Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2014

3 Healthcare Predictions for 2015

2015 will continue to see healthcare grow and change. I hope MyHealthSpin will help you find easy, simple answers to your healthcare questions.

Here are our Healthcare predictions for 2015:

1. More Health Insurance Coverage: More people will continue to be covered by health insurance. Due to ObamaCare and related penalties, more people will have health insurance. Whether you like ObamaCare or hate it, more people having health insurance is good for everyone. Whether we have a government mandate or not, everyone pays for the uninsured. The costs of the uninsured shows up in your health insurance premiums, your doctor bills and your taxes. Additionally, statistics show that people that are insured are healthier. This is good for everyone. A healthier population is happier and more productive.

2. Responsibility: The consumer will have more of the responsibility for keeping healthy. More and more insurance plans are requiring you to be responsible for your health. For example, there is often an extra cost for your insurance if you smoke. You can often get a reduction in your insurance premiums if you go in for an annual physical or join a weight reduction program. Statistics show that people that smoke or are obese have more health problems than those that do not. Therefore, insurance companies will be asking you to take responsibility for your health. If you do not get health insurance, you will pay a penalty. This penalty helps to offset the cost of your healthcare if you need it and do not have insurance to cover your needs/costs.

3. Technology: Technology will continue to grow in healthcare. You are seeing technology everywhere. Your doctor is now using an Electronic Medical Record. Your doctor may be asking you to get your health information through a patient portal. Your mom or dad may be being monitored at home by their physician using an Tablet. Surgeons are using Google glass in surgery. All of these advances will continue to grow in 2015 and beyond.

So those are just a few predictions for 2015.

We all struggle to keep up with the many healthcare changes.

I hope MyHealthSpin can help you find simple, easy answers. To get started, get a FREE copy of Easy HealthCare: What You Need First by CLICKING HERE.

Wishing you a wonderful New Year!

♦◊♦

All of this information and more will be explained in MyHealthSpin’s soon-to-be-released book, Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance. For more information, go to myhealthspin.com .

Posted on Friday, December 26, 2014

Helpful Health Care Links: December 26, 2014

Happy Holidays from MyHealthSpin!

Our helpful health care links focus on a variety of topics this holiday week — an Atlanta CDC worker being monitored for possible Ebola exposure and important information about smartphone apps which are meant to monitor hypertension. We also include a local story from Crain’s Detroit Business reporting on a lawsuit filed on behalf of 159 Detroit residents whose medical records were breached. All are worth your time. And, as always, if you ever come across a healthcare story that you think merits more attention, please send it our way!

When Home And Health Are Just Out Of Reach

A Medicaid experiment helps some elderly and disabled people move out of institutions into their own homes.

CDC Worker In Atlanta To Be Monitored For Possible Ebola Exposure

A laboratory technician working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta may have been exposed to the Ebola virus.

Henry Ford Health Wins Appeal Over Online Posting Of Patient Medical Records

The Michigan appeals court has reversed a decision and dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of 159 people in the Detroit area whose medical records were mistakenly made available online.

3 Ways To Get Cheaper Health Care In 2015

Companies are offering workers more health and wellness options, which means more opportunities for you to shop around for the most affordable care.

Beware The Claims Of Hypertension Apps, Study Says

Many smartphone apps that contend they address hypertension make medical claims without clinical validation or FDA approval.

♦◊♦

Posted on Friday, December 19, 2014

Helpful Health Care Links: December 19, 2014

Our helpful health care links focus on a variety of topics this week — the 5 most affordable cities for assisted living and the affects of high medical costs on Americans. We also include a story from Spectrum Health touching on many American parents who feel their teen and young adult children are unable to manage their own health care. All are worth your time. And, as always, if you ever come across a healthcare story that you think merits more attention, please send it our way!

How the High Cost of Medical Care Is Affecting Americans

The New York Times/CBS News poll found that affording medical care is a hardship for more Americans than a year ago.

The 5 Most Affordable Cities For Assisted Living

Looking for assisted-living facilities for yourself or a loved one? If so, you should probably start by examining a map and your portfolio: Due to a variety of factors, the spot you choose on the former will have a huge impact on the latter.

Report: US Unprepared For Disease Outbreaks Despite Billions Spent

Major gaps exist in the country’s capacity to handle public health crises like Ebola despite massive government spending over the last decade, according to a new report.

Few Parents Think 18-Year-Olds Can Handle Their Health Care

Many American parents don’t think their teen and young adult children are able to manage their own health care.

Managed Care Plans Make Progress In Erasing Racial Disparities

Years of efforts to reduce the racial disparities in health care have so far failed to eliminate them. But progress is being made in the western United States, due largely to efforts by managed care plans to identify patients who were missing out on management of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

♦◊♦