s Muppets will be the last to get the word.* Reported by Zero Hedge 16 hours ago.
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New Obamacare enrollments in California top 217,000
California's health insurance exchange said 217,146 people have newly signed up for Obamacare coverage after nearly two months of open enrollment.
Reported by L.A. Times 15 hours ago.
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United Benefit Advisors Reveals 2014 Industry Trends Among Employer Sponsored Health Plans
Survey finds public employees still most costly to insure yet contribute 45% less than the average employee and nearly 40% less than two years ago
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) January 13, 2015
New survey data from the 2014 United Benefit Advisors Health Plan Survey, the nation's largest health plan survey of nearly 10,000 employers, reveals differences among employer sponsored health plans across various industries, looking specifically at employer cost versus employee contribution.
UBA, the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, finds that the average total cost per employee in 2014 was $9,504, of which the average employer cost was $6,276 and average employee contribution, $3,228.
Government (Public Administration) health insurance plans have the highest average cost per employee at $11,329 (17.5% higher than average), with the lowest employee contribution of $2,040, which is 45% less than the average employee. Surprisingly, this already low contribution is an astounding 39.7% lower than two years ago when public employees contributed $3,051.
“The government sector historically has provided generous employee benefits,” says Les McPhearson, CEO of UBA. “The risk that taxpayers face is the forthcoming ‘Cadillac Tax’ if public employers can't get their health care costs under the $10,200 premium threshold. The Cadillac Tax is hefty – a non-deductible 40% excise tax on the excess benefit – which would increase the average cost per employee.”
Employer cost per employee for the manufacturing, health care, construction, retail, and hospitality services sectors are all 4% to 8% lower than the overall industry average costs, making employees in these industries the least expensive to cover. Employees in the construction industry are one of the least expensive for employers to cover at $5,373 per employee, but contribute the most toward their health benefits paying $3,620, approximately 11% higher than the average.
“The construction industry tends to be made up of young, single males who value higher hourly wages over health benefits,” says Josh Budke, employee benefits advisor with TrueNorth Companies, LLC, a UBA Partner Firm. “Even ‘free’ benefits with no copays, like wellness exams and physicals, don’t get utilized in this industry as much as in others, which leads to a lower cost and higher benefit contribution.”
“In the past, a significant percentage of the employees in the construction and food services industries, many of whom are young, did not value a health plan as part of their compensation package,” says Scott Niederbrach, Principal, Cherry Creek Benefits, a UBA Partner Firm. “Employers responded by not including them and building a business in a relatively small margin industry without the health plan in the business formula. Now that PPACA [the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] requires the offering of a health plan to avoid the shared responsibility penalty, the employer is crafting a health plan offering that pegs the price of the plan close to the threshold of the definition of affordability under the regulations. The young demographic of these employees would be expected to lead to a lower health plan cost.”
For further details about industry trends among employer sponsored health plans, download a copy of the 2014 UBA Health Plan Survey Executive Summary at http://bit.ly/15OtisN or contact Carina Sammartino at csammartino@fishervista.com.
ABOUT THE UBA HEALTH PLAN SURVEY
Data in the 2014 UBA Health Plan Survey is based on responses from 9,950 employers sponsoring 16,467 health plans nationwide. The survey's focus is intended to provide a current snapshot of the nation's employers rather than covered employees. Results are applicable to the small to midsize market that makes up a majority of American businesses, as well as to larger employers, providing benchmarking data on a more detailed level than any other survey.
The 2014 UBA Health Plan Survey offers more than national data and UBA recommends that employers benchmark with local data, which is more effective when adjusting plan design, negotiating rates, and communicating value to employees.
Contact a UBA Partner Firm for a customized benchmark survey based on industry, region and business size.
ABOUT UNITED BENEFIT ADVISORS
United Benefit Advisors is the nation's leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. As trusted and knowledgeable advisors, UBA Partners collaborate with more than 2,000 fellow professionals to deliver expertise, thought leadership and best-in-class solutions that positively impact employers and make a real difference in the lives of their employees and families. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit UBA online at http://www.UBAbenefits.com.
© 2015 United Benefit Advisors. All related trademarks, logos and trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and other countries and may not be used without permission. All other names are property of their respective owners. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) January 13, 2015
New survey data from the 2014 United Benefit Advisors Health Plan Survey, the nation's largest health plan survey of nearly 10,000 employers, reveals differences among employer sponsored health plans across various industries, looking specifically at employer cost versus employee contribution.
UBA, the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, finds that the average total cost per employee in 2014 was $9,504, of which the average employer cost was $6,276 and average employee contribution, $3,228.
Government (Public Administration) health insurance plans have the highest average cost per employee at $11,329 (17.5% higher than average), with the lowest employee contribution of $2,040, which is 45% less than the average employee. Surprisingly, this already low contribution is an astounding 39.7% lower than two years ago when public employees contributed $3,051.
“The government sector historically has provided generous employee benefits,” says Les McPhearson, CEO of UBA. “The risk that taxpayers face is the forthcoming ‘Cadillac Tax’ if public employers can't get their health care costs under the $10,200 premium threshold. The Cadillac Tax is hefty – a non-deductible 40% excise tax on the excess benefit – which would increase the average cost per employee.”
Employer cost per employee for the manufacturing, health care, construction, retail, and hospitality services sectors are all 4% to 8% lower than the overall industry average costs, making employees in these industries the least expensive to cover. Employees in the construction industry are one of the least expensive for employers to cover at $5,373 per employee, but contribute the most toward their health benefits paying $3,620, approximately 11% higher than the average.
“The construction industry tends to be made up of young, single males who value higher hourly wages over health benefits,” says Josh Budke, employee benefits advisor with TrueNorth Companies, LLC, a UBA Partner Firm. “Even ‘free’ benefits with no copays, like wellness exams and physicals, don’t get utilized in this industry as much as in others, which leads to a lower cost and higher benefit contribution.”
“In the past, a significant percentage of the employees in the construction and food services industries, many of whom are young, did not value a health plan as part of their compensation package,” says Scott Niederbrach, Principal, Cherry Creek Benefits, a UBA Partner Firm. “Employers responded by not including them and building a business in a relatively small margin industry without the health plan in the business formula. Now that PPACA [the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] requires the offering of a health plan to avoid the shared responsibility penalty, the employer is crafting a health plan offering that pegs the price of the plan close to the threshold of the definition of affordability under the regulations. The young demographic of these employees would be expected to lead to a lower health plan cost.”
For further details about industry trends among employer sponsored health plans, download a copy of the 2014 UBA Health Plan Survey Executive Summary at http://bit.ly/15OtisN or contact Carina Sammartino at csammartino@fishervista.com.
ABOUT THE UBA HEALTH PLAN SURVEY
Data in the 2014 UBA Health Plan Survey is based on responses from 9,950 employers sponsoring 16,467 health plans nationwide. The survey's focus is intended to provide a current snapshot of the nation's employers rather than covered employees. Results are applicable to the small to midsize market that makes up a majority of American businesses, as well as to larger employers, providing benchmarking data on a more detailed level than any other survey.
The 2014 UBA Health Plan Survey offers more than national data and UBA recommends that employers benchmark with local data, which is more effective when adjusting plan design, negotiating rates, and communicating value to employees.
Contact a UBA Partner Firm for a customized benchmark survey based on industry, region and business size.
ABOUT UNITED BENEFIT ADVISORS
United Benefit Advisors is the nation's leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. As trusted and knowledgeable advisors, UBA Partners collaborate with more than 2,000 fellow professionals to deliver expertise, thought leadership and best-in-class solutions that positively impact employers and make a real difference in the lives of their employees and families. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit UBA online at http://www.UBAbenefits.com.
© 2015 United Benefit Advisors. All related trademarks, logos and trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and other countries and may not be used without permission. All other names are property of their respective owners. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
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Venerable '60 Minutes' Stumbles On How Health Insurance Works
Sunday night's interview of Steven Brill by Leslie Stahl on 60 Minutes was much anticipated in large part because of Brill's new book ‒ America's Bitter Pill. Brill was on the circuit and had appeared on other talk shows (including Jon Stewart's The Daily Show here) earlier in the week. The [...]
Reported by Forbes.com 9 hours ago.
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Obamacare: State health exchange seems on track to meet Year Two goals
State health insurance exchange officials Tuesday said they're on track to reach their goal of signing up at least 500,000 new enrollees by Feb. 15, the deadline for the second open-enrollment period under the nation's health care law.
Reported by San Jose Mercury News 11 hours ago.
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Obamacare: State health exchange seems on track to meet second-year goals
State health insurance exchange officials Tuesday said they're on track to reach their goal of signing up at least 500,000 new enrollees by Feb. 15, the deadline for the second open-enrollment period under the nation's health care law.
Reported by San Jose Mercury News 10 hours ago.
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The Onion tries to sell Millennials on Obamacare—seriously
Why shell out hard-earned money for health insurance when you can check your own blood pressure with a bicycle pump and water wings and score a free eye exam at the DMV?
These and other health hacks –- make a neck brace out of bubble wrap! -– come from the Get Covered Illinois advertising campaign aimed at so-called “young invincibles,” those 20- and 30-something adults who think they don’t need health coverage.
What better way to speak to that crowd than through digital content from the Onion Labs, the satirical brand’s advertising arm?
So, no, the Illinois healthcare exchange isn’t really suggesting that you troll dating websites to make “an appointment” with a doctor or nurse, or that you MacGyver a defibrillator Read more...
More about Advertising, Business, and Obamacare Reported by Mashable 6 hours ago.
These and other health hacks –- make a neck brace out of bubble wrap! -– come from the Get Covered Illinois advertising campaign aimed at so-called “young invincibles,” those 20- and 30-something adults who think they don’t need health coverage.
What better way to speak to that crowd than through digital content from the Onion Labs, the satirical brand’s advertising arm?
So, no, the Illinois healthcare exchange isn’t really suggesting that you troll dating websites to make “an appointment” with a doctor or nurse, or that you MacGyver a defibrillator Read more...
More about Advertising, Business, and Obamacare Reported by Mashable 6 hours ago.
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Upcoming Tax Season Set to Impact the 28 Percent of Uninsured Americans Who Feel Health Expenses Plus the Tax Penalty is Less Expensive than Available Insurance Options
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- While more than 7.1 million Americans signed up for coverage in 2015 through a Health Insurance Exchange to meet the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) health insurance mandate, a recent Harris Poll conducted on behalf of the Transamerica Center...
Reported by PR Newswire 6 hours ago.
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Health Insurance Startup Collapses In Iowa
Obamacare provided billions in seed money to help establish insurance companies called co-ops. One of the biggest has now gone under, and its state overseer is telling clients to switch carriers.
Reported by NPR 3 hours ago.
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What Are My Alternatives to Affordable Care Act Health Insurance?
This weekly Q&A addresses questions from real patients about health care costs. Have a question you'd like to see answered? Submit it to AskChristina@nerdwallet.com.
*Question:*
I am diabetic and can't go without health insurance for my supplies and insulin. But I make too much to qualify for Medicaid in my state and not enough to qualify for tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. What are my options? How can I find affordable coverage or reduce my health care costs?
*Answer:*
Unfortunately, it sounds like you fall into the "coverage gap." Let me explain.
The ability of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help lower-income Americans find affordable health care largely depended on the expansion of Medicaid. With many states opting not to expand the qualification standards for Medicaid, millions were left with no solutions, caught, like you, in what's being called the "coverage gap."
The ACA helped people suffering from chronic conditions like diabetes in several ways. The law mandated essential health benefits, or a set of benefits that all insurance plans must cover. These include prescription drug benefits, hospitalization and chronic disease management. Also, the ACA barred insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals due to pre-existing conditions.
But if you are struggling to afford a monthly premium, these perks remain out of reach.
*What is the 'coverage gap?'*
By expanding qualification requirements for Medicaid, the ACA intended to extend the free, state-sponsored insurance to more lower-income Americans. Those making between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level would be eligible for tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies in the ACA marketplace, and those who made less would largely be eligible for Medicaid.
But in 2012, the Supreme Court interpreted the ACA rule for Medicaid expansion as optional, letting states decide whether to participate. Now, in the states like yours, where Medicaid was not expanded, there is a swath of the population that makes too much for Medicaid coverage and not enough for ACA assistance.
As many as 4 million Americans fall into the coverage gap, according to estimates from the Kaiser Family Foundation. These aren't the poorest Americans, as the poorest likely qualify for Medicaid even in states where it wasn't expanded. Instead, they are most likely to be middle-aged working Americans without children.
*The bad news*
The bottom line is, you may decide health insurance is unaffordable for you. Depending on your income and monthly expenses, freeing up a few hundred dollars each month for a health insurance premium may feel impossible. The coverage gap is a shortcoming of the ACA, and there's no immediate solution in sight.
But for diabetics like you, going without insurance can be risky. The American Diabetes Association estimates the average diabetic incurs $13,700 in medical expenses each year, most of which are attributed to the disease. That's 2.3 times more than the expenses they would face without diabetes.
Not only is diabetes an expensive disease, but people with diabetes also are much more likely to have additional chronic and costly conditions. As a diabetic, you are at a greater risk for heart disease, stroke and depression, for example. Like diabetes, these conditions require ongoing monitoring and medical treatment.
*What you can do*
Even if you feel your health insurance is unaffordable, you aren't powerless. Here are a few things you can do to minimize your health care expenses and possibly get assistance:
1. Double-check eligibility and available plan premiums
Before you resign yourself to going without insurance, double-check your eligibility for both ACA tax credits and Medicaid. If you're certain that you don't qualify for either, try contacting an insurance agent who sells plans both on the ACA marketplace and off of it. Insurance agents are experts in finding appropriate plans. They may have resources that you are unable to tap on your own, or know of plans that would best fit your situation.
2. Apply for prescription assistance
You may be eligible to receive your insulin, prescription drugs and other diabetic supplies at a discounted rate. All drug manufacturers offer cost assistance programs, each with unique qualification standards. You may be able to get your insulin at a discounted rate, or even free, by searching online for the drug maker's assistance program or asking your doctor for help. BD, the maker of insulin syringes, also offers reduced price syringes to qualifying patients. NeedyMeds offers a complete list of assistance programs specifically for diabetics. The savings may free up cash each month to buy health insurance.
3. Use community resources
Community health centers are a good resource for people on limited incomes. They provide medical care on a sliding fee based on your income. Social service agencies, charities and even your religious organization may have money set aside for congregants with medical needs. The United Way operates a 2-1-1 help line that can direct you to local agencies that may be able to help.
4. Ask for cash discounts
Medical providers often offer discounts for patients who pay with cash. Sometimes they don't tell you this up front, however, so you must ask.
5. Negotiate medical bills
A high medical bill can spell financial disaster, but many people don't realize these bills are negotiable. Making payment arrangements or settling on a lower balance could make these bills manageable. If you're unable to make progress with medical providers, a medical billing advocate may be able to help.
*The health insurance mandate*
The individual mandate of the ACA says that everyone must have health insurance or face a penalty. For 2015, that penalty is two percent of your household income or $325 per adult, whichever is greater. However, there are exceptions. If the least expensive coverage available to you is more than eight percent of your income, or if you qualify under certain hardship exemptions, you will not be penalized for going uninsured.
You must apply for these exemptions, so take the appropriate steps to avoid the fee.
When you have a chronic health condition, going without insurance can be scary, and even dangerous, as you weigh every health decision against a potentially high price tag. People without insurance are less likely to seek care for all of their health problems, and opting out of medical care when you have diabetes simply isn't an option.
While there are things you can do to reduce your costs and make the situation more manageable, don't sacrifice your health to save a few bucks, as failing to properly manage your diabetes could leave you with much bigger expenses down the road.
Because you have a chronic health condition that needs to be closely monitored, I do not advise that you go without insurance. Reported by Huffington Post 18 hours ago.
*Question:*
I am diabetic and can't go without health insurance for my supplies and insulin. But I make too much to qualify for Medicaid in my state and not enough to qualify for tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. What are my options? How can I find affordable coverage or reduce my health care costs?
*Answer:*
Unfortunately, it sounds like you fall into the "coverage gap." Let me explain.
The ability of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help lower-income Americans find affordable health care largely depended on the expansion of Medicaid. With many states opting not to expand the qualification standards for Medicaid, millions were left with no solutions, caught, like you, in what's being called the "coverage gap."
The ACA helped people suffering from chronic conditions like diabetes in several ways. The law mandated essential health benefits, or a set of benefits that all insurance plans must cover. These include prescription drug benefits, hospitalization and chronic disease management. Also, the ACA barred insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals due to pre-existing conditions.
But if you are struggling to afford a monthly premium, these perks remain out of reach.
*What is the 'coverage gap?'*
By expanding qualification requirements for Medicaid, the ACA intended to extend the free, state-sponsored insurance to more lower-income Americans. Those making between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level would be eligible for tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies in the ACA marketplace, and those who made less would largely be eligible for Medicaid.
But in 2012, the Supreme Court interpreted the ACA rule for Medicaid expansion as optional, letting states decide whether to participate. Now, in the states like yours, where Medicaid was not expanded, there is a swath of the population that makes too much for Medicaid coverage and not enough for ACA assistance.
As many as 4 million Americans fall into the coverage gap, according to estimates from the Kaiser Family Foundation. These aren't the poorest Americans, as the poorest likely qualify for Medicaid even in states where it wasn't expanded. Instead, they are most likely to be middle-aged working Americans without children.
*The bad news*
The bottom line is, you may decide health insurance is unaffordable for you. Depending on your income and monthly expenses, freeing up a few hundred dollars each month for a health insurance premium may feel impossible. The coverage gap is a shortcoming of the ACA, and there's no immediate solution in sight.
But for diabetics like you, going without insurance can be risky. The American Diabetes Association estimates the average diabetic incurs $13,700 in medical expenses each year, most of which are attributed to the disease. That's 2.3 times more than the expenses they would face without diabetes.
Not only is diabetes an expensive disease, but people with diabetes also are much more likely to have additional chronic and costly conditions. As a diabetic, you are at a greater risk for heart disease, stroke and depression, for example. Like diabetes, these conditions require ongoing monitoring and medical treatment.
*What you can do*
Even if you feel your health insurance is unaffordable, you aren't powerless. Here are a few things you can do to minimize your health care expenses and possibly get assistance:
1. Double-check eligibility and available plan premiums
Before you resign yourself to going without insurance, double-check your eligibility for both ACA tax credits and Medicaid. If you're certain that you don't qualify for either, try contacting an insurance agent who sells plans both on the ACA marketplace and off of it. Insurance agents are experts in finding appropriate plans. They may have resources that you are unable to tap on your own, or know of plans that would best fit your situation.
2. Apply for prescription assistance
You may be eligible to receive your insulin, prescription drugs and other diabetic supplies at a discounted rate. All drug manufacturers offer cost assistance programs, each with unique qualification standards. You may be able to get your insulin at a discounted rate, or even free, by searching online for the drug maker's assistance program or asking your doctor for help. BD, the maker of insulin syringes, also offers reduced price syringes to qualifying patients. NeedyMeds offers a complete list of assistance programs specifically for diabetics. The savings may free up cash each month to buy health insurance.
3. Use community resources
Community health centers are a good resource for people on limited incomes. They provide medical care on a sliding fee based on your income. Social service agencies, charities and even your religious organization may have money set aside for congregants with medical needs. The United Way operates a 2-1-1 help line that can direct you to local agencies that may be able to help.
4. Ask for cash discounts
Medical providers often offer discounts for patients who pay with cash. Sometimes they don't tell you this up front, however, so you must ask.
5. Negotiate medical bills
A high medical bill can spell financial disaster, but many people don't realize these bills are negotiable. Making payment arrangements or settling on a lower balance could make these bills manageable. If you're unable to make progress with medical providers, a medical billing advocate may be able to help.
*The health insurance mandate*
The individual mandate of the ACA says that everyone must have health insurance or face a penalty. For 2015, that penalty is two percent of your household income or $325 per adult, whichever is greater. However, there are exceptions. If the least expensive coverage available to you is more than eight percent of your income, or if you qualify under certain hardship exemptions, you will not be penalized for going uninsured.
You must apply for these exemptions, so take the appropriate steps to avoid the fee.
When you have a chronic health condition, going without insurance can be scary, and even dangerous, as you weigh every health decision against a potentially high price tag. People without insurance are less likely to seek care for all of their health problems, and opting out of medical care when you have diabetes simply isn't an option.
While there are things you can do to reduce your costs and make the situation more manageable, don't sacrifice your health to save a few bucks, as failing to properly manage your diabetes could leave you with much bigger expenses down the road.
Because you have a chronic health condition that needs to be closely monitored, I do not advise that you go without insurance. Reported by Huffington Post 18 hours ago.
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Want Obamacare coverage by March 1, you need to apply by Thursday
WASHINGTON - Thursday (January 15, 2015) at midnight is the deadline to apply for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and get coverage as early as Feb. 1. The deadline to apply for Obamacare insurance during 2015 is February 15,...
Reported by nola.com 18 hours ago.
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Sign Up for Affordable Health Insurance Today
Again and again, studies show that our community has a higher prevalence of and more complications with diseases such as diabetes, cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS. We continue to bear a disproportionate burden of these diseases -- which many of us know personally all too well -- because barriers such as cost, location and availability of health centers, as well as cultural and linguistic factors too often make it difficult for us and our loved ones to access the health care we need, including essential preventive health care.
Lack of health insurance is one of the major barriers contributing to our community's health challenges. In fact, Latinos are the ethnic group that is least likely to have health insurance. Without health insurance, it can be hard to afford even basic preventive health care like check-ups. And when a family member is diagnosed with a serious disease, it can potentially cause financial ruin. We can do better for the ones we love, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, can help.
Now through February 15, 2015, you may be eligible to sign up for affordable health insurance during what is called the open enrollment period. Since our community is least likely to have insurance, we are also the group that stands to benefit the most from the Affordable Care Act. With the ACA, 10.2 million uninsured Latinos nationwide have new opportunities for affordable health insurance coverage. In New York State, nearly 200,000 Latinos enrolled for health insurance during last year's open enrollment period.
Getting health insurance means you can see a range of health care providers when you need to. As one of New York City's leading sexual and reproductive health providers, Planned Parenthood of New York City knows firsthand how important affordable basic health care is for women and their families. So in addition to our health care services, Planned Parenthood of New York City can sign you up an affordable health insurance plan in all four of our health centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island.
The ACA also has brought significant benefits to millions of individuals and entire communities. With the ACA, essential preventive care is now available to insured people without co-pays or other out-of-pocket expenses. This includes annual check-ups, vaccines, blood pressure and diabetes screenings, mammograms, colonoscopies, and STI and HIV testing, among other services. All insurance plans must also include maternity coverage.
Under the ACA, health insurance plans will no longer be able to deny you coverage based on a pre-existing condition like diabetes, asthma, or cancer. Young people are covered under their parents' insurance until age 26, whether they are married, still in school, or looking for a job. The ACA also includes efforts to increase the number of culturally sensitive doctors, nurses, and health care providers in underserved communities where they are needed most.
Planned Parenthood's on-site counselors are ready to help you figure out what the law means for you and how to find a plan that works best for you. You can make an appointment at PPNYC for in-person help to determine what kind of financial help you can get and what to consider when choosing an insurance plan.
For those in our community who are insured-take this opportunity to educate a friend or family member about how they too can get covered and know Planned Parenthood of New York City is here to help. It is important to note that most Americans will get financial help paying for a plan. So when you go to sign up, make sure to learn more about the financial help you can get.
It's also important to note that the ACA does not extend health insurance benefits to the millions of immigrants nationwide who are undocumented. However, undocumented immigrants remain eligible for emergency care under federal law. For those who are not eligible for health insurance, Planned Parenthood of New York City will still provide you with care regardless of your immigration status or your ability to pay.
Planned Parenthood has been providing expert sexual and reproductive health care for almost 100 years, and that's not changing. Whether you have health insurance or not, you can still come to Planned Parenthood of New York City for birth control, cancer screenings and the other care you need, when you need it. We don't turn anyone away, no matter what.
Make an appointment at Planned Parenthood of New York City by calling 1-800-230-PLAN or visiting www.ppnyc.org.
A version of this post appeared in Spanish in El Diario.
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Haydee Morales is Vice President of Education and Training at Planned Parenthood of New York City. Reported by Huffington Post 17 hours ago.
Lack of health insurance is one of the major barriers contributing to our community's health challenges. In fact, Latinos are the ethnic group that is least likely to have health insurance. Without health insurance, it can be hard to afford even basic preventive health care like check-ups. And when a family member is diagnosed with a serious disease, it can potentially cause financial ruin. We can do better for the ones we love, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, can help.
Now through February 15, 2015, you may be eligible to sign up for affordable health insurance during what is called the open enrollment period. Since our community is least likely to have insurance, we are also the group that stands to benefit the most from the Affordable Care Act. With the ACA, 10.2 million uninsured Latinos nationwide have new opportunities for affordable health insurance coverage. In New York State, nearly 200,000 Latinos enrolled for health insurance during last year's open enrollment period.
Getting health insurance means you can see a range of health care providers when you need to. As one of New York City's leading sexual and reproductive health providers, Planned Parenthood of New York City knows firsthand how important affordable basic health care is for women and their families. So in addition to our health care services, Planned Parenthood of New York City can sign you up an affordable health insurance plan in all four of our health centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island.
The ACA also has brought significant benefits to millions of individuals and entire communities. With the ACA, essential preventive care is now available to insured people without co-pays or other out-of-pocket expenses. This includes annual check-ups, vaccines, blood pressure and diabetes screenings, mammograms, colonoscopies, and STI and HIV testing, among other services. All insurance plans must also include maternity coverage.
Under the ACA, health insurance plans will no longer be able to deny you coverage based on a pre-existing condition like diabetes, asthma, or cancer. Young people are covered under their parents' insurance until age 26, whether they are married, still in school, or looking for a job. The ACA also includes efforts to increase the number of culturally sensitive doctors, nurses, and health care providers in underserved communities where they are needed most.
Planned Parenthood's on-site counselors are ready to help you figure out what the law means for you and how to find a plan that works best for you. You can make an appointment at PPNYC for in-person help to determine what kind of financial help you can get and what to consider when choosing an insurance plan.
For those in our community who are insured-take this opportunity to educate a friend or family member about how they too can get covered and know Planned Parenthood of New York City is here to help. It is important to note that most Americans will get financial help paying for a plan. So when you go to sign up, make sure to learn more about the financial help you can get.
It's also important to note that the ACA does not extend health insurance benefits to the millions of immigrants nationwide who are undocumented. However, undocumented immigrants remain eligible for emergency care under federal law. For those who are not eligible for health insurance, Planned Parenthood of New York City will still provide you with care regardless of your immigration status or your ability to pay.
Planned Parenthood has been providing expert sexual and reproductive health care for almost 100 years, and that's not changing. Whether you have health insurance or not, you can still come to Planned Parenthood of New York City for birth control, cancer screenings and the other care you need, when you need it. We don't turn anyone away, no matter what.
Make an appointment at Planned Parenthood of New York City by calling 1-800-230-PLAN or visiting www.ppnyc.org.
A version of this post appeared in Spanish in El Diario.
--
Haydee Morales is Vice President of Education and Training at Planned Parenthood of New York City. Reported by Huffington Post 17 hours ago.
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Health overhaul sign-ups edge higher
WASHINGTON (AP) — With a month to go in the 2015 open enrollment season, the Obama administration says sign-ups under the president's health care law are edging higher. The Health and Human Services Department says at least 163,000 people signed up last week for subsidized private health insurance.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 16 hours ago.
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WEDI's Sullivan Institute Call to Action Accelerates Patient Intake Automation Project
Volunteers sought to help develop a “virtual” clipboard for next-generation providers
RESTON, Va. (PRWEB) January 14, 2015
The Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation, in partnership with the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), announced a call for volunteers for the Health Benefits and Health Record Mobile Solution or Virtual Clipboard Initiative. The initiative is being designed to facilitate the patient intake process, including automating the collection of critical health insurance and demographic information.
Building off recommendations contained in the 2013 WEDI Report, the project seeks to leverage smart technologies to dramatically enhance the patient experience while improving patient safety. The Institute and its partners are working to create a solution blueprint for a “smart” mobile solution that will allow the provider’s “clipboard” of demographic, insurance and critical clinical information (e.g. allergies, medications and lab results) to be efficiency and accurately disseminated electronically to the provider. The goal is to design, launch and measure the Phase 1 pilot solution in 2015.
“We are encouraged by the resounding industry response during last month’s launch of this initiative, which included active counsel from more than 40 representatives from major health plans, providers, health IT vendors and government entities,” said Devin Jopp, Ed.D, president and CEO of WEDI. “Now we’re opening the call to action even further, welcoming more industry volunteers to serve as thought leaders and help guide efforts to drive this important initiative.”
To move the process forward, the following workgroups and workgroup leaders have been identified:
Pilot Design and Adoption· Ryan Bosch, MD, Inova Health System
· Durwin Day, Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL
· Jon Zimmerman, GE Healthcare
Technical Solution· Tammy Banks, Optum
· Paul Heter, Aetna
· Jean Narcisi, American Dental Association
· Nithin Sathyamoorthy, Epic
Privacy and Security· Debbie Bucci, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, HHS
· Jim Daley, BCBS of South Carolina
· Deidre Rodriguez, WellPoint
· Richard Wagner, ABILITY Network
Measuring Success· Chris Bruns, MedInformatix, Inc.
· Gail Kocher, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
· Robert Tennant, Medical Group Management Association
“This important initiative would not be possible without such diverse, industry-wide collaboration,” said Robert Tennant, Senior Policy Advisor, Government Affairs for MGMA. “We commend the Sullivan Institute for assembling some of the most prominent names in healthcare to guide this effort as we endeavor to overcome what can be a financially wasteful, administratively inefficient, and error-prone part of the care delivery process.”
Along with industry experts and volunteers, there will be liaisons from Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation’s Patient Experience Council involved with each workgroup so that the patient perspective is included in the design and implementation of the new “virtual clipboard.”
The scope of Virtual Clipboard Pilot will be in two phases to include both administrative and clinical information portions of the clipboard:· Pilot Phase 1: Demographics & Benefits Coverage
· Pilot Phase 2: Medications and Allergies
The Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation is calling all industry stakeholders to get involved in the effort. Please contact sholvey@wedi.org to learn more about this initiative, express interest in serving on the solutions workgroup, or be considered as a pilot site.
About the Sullivan Institute
In 1993, the original WEDI Report brought together public and private industry to develop a roadmap for healthcare information exchange. In 2013, on the 20th anniversary of that original report and with Then Honorable Louis W. Sullivan, M.D.’s leadership, WEDI developed a new report which laid out the future of healthcare information exchange. The Louis W. Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, named in honor of The Honorable Louis W. Sullivan, M.D. Its mission is to bring healthcare leaders together to share knowledge needed to transform the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery through education, cooperation, communication and innovation. To learn more, visit http://www.sullivaninstitute.org. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.
RESTON, Va. (PRWEB) January 14, 2015
The Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation, in partnership with the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), announced a call for volunteers for the Health Benefits and Health Record Mobile Solution or Virtual Clipboard Initiative. The initiative is being designed to facilitate the patient intake process, including automating the collection of critical health insurance and demographic information.
Building off recommendations contained in the 2013 WEDI Report, the project seeks to leverage smart technologies to dramatically enhance the patient experience while improving patient safety. The Institute and its partners are working to create a solution blueprint for a “smart” mobile solution that will allow the provider’s “clipboard” of demographic, insurance and critical clinical information (e.g. allergies, medications and lab results) to be efficiency and accurately disseminated electronically to the provider. The goal is to design, launch and measure the Phase 1 pilot solution in 2015.
“We are encouraged by the resounding industry response during last month’s launch of this initiative, which included active counsel from more than 40 representatives from major health plans, providers, health IT vendors and government entities,” said Devin Jopp, Ed.D, president and CEO of WEDI. “Now we’re opening the call to action even further, welcoming more industry volunteers to serve as thought leaders and help guide efforts to drive this important initiative.”
To move the process forward, the following workgroups and workgroup leaders have been identified:
Pilot Design and Adoption· Ryan Bosch, MD, Inova Health System
· Durwin Day, Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL
· Jon Zimmerman, GE Healthcare
Technical Solution· Tammy Banks, Optum
· Paul Heter, Aetna
· Jean Narcisi, American Dental Association
· Nithin Sathyamoorthy, Epic
Privacy and Security· Debbie Bucci, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, HHS
· Jim Daley, BCBS of South Carolina
· Deidre Rodriguez, WellPoint
· Richard Wagner, ABILITY Network
Measuring Success· Chris Bruns, MedInformatix, Inc.
· Gail Kocher, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
· Robert Tennant, Medical Group Management Association
“This important initiative would not be possible without such diverse, industry-wide collaboration,” said Robert Tennant, Senior Policy Advisor, Government Affairs for MGMA. “We commend the Sullivan Institute for assembling some of the most prominent names in healthcare to guide this effort as we endeavor to overcome what can be a financially wasteful, administratively inefficient, and error-prone part of the care delivery process.”
Along with industry experts and volunteers, there will be liaisons from Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation’s Patient Experience Council involved with each workgroup so that the patient perspective is included in the design and implementation of the new “virtual clipboard.”
The scope of Virtual Clipboard Pilot will be in two phases to include both administrative and clinical information portions of the clipboard:· Pilot Phase 1: Demographics & Benefits Coverage
· Pilot Phase 2: Medications and Allergies
The Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation is calling all industry stakeholders to get involved in the effort. Please contact sholvey@wedi.org to learn more about this initiative, express interest in serving on the solutions workgroup, or be considered as a pilot site.
About the Sullivan Institute
In 1993, the original WEDI Report brought together public and private industry to develop a roadmap for healthcare information exchange. In 2013, on the 20th anniversary of that original report and with Then Honorable Louis W. Sullivan, M.D.’s leadership, WEDI developed a new report which laid out the future of healthcare information exchange. The Louis W. Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, named in honor of The Honorable Louis W. Sullivan, M.D. Its mission is to bring healthcare leaders together to share knowledge needed to transform the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery through education, cooperation, communication and innovation. To learn more, visit http://www.sullivaninstitute.org. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.
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