Posts Tagged - ‘family health insurance’

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Consider Health Insurance Benefits In Job Search

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Image: Photomish Dan under CC 3.0

These days, many people are in search of work. If you’re lucky enough to receive several job offers, it’s important to weigh more than just salaries.

The health insurance plan is an essential part of the benefit package. On average, employers pay 82% of the individual’s premium and 71% of the family health insurance premium.

Of course, if the difference in pay is significant, it may be a better idea to take that job and buy your own health insurance plan, especially if you don’t have pre-existing conditions.

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Wellness Incentives for Individual and Family Health Insurance

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

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According to researchers at Harvard, wellness incentives from insurers will help people save large amounts on their health insurance plan premiums!

How much will individuals save?

  • With a 30% discount: they’ll save $1,447 annually, on average.
  • With a 50% discount: $2,412

What about a family health insurance policy? The savings are even more substantial:

  • 30% discount: $4,013 savings
  • 50% discount: $6,688 in annual savings

The healthcare reform law promotes these incentives as a method of reducing costs, since they encourage policyholders to take better care of their health.

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Dentists Fight With Health Insurance Plans

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

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Like other professionals in the health care industry, dentists are often in conflict with your health insurance plan. There are several reasons for this:

  • Most health insurance plans refuse to cover dental implants to replace missing teeth. One dentist claims that only one insurance company out of 22 does! Instead, you’ll be subject to inferior dentures.
  • Dental coverage has not kept up with inflation. Average annual limits range from $1,000 to $1,500. Unfortunately, that cap can be eaten up by one crown. Some people without adequate dental coverage end up having their teeth pulled, when that could’ve been avoided.
  • Make sure to find out what your health plan covers before going to the dentist, in order to avoid confusion and annoyance.

A policy that includes good dental coverage is essential, especially when buying family health insurance for your children. The condition of your teeth can be indicators of other health factors, including diabetes.

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Politician On A Plane: Frank Confronted Over Health Insurance

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

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The reform of health insurance plan providers is such an important, controversial issue that it can’t even be avoided on the friendly skies! Representative Barney Frank, a Democrat who supported the legislation, was recently confronted by two optometrists who were against what they consider an “Obamanation”.

Reportedly, Frank told them that he preferred to relax and read a book while flying, which angered the two women. The optometrists probably have legitimate concerns on how the healthcare reform law will change family health insurance specifically, through which they get most of their business (e.g. kids needing glasses). Nevertheless, another passenger had to calm down the shouting match between them and Frank’s assistant Jim Ready.

Eventually, the situation subsided, with no help from the plane’s flight attendants. Massachusetts Rep. Frank has also been in the news lately due to accusations that conservative Tea Party protesters used a homophobic slur against the openly gay congressman when he walked out of the Capitol after his “yes” vote, a charge they have denied.

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Health Insurance Reform’s Popularity Slips In Poll

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

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Contrary to what many proponents believed would happen, the public popularity of health insurance plan reform has continued to drop.

A new poll that was recently released found that 50% of Americans now oppose the legislation, while 39% approve and 10% are neutral. Before the bill was passed, the numbers were closely split. That’s a sign that the controversial political process by which it was passed has had a negative impact on the electorate’s sentiment.

In addition, 52% of respondents to the Associated Press poll disapprove of President Obama’s performance on the issue. They also fear that their individual or family health insurance will cost more and decrease in quality.

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Health Insurance Reform Promotes Breast Feeding

Monday, April 5th, 2010

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A new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that the nation could save up to $13 billion if 90% of mothers exclusively breast fed their babies for twelve months. It is thought to lower family health insurance costs, since breast-feeding has been associated with lower rates of stomach and ear infections, juvenile diabetes, asthma, and other common illnesses that often require treatment and hospitalization.

What does healthcare reform have to do with it? Many women resort to using formula due to work obligations. Hidden in the health insurance legislation is a requirement for large employers to offer a private room–not a bathroom–for women to pump breast milk.

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Health Insurance Companies Backtrack On Denying Children

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

(Image: D Sharon Pruitt under CC 3.0)

Good news for those seeking family health insurance: despite concerns that the language in the healthcare reform bill could be interpreted as allowing health insurers to continue denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions until 2014–going against President Obama’s own statements, the insurers have decided to extend that coverage regardless.

Initially, some health insurance companies’ lawyers claimed that the immediate effect of the legislation in the next six months would solely prevent insurers from refusing to cover pre-existing conditions of children they had already decided to underwrite. After public controversy and negative publicity, they have backtracked on that view. Instead, they have agreed to abide by the clear intent of the law: that kids should have access to affordable health insurance.

A letter from America’s Health Insurance Plans’ president Karen Ignagni assures Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that they will not seek loopholes. Rather, they will follow complementary regulations soon to be released by Sebelius’ office. Families can now breathe a little easier.

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Children’s Health Insurance May Not Cover Pre-Existing Conditions Yet

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

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This is a big error in the healthcare reform bill: now, some health insurance companies are saying that they do not have to cover kids with pre-existing conditions!

That was supposed to be one of the main immediate benefits of the bill. Unfortunately, insurers believe that the language only requires them to cover pre-existing conditions for children already under a family health insurance policy. They still reserve the right to refuse to offer them a health insurance plan altogether, until 2014 (when the guidelines for adults take effect). Basically, their lawyers take the language to mean that if they extend coverage to a child under the age of 19, that coverage must encompass all of their health issues, pre-existing or otherwise; however, they can still deny the child coverage.

While still an improvement, it is a severe disappointment. The Obama administration is currently crafting an executive order with regulations that will clarify the issue, while Congress is working to resolve it.

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Family Health Insurance Loophole for Kids In Bill

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

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The health insurance reform bill attempts to help those seeking reliable coverage for their children. Unfortunately, there is a gap when it comes to kids.

It appears that some language in the bill makes it so that children can still be denied by family health insurance companies due to pre-existing conditions until 2014. Earlier statements from President Obama made it seem that the benefit was immediate. The administration believes it was still the intention, and they will later release new regulations clarifying that.

On the bright side, children with existing health insurance plans can no longer exclude specific conditions from their coverage under the policy. That provision is effectively immediate.

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Immediate Family Health Insurance Changes Post-Reform

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

(Image: Steve Polyak under CC 3.0)

With the passage of the healthcare reform bill comes many changes to family health insurance policies. Some of them occur immediately.

What significant impact will families feel now?

  • Children can no longer be excluded from health insurance plans due to pre-existing conditions.
  • Adult children can remain on your health insurance policy as a dependent until the age of 26.
  • There are no more lifetime or annual caps on health coverage, either per individual or per family.
  • Free preventative care will be offered with new health plans.

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