What You Should Know Before Being Admitted to the Hospital: VIDEO

Stays at a hospital can be stressful and expensive. In this video, MyHealthSpin founder Lori-Ann Rickard talks about the differences between going to the ER and getting admitting, whether or not Medicare covers hospital stays, and how health insurance treats ER visits as opposed to being admitted to the hospital proper. If you or a loved one has visit to the hospital in the upcoming future, you should definitely watch this video and come prepared.

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HS-B4-You-Get-SickWant to avoid unnecessary grief and expense when you get sick? Then you need this essential guide to the business behind your healthcare decisions. MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Before You Get Sick” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to take charge of your healthcare options!

Available for download NOW!

Four Things About ObamaCare That Are Good for Everyone

Obama Care HeadlineMany people disagree about whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — most commonly known as ObamaCare — is good or bad for healthcare patients. However, there are some parts of ObamaCare, which are often forgotten, that help everyone.

What are they? Here are four of the most significant positive changes the Act is responsible for:

  1. Elimination of pre-existing conditions:  Prior to ObamaCare, many people had no insurance coverage for something called “pre-existing conditions.”  For example, if you had cancer or a complication from a surgery and then changed insurance companies, the new insurance company formerly would deny these type of claims saying they were “pre-existing conditions.”  Because of this problem, many employees would not move to take a new job for fear they would not have insurance coverage for the things they needed.  Under ObamaCare, this problem is eliminated.  An insurance company can no longer use this as an excuse for no coverage.
  2. Insurance coverage for your children through age 26:  Another big change is that young adults can now stay on their parent’s insurance until they reach the age of 26.  The child does not to show they are in school nor living with their parents.  Prior to ObamaCare, most insurance plans only allowed the child to have coverage until they reached the age of 18 or were in school.
  3. Elimination of Life-Time limits:  Prior to ObamaCare, insurance companies had a “life-time limit” for each person who had insurance.  If you had cancer or several different health problems, you could easily hit your life time limit and would find yourself with no insurance coverage.  Under ObamaCare, life-time limits have been eliminated.  Now if you have cancer that may reoccur over many years, you don’t have to worry about your cancer AND whether you will lose your insurance also.
  4. Preventive Care is now covered:  Many people are surprised to discover that prior to ObamaCare most preventive medical care was not covered by your insurance.  Historically, insurance covered you when you were sick, not when you were well.  This is silly, as preventative care often prevents you from getting sick. Without coverage, many people would not go for their annual checkups or their yearly mammograms. Now, under ObamaCare, preventative services are covered. Every insurance plan must cover certain basic services so you no longer need to worry about getting a big bill from the doctor.

We can all continue to examine ObamaCare and determine whether it requires significant changes, but we can all agree that certain basic ObamaCare benefits are good for everyone.

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HS-Book_Covers_OCaresmallAre you looking to cut through all the noise and find out what ObamaCare really is, what it does, and, most importantly, what it means to you? MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: ObamaCare” ebook guide leaves the politics behind and gives you a straightforward, timely rundown of the changes the law made and whether or not they impact YOU.

Available for download NOW!

Helpful Health Care Links: October 17, 2014

surgery_picEvery week, there are hundreds of health care stories posted online and it can be hard to keep track of what’s important and what’s worth reading. With that in mind, every Friday, the team at MyHealthSpin is going to be collecting some of the most significant health care links of the week and presenting them for your reading pleasure. And, if you ever come across a healthcare story that you think merits more attention, please send it our way!

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What to Expect When You Have Surgery (Wall Street Journal)

Some interesting new programs are helping patients weigh the pros and cons of electing to have surgery.

Here’s What You Need to Know About Our Response to Ebola Right Now (WhiteHouse.gov)

The official website of the U.S. President has put together a breakdown of their response to the recent Ebola scare and a list of what the average America should know about Ebola.

U.S. Finds Many Failures in Medicare Health Plans (New York Times)

Federal officials have begun taking punitive action against Medicare health plans that improperly reject claims from their customers.

The Flu and You: Advice for Fighting Flu This Season (Well & Wise)

It’s flu season and everyone has their own home remedies. But, if you’d like some more professional advice, this link collects a few things to keep in mind if you want to avoid the flu this year.

Dr. Oz’s Smart Patient Checklist (Doctor Oz)

The popular TV doctor offers some advice on how you can be more proactive and take charge of your own healthcare.

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assisted_smallHow do you make the right decision about moving yourself or a loved one into an Assisted Living Facility without being overwhelmed? How do you even begin talking about it? MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to make the right choice.

Available for download NOW!