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Is Your Health Information Being Hacked?

Internet security concept open red padlock virus or unsecured wiThe short answer is “yes – it’s likely.”  This was the discussion I had last week with my daughter.  After the major Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance data breach among others, many people are concerned.

My daughter, who just started a new job, got a notice from her employer that she was one of the 80 million people who had their health information hacked in February of this year.  She was understandably very concerned.

So what should you do when you become aware  that your information is hacked?

  1. If you notice something suspicious, notify your healthcare provider or insurance company immediately.
  2. If your healthcare provider or insurance company tells you your information has been compromised, it’s likely that they will provide you with identity theft coverage.  If not, ask for it.
  3. Monitor your financial information and immediately report any strange charges.

In the case of the Anthem BCBS breach, BCBS provided 2 years of identity theft repair assistance, credit monitoring, and identity theft insurance to all the people affected by the breach.

One of the areas to pay attention to is your tax returns.  For some of the BCBS customers who were hacked,  the hackers filed fraudulent tax returns using the stolen information.  When the person went to file their taxes, they were informed that they had already filed and received a refund.

Tell us whether you are concerned about hacking of your health information. We’d love to hear from you!

For more information about your health insurance, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choosing Your Health Insurance.

For more information about your health privacy, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare:  Healthcare Privacy.

We hope we’re helping you “Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

 

 

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Does Your Healthcare Provider “Accept Or “Participate In” Your Health Insurance Plan?

When you sign up for health insurance, do you make sure you healthcare provider accepts that particular plan? Is there a better question you might want to ask?

P.S.–Please remember that ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that from March 15 – April 30, 2015. Spin your healthcare your way and check out our Easy Healthcare eBook Guides.

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HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance gives you the practical steps you can take to choose the right insurance plan for you and your family.

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My Health Insurance Doesn’t Cover Anything?

Health Care CostsThis is the question I got this week from a 22-year-old woman who just started her first job after college:  like most young adults, she doesn’t go to the doctor very often, but recently went to the dermatologist who prescribed some medications for her acne.  The prescriptions weren’t paid for by her insurance and were very expensive.  She wondered why she should continue to pay for her employer’s health insurance if nothing was going to be covered.

We talked about her policy, and, of course, there was a deductible.  Since she hadn’t gotten any healthcare services this year, she had not yet met her deductible.  The medication was “covered” by insurance, but the cost of the medication went toward her deductible.  So, she had to pay for the prescriptions out of her own pocket.

When she chose her health insurance plan, she picked the cheapest policy.  She didn’t realize that one of the reasons why it was cheaper was because it was a “high deductible” insurance plan.  It’s likely that most of her healthcare services this year won’t be paid for by the insurance company because of the high deductible.  For our 22 year old, this might be a wise choice.  She pays less per month and she is unlikely to need many healthcare services since she is young and healthy.

Even if you did not select a “high deductible” plan, many people are frustrated at the start of the year by the fact that a lot of healthcare services are not paid for by insurance due to the deductible.  

What can you do?  First, when you select an insurance plan, know what your deductible is.  If your employer has a Health Savings Account (HSA) which allows you to put pre-tax dollars away to pay for healthcare services, it’s wise to put in at least enough to cover the deductible.

You might also want to consider choosing a lower deductible plan the next time you can change your plan.  You need to consider the increase cost of the insurance vs. the lower deductible.

Planning ahead is the best solution so you do not have surprises like our 22 year old.  At least now, she understands her insurance plan and knows what to expect.

Tell us how you choose your deductible?  We’d love to hear from you!

For more information about your health insurance, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choosing Your Health Insurance.

We hope we’re helping you “Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!