Health Care Spending Caps Will Protect Washington Families From Catastrophic Medical Expenses
Posted on February 11th, 2011
Hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians currently face the threat of catastrophic family health care expenses from serious, unexpected injuries or illnesses, such as accidents, sports injuries, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. A new cap on out-of-pocket expenses, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, will help those families protect both their health and their budgets.
Although the spending caps go into effect in 2014, the consumer health group Families USA asked The Lewin Group, a health care policy research and management consulting firm, to look at the impact of the caps on Washington families as if the caps were going into effect in 2011. Full Post…
Tags: Expenses, Health Care
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Beat the winter blues
Posted on February 10th, 2011
Winter. Just when we thought it was over, Jack Frost pulled a fast one on us. If you have been watching the news, you know that more than a third of the country was pounded with snow last week, causing power outages, canceled school and work, and treacherous driving conditions. If that is not enough to drive anyone crazy, I do not know what is. Even though Punxsutawney Phil (you know, the weather-forecasting groundhog from Pennsylvania) did not see his shadow and predicted an early spring, it feels like winter will never end.
Winter blues is that down feeling you get when the days are shorter and it just cannot seem to get any warmer. Bundling up, day after day, going to work before the sun rises only to go home after it sets.
Tags: Winter, Winter Blues
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New Health Savings Accounts From Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Posted on February 9th, 2011
Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania has completely revamped Health Savings Accounts to provide members greater flexibility and increased control to manage health care costs. This line of Health Savings Accounts is now the most comprehensive option available in Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania.
A Health Savings Account (HSA), like a flexible spending account (FSA) and a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), offers a way to use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible health care costs, including coinsurance, co-pays and deductibles.
Tags: Blue Cross, Cross, Health Savings Accounts, Northeastern Pennsylvania
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Free Health Care for LA Students
Posted on February 6th, 2011
The new superintendent of the Los Angeles school district, John Deasy, is calling for free health, dental, and eye care for any students in need. Considering this is the 2nd largest school district in the nation, it’s huge news and a big step for a student health insurance quote. According to the article “New LA Schools Leader John Deasy Calls for Student Healthcare” by Howard Blume on LaTimes.com, Deasy has no clear plan to pay for these benefits but he see this as a necessary benefit for students.
Deasy did say in an interview that he’s considering leveraging the district’s contracts with companies that offer health insurance to employees in addition to raising the profile of the issue to encourage philanthropic donations.
John Deasy takes charge of the LA Unified school district in mid-April and has a lot to take on as the new leader. There is a
Tags: Free Health, Students
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The Changing Health Savings Account Landscape
Posted on February 6th, 2011
President Obama acknowledged health savings accounts by including them as one of his policy proposals. Health savings account (HSA) plans are associated with the lower premiums of high-deductible health insurance policies.
The attraction of low premiums is integral to the increase of employers switching to HSA plans for their employees. According to Tower Watson and the National Business Group on Health’s 2010 survey, 83 percent of businesses have already or are planning to change the health care they offer.
Employers are fighting the sky-rocketing cost of health care in the U.S., which is growing by approximately double the rate of inflation.
Tags: Account, Health Savings, Health Savings Account, Savings Account
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New State Scorecard On Children’s Health Care Finds Wide Geographic Disparities
Posted on February 5th, 2011
Two years after the reauthorization and expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a new Commonwealth Fund state-by-state scorecard evaluating how the health care system is working for children finds that federal and state action on behalf of children has helped preserve, and even expand, health coverage for this group, despite the severe recession. Yet wide differences persist among states when it comes to health insurance coverage, affordability of health care for families, children’s receipt of preventive care and treatment, and the opportunity for children to lead healthy lives. Full Post…
Tags: Care, Health Care, State Scorecard
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Health Savings Accounts Save Businesses Money
Posted on February 1st, 2011
Can health savings accounts save you money as a business owner? Whether you are the only employee or you are providing health insurance for your employees, you can typically get lower rates with group plans than with individual plans. Group plans typically offer better coverage, too, and health savings accounts that work with group plans “sweeten the pot.” In addition to lower rates and better coverage through group plans, health savings accounts offer a couple more advantages. The set-up and management work for health savings accounts falls to the employees. That reduces paperwork for your business.
In exchange for doing Health Savings Account that work, employees can take tax deductions for their contributions into their health savings account.
Tags: Health Savings, Health Savings Accounts, Money, Savings Accounts
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