Call your doctor. He or she can help you decide the best course of action and whether you need to see a physician where you are currently staying or if it can wait until you get back home and can see your own doctor.

When possible, call the doctor before or after the holiday. If Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or any other holiday is coming up and you feel the first signs of illness, go ahead and call your doctor now. It could be harder to reach a doctor on the holiday or the eve of the holiday when the office is closed but your illness is in full force. Calling your doctor early could prevent a costly holiday trip to the emergency room or urgent care.

Remember, too, that illness may begin before for you travel. Prior to leaving, assess how you are feeling and take action. Do you need to see your doctor? Do you need an antibiotic? Is your child getting an ear infection? Address any concerns before you leave so you’ll be prepared while away from home. And make sure to bring your doctor’s contact information with you.

Getting sick can ruin your holiday and while it may be unavoidable, being aware and having a plan can make handling illness on the road easier.

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Trying to figure out health insurance? Get my book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post Sick Away From Home? Here Is What You Should Do appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

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Trying to figure out health insurance? Get my book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post What Preventive Care Health Insurance Covers appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Then one of my daughters was born with a life-threatening condition. Later, their father and I decided to divorce and I began to care for the children on my own. At that point, I had some hard decisions to make, one of which was how to make sure I was properly insured for my daughter’s health needs.

This is how life is. You often must make tough choices when you are least prepared. Here is what I did.

First, I recognized the importance of health insurance. My daughter was in and out of the hospital a lot. As a single mom, there was no way for me to pay for all of our medical bills or for the supplies we needed.

After reviewing my employer’s health insurance, I changed jobs so that we could have better health coverage. I was lucky to get a job at the hospital where many of my daughter’s doctors were located. Now there is the option of signing up for healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, but at the time, the only way for me to change health insurance was to change jobs.

At that time, I also had to take the risk that my new employer would refuse to pay for my daughter’s care because her condition might be considered pre-existing. Under the Affordable Care Act, you can change jobs and your new employer can’t refuse to cover care due to pre-existing conditions.

Next, I made sure that the doctors and hospitals taking care of my daughter participated in my new insurance plan. It was very important to me that she continue to receive the expert care that she needed with the providers who were already familiar with her case. By making sure those doctors and hospitals participated in my plan, I avoided overwhelming medical bills.

When I first started looking at new insurance plans, I was tempted to just look at the monthly premium cost. I was single mom with a new job, and that monthly cost represented a huge chunk of my paycheck. But my first priority was to keep my daughter’s doctors who had taken such good care of her. If I had gone with a cheaper insurance, I would have had to  to pick new doctors or pay huge bills because those doctors weren’t part of my health plan. By saving $100 a month, I might have been signing up for $1,000s in uncovered expenses.

I’m happy to report that we received amazing care, and both of my daughters are healthy and grown. It was a tough time, but we made it through with great insurance and didn’t get saddled with a ton of medical bills.

When you have tough choices, it can be overwhelming. I know, I’ve been there. But with the right information, you can be have the peace of mind that you’ve made the right decisions for you and your family.

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Trying to figure out health insurance? Get my book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post How to Choose Health Insurance as a Single Parent appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Insurance costs vary.

Costs are determined by your current health, age and income. If you are young and healthy, you will pay less than someone who is middle aged and has some health issues.

Check the premium costs vs. out-of-pocket costs.

It is important to not only look at the cost of the insurance premiums each month but also the overall costs of care. A $250 per month premium may sound expensive; it totals $3,000 per year. However, if you get sick or break a bone, your out-of-pocket costs associated with the plan or cash fees and penalties for not having insurance could exceed $3,000 cost with one hospital visit.

Compare prices.

The Affordable Care Act made it possible to compare the costs of the various health insurance plans being offered. Prior to the health exchanges, there was no easy way to know what the insurance plans cost and what was included. You had to be a PhD in healthcare in order to compare the various plans. Now, all the plans have to include the same basic services, and the prices for the various plans are listed on the health exchange.

Although, I can’t quote you an exact dollar amount, this information should make it easier for you to assess insurance costs to determine which plan is right for you and your family.

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Trying to figure out health insurance? Get my book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post How Much Health Insurance Costs appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Here are three questions you should ask yourself as you review the available health plans.

1.  How healthy is my family?

Consider your family’s health needs. Are you typically healthy, only visiting the doctor for routine exams and the occasional illness? Or do you have ongoing health concerns that you need to continue to care for?

One way to assess your family’s needs is to complete the Medical Life List, which you can download for FREE in the MyHealthSpin Toolkit.

Once you have all of your health information organized, you can choose the plan that fits best.

2.  Do I love my doctor?

The next question to ask is how much you love your doctor or specialists. Most health plans will have a preferred network of physicians. Using physicians in that network will be less expensive than using physicians who aren’t on the list. So, if you really want to keep seeing your doctor, make sure they are on the preferred provider list.

3.  Would I rather pay less or more now?

Health plans can range widely in price. But don’t automatically go for the cheapest plans. If you have already answered questions 1 and 2 above, now consider how much you want to be covered in the future. Choosing a lower priced plan may mean that you pay more out of pocket later when you go to the doctor or get sick. Choosing a higher priced plan may mean you pay less at the doctor’s office for routine visits, as well as sicknesses or emergencies. Review what is covered carefully.

By asking these 3 simple questions, you may feel more confident in choosing the health insurance plan that is right for your family. 

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Trying to figure out health insurance? Get my book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post 3 Questions to Consider When Choosing Health Insurance appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

In this video, I explain these terms and clear up common misconceptions surrounding them. By understanding these terms, you will be able to make an informed decision on which plan is best for you and your family.

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Trying to figure out health insurance? Get my book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post 3 Terms to Know Before Choosing Health Insurance appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

If you want to learn more about creating your Medical Life List, watch my previous video. In this part 2 video, I talk about the importance of keeping this information available at all times.

Ready to start your own Medical Life List? Download your own Medical Life List template in my free toolkit.

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Confused about health insurance? Get my new book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post Keep Your Medical Life List Handy appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

The Affordable Care Act did not change this. Due to a loophole, high deductible plans are still allowed when an employer also offers one health plan to its employees that meets the Affordable Care Act’s requirements.

For patients, this means that it is more important than ever to check your coverage before assuming that health insurance will cover all costs.

Some companies provide employees with “fixed indemnity” plans that will cover certain services like a doctor’s visit for a set price but will have limits on the number of visits per year. Thus, many necessary services will not be covered or the patient will max out of coverage before the necessary services are provided.

Starting in 2015, employers with more than 50 employees were required to provide health plans that met the basic requirements of the Affordable Care Act or face penalties.  Many employers opted to offer two plans – one that meets the basic requirements and one that does not.

As a consumer, you should take a few steps to make sure you understand your full benefits:

1. Check your insurance coverage prior to receiving care. Review your policy, the health insurance website or call the insurance company.
2. Learn about the Affordable Care Act and latest health care policies.
3. Check for any changes to your insurance and relay this information to your physicians. Communication is key.
4. If you have questions your healthcare provider can’t answer, call your insurance company, employer or 1-800-318-2596 for questions about healthcare.gov

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Confused about health insurance? Get my new book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post High Deductible Plans Still Allowed appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

One essential question to ask your doctor’s office is whether they accept or participate in your insurance. These may sound like the same thing, but if your doctor simply accepts your insurance, you may be surprised by bills later.

This video explains what it means to accept and participate in an insurance plan, and how this can save you money.

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Confused about health insurance? Get my new book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post This Word Choice that Will Save You Money appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

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Confused about health insurance? Get my new book Choose Your Best Health Insurance for detailed assistance on how to decide which insurance plan is right for you and your family.

The post What You Need to Know Before Going to the Hospital appeared first on MyHealthSpin.