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The post How to Keep Your Family Healthy this Holiday appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

We received a lot of great questions and, due to time limits, we were not able to answer all of them. So as we promised, here are some of your questions and the answers:

1. If I signed up for Obamacare and am expecting a baby in May (after enrollment), how do I get my baby coverage?

ANSWER: Having a baby is a “qualifying event” under Obamacare, so you can add the baby when he or she is born. Generally, you will need to sign your baby up for coverage within 60 days of the birth.

2. How do I know whether to pick my employer-provided insurance or Obamacare?

ANSWER: If your employer offers you health insurance, you will not be eligible for Obamacare. You can only buy Obamacare coverage if you cannot get coverage any other way.

3. I’m turning 65 soon. When can I apply for Medicare?

ANSWER: You can apply for Medicare 3 months before your 65th birthday. Enrollment will stay open up to 3 months after your 65th birthday. If you do not sign up within that 7 month timeframe (3 months before, the month you turn 65 and 3 months after) you will have to wait until the next Medicare open enrollment period.

4.  If I change from Obamacare to my new employer’s health plan, can I ever switch back?

ANSWER: If you lose your job or for some reason your employer no longer offers you health insurance, you can reapply for Obamacare. Losing your job or your health insurance is a qualifying event under Obamacare so you won’t have to wait for open enrollment to apply.

5.  I currently have Obamacare insurance but I’m almost 65 years old.  Can I apply for Medicare and use my Obamacare as my supplemental insurance?

ANSWER: No. Once you switch to Medicare, you will not be eligible for Obamacare.

Please continue to send us your questions. We will be scheduling more webinars soon. I’d love to hear from you!

To learn more about your healthcare, please subscribe to MyHealthSpin.com and receive a FREE copy of my toolkit which includes 2 free eBooks and lots of great information. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

The post How to Choose the Right Health Plan appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

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

P.S.

During the next few weeks I’ll be finalizing my ebook, Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Insurance Plan. If you have any questions about specific coverage options, please let me know!

The post What Does Health Insurance Cover? VIDEO appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Surprisingly, yes.  

Medicare announced that insurance companies can use the Amazon cloud to report their required ObamaCare information to the government.

Under ObamaCare, insurance companies must provide information to the government to determine if they owe money or will receive money from the government.  This is an important aspect of ObamaCare as it forces insurance companies to have both “risk and reward.”  This information is required to avoid large premium increases in the first 3 years.

Insurance companies previously had to buy expensive hardware to provide the information to the government.  Medicare decided that the information could also be stored on the Amazon cloud.  

Insurance companies are concerned about:

1. The security of the health information;
2. The redundancy of other systems insurance companies already have in place;
3. The Amazon option being offered too late to get an accurate picture of the risk pool. Article

This is simply another example how health information is becoming more available in locations that the healthcare provider and patient would never know about.  As a result of these rapid changes, healthcare providers and consumers must be vigilant that they monitor their health information and have the mandatory HIPAA and security measures in place.  If there is a breach of health information, the healthcare provider does not want to take the liability when the information is now in so many varied locations by many different companies. As a patient, make sure you notify your healthcare provider if you find that your healthcare information has been leaked to an unauthorized source.

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Healthcare has changed radically. Gone are the days when the only medical professional a patient saw was their trusted local doctor. MyHealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Healthcare Privacy walks you through the practical steps you can take to safeguard your healthcare privacy as a patient.

Available for download NOW!

The post Is Amazon Storing Your Health Information? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

A Warning on Nutmeg

During the holiday season, nutmeg is one of the most well-loved spices, but it has quite the twisted history. Toxicologists warn: measure your nutmeg carefully.

Illegal Immigrants Could Receive Social Security, Medicare Under Obama Action

Under President Obama’s new program to protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation, many of those affected will be eligible to receive Social Security, Medicare, and a wide array of other federal benefits.

FDA Menu Labels May Freak Restaurants into Swapping Fries for Fruit

The Food and Drug Administration unveiled long-awaited rules requiring restaurants, grocery deli counters, convenience stores, and other outlets with more than 20 locations to post calories counts on their menus.

Turning 21? Here’s How to Avoid a Big Hike in Health Insurance Premiums

For those insured through the federal health insurance marketplace that operates in about three dozen states, turning 21 could mean a whopping 58 percent jump in health insurance premiums in 2015 if you don’t take the steps outlined in this article.

Detroit Neurosurgeon Aria Sabit Arrested for Alleged Insurance Fraud

A Detroit-area neurosurgeon was arrested for allegedly defrauding federal and private health-insurance programs by billing for spine surgeries that he either didn’t perform or that were medically unnecessary.

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Although we’d all like to avoid it, it’s likely that most of us will at some point be admitted to the hospital. Whether you are staying in a hospital for a happy event, such as the birth of a child, or are being admitted due to an emergency or serious illness, you should understand how a hospital works. MyHealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay reveals the easy and practical answers that only an insider knows.

Available for download NOW!

The post Helpful Health Care Links: November 29, 2014 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

ObamaCare enrollment started November 15th.  The question is, who should care?  

ObamaCare is mainly for people and small groups who purchase their own health insurance.  If you are uninsured and do not have an employer-sponsored health plan, Medicare, or Medicaid, ObamaCare is for you.

But, the fact is that most people will never apply for ObamaCare.

Forty-Eight (48%) percent of people in the US have employer-sponsored health insurance. Medicare, government health insurance for the elderly, covers another 15 percent of the US population. Medicaid, government health insurance for the poor, covers an additional 15 percent. Other government health insurance programs cover 2 percent of the population. Another 5 percent of the population is covered by non-group plans. So, only 15 percent of the US population is currently uninsured. Therefore, most people will never need the insurance plans created as a result of ObamaCare.

Often, people with Medicare are confused about the Medicare enrollment period v. the ObamaCare enrollment period.

The Medicare enrollment period is from October 15 to December 7, 2014.  This enrollment period is different than ObamaCare.  If you have Medicare, remember that the ObamaCare enrollment period does not affect Medicare.  Also, if you have Medicare Advantage, you do not need to do anything related to ObamaCare.  Medicare Advantage is not the same as ObamaCare.

The cost of coverage for an ObamaCare health plan will vary widely depending on three major factors: your age, your income and where you live. ObamaCare allows health insurance companies to charge significantly more for an older shopper compared to a young shopper. For example, a health plan for a 58-year-old can cost three times more then the same health plan for a 23-year-old. The reason for this is that the health insurance company expects to pay far more for the 58-year-old’s healthcare then for a young, healthy 23-year-old. It’s also true that in certain parts of the country healthcare costs more than in other parts of the country. Additionally, for people who earn less than four times the poverty level (about $45,000 for an individual or $96,000 for a family of 4), they will be entitled to subsidies, which may pay for the entire cost of the monthly premium.

Also, if you do not have health insurance you will have to pay a penalty.  So, if you are uninsured, check out  healthcare.gov and enroll in your plan of choice. You  have until February 15, 2015 to apply.

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Are you looking to cut through all the noise and find out what ObamaCare really is, what it does, and, most importantly, what it means to you? MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: ObamaCare” ebook guide leaves the politics behind and gives you a straightforward, timely rundown of the changes the law made and whether or not they impact YOU.

Available for download NOW!

The post Obamacare Annual Enrollment – Should I Care? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Flu Shots Effective for Seniors, Says New Review

A new review of published studies finds that the seasonal flu vaccine is effective at protecting those over 60 during epidemics or widespread outbreaks.

Detroit Medical Center to Open Emergency Department for Seniors

Detroit Medical Center’s Detroit Receiving Hospital is the latest hospital in Southeast Michigan to offer a specialized emergency department for seniors.

Medicare Proposes Paying for Lung Cancer Screenings for Older Longtime Smokers

A draft decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would extend coverage for CT scans to Medicare beneficiaries who smoked at least a pack a day for 30 years or the equivalent.

3 New Ebola Therapies Will Be Tested; Liberia Lifts Emergency

Medical teams plan to start three clinical trials in the fight against the Ebola virus next month, administering the drugs at treatment centers run by Doctors Without Borders in West Africa. Two of the therapies involve antiviral drugs.

What the Election Results Mean for You

What will the recent midterm election results mean for seniors and their healthcare?

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Want to avoid unnecessary grief and expense when you get sick? Then you need this essential guide to the business behind your healthcare decisions. MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Before You Get Sick” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to take charge of your healthcare options!

Available for download NOW!

The post Helpful Health Care Links: November 14, 2014 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

“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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Are you looking to cut through all the noise and find out what ObamaCare really is, what it does, and, most importantly, what it means to you? MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: ObamaCare” ebook guide leaves the politics behind and gives you a straightforward, timely rundown of the changes the law made and whether or not they impact YOU.

Available for download NOW!

The post Seniors Confused about Medicare and ObamaCare? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

A growing number of criminals are using ObamaCare to steal  patients’ personal information.

The government is warning seniors on Medicare: If someone asks for your personal information for a state insurance exchange under the new healthcare law, he’s probably a crook. Those exchanges don’t apply to seniors.

No consumer, young or old, should give out medical information or pay up-front “enrollment” fees, the government says.

Those are just two of the scams that federal officials anticipate as more and more patients sign up under the Affordable Care Act.

What Should You Know?

1)  Never give out personal information to someone who contacts you saying you need to sign up for ObamaCare.   It’s likely a criminal.

2)  If you suspect fraud, call  800-318-2596, TTY 855-889-4325.  This number will connect yous to federal call centers for reporting fraud or attempted identity theft.

3)  Anyone who is officially allowed to sign patients up for ObamaCare should be able to present official credentials.  If there is any doubt, you should ask for a number to call to confirm the person’s identity.

Remember:  1) make sure you know if you qualify for ObamaCare (download my ebook, Easy Healthcare: Obamacare  to find out); 2) that Medicare is not affected by ObamaCare, and 3) where to call if you suspect fraud: 800-318-2596.

Knowing these facts may save you from a criminal who is trying to steal your identity or money.

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Are you looking to cut through all the noise and find out what ObamaCare really is, what it does, and, most importantly, what it means to you? MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: ObamaCare” ebook guide leaves the politics behind and gives you a straightforward, timely rundown of the changes the law made and whether or not they impact YOU.

Available for download NOW!

The post Are Criminals Using ObamaCare to Steal Personal Information? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

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Are you looking to cut through all the noise and find out what ObamaCare really is, what it does, and, most importantly, what it means to you? MyHealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: ObamaCare” ebook guide leaves the politics behind and gives you a straightforward, timely rundown of the changes the law made and whether or not they impact YOU.

Available for download NOW!

The post How Does ObamaCare Impact Your Medicare Coverage?: VIDEO appeared first on MyHealthSpin.