If you haven’t seen the clip, click here to watch.

Unfortunately, several hours after the birth of his baby, Jimmy and his wife Molly learned that Billy had a heart defect and needed surgery to save his life.

Jimmy thanked Cedars-Sinai Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for providing Billy with amazing care. Because of the attentive staff and great care, his newborn son is home and doing well.

Jimmy’s message was extremely important and shows how far we have come in healthcare, and how far we have to go.

Friends, family, and readers have asked me some questions about what Jimmy had to say. Here’s my take:

Jimmy spoke about “pre-existing conditions.”

Question: What are pre-existing conditions and how do they affect healthcare coverage?

Answer: Pre-existing conditions are health problems that occur prior to the date new health coverage starts.

Jimmy is correct that prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), pre-existing conditions, such as birth defects, could prevent someone like baby Billy from getting coverage. They also enabled insurance companies to charge individuals more. The ACA now prevents health insurance companies from refusing coverage or charging more for pre-existing conditions.

Question: What is the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”)?

Answer: NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the nation’s medical research agency. Jimmy is correct that, despite initial plans to cut the budget for NIH, Congress increased its funding by $2 billion.

As a mother of two and a parent of a daughter born with a serious disease, I was touched by Jimmy’s message. It’s important to stay in the know about healthcare and healthcare policies, in case you or a loved one is impacted.

Congratulations to Jimmy Kimmel and his family on their baby boy!

To learn more about health care for your family, check out the Women’s Mind Body Wellness Summit. It contains 6 interviews by top female health professionals plus two workout videos and 3 bonus videos on mind-body wellness with MyHealthSpin founder Lori-Ann Rickard.

The post Jimmy Kimmel’s Healthcare Scare: What You Should Know appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

A lot has happened this week in health care and we want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the best health care choices. Our helpful health care links bring you the trending topics in health care news.

• The Zika Virus, a virus primarily spread by mosquitos, has become a Global Health Emergency. The virus has spread to 26 countries and territories in the Western Hemisphere, with over 30 cases of the virus here in the United States. Obama is now calling for emergency funding.
  • Obama asks for $1.8 billion in Emergency Zika Funding
  • Zika Virus – Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• An estimated one in seven mothers experience postpartum depression. New research reveals that the depression experienced during pregnancy, if left untreated, can potentially effect the well-being of their children. A panel suggests depression screenings both during and after pregnancy.
  • Panel Calls for Depression Screenings During and After Pregnancy
• The Flint Water Crisis that began in April of 2014 in Flint, Michigan, has now affected over six thousand children exposed to water with high-levels of lead. Officials in Flint are now being criticized for not taking the appropriate measures to prevent the crisis.
  • House Panel Grills Federal, State Officials Over Flint Crisis
  • Flint Water Crisis Timeline
• The HHS (United States Department of Health & Human Services) looks to expand Medicaid to those that don’t earn enough to get subsidized ACA plans. Approximately, 30 million people in the U.S. remain uninsured.
  • Immigration Reform Would Help Reach Universal Health Coverage
• Health care is at the forefront of the 2016 election debate for both Democrats and Republicans. Millennials today may actually be able to change the health care system and to improve its customer service.
  • Here’s How Millennials Could Change Health Care

We hope we have helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY! 

Follow us for more health care news and tips daily on Twitter & Facebook. 

The post Helpful Health Care Links: appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Many people get medical bills from a hospital stay and don’t know what to look for to determine if the bill is correct

1. No “Balance Billing”: You should make sure that if you went to a doctor who is in your “network,” you should not receive a charge for the visit (other than a possible co-pay). When the doctor charges you the difference between their normal charge and what the insurance company will pay for the service, this is called “balance billing.” You should not get a bill from the doctor if you went to doctor who was “in network.”
2. Check Quantity: If you were in the hospital, you will want to check the quantity of items and services you are being billed for. For example, look at medications and the amount of days you were in the hospital. Hospital billing departments often make mistakes.
3. Duplicate Charges: Make sure you were not billed twice for a procedure or a lab test.
4. Upcoding: Many healthcare services have levels of care. For example, you can go to the ER for something simple – which should be billed at the lowest level of care or for something very complex – which will be billed at the highest level of care. You should look at the bill to see what was charged.

Looking closely at your bill can save you money.

Tell us whether you have had any problems with your medical bills? We’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Check out how more information on insurance in our new book, Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

The post How to Find Medical Bill Errors appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Usually, the best choice is your parent’s health insurance plan.  

First, you are only eligible for ObamaCare Health Exchange insurance if you have no other health insurance options.

Additionally, it is often better to stay on your parent’s insurance because if they have a big group plan at work the cost of maintaining coverage for you is not very expensive. This is especially true if your parents are already covering other members of the family. You should ask your insurance company how much it will cost to maintain coverage for you while you are in college. Your parents’ plan will also often cover more healthcare items and have a lower deductible than many ObamaCare plans.

If your parents do not have a health plan through work, ObamaCare may be a good option. To find out whether you are eligible, log into the ObamaCare website www.healthcare.gov. After answering several questions, you will be able to see your options. Each state has different insurance companies offering plans in that state.

Are you planning on staying on your parents health insurance plan while in college? I’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Check out how more information on insurance in our new book, Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

The post Going Off to College: Parents’ Insurance or ObamaCare? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Being a mom often times means taking care of others before yourself

1. Maintaining a healthy diet
2. Engaging in physical activity
3. Getting enough sleep
4. Finding ways to reduce stress
5. And sharing your medical history with your friends and family

Making sure your personal and family health history is often times forgotten, but can be very important in the event of an emergency. What you need is a Medical Life List! In a nutshell, your Medical Life List is your own personal medical record created by you and updated by you.

You can find the template of the Medical Life List in MyHealthSpin’s free eBook, Easy Healthcare Guide: What You Need First.

So the question is…how will you celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day?

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Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

The post Celebrate Mother’s Day The HealthSpin Way appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

I hope this post helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Check out how more information on how to choose insurance in our new book,Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

Available for download NOW!

The post 3 Easy Steps To Choosing A Health Insurance Plan appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

What a question to ask on your birthday!  But, this is what my daughter and I are talking about since she turns 25 this week.  She has insurance now, but on her next birthday she’ll need a new health plan.  But why?

Luckily, she’s currently covered under my health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”).  ObamaCare allows young adults to stay on a parent’s policy until they reach the age of 26.  However, next year, my daughter will need her own insurance plan.

As with all health matters, the best advice is plan ahead.  My daughter has a year to figure out what insurance plan best fits her needs.

First, she must find out where she can get insurance.

1. Does her employer offer an insurance plan?
2. Is she eligible for a state program such as Medicaid?
3. If neither of these options work, she is likely eligible for ObamaCare through the health exchanges.

Once she knows how she will get health insurance, she will need to pick a plan.  She should consider:

1. Is she healthy?  If so, a high deductible plan is often an option for young adults.
2. Does she want to keep her doctors?  If so, she will need to find a plan that her doctors participate in.  Just having insurance doesn’t guarantee that her doctor’s charges will be paid for by her new insurance company.
3. Consider the costs.  Often the employer will pay for part of the insurance or she may be able to get subsidies if she buys insurance through the health exchange.

There a lot of questions to answer.  To help you figure out the process, check out our blog post THIS THURSDAY showing my young friend Lauren picking an insurance plan.

Tell us how you or your children selected health insurance.  We’d love to hear from you.

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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!

The post Happy Birthday! Do You have Health Insurance? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Tell us whether you are concerned about you health information being compromised. We’d love to hear from you!

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

As Always, we hope we’re helping you “Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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P.S.–Please remember that ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that from March 15 – April 30, 2015. For more information about your health insurance, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choosing Your Health Insurance 

The post 3 Steps To Follow If Your Health Information Is Hacked appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

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.

The post Does Your Healthcare Provider “Accept Or “Participate In” Your Health Insurance Plan? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

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.

◊

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.

The post So You’re Signing Up For ObamaCare…What Is Covered? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.