Did you know that a group of 13 male, Republican Senators is currently working on a draft bill of the repeal/replace Obamacare behind closed doors?

The group of Senators claimed they are close to having a proposal to take to the floor.

The bill has been drafted behind closed doors, with many senators unaware of any details. Some Democrat Senators have expressed outrage at the closed-door approach to the drafting.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R – S.C. stated that the bill is being drafted from a one-party perspective because no Democrat is willing to help with the draft. He said that although this is not the ideal approach, it’s the only way they are able to draft the bill.

In 2017, approximately 12.2 million people were enrolled or automatically re-enrolled in a Affordable Care Act Marketplace plan (“Obamacare Exchange.”)

The changes to the healthcare bill will affect millions of people, yet we know very little about the potential changes.

The Senate Committee has stated that they will submit the draft bill to the Congressional Budget Office prior to releasing to the public, for nonpartisan analysis of things such as the cost, and how many people will gain or lose coverage, if enacted.

Once the bill is drafted, there are still many uncertainties.

Many experts have stated that the chances of it passing is very unlikely. No Democrats are expected to vote to repeal Obamacare. Republicans can’t lose more than two votes to pass the bill, and several Republicans have already expressed concerns.

What are your thoughts on the replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act? Would you like there to be more transparency?

Get involved by contacting your representatives to let them know your opinions!

To learn more about health and women’s health 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 Is Your Health Insurance Cancelled? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

I was recently contacted by the fabulous website Grandparents.com with some questions regarding health insurance and what it doesn’t cover. I have been approached many times with questions about health insurance, as it can be very confusing to navigate.

Did you know that the average age of a grandparent in the United States is 48? Neither did I. Grandparents, along with many other people, struggle with finding healthcare coverage for themselves and their loved ones.

We shared a lot of interesting information with Grandparents.com. Here is a glimpse at only a few of the many interesting facts we discussed:

• Insurance is essential. Make sure to research and compare insurance policies before selecting a plan. Consider if the plan covers your prescriptions, physicians, and services you need or may utilize in the future. Make sure to use your medical life list when evaluating options.
• If your insurance tells you that alternative therapies, such as massage or acupuncture, are covered services, make sure to find out what is required for them to be covered, how many visits are covered, and what health care providers you can see. Unforeseen costs can be burdensome, so make sure you know before you go!
• A good rule of thumb to determine whether a service is covered by insurance is to ask yourself whether or not the service is a medical necessity? This can be tricky, but usually insurance companies say services such as travel vaccinations or massages are not a medical necessity, and therefore are not covered.
• If you are receiving high out-of-pocket costs for services that are not covered, look for a plan that better suits your needs. If that’s not feasible, talk to your doctors and ask if they will put you on a payment plan or offer discounts for paying in cash.

For more information, check out the article today on Grandparents.com and make sure to let us know what you think!

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my workbook for dealing with caring for your children, as well as your aging parents: Life in the Sandwich Generation. Life in the Sandwich Generation is a workbook filled with information, tips and tricks for managing the demands needing to care for your aging parents, as well as taking care of your children. It details how you can involve your children in the process and how to learn more about your parents health and finances, while still making time for yourself and your spouse. You can find it here for only $10!

The post Sneak Peek: What doesn’t your health insurance cover? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

We had another successful webinar yesterday. I can’t believe it was our third one! I’m getting into a rhythm and having fun sharing healthcare tips with you in this way. I hope you are enjoying it, too.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to answer your questions. Thank you so much to those of you who sent your questions in. There were some great ones!

One of the questions I received was “What if my medical insurance doesn’t include dental?”

This is the case sometimes. Often dental insurance is provided separately from medical insurance, possibly through a different provider altogether.

First, check with your employer to make sure. Maybe dental coverage is available to you and you didn’t realize it or didn’t fill out the paperwork for it when you were hired. If it is an option, go ahead and sign up.

If your employer doesn’t offer dental insurance, look for a stand-alone dental plan. You can find these from a variety of providers.

Before you sign up, though, consider your dental care needs.

Are your teeth generally in good shape? Is your primary reason for visiting the dentist to get your routine cleaning? If so, compare the costs of the dental insurance to the costs of a dental visit if you were to pay fully out-of-pocket. You may find that dental insurance isn’t worth the cost if all you plan to use it for are twice-per-year cleanings.

If you tend to have more dental needs–like a history of cavities, root canals, crowns, and so on–then you’ll probably want to invest in a dental insurance plan that will help offset some of this pricier work.

Thank you to one of our readers for submitting that great question.

The post My Insurance Doesn’t Include Dental. Now What? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Understandably, there is a lot of confusion about the types of plans because there are no industry-wide definitions and because state standards are different.

To help you better understand the different types of plans, here are some generalities:

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO): HMOs only cover care provided by doctors and hospitals within the network.

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO): PPOs cover care in and out of the plan provider’s network. There is typically a higher percentage of the cost for care provided out-of-network, paid for by the members.

Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPO): EPOs generally do not cover care outside of the plan provider’s network. They are similar to HMOs, but members may not need a referral to see a specialist.

Point of Service (POS): POS plans often combine aspects of HMOs and PPOs. There may be coverage for out-of-network care that comes with higher cost sharing. Members also may need a referral to see a specialist.

There is a lot of variety from one plan to the next, despite how the plans are labeled.

When looking at plans, make sure to ask some basic questions about coverage, such as:

• If members are required to have a primary care physician,
• If members are required to get referrals for specialists or services,
• If any healthcare services need to be pre-authorized,
• If there is out-of-network coverage, and
• If there is out-of-network coverage, does spending count toward the out-of-pocket maximum?

All this month we are answering your questions and we will be answering even more in this month’s webinar Ask Lori-Ann Your Healthcare Questions on January 27, 2016 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Reserve your spot now! Bring your questions to the webinar or submit them in advance by email or on Facebook or Twitter.

The post What is the difference between HMO, PPO, POS, and EPS? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

How do your kids get health insurance after your divorce?

This is a question that every parent asks when going through a divorce.  The answer is it depends. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

As many of you know, I got divorced when my daughters were 18 months and 3 1/2-years-old. Of course, it was a very frustrating time with many things to worry about. Where will we live? How will I pay the bills? But one of the things I didn’t think about was how my children would continue to have health insurance.

In my case, I was lucky. I worked at a hospital and my employer provided me with health coverage for my children so my girls could continue on my current health plan.

However, if your children are currently covered by their father’s health plan, how will they continue to get their insurance coverage? In most states, the answer will be in your divorce decree. The Judgement of Divorce states who must provide the health insurance for the children and who will pay for any health costs. This includes any deductibles or co-pays. Also, the Divorce Judgement will state how much each spouse will have to pay for any healthcare services that aren’t covered by insurance.

It might be a good idea to request that your spouse pay a certain amount of healthcare costs every month so you do not have to keep fighting over repayment. This is especially true since most doctors will require that any healthcare costs not covered by your insurance plan be paid at the time of the service. It is rare for doctors to agree to bill for those services later.

It is always best to try and come to a reasonable agreement about who will be responsible for the health coverage in advance. It is also important to specify what will happen if the spouse who is currently covering the children’s health insurance loses their job or their health coverage.

Have you had any problems getting your children health coverage after a divorce? How did you resolve it? We’d love to hear from you!

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

Right now you can get a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay, by subscribing to MyHealthSpin.com.

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

The post Divorced? How your kids get health insurance appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Our helpful health care links

Inside Nepal’s Next Challenge: Overflowing Hospitals

Hospitals throughout Nepal are flooded with patients, with thousands in need of care for acute injuries after a massive earthquake that the country’s leader said may have killed up to 10,000.

A Day in the Life of a Stolen Healthcare Record

The process of divining the provenance of stolen healthcare records. These records typically are processed or handled by a gauntlet of third party firms, most of which have no direct relationship with the patient or customer ultimately harmed by the breach.

P.S.–TODAY is your last day to sign up for the ObamaCare Enrollment Extension!

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 Helpful Healthcare Links: April 30, 2015 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Our helpful health care links

Californians Can Now Pay Cash For Health Insurance At 7-Eleven

The largest publicly run health plan in the nation, L.A. Care, will allow customers who do not have traditional bank accounts to pay their health insurance premiums with cash.

Medicaid Expands In Other States, But Not Florida

The Florida Senate has proposed a plan that would accept federal funds under the Affordable Care Act to establish a state-run private insurance exchange for low-income residents.

P.S.–TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that will take place 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 Helpful Healthcare Links: April 23, 2015 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.

Our helpful health care links

Giving Out Private Data For Discount In Insurance

John Hancock will become the first insurance company to offer a program for Americans that tracks policyholders’ medical information and offers discounts for healthy behavior.

Tax Deadline Meets The Health Law

If you were insured through work, bought a plan on the new insurance marketplaces or enrolled in Medicare Part A, Medicaid or Tricare you likely met the requirement and can simply check that box off on your tax form.

P.S.–TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

ObamaCare has added an extra enrollment period that will take place 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 Helpful Health Care Links: April 9, 2015 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 

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