Posted on Thursday, June 4, 2015

Going Off to College: Parents’ Insurance or ObamaCare?

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.

Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2015

Has ObamaCare Slowed ER Visits?

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. This is contrary to the goal of ObamaCare. What happened?

There are a lot of different answers.

People have insurance but there are not enough primary care doctors to see them.
ObamaCare expanded Medicaid and many primary care doctors won’t accept Medicaid due to its low reimbursement.
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.

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.
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.
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.
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.

Posted on Friday, May 8, 2015

Celebrate Mother’s Day The HealthSpin Way

Being a mom often times means taking care of others before yourself. I encourage moms of every age to make themselves a priority and take easy steps toward a healthier and safer life. Among these include:

Maintaining a healthy diet
Engaging in physical activity
Getting enough sleep
Finding ways to reduce stress
And sharing your medical history with your friends and family

Making sure your personal and family health history is often times forgotten, but can be very important in the event of an emergency. What you need is a Medical Life List! In a nutshell, your Medical Life List is your own personal medical record created by you and updated by you.

You can find the template of the Medical Life List in MyHealthSpin’s free eBook, Easy Healthcare Guide: What You Need First.

So the question is…how will you celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day?

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Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!