Lori-Ann and her father

As my dad was aging, we went to a lot of doctors. It was often difficult to make sure that my dad and my family understood what was happening with his health. Because my dad had been a Methodist minister for over 65 years, many people knew him and were concerned about his health. My dad was a very proud man and didn’t want everyone knowing what he was going through. It was often hard to balance getting all the important information to the people who needed to know but keeping my dad’s private information private.

As a patient or caregiver, health privacy is important for keeping the right people in the know.
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If you are trying to manage this for your family, you need to know some basics about health privacy. First, healthcare providers have specific rules to keep your health information private. It helps to know these rules in order to get the information you need:

1. Only the patient can give authorization to release their health information to family and friends.
2. The patient doesn’t need to sign an authorization if the family member is with them at the time of the doctor visit.
3. Your doctor can give your health information to other healthcare providers who are treating you or your insurance company without your authorizaiton.
4. You are entitled to your health records. If you ask for them, the doctor must give them to you.
5. Your healthcare provider must protect your health information whether it’s on paper or in an electronic format.
6. If you need any specific information, make sure you ask for it.
7. If you only want certain individuals in your family to get health information about your loved one, make sure you are very specific with your healthcare provider.

Knowing these rules helped me manage my dad’s healthcare and keep his information private when necessary.

Have you had any problems with your or your family’s health privacy? I’d love to hear from you!

If you or your loved one is going to be in the hospital, download my FREE ebook, Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay.

With MyHealthSpin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

The post My Dad and his Health Privacy 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.

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 

The post 3 Steps To Follow If Your Health Information Is Hacked appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

The short answer is “yes – it’s likely.”

My daughter, who just started a new job, got a notice from her employer that she was one of the 80 million people who had their health information hacked in February of this year.  She was understandably very concerned.

So what should you do when you become aware  that your information is hacked?

1. If you notice something suspicious, notify your healthcare provider or insurance company immediately.
2. If your healthcare provider or insurance company tells you your information has been compromised, it’s likely that they will provide you with identity theft coverage.  If not, ask for it.
3. Monitor your financial information and immediately report any strange charges.

In the case of the Anthem BCBS breach, BCBS provided 2 years of identity theft repair assistance, credit monitoring, and identity theft insurance to all the people affected by the breach.

One of the areas to pay attention to is your tax returns.  For some of the BCBS customers who were hacked,  the hackers filed fraudulent tax returns using the stolen information.  When the person went to file their taxes, they were informed that they had already filed and received a refund.

Tell us whether you are concerned about hacking of your health information. We’d love to hear from you!

For more information about your health insurance, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choosing Your Health Insurance.

For more information about your health privacy, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare:  Healthcare Privacy.

We hope we’re helping you “Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

The post Is Your Health Information Being Hacked? appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Our helpful health care links

Healthcare Is Headed Down A New Road With New Rules In 2015

Here is the trend of the top ten trends shaping healthcare for 2015.

Government Health Care Website Quietly Sharing Personal Data

The government’s health insurance website is quietly sending consumers’ personal data to private companies that specialize in advertising and analyzing Internet data for performance and marketing.

House Approves Two Obamacare Tweaks Intended To Help Small Businesses

The House of Representatives has already approving two bills that would revise some of the legislation’s most controversial rules for business owners.

Michigan Health Insurance Sign-Ups Near 300,000

Nearly 300,000 Michiganians have signed up for health insurance through the federal government with just over three weeks remaining to enroll.

Hospitals’ Medicare Quality Bonuses Get Wiped Out By Penalties

What Medicare gives with one hand, it’s taking away with another. Most government quality bonuses to hospitals this year are being wiped out by penalties issued for other shortcomings.

The post Helpful Health Care Links: January 23, 2015 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Our helpful health care links

Johnson & Johnson Will Make Clinical Data Available to Outside Researchers

Healthcare giant, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to make detailed clinical trial data on its medical devices and diagnostic tests available to outside researchers through a collaboration with Yale University.

Obamacare ‘Fine’ Not Dandy, Says California Exchange Boss

The head of California’s Obamacare exchange warns California residents about increased fines under Obamacare this year for not having health insurance.

Still Waiting For Strong Privacy Laws

President Obama this week proposed privacy laws that could give Americans greater control over their personal information.

U.S. Healthcare Executives Say Obamacare Is Not Going Anywhere

U.S. healthcare executives say Obamacare is likely here to stay, despite repeated calls from Republican lawmakers for repeal of the 2010 law aimed at providing health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans.

FDA Clears ‘Pacemaker For The Stomach’

Federal regulators approved a novel dieting device that acts like a pacemaker for the stomach by manipulating the nerve pathway that makes people feel hungry or full.

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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. HealthSpin’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 Helpful Health Care Links: January 16, 2015 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

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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. HealthSpin’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 You Own Your Medical Records: VIDEO appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

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.

The post 3 Healthcare Predictions for 2015 appeared first on MyHealthSpin.

Happy Holidays from MyHealthSpin!

Our helpful health care links focus on a variety of topics this holiday week — an Atlanta CDC worker being monitored for possible Ebola exposure and important information about smartphone apps which are meant to monitor hypertension. We also include a local story from Crain’s Detroit Business reporting on a lawsuit filed on behalf of 159 Detroit residents whose medical records were breached. All are worth your time. And, as always, if you ever come across a healthcare story that you think merits more attention, please send it our way!

When Home And Health Are Just Out Of Reach

A Medicaid experiment helps some elderly and disabled people move out of institutions into their own homes.

CDC Worker In Atlanta To Be Monitored For Possible Ebola Exposure

A laboratory technician working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta may have been exposed to the Ebola virus.

Henry Ford Health Wins Appeal Over Online Posting Of Patient Medical Records

The Michigan appeals court has reversed a decision and dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of 159 people in the Detroit area whose medical records were mistakenly made available online.

3 Ways To Get Cheaper Health Care In 2015

Companies are offering workers more health and wellness options, which means more opportunities for you to shop around for the most affordable care.

Beware The Claims Of Hypertension Apps, Study Says

Many smartphone apps that contend they address hypertension make medical claims without clinical validation or FDA approval.

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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.

The post Helpful Health Care Links: December 26, 2014 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.