Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Thank You To Our Military Healthcare Providers!

Since today is Veteran’s Day, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the amazingly hard working doctors and nurses who have served tirelessly in war, in peace, and at Veteran’s hospitals throughout the world.

There has been much in the news lately about the failings of the nation’s military Veteran hospitals.

However, we wanted to make sure that we also remember that every day there are thousands of hard working military doctors and nurses all over the country tirelessly helping our veterans with their many health needs.

Each of the doctors and nurses serving our military are asked to use their extraordinary skills to serve our veterans who have not only the normal healthcare needs of any patient, but also have needs that require very special skills.

Here is just one example, from Virginia’s Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, of how the medical community serving our veterans is making a difference.

So, we are using today’s blog post to say a big “THANK YOU!” to these amazing men and women.

Enjoy your Veteran’s Day and say “thank you” to the doctors and nurses who are working over this holiday to take care of their patients.

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Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2014

Seniors Confused about Medicare and ObamaCare?

With healthcare changing daily, seniors are confused. What is the Affordable Care Act? How does it differ from Medicare? This is especially true as the enrollment periods overlap. Seniors have found it hard to differentiate and make decisions. But the most important thing seniors need to know is that Medicare and the health plans offered under ObamaCare are completely different.

“About 17% of seniors incorrectly believe the Affordable Care Act replaces their Medicare with insurance policies purchased online through the state and federal health insurance exchanges, according to a study released last year by USA Today.

Confusion has led to unnecessary decisions. At first some of the confusion was created intentionally when advertising picked up from opponents to the law, Rabbitt said. Other questions arose because seniors said they don’t trust any one source for information, and some sources give different answers.

The confusion caused seniors to make unnecessary decisions about spending, she said. Some even went back to work.

“The fear of the unknown causes them to look at their budget,” she said. “They’re refilling prescriptions later, or skipping doses to make them last longer. That can lead to higher medical costs.”

The survey found about a third of seniors thought the eligibility age goes up to 68 in January of this year because of the law — also incorrect.

USA Today Survey

Medicare Isn’t Changing. As Medicare and ObamaCare open enrollments start up this year, seniors need to know that Medicare isn’t changing. Seniors’ Medicare enrollment period started October 15 and they will enroll the same way they have for the past 8 years. Enrollment for Medicare ends December 7. And remember, seniors do NOT have to worry about open enrollment for ObamaCare, which starts November 15th.

Doctor’s offices should be educating patients to make sure they don’t mistakenly change their coverage or stop taking medications for fear of lack of coverage. Education is key.

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Posted on Monday, November 3, 2014

Do You Have Rights to Your Senior’s Medical Records?

The short answer is “no” in most cases. To get that vital information you have to work up front with your loved one before you ever go to the doctor’s office.

Few things in healthcare are as frustrating as having an aging parent with health issues and not be able to see their medical records. Whether you are a family member caring for a senior or or senior yourself who wants to make sure your potential caregiver can have the information they need, you should know how to get or give permission to view medical records.

First, your loved one always has the right to designate who they want to have access to their medical records. When a senior goes to a doctor or hospital, they should specifically ask to fill out a a form saying who should get access to their health records. The senior’s spouse or children will not necessarily have access without the authorization.

Second, a doctor is allowed to give information to a spouse or family member if he or she is present during a doctor’s visit or a hospital stay. If the senior has a family member come with them to the doctor, the doctor can assume that the senior wants the family member to have access to the senior’s medical information unless the senior states otherwise.

Third, a senior should have a “Living Will.” Also called a “Healthcare Declaration,” this legal document, which varies in different states, will allow the person named in it to make decisions about the patient’s healthcare if they are unable to make decisions themselves. A Living Will is fairly simple to fill out. Often, seniors want to list all of their children, so they can make a joint decision. This is unwise. When a loved one is seriously ill, it will be very hard to get a single decision from every family member, each of whom may be scattered all over the country or world. It’s better to name one person and ask them to talk to the whole family before making the final decision according to the wishes of the patient.

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