Unrecycable Scary Syringe
Posted by Administrator on Aug 15, 2008
Image Source: newilluminati.blog-city.com
An outbreak of Hepatitis C caught the attention of the CDC which sent people and determined that the improper reusing of vials and syringes at a Las Vegas Clinic was to blame. The CDC was contacted by officials from the state’s health department due to a sudden outbreak of the highly infectious disease which was spreading fast with no clues to the possible source. Officials have determined that two people treated at the now closed Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada contracted the disease after 84 cases of the disease were detected and reported to their offices. Employees were found by the CDC to have been reusing syringes to administer anesthetics whom when interviewed said the practice was common and accepted at the said center. This is just one of the severe cases of violations to safety and control regimens set by the government which is not a good picture but may be an indicator of the current status of public health care in the whole of the US. Their high tech facilities and technologies are good for specialized treatment but most government programs run on almost barrel scraping funds that are quite inadequate to get people the high level of care they need.
Types of Health Insurance (Part 2)
Posted by Administrator on Jul 4, 2008
Individual Insurance
Individual insurance includes health insurance coverage you can purchase on your own directly through an insurance company. Many health insurance companies offer individual health coverage to people who either are self-employed or work for a business that does not offer health insurance.
All Pennsylvania residents can buy individual health insurance through the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans on a guaranteed issue basis. However, your choice of health plans may be limited and you may face a pre-existing condition exclusion period.
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO)
Posted by Administrator on Mar 20, 2008
With an HMO, you receive a range of health benefits for a set fee. Generally, there are no deductibles – but most plans require a small copay per office visit (around $10-25). You must choose a primary care physician from the plan’s list. This doctor becomes your “gatekeeper” for all your medical needs. This is the doctor you call or see when you are sick, and he or she will refer you to a specialist or other providers within the HMO network. With most HMOs you will not receive benefits if you go out-of-network, except for emergency care.
Types of HMOs:
- Staff Model HMO
- Individual Practice Associations (IPAs)
A form of HMO in which doctors are employees of the HMO and you see them at a central medical facility.
Here, an HMO contracts with outside physician groups or individual doctors who have private practices. This means the HMO network will include doctors in various locations rather than only at a central facility.
Some Health Insurance Terms
Posted by Administrator on Feb 22, 2008
Coinsurance
The share of your covered expenses, usually a percentage, that you must pay after the deductible is reached. For example, a policy may require you to pay twenty percent of the cost up to a certain dollar amount.
Conversion of Privileges
Allows the participant or beneficiaries to convert coverage to a different plan of insurance without providing evidence of insurability. The privilege granted by a group policy is to convert to an individual policy upon termination of group coverage.
Coordination of Benefits
Provisions in group policies that limit the total benefits payable under two or more group policies so that benefits do not exceed the actual amount of covered expenses incurred. COB is particularly important when a husband and wife each have obtained family coverage under separate group policies. Some policies may reduce the amount of benefits payable if benefits are payable under other insurance coverage.
Co-Payment
A specified dollar amount a subscriber to a managed care plan must pay for covered health care services. It is paid to the provider at the time the service is rendered.
Deductible
The initial amount of covered expenses a policyholder will have to pay before benefits are paid under the policy. Generally, higher deductible means lower premium. Remember, the deductible should not be so high that you could not afford to pay it should you become ill. Ask your agent or company representative if the deductible is a flat annual amount or if you must pay a deductible for each treatment, or for each family member. Some major medical policies have what is known as a “variable deductible” which means that the deductible will be the greater of a fixed dollar amount or the dollar amount or the total expense coverage.
(Please check http://www.ins.state.pa.us/ins/lib/ins/consumer/brochures/2003_health.pdf for further reading.)
Types of Health Insurance (Part 1)
Posted by Administrator on Jan 25, 2008
Health insurance is available through two types of plans: group or individual. Group plans are offered through an employer or association; individual plans are purchased directly through an insurance company. (For purposes of this brochure, “individual” refers to you and, where applicable, your dependents).
If you work for a company that offers a group insurance plan, or even a choice of plans to its employees, obtaining health insurance may not be a problem. However, if you are not covered by a group plan, or if you want different or additional coverage other than that offered by your employer, you may want to consider buying individual health insurance coverage for yourself or your family, or determine your eligibility for association or government sponsored health insurance.
Source: ins.state.pa.us