Inside the Insurance Industry
August 29, 2010 - 1:37 pm
A former insurance executive comes clean about industry practices designed to kick the sick off the rolls and rip off patients to make obscene profits.
Duration : 0:7:10
Archive for the ‘family medical insurance plans’ Category
Obama on Health to Congress: “If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out” part 3
August 29, 2010 - 1:31 pm
The GOP propaganda machine is in full spin as operatives and hot talk stations spread lies and hysteria about items said to be found in the current House bill language of the American Affordable Health Care Act.
Talk of genocide on both ends of the life cycle are paraded down the street in a grotesque death march of wing nuts eager to drink any Kool-Aid and any lie to sabotage discussion about actual substance. Scare tactics included outrage over mandated funding for abortions and assisted suicide for those over 65.
Per a recent Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, the abortion coverage was modified significantly in committee. The Energy and Commerce Committee amendment: Prohibits abortion coverage from being required as part of the essential benefits package; and requires segregation of public subsidy funds from private premium payments for plans that choose to cover abortion services beyond Hyde—which allows coverage for abortion services to save the life of the woman and in cases of rape or incest; and require there be no effect on state or federal laws on abortions. See also the Guttmacher Report of July 22, 2009, that discusses these restrictions in the context of the insurance industry.
The genocide mandate is a considered a wild distortion of the House Bill. All manner of documentation to the contrary, Republicans try to paint a provision for suggested elderly medical counseling every five years as some Soylent Green scenario where seniors are meekly led to assisted suicide chambers.
Snopes, Media Matters, and AARP try to dispel these distorions originally forwarded by wing nut Betsy McCaughey.
Despite the facts, these same talking points of abortion funding and killing Grandpa were rebroadcast all day Friday by the vast right wing echo chamber, including Rush Limbaugh, and by the sick freak, Glenn Beck. //// The blatant and not-so blatant sabotage that’s happening in our country today regarding health care reform is nothing short of criminal. People’s lives are actually at stake and once again, people’s ignorance and lack of education and being informed is about to do us all in… The greed from our health insurance companies shouldn’t be surprising, if you’re paying attention, but it’s still astounding to me. /////////// Obama attacked “bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost,” addressing the so-called “death panels” and that reforms would insure illegal immigrants.
“And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up — under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place,” he said.
The president said he would no longer stand for allowing gross misrepresentations to continue.
“I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it,” Obama said. “I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now.”
Obama said his plan isn’t intended to put insurance companies out of business, but a not-for-profit option would “keep insurance companies honest” by providing competition.
The public option is a government-funded, government-run health care option, similar to Medicare. Under the plan, people would pay premiums 10 percent to 20 percent less than private insurance.
That leaves the door open for Congress to come up with another option, such as a co-op or a “trigger,” in which a public option would kick in only if insurance companies fail to make reforms within a defined period.
Obama argued that a public plan wouldn’t create unfair competition for insurers because it would rely on premiums it collects rather than public funding, but would save money by avoiding overhead like administrative costs and executive salaries.
And he said his plan won’t add to the deficit because it includes a provision that requires the government to cut spending if health care savings the admnistration promises don’t materializes.
Obama also addressed seniors who have expressed concerns about the quality of care they have enjoyed being eroded by health care reform, which he said has been “subjected to demagoguery and distortion.”
“The only thing this plan would eliminate is the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud, as well as unwarranted subsidies in Medicare that go to insurance companies — subsidies that do everything to pad their profits and nothing to improve your care,” he said.
Duration : 0:10:56
united-healthcare-insurance.mp4
August 29, 2010 - 1:26 pm
Finding United Healthcare Insurance
Are you in search for the right healthcare insurance?
Do you want to find a reliable insurer?
Well, as you might have realized, healthcare insurance is very important in today’s condition.
The insurance can protect the insurance holder from any financial loss due to health treatment they receive.
To get the right benefits from health insurance, you have to be able to find a reliable insurer.
You need to compare the offers from each insurance provider in order to find the best deal.
In your attempt to compare offers from multiple providers, you need to consider united healthcare insurance.
This insurance product is provided by UnitedHealthcare which has been considered as one of the largest health insurers in America.
This provider offers comprehensive solutions for your insurance needs.
Whether you need insurance product for individual, family or employees, united healthcare insurance can be your consideration.
However, before you consider buying the insurance, you need to do a thorough survey to find out the benefits you will get.
You can surf the web to find any comments about their insurance products and services, and consider both positive and negative comments thoroughly.
You will need to compare their rate with the rate offered by other insurers for the same coverage.
This will help you save money on health insurance you buy.
In addition, united healthcare insurance also has a strong network nationwide.
Their availability enables you to choose the right coverage comfortably.
In sum, when you are trying to buy health insurance, you had better compare offers from each insurer in order to get the best deal from the most reliable insurer.
Duration : 0:1:54
Obama’s Family Physician Dr. David Scheiner Prescribes Single-Payer for America
August 29, 2010 - 1:20 pm
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/22/president_obamas_longtime_physician_opposes_white
DR. DAVID SCHEINER: The question of who—the question of who was responsible, of course, is hard to know, whether it was ABC or whether it was somebody at the White House.
AMY GOODMAN: What would you have asked?
DR. DAVID SCHEINER: I would have asked about single payer, insofar as we already have one that works, and why we just couldnt have universal Medicare and eliminate the insurance companies, which are causing incredible costs and havoc on the system. …
It hurts when we cough at
http://www.michaelmoore.com
Duration : 0:11:43
St Yared Health Maintenance Plan
August 29, 2010 - 1:14 pm
Saint Yared Health Maintenance Plan is an innovative healthcare financing mechanism that links the financial resources attained by members of the Ethiopian Diaspora with the healthcare needs of their families living in Ethiopia.
Duration : 0:6:16
Can anybody recommend a good HEALTH insurance company? We can’t afford our employer’s plans…?
August 29, 2010 - 5:37 am
We just got out of the military and no longer have tri-care benefits. Our employers charge well over $500 per month for a healthy family of 3 (2 20 somethings and a 1 year old). Unfortunately, we can’t afford anywhere close to that. We can’t continue to go without medical insurance. Our son will need vaccinated next month, and I worry how to pay for our health should anything happen to any of us. We can’t afford high deductables or outrageous copayments. Any hope for us? Our income bracket is approximately $35,000 in the state of Colorado.
Any suggestions?
You’ll want to visit a local independent agent. This person knows the market in your area and can find a policy to fit your budget. Don’t be afraid of a higher deductible. With most individual policies the deductible normally come into play when you go into the hospital. You have the doctor visits and well baby care without having to first pay the deductible; you’ll just pay the co-pay.
Be very wary of medical discount cards. They are not regulated by the Department of Insurance nor do the people that sell them need to be licensed. This means you have little recourse when you have problems with the plan. If you are tempted by the low price and claims of “save up to 80%” be aware that very few doctors actually take these cards. It does you little good if you have to drive 4 hours to find a doctor that will accept the card. Montana couldn’t find any doctors in the whole state that actually took the card and only one dentist who was on probation for unlawful activities so they banned the sale of the card and fined the company. See this link http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2006/11/22/74554.htm for more information. Many other states are starting to ban these cards as well.
Before signing up with any discount plan get a list of doctors. If they won’t give you a list consider it to be a scam. Call the doctors on the list to make sure they’re still taking the card (many don’t even know that they’re listed as a provider) and that they’re accepting new patients.
Medical insurance coordination of benefits help?
August 29, 2010 - 4:50 am
Husband & wife both have group medical insurance with their employers. His insurance is a bucket plan through Cigna called an HSA. It pays for the first $750 & then he has to meet another $750 before anything else is pd. Her insurance is Healthlink PPO with $250 deductible. If husband’s insurance pays for his chiropractor bills in full (as not over $750 total) can these bills be submitted to her insurance to help meet the family deductible of $500? We live in IL.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
The HSA pays the first 750 & then I must pay the
next $750. After that it pays 80/20. Is this not an
insurance plan?
I’m sorry it is an HRA not an HSA.
What normally happens is the secondary insurance only ackowledges the amount left over AFTER what the primary paid, so if the primary paid the whole thing, they may just deny it saying it’s been paid in full. But, sometimes the secondary insurance will apply the amount the primary insurance paid to their deductible as a courtesy, to get you closer to the deductible. I would ask the chiropractor to submit it to both and see what happens 
Can you have two medical insurance policies?
August 29, 2010 - 4:30 am
This may be a dumb question but I don’t know the answer. First background.
My son, for reasons I will not disclose on her, has Medicaid and will till he is 18. However he is still covered under my insurance. My insurance is the primary and Medicaid picks up what mine does not. That includes all co pays and deductibles, so for him we don’t pay for doctor visits, medication or even a hospital stay.
If when my wife returns to the work force she gets a family plan also can we use both in a similar manner, use one as the primary and the other one will pick up what the first one does not cover? Does it work like that for private insurance through an employer or only for a public one like Medicaid/ Medicare?
My wife is diabetic and has high blood pressure. I have had asthma and allergies my hole life and both kids have chronic problems. If she could get a work plan with a monthly preimum like mine it would save us tons on medication, alone not to mention we average one hosptial stay a year for one of the four of us
I see no reason why not, though the employers may not like the idea. The doctors could pick the plan that pays them the most. You could pick the plan with the lower co-pay. But if you’re actually paying part of the insurance your employer provides, I don’t see where that cost could justify the meager co-pay savings.
Should I get this medical insurance my job offers?
August 29, 2010 - 4:21 am
I’m going to be eligible in December and I’ve asked co-workers if they have insurance through our company and most of them are uninsured because they say is too expensive and it doesn’t cover a lot. I got an estimate from HR and I would have to pay $71.18 per paycheck for myself but if I want my husband to be insured it would go up to 227.80!! that’s way more than we can afford. I make $10.00 an hour my husband works part-time and we go to school.
The plan is: 30/2500D/5000-80%
Prescription Drugs 15/40/60/30%
What do they mean by all this? It says the annual deductible is 2,500 for an individual and 5,000 for a Family plan. The out-of-pocket annual maximum is 5,000 for individual and 10,000 for a family plan. Should I get it? We are pretty young 21 & 22 is it a better idea to stay uninsured and save that money? Or what other options do we have?
I get paid the 5th and the 20th so I take home around $750 and they would deduct $227 every paycheck so it would take more than 20% every paycheck… what I don’t understand is why my insurance would more than double if I want to cover my husband too. I would not mind paying 140.00 for both but this is too much. Oh by the way I am looking for a better job.
ALWAYS take the employers health insurance plan. It costs half of what it would cost if you were buying an individual plan without your employer.
Group insurance (which is what your employer is offering you) is usually paid partially by the employer, BUT most only pay a portion for you, not your spouse or children. So, you’re getting a great plan, but the employer is only going to pay a portion for you.
My advice is to take the employer’s group insurance at least for yourself.
Just a personal note I will share with you…..I took my employers plan at the age of 21. I had two children, a husband, a full time job and went to school at night. Could I afford it? NO! But, I took it. Thank goodness I did. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 24 and if I hadn’t have taken that policy, I would be ineligible for any other coverage in the future.
Don’t go uninsured. Sacrifice whatever you have to in order to buy health insurance.
Which insurance can my family get for this?
August 29, 2010 - 4:10 am
My sister is severely schizophrenic, and my mother is the only one in the family willing to deal with (ahem, "work" with…) her. However, my mother has HIV and stomach cancer, so we don’t really know when she’s going to die, but we’re taking every precaution in the meantime. Which insurance can our family (my siblings and I. Our father is deceased.) get to ensure that my severely schizophrenic sister receives 24/7 inpatient medical care when my mother dies? We live in California, if that makes a difference. (and *don’t* even bother with "take classes and learn how to live with her." We all have our own lives, we’ve all decided she needs to be hospitalised permanently.) If there are no insurance plans that can ensure this, about how much would it cost to have her admitted and her care maintained? (An amount please, not just "a whole lot".)
Thanks. C=
First, you’re going to need to see a lawyer. Guardianship of your sister will have to be transferred over to a sibling, when your mother passes.
Second, you’re going to have to apply for Medicaid (Medi-Cal) in CA, on behalf of the sister. NO ONE is going to sell her a private health insurance policy. AND, health insurance doesn’t cover perpetual residential care.
As far as how much residential treatment costs, it’s about $6,000 a month, not counting doctor visits and medications.