Everyone needs health insurance but many people don’t fully understand it. One important concept to understand is your deductible. A deductible is the amount of money that must be paid for covered services before the health insurance company begins paying for expenses. For an individual plan, the deductible is straightforward. But family plans are a … Continued
Does a Health Plan Typically Pay for Services from Any Doctor? Not always. Some types of plans encourage or require consumers to get care from a specific set of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and other medical service providers who have entered into contracts with the plan to provide items and services at a negotiated rate. The … Continued
Healthcare costs, and consequently employee health benefit costs, have been growing at an alarming rate in recent years. The U.S. as a nation spends more on health care than any other developed country but has worse health outcomes. How is this possible? Four Key Factors Driving U.S. Healthcare Costs: Aging Population Healthcare gets more expensive … Continued
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a consumer-facing fact sheet to help people know what to expect at the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). The Department of Health and Human Services is planning for the federal PHE and the COVID-19 national emergency to expire at the end of the day … Continued
Health care is expensive but there is good news: Most insurance plans come with free preventive care and benefits. There is a lot of confusion around what is and isn’t preventive care – and why it matters. Here is what you need to know. What is Preventive Care and Why Is It Important? Preventive care … Continued
The pandemic gave us more reasons, and more options, to see doctors online. More and more, people are seeking out telemedicine services versus the traditional brick and mortar physician’s office. This trend includes telemental health services as well. And much like the necessity of remote work proved its potential to employers, telemedicine took hold as … Continued
Smart spending can keep your health care from costing an arm and a leg. With costs rising on everything from gas to food, every penny counts. It pays to shop smart – that is why it helps to learn how to take steps to limit your out-of-pocket health care costs. Save Money on Prescriptions Go … Continued
New transparency in coverage requirements apply to group health plans and health insurers in the individual and group markets. These rules require plans and issuers to disclose certain price and cost information to participants, beneficiaries and enrollees. These provisions only apply to non-grandfathered coverage, including both insured and self-insured group health plan sponsors. The requirements … Continued
Health insurance is essential to protecting your health but the high cost of coverage may leave you feeling sick. Even after employers pick up a substantial amount of the cost, every year Americans spend thousands of dollars on healthcare while costs are continuing to rise. By taking certain steps, you can stretch your healthcare dollars … Continued