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.

If you haven’t seen the clip, click here to watch.

Unfortunately, several hours after the birth of his baby, Jimmy and his wife Molly learned that Billy had a heart defect and needed surgery to save his life.

Jimmy thanked Cedars-Sinai Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for providing Billy with amazing care. Because of the attentive staff and great care, his newborn son is home and doing well.

Jimmy’s message was extremely important and shows how far we have come in healthcare, and how far we have to go.

Friends, family, and readers have asked me some questions about what Jimmy had to say. Here’s my take:

Jimmy spoke about “pre-existing conditions.”

Question: What are pre-existing conditions and how do they affect healthcare coverage?

Answer: Pre-existing conditions are health problems that occur prior to the date new health coverage starts.

Jimmy is correct that prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), pre-existing conditions, such as birth defects, could prevent someone like baby Billy from getting coverage. They also enabled insurance companies to charge individuals more. The ACA now prevents health insurance companies from refusing coverage or charging more for pre-existing conditions.

Question: What is the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”)?

Answer: NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the nation’s medical research agency. Jimmy is correct that, despite initial plans to cut the budget for NIH, Congress increased its funding by $2 billion.

As a mother of two and a parent of a daughter born with a serious disease, I was touched by Jimmy’s message. It’s important to stay in the know about healthcare and healthcare policies, in case you or a loved one is impacted.

Congratulations to Jimmy Kimmel and his family on their baby boy!

To learn more about health care for your family, 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 Jimmy Kimmel’s Healthcare Scare: What You Should Know appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Now, with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), mental health benefits have become more widely available to those in need. When the ACA was signed in to law in 2010 there were strict guidelines as to what each plan must cover. All plans were to include benefits such as maternity care, preventative services, and mental health care.

In terms of mental health benefits, all plans must cover three things: behavioral health treatment, such as psychotherapy and counseling, mental and behavioral health inpatient services, and abuse treatment. Also, you will not be penalized for a preexisting condition, such as depression. And thanks to the ACA, a majority of plans cover preventative mental health services, such as behavioral assessments and depression screenings.

This is all great news, but some people do not even know that their health insurance plans provide mental health care. Therefore, I have put together a list of things you should know about your coverage.

First, mental health issues must be covered equal than or greater than the coverage provided for medical or surgical treatments. This means that all copays must be equal across the board. Your charge for a visit with your psychiatrist is the same as an appointment with your orthopedic surgeon.

Also, there is no annual maximum in terms of treatment visits. Insurance companies are prohibited from putting a financial cap on treatments. However, they can limit the number of visits based off of medical necessity. Once you see a psychiatrist they set up a treatment plan, at the end of that treatment plan there is a reevaluation. If they feel your care still is medically necessary, your insurance is required to continue to pay for your treatment.

Second, all mental health diagnoses are covered under the federal parity law, whether it is a disease, such as schizophrenia, or a substance abuse problem. However, specific health plans are allowed to exclude certain diagnoses in any area of mental or physical health.

Third, it is important to remember that not all doctors take your insurance, even if you have mental health coverage. A lot of mental health providers are “not in network” with many insurance companies because their reimbursement rates are so low. Therefore, it is important to check if a provider is within your network before scheduling your first appointment

It is extremely important to know and to understand what your insurance company covers. Also, before you schedule your appointment you should call and find out what your deductible is, what your copay is and any other pertinent information. This will help you to save money and to save time.

For more healthcare news and tips daily follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.

The post Healthcare Benefits for Mental Health Services appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

It is currently too late to enroll in health insurance and have it be effective January 1st. Makes sense, since we are already a few days into January.

You can, however, still sign up to have health insurance for the remainder of the year. The deadline and absolute latest you can sign up for Obamacare is January 31st. And if you wait until that later part of January, your health insurance won’t actually be effective until March 1st, so keep that in mind. If you enroll in Obamacare by January 15th, your coverage will begin as early as February 1st.

So if Obamacare is your choice, enroll now. The sooner the better.

Curious about what Obamacare will cover? Watch this short video.

Want to know even more about Obamacare? Check out my book Easy Healthcare: Obamacare, available as either a paperback book or an ebook.

The post What is the Deadline for Enrolling in Obamacare? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Here are four of the most significant positive changes Obamacare is responsible for:

1. Eliminating pre-existing conditions restrictions: Prior to ObamaCare, many people had no insurance coverage for “pre-existing conditions.” For example, if you had cancer or a complication from a surgery and then changed insurance companies, the new insurance company formerly would deny these type of claims saying they were “pre-existing conditions.” Because of this problem, many employees would not move to take a new job for fear they would not have insurance coverage for the things they needed. Under ObamaCare, this problem is eliminated. Now, an insurance company can no longer use this as an excuse for no coverage.
2. Insurance coverage for your children through age 26: Before Obamacare, most insurance plans allowed a child to stay on their parents’ health plan until age 18, or a little bit longer if they were in school. Now young adults can now stay on their parent’s insurance until they reach the age of 26. Furthermore, the child does not to prove they are in school nor living with their parents.
3. Life-time limits eliminated: Insurance companies used to have a “life-time limit” for each person who had insurance. If you had cancer or several different health problems, you could easily hit your life-time limit and would find yourself with no insurance coverage. Under Obamacare, life-time limits have been eliminated. Now if you have cancer that may reoccur over many years, you don’t have to worry about your cancer AND “using up” your insurance also.
4. Preventive care is now covered: Did you know that prior to Obamacare most preventive medical care was not covered by your insurance? Historically, insurance covered you when you were sick, not when you were well. Yet preventative care often prevents you from getting sick in the first place. Without coverage, many people would not go for their annual checkups or their yearly mammograms. Now, under Obamacare, preventative services are covered. Every insurance plan must cover certain basic services so you no longer need to worry about getting a big bill from the doctor.

The debate will probably continue as regarding Obamacare, but some changes are beneficial for everyone.

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 4 Ways Obamacare Has Helped Everyone 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.

One of our readers recently had a problem with her adopted son’s insurance coverage. Although her son, Mark, was adopted as a baby and is now 19 years old, the insurance problem is recent.

Mark had insurance coverage through the health exchange on healthcare.gov. He had a full year of coverage before the problems began.

In January 2015, Mark received a form letter from healthcare.gov requesting copies of his citizen documents. Despite having sent them previously when he initially enrolled, Mark again sent copies of his passport and citizenship documents to the office in Virginia by mail.

He heard nothing in response until April when he received a letter from healthcare.gov indicated that his coverage was cancelled for failure to submit the necessary citizenship documents.

Mark’s mother called the healthcare.gov number (1-800-318-2596) and spoke with a representative.

The marketplace representative told her that she could see the citizenship documents on her end and that everything was taken care of, not to worry.

However, when Mark tried to fill a prescription, he was informed that he did not have coverage. He again sent in all of his citizenship documents by mail.

Mark’s mother again called healthcare.gov and again spoke with a marketplace representative. She made multiple calls and each time she was told that Mark’s documents were in order and he should have coverage. But he didn’t.

Frustrated, Mark’s mother called me.

So, what should you do if you or someone you know have this problem with Obamacare?

First, make a call to healthcare.gov and be specific with your questions. Find out what the potential causes are and the potential ways to fix the problem.

The problem could be as simple as a data mismatch, if there was an inconsistency on his application. If that’s the case, it could be as easy as correcting the application.

Another potential problem could be that incorrect citizenship documents were sent. A passport alone should be good enough, otherwise you may need to send in several documents.

Once healthcare.gov has the correct documents, and all errors are corrected, you should receive a letter with a special enrollment period to reenroll and offer retroactive coverage.

In Mark’s case, the problem was that he didn’t know the right questions to ask. His mother was able to call back and ask for the letter offering reenrollment and retroactive coverage.

Once she knew the right questions to ask and received the letter, Mark’s insurance problems were history.

To learn more about Obamacare, get my ebook Easy Healthcare: Obamacare, available through all major ebook retailers. 

Also, right now you can receive a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

The post How to Navigate Adoption and Obamacare appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

With Obamacare, there are still a lot of unknowns. One of our readers, John, recently contacted us with a serious question involving his health coverage…

John has had coverage through healthcare.gov for over a year, yet recently, he went to a doctor’s appointment and discovered that he was no longer covered.

So what happened?

John’s health insurance company is Blue Cross Blue Shield. Blue Cross sent him a new insurance card in December for 2015 and told him that his coverage was extended for the next year.

But then he received an email notice requesting action by healthcare.gov. Thinking he was covered, he failed to respond to the email.

John didn’t think anything of the email, because he received no further requests or notices from healthcare.gov. But in June when he went to see the doctor, his coverage was denied.

What did he do, and what should you do if you have problems with your healthcare.gov coverage?

First, make a call. It’s much easier to talk to a live person who can talk you through what you need to do to fix your problem.

John called the number on the healthcare.gov website (1-800-318-2596). After a few machine prompts he was connected with a marketplace representative.

She was able to help John remedy the problem and get retroactive coverage.

Had John been involved in an accident involving his healthcare, this could have been a lot bigger of a problem. Luckily, he discovered his lapse in coverage at a routine doctor’s appointment.

If you get your healthcare insurance through Obamacare, it is essential that you follow up with the providing company and healthcare.gov. Make sure to watch your email and mailbox for any notifications.

It’s always a good idea to double check your coverage. A quick call to a marketplace representative can confirm your coverage and help you to avoid potential insurance problems.   

To learn more about Obamacare, get my ebook Easy Healthcare: Obamacare, available through all major ebook retailers. 

Also, right now you can receive a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

The post Obamacare Insurance: Are you sure you’re covered? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Usually, the best choice is your parent’s health insurance plan.  

First, you are only eligible for ObamaCare Health Exchange insurance if you have no other health insurance options.

Additionally, it is often better to stay on your parent’s insurance because if they have a big group plan at work the cost of maintaining coverage for you is not very expensive. This is especially true if your parents are already covering other members of the family. You should ask your insurance company how much it will cost to maintain coverage for you while you are in college. Your parents’ plan will also often cover more healthcare items and have a lower deductible than many ObamaCare plans.

If your parents do not have a health plan through work, ObamaCare may be a good option. To find out whether you are eligible, log into the ObamaCare website www.healthcare.gov. After answering several questions, you will be able to see your options. Each state has different insurance companies offering plans in that state.

Are you planning on staying on your parents health insurance plan while in college? I’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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

The post Going Off to College: Parents’ Insurance or ObamaCare? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Surprisingly, no. Most hospitals report that ER visits are on the rise. Three quarters of ER doctors report that since ObamaCare has been in effect the ER is seeing more patients than ever before.

There are a lot of different answers.

1. People have insurance but there are not enough primary care doctors to see them.
2. ObamaCare expanded Medicaid and many primary care doctors won’t accept Medicaid due to its low reimbursement.
3. The newly insured cannot take off work to see a primary care doctor or lack transportation or child care. (Source: USA Today Article)

All of these factors make the ER often the best or only option.

Should you use the ER for your healthcare? Not if you can avoid it.

1. Call your insurance company and ask for a recommendation to a primary care physician. If you have a Medicaid HMO, a primary care physician will be assigned to you.
2. Schedule your first appointment when you are not sick. It is important to establish a relationship with your doctor BEFORE you are so sick that you get referred to the ER.
3. Pick a doctor who has late night or weekend hours if you can’t miss work during the week. Many physicians are now offering more convenient appointment times.
4. Be proactive and take responsibility for your healthcare. It’s the only way to stay healthy and avoid expensive ER visits.

Have you ever gone to the ER and wished later that you had not? I’d love to hear from you!

MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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

The post Has ObamaCare Slowed ER Visits? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.