Health Insurance

The last decade has been favorable for the medical industry. A stupendous rise in the gamut of medical services in the wake of medical advancement has made this industry one of the significant contributors to the gross domestic product of the Indian economy.

On the darker side, there is a steep rise in the cost of medical services thereby making it difficult for people to afford medical treatment. There have been cases of people committing suicide after giving in to the excessive financial burden. In extreme cases, people prolonged taking medical treatment to an extent that it became very late. Moreover, some of the bed-ridden patients even attempted suicide to relieve their family from medical expenses. Such problems are normally faced by poor and middle economic strata of the society.

To overcome such a situation, medical insurance, commonly known as mediclaim and health insurance, was introduced on a large scale. Insurance companies aggressively promoted this new facility to people and easily found many takers. Mediclaim is a complete health package that provides many medical benefits to people in order to ensure their well-being at any stage of life. Different insurance companies offer various mediclaim policies with varying premiums and benefits. You can easily compare the plans and choose the one that covers your health risks at the cheapest premium amount. Family health insurance is normally highest in demand as it extends the benefit to the entire family.

Mediclaim is a boom in the health sector that has made it possible for everyone to take the best medical treatment without fearing the expenses. This has gone a long way in saving the lives of many due to timely and proper medical care at the right medical center.

Recently, government has also included ayurveda, unani, homeopathy, and other alternative systems of medicine under insurance cover. This favorable move has brought those people within the insurance bracket who have faith in such medical systems.

Women health during pregnancy and infant care are one the neglected areas in our society. Therefore, insurance companies offer special mediclaim packages that cover the hospital expenses of delivery and post-natal services as well as the well-being of a new-born baby.

In case you are interested in taking up a mediclaim for your family, you need to visit the websites of insurance companies to know more about their policies. Alternatively, you can also meet them personally for an interaction.

Check for more on Mediclaim

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In Washington, there is an ongoing debate regarding Medicare. Millions of seniors and younger people who depend on Medicare due to disability are caught in the middle. In such uncertain times, it’s important to avoid more out-of-pocket expenses and retain your savings to be prepared for changes in Medicare benefits.

That requires understanding what the government’s Medicare now covers. Medicare is divided into four categories of benefits: Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D. Part A covers hospital stays, home health care and hospice care. Part B handles doctor’s services and laboratory tests. Part C refers to Medicare Advantage Plans that can replace the government provided Original Medicare by including the benefits of Part A and B along with coverage for prescriptions. If you don’t have this Part C prescription coverage, you may be interested in Part D, which only covers prescription drugs.

Basically when you get one of the Medicare Advantage Plans, you are substituting private insurance for Original Medicare. These private plans must comply with Medicare’s rules, though, so they provide all the coverage available through Medicare and then some. They usually provide drug coverage (but not all plans cover all medicines), and often add dental and vision services. However such plans are not universally available. If one of these plans is available where you live, it may offer the best rates and these plans accept applications regardless of any pre-existing condition except for ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease).

In addition to all four Medicare options, there’s an alternative known as Medicare Supplemental Insurance that fills in gaps in Original Medicare. These Medigap Plans cover services that Medicare doesn’t. For example, a Medigap Plan can pay for the 20 percent of every doctor bill that Medicare beneficiaries must cover. With 10 different types of Medigap Insurance, you can hand pick the benefits you’re most likely to need.

Medigap Plans are distinguished by letters, such as Plan A, Plan B, etc. Medigap Plan F offers the most comprehensive coverage, but as with other kinds of insurance, expanded coverage comes at a price. Plan F has been the most popular, but Plan G may be a more cost effective solution this year.

That’s because preventive services are now fully covered through Original Medicare. You’ll no longer need to pay for 20 percent of a doctor’s fee for an annual check-up, flu shots and certain screening procedures that can detect common forms of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. Medigap Plan G has all of the benefits of Plan F with one exception. It doesn’t reimburse you for Medicare’s Part B deductible on doctor services.

Now that you no longer need to meet that Part B deductible before preventive services are covered, it may not be cost effective to pay higher premiums to get that reimbursement. It depends on your medical history. If you habitually need to see a doctor for something that wouldn’t be covered as a preventive service, Medigap Plan F may still save you money. If all you usually need falls under the category of 100-percent covered preventive care, paying higher premiums wouldn’t make sense because you wouldn’t have to meet the Part B deductible. In that case, you couldn’t collect on the benefit and be reimbursed for having to meet that deductible.

By Wiley Long – President, MedigapAdvisors.com – The nation’s leading independent agency specializing in Medicare Supplemental Insurance. Our professional MediGap advisors look forward to the opportunity to help you get the best insurance for your Medicare needs.

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A new private/public health insurance product has been designed for small businesses and their employees in Texas, The Healthy Texas Plan! This partnership will allow uninsured small employers (Uninsured the past 12 months) to access quality health plans at an affordable price. Healthy Texas plans are provided by private carriers.

Enrollees in Healthy Texas choose from private health plans that have been approved by TDI. In accordance with the requirements of the Healthy Texas program set forth in Chapter 1508 of the Texas Insurance Code, TDI is currently contracted with Celtic Insurance Company and United Healthcare to be participating health plans in the Healthy Texas program.

What are the Plan Features?

* Two plan design choices ($500 or $1,500 calender year deductible)
* $25 Co payment for Office Visits (most physician office services)
* 100% coverage for Preventive Care.
* 80% Co Insurance for inpatient (hospitalization) and outpatient surgery.
* Network only benefits that could save you out-of-pocket expenses.
* Prescription Drug coverage included $10/$25/$50 ($200 or $500 annual deductible applies).
* Optional coverage available (Dental, Vision, Life).

How does my small business qualify for the The Healthy Plan of Texas?

* Employer must be located in Texas and must qualify as a small business with 2-50 eligible employees.

* Employer must not have provided a qualified small group health insurance policy 12 months prior to Healthy Texas application.

* 60% of eligible employees must enroll.

* At least 30% of your employees annual wages must be at or below 300% of the federal poverty level ($32,670 in 2011).

* Employer must pay at least 50% of the premium costs for employees and must offer dependent coverage.

* Each eligible employee must be a citizen of the United States or is an alien that is in our country legally.

* Effective July 26, 2011, United Health Care announced that each member who earns less than $32,670 and who enrolls in a Healthy Texas plan may be eligible for an additional $100 reduction in their monthly premium. This is a great way to help these folks get affordable insurance through their Healthy Texas plans.. United Health Care states that they have a limited number of members they can support on a First come basis.

If you are a small business owner that is looking for a more affordable health insurance policy, the new Health Texas plan may be an affordable option. We believe due to higher costs of medical insurance, the Healthy Texas plan would allow Employers whom have not had a health insurance plan in force for the past twelve months, the opportunity of providing a small group plan. The Healthy Texas plan is for Texas employees only. Any employees outside the state of Texas would not qualify for the plan.

Regards,

S. Brett Anderson

Allsure Insurance Agency / www.allsureinsurance.com

Allsure Insurance Agency is nationwide life and health insurance broker specializing in individuals, families, and small businesses. We believe its our job to provide up to date information not only for our clients, but for small business owners in Texas that are looking for cheaper alternatives in providing a small group health insurance plan for their employees. You can follow us on our blog page at http://www.allsureinsurance.com/blog/.

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