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!

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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 Thursday, December 11, 2014

Can Patients Still Have High Deductible Health Plans?

Surprisingly the answer is “yes.” Due to a loophole in ObamaCare, 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 to see what your coverage is before assuming that a health insurance will cover all costs.

Many companies are providing its employees with “fixed indemnity” plans which will cover certain services like a doctor’s visit for a set price but will have limits on the amount 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 over 50 employees must provider health plans that meet the basic requirements of the Affordable Care Act or face penalties. Many employers are planning on offering 2 plans – one that meets the basic requirements and one that does not. Article

Patients should make sure to:

Check their insurance prior to receiving care.
Educate themselves about ObamaCare.
Become aware of any changes their insurance and relay this to their healthcare practitioner. Communication is “key.”
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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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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How do you make the right decision about moving yourself or a loved one into an Assisted Living Facility without being overwhelmed? How do you even begin talking about it? MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to make the right choice.

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