Medical Claims Processing - Billing Software, Home Business

Health care facilities around the country see numerous patients every day. An important part of their operation is the health care providers that they choose to employ. Some hire better doctors, nurses, and technicians. Therefore, they are frequented by more patients. Many people do not realize that an important part of a health care facility's operation is it's medical claims processing abilities.

To ensure timely payments by insurance companies, medical claims must be processed in a timely manner and submitted to the appropriate insurance companies for consideration.

Some facilities employ medical billers and coders. Other facilities employ individuals who handle both aspects of the claim process simultaneously. A medical biller and coder will generally earn more than a medical biller or coder does. That is because he or she is performing double duties and eliminating the need for the health care facility to hire two different people.

Medical coders provide the diagnostic codes and procedure codes that apply to the patient's visit. If the codes do not match, a claim may be denied. The insurance company will more than likely say that the treatment was not medically necessary. That is why it is so important for a medical coder to be precise.

A medical biller obtains the correct codes from the medical coder. He or she uses the codes to fill out a claim form. The claim is submitted to the insurance company, generally in the form of an electronic claim. It is important that the medical biller comply with the requirements of each insurance company. Many have specific guidelines that must be followed. The claim could be delayed or denied, if the claim form is not filled out properly and according to the insurance company's regulations.

Medical billing software is often used in medical claims processing. The software saves time and eliminates common mistakes. Medical billing software allows medical coders to look up diagnostic codes and procedure codes via the software rather than in a manual. The software also checks databases to ensure that the diagnostic codes and procedure codes match up, eliminating the denial of claims based on discrepancies.

Medical claims processing is a job that can be done from home. Many people have started their own home businesses in medical claims processing. It is a great way for stay at home mothers to earn an extra income and remain at home with their children. Source: Accrmedicalbillingtraining dot

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Investigating Health Care Fraud

Investigations relating to health care fraud activity are reportedly at an all time high, and will continue to flourish with the advent of new working groups, task forces and other fraud-fighting activity that existence depends on the development and investigation of health care fraud cases. Simply put, the investigation of health care fraud consists of proving that the provider engaged in an intentional deception or misrepresentation (of material fact) that resulted, or could have resulted, in an unauthorized payment. Some key facts related to health care fraud investigations:

Complaint Driven: Private, local, state and/or federal agencies are actively involved in the identification and investigation of health care fraud and abuse, which, for the most part, are initiated by complaints received from patients, insurers and others on a health care provider or entity.

Complaint Evaluation: The investigative process starts by the investigator evaluating the information in the complaint to determine if it represents actual misconduct, and then to identify what specific laws, rules, and/or regulations may have been violated. Critical areas to be addressed may include:

oDOCUMENTATION-was the services documented as medically necessary, and completely and accurately documented in the patient's health care record?

oREGULATORY LAWS & RULES-were the services rendered consistent with the administrative law for the State, including scope of practice, training, supervision and delegation? Additionally, were the services, or the manner in which they were rendered, in violation of prohibited conduct?

oTHIRD PARTY PAYER RULES-were the services rendered consistent with the rules set by the involved third party payer, including those relevant to limitation of services rendered, and those limiting the service provider?

oCODING-were the proper ICD-9 and CPT-4 codes used to identify the condition (s) being treated and the services rendered when seeking reimbursement?

Investigative Plan: The investigator will identify potential witnesses to interview, other needed information, such as patient and insurance claim files that may possess evidence of the misconduct. The successful investigation will result in the collection identify and collect all relevant evidence that would indicate the laws, rules and/or regulations governing health care have been violated, and to identify storytellers who will be able to testify on matters relevant to the identified misconduct. The patient file is the crime scene when investigating health care fraud & abuse.

MAJOR TRENDS IN HEALTH CARE FRAUD

Problem (Multidiscipline Practices): Some multidiscipline practices of medical doctors, chiropractors, and other providers working together in one practice entity are formed by some chiropractors as a means to circumvent managed care and other third party payer limitations on reimbursement of chiropractic services. At times, when necessary, multiple corporations are created to allow the chiropractor to employ medical doctors and to maintain control over all revenues of the multidiscipline practice. The services rendered by the chiropractor in cases where there is little or no chiropractic coverage are billed to the third party payer under the license and name of the medical doctor, purportedly following "Incident-to" billing principles after the medical doctor evaluated the patient and referred them for care with the chiropractor. Is the chiropractor billing for their services rendered under the license of a medical doctor?

Problem (Mobile Labs): Some external companies, or mobile labs, market their electro-diagnostic testing services extensively to health care providers as a means to increase patient retention and increase revenues. The mobile lab provides on-site electro-diagnostic testing on the provider's patients with their equipment and by their technician. The provider pays the lab a rental fee for the equipment and technician, and agrees to provide a minimum number of patients for testing during one day. The lab bills the third party payer for only the reading of the tests, or the professional component, and the provider bills for administering the tests, or the technical component, because they rented the equipment/technician and supervised its administration. Further, the lab will provide the provider with the CPT codes and amounts that should be reported and billed for the technical portion of the test. The provider, claiming to have supervised the administration of the diagnostic test, may not have the requisite training and skill on the test. Often, the total amount billed (both professional and technical) for the tests will far exceed the RVU (Relative Value Unit) set for these tests. The client provider usually will have no actual knowledge on what the labs will bill to the third party payer. What service did the provider perform to bill for the technical portion?

Problem (Rehab): Some providers implement (active) rehabilitation care into their health care practices by having their unlicensed staff administer therapeutic procedures to patients that are defined as one-on-one with the patient by a licensed provider, and are reported in 15-minute increments. Documentation of medical necessity of therapeutic procedures may not be properly established in the patient's clinical record as part of a treatment plan. Documentation of procedures in file, even when directly provided by licensed provider, may not be properly documented to account for the time component of the service, i.e., Start & End time, which includes pre-intra-post service time. Is the provider's unlicensed staff rendering the rehab services to the patients of the practice? What does the patient's health care record show? Do they support the need and accuracy of the billings?

Problem (Billing): Various insurance companies have limitations on what health care conditions and services they will reimburse providers for. Some providers provide their patients with health care services that are not reimbursable by the involved managed care organization or third party payer, but report and bill for these services via use of ICD-9 and CPT-4 codes that are reimbursable. Some providers provide their patients with various health care services based solely on the premise that the involved managed care organization or third party payer will reimburse for those services.

Problem (Solicitation): A number of providers market "free" services, such as consults, exams and x-rays to attract new patients that may not be established as medically necessary, or will later be billed to a third party payer. A number of providers' market "free" services, such as therapeutic massage, as a means to attract new patients to the health care practice, which later may become a part of the patient's billed care. A number of providers inform marketed individuals when converting them to patients that they will not be responsible for what the insurance company does not pay. For the health care provider what is a consult? Isn't it a history? Was the promised free service, or a portion of it, later billed? Is it possible to give away a therapeutic massage without first examining the patient to establish need?

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Therapeutic Procedures - Explode Your Practice

One of the more potentially volatile risk areas for health care practitioners today is the delegation of therapeutic procedures to unlicensed assistants, and billing for those procedures as though the practitioner personally provided the procedures. This practice activity is particularly prevalent and ever-growing in chiropractic!

Some practice consultants - with promises of increased income, coach chiropractors to integrate low-tech rehab and protocols into their practices. Chiropractors are advised that it is legally permissible for unlicensed assistants (e.g., chiropractic assistants) to perform the therapeutic procedures on patients that are billed (per "incident-to") as if personally performed by the chiropractor, who at the same time, is providing services to other patients who are billed for the chiropractor's services during the same time frames as the therapeutic procedures.

Does the regulatory board allow for delegation of therapeutic procedures to unlicensed staff?
Individual state health care regulatory boards establish their own state's administrative practice standards for licensees for the purpose of protecting the public from conduct that does not conform to their state's accepted standards of conduct. Such administrative regulations almost always include standards relating to the delegation of services to persons other than the licensed provider. In many states, chiropractic boards do not allow their licensees to delegate therapeutic procedures to unlicensed staff, and, as such it would be inappropriate in any and all circumstances for the licensees to engage in this conduct!

However, some boards opine that licensees (e.g., chiropractors) can delegate therapeutic procedures to qualified and properly trained unlicensed staff (e.g., chiropractic assistants) acting under a licensee's supervision consistent with the health and welfare of a patient so as to encourage the more effective use of the skills of licensees. It would appear prudent for chiropractors to gain clarification from respective regulatory agencies regarding the following:

What are the standards that must be met by chiropractors to ensure their unlicensed staff are "qualified and properly trained"?

What level of supervision (general, direct or personnel) is required of the chiropractor relative to unlicensed staff directing therapeutic procedures?

What is meant by "consistent with the health and welfare of a patient so as to encourage the more effective use of the skills of licensees"?

How should the therapeutic procedures (supervised) by unlicensed staff be documented in the patient's clinical record?

How should the therapeutic procedures be reported to payers - especially those following Medicare standards, to avoid potential allegations of misconduct?

Is reporting therapeutic procedure codes for supervised procedures consistent with CPT?

Therapeutic procedure codes (97110-97546) identify the application of clinical skills and/or services that attempt to improve function that requires the physician or therapist to have direct (one-on-one) contact with the patient. These procedure codes do not indicate "supervised" services and to report them to payers in such a manner could result in allegations of misconduct. Consequently, it is imperative for the practitioner (e.g., chiropractor) to obtain prior approval for this billing practice from ALL involved payers notwithstanding the fact that this type of practice activity has previously been found to be consistent with state regulatory standards on delegation. The purpose of seeking the payer's approval is not to enable the payer to make determinations on what practices are legal and what practices are not; rather, it is to protect the individual provider from a payer's unilateral referral of the provider billing practices to law enforcement authorities who may have a differing interpretation of the acceptable standards of delegation that the provider's state regulatory board.

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is a listing of (a) descriptive terms and (b) identifying codes. The foregoing is used to report medical services and procedures, as well as to provide a uniform language that accurately describes medical, surgical, and diagnostic services. The use of CPT provides an effective means of reliable nationwide communication among providers, patients, and payers.

The listing of a service or procedure and its code number in a specific section is not restricted to any specific specialty group. Any procedure or service in any section may be used to designate services rendered by any qualified physician or other qualified health care professional. CPT indicates that the terms -"Physician or Therapist" and "Provider" as identified in CPT are interchangeable to refer to someone licensed to perform health care services.

Select the name of the procedure or service that accurately identifies the service performed that is adequately documented in the medical record. Do not select a CPT code that merely approximates the service provided, and that if no such procedure or service exists then report the service using the appropriate unlisted procedure or service.

Suggestions concerning introduction of new procedures, or the coding, deleting, or revising of procedures contained in CPT should be made by contacting the CPT Editorial Research & Development.

The Final Rule for transactions and code sets as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) identifies CPT codes and modifiers as the national standard for health care plans and providers to electronically transmit: Physician services; physical and occupational therapy services; radiological procedures; clinical laboratory tests; other medical diagnostic procedures; hearing and vision services; and transportation services including ambulance.

Does the involved payer reimburse for supervised therapeutic procedures?

Payers often set their own standards for reimbursement of health care services and determine what will be paid, who will be paid, and how much will be paid. Standards may vary from payer to payer, and may differ from those standards established by the provider's own regulatory licensing board. Accordingly, it is the responsibility of all practitioners (e.g., chiropractors) to be familiar with both the payer's billing/coding and their state board's standards and seek to abide by those standards that impose the stricter requirements when seeking reimbursement! By adopting a policy of compliance with the stricter standard the provider will always ensure that he/she is protected from claims of improper billing practices.

Medicare, and other payers following Medicare standards, indicates that therapeutic procedures supervised by (unqualified) unlicensed staff are not reimbursable! Payers with such standards do not pay for provider services, at provider rates, when such services are administered by non-providers. Further, these payers do not maintain that practitioners can not delegate therapeutic procedures to unlicensed assistants but are asserting that such services are not covered and, therefore, they are not reimbursable - BILL THE PATIENT! Medicare Benefits Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Sections 220 and 230 specifies:

Therapeutic procedures are medically necessary only when they require the professional skills of a qualified practitioner, are designed to address specific needs of the patient, and are part of an active treatment plan intended to achieve a specific goal.

Medicare pays only for skilled, medically necessary services delivered by qualified individuals, including therapists or appropriately supervised therapy assistants. Supervising patients who are exercising independently is not a skilled service.

Providers can not bill and seek payment for one-on-one codes (e.g., therapeutic procedures) administered at the same time as other procedures were rendered to the patient, or to other patients.

A physician may not delegate physical therapy services (e.g., therapeutic procedures) to unlicensed persons and report them as "incident-to" services unless that person has the education and clinical experience equivalent to a physical therapist.

Incident-to a physician's professional services are defined (Benefits Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 60) as services or supplies furnished by auxiliary personnel as an integral, although incidental, part of the physician's personal professional services in the course of diagnosis or treatment of an injury or illness that are billed to Part B by the physician as if they personally provided them.

Some within chiropractic have differing opinions as to the appropriateness of the delegation and billing of therapeutic procedures. Illustrative of this is the following written opinion of a chiropractor to whom a colleague was referred subsequent to requesting assistance from a State Chiropractic Association regarding the issue discussed herein:

The auditor is confused, to say the least. As a doctor, you can delegate to whomever you wish to perform those [therapeutic procedure] services. You simply must be in the building at the time services are rendered to supervise [sic]. You do not have to perform the treatment yourself, nor do you have to stand over them and watch. This auditor may be confused with what some insurance companies are pushing for and have proposed, i.e., they require the doctor to do it. However, as far as I know, no insurance company has any policy in place to prohibit you from delegating to staff. As far as statute goes in Xx, if an insurance company did write that into their policy, we would have to go to the Xx with complaint. The P.T.'s would love to have those rules in place as well. Short answer is the auditor is wrong. Maybe some other state he/she is familiar with has that as a rule. Not here though.

The bottom-line is that due-care and good judgment must be exercised by chiropractors in this risk area, as missteps could result in administrative, civil and/or criminal exposure. A few years ago chiropractors, similarly instructed on use of "incident-to" to increase income, billed for their rendered services under the license of an associated medical doctor in MD/DC practices so as to avoid limited chiropractic (insurance) coverage. Several of these doctors, including a highly prominent chiropractic consultant who advised them on the use of "incident to" billing, are now serving federal prison sentences. Many chiropractors have learned the hard way that "incident-to" does not allow for the misrepresentation of the actual service provider to facilitate reimbursement for services that would otherwise be non-covered.

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Hatch is pushing medication bill

WASHINGTON -- Dietary supplement and over-the-counter medications would have a new mandatory reporting system for any illnesses, death or other problems associated with their products, based on a bill introduced Wednesday by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

The new bill builds on the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act that Hatch sponsored and Congress supported in 1994. Right now, the Food and Drug Administration regulates these two types of products, but there is only a voluntary system for companies to report any problems.

Under the bill, manufacturers, packers or distributors of over- the-counter drugs or dietary supplements would need to file a report to the FDA within 15 days of any reported incident of an adverse health effect specified in the bill such as death, inpatient hospitalization, birth defects and several others. They would also have to keep records for six years of any reported health problem, even if it is not under a "serious" one listed in the legislation.

"This is an important public health initiative, which at the same time safeguards access to dietary supplements and over-the-counter drugs," Hatch said.

The Utah Natural Products Association, National Nutritional Foods Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Council for Responsible Nutrition all support the bill.

Durbin said the "strange bedfellows" coming together to support the legislation -- he and Hatch do not always see eye to eye -- demonstrates the quality of the bill.

"Those who are selling dangerous products will have to face the music," Durbin said.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, also a co-sponsor of the bill, said that filing a report is not evidence of anything and does not automatically mean a product is unsafe but it could lead the government to discover where there might be a problem. Harkin said if this was in place problems associated with ephedra would not have happened.

"This is another example of how good legislation can come out of a serious situation," Harkin said.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will take up the bill next week, and Hatch hopes it will be passed this year. There is no identical bill in the House yet.

Hatch did not know an exact cost of the reporting procedures and other protocol laid out in the bill but estimates say about $2 million for over-the-counter-drugs and $2 million for supplements.

Medical practice bill not voted on

A bill excluding Kansas physicians and other health professionals from the state's consumer protection law may become a legislative fatality.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Thursday on an opportunity to vote on a House bill drafted after the Kansas Supreme Court ruled deceptive acts and practices of medical professionals fell under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.

Physicians, nurses, veterinarians, anesthesiologists, pharmacists and radiologists had reacted to the Supreme Court's decision by insisting the Legislature approve a statute nullifying it .

Opposition for the House bill had surfaced from the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, Attorney General Paul Morrison and AARP of Kansas.

"We ran out of time," said Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood, and chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

His committee met Thursday for the final time in the 2007 session, but the health industry exemption could be amended to other legislation before adjournment in April.

Another option, Vratil said, would be to refer the issue to an interim legislative committee. That panel's report would be due before the start of the 2008 session in January.

Jerry Slaughter, executive director of the Kansas Medical Society, said legislators need to declare the exemption clearly in state law.

Otherwise, he said, plaintiffs will file consumer protection claims in addition to medical malpractice lawsuits.

"It will raise the cost of defense and interject a new element into an already difficult situation," he said.

The Supreme Court ruling stems from the case of a Parker woman who sued an orthopedic surgeon in 1999. Two surgeries on Tracy Williamson by Dr. Jacob Amrani, formerly of Wichita, were supposed to relieve her back pain. Amrani told her the procedure was highly likely to succeed when it actually hadn't worked in a majority of cases in which he had performed the procedure. Her medical condition deteriorated after the operations.

The Supreme Court found Williamson could bring a claim under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act related to Amrani's conduct in providing treatment.

Callie Hartle, spokeswoman for the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, said the House bill was flawed because it "would create the broadest exemption to a consumer protection act of any state in the nation with regard to the health care industry."

Passage of the bill will trigger a landslide of pleas from other professions or industries for an exemption, she said.

"We'll have a consumer protection act that is Swiss cheese," she said.

MPMsoft chosen by Empower as patient scheduling and medical billing software

Empower Technologies Inc, a provider of speciality specific electronic medical record software systems, has chosen MPMsoft, a provider of electronic billing software solutions for the healthcare industry, as its front-office patient scheduling and back-office electronic medical billing software solution.

Empower's SonoSoft is an EMR (electronic medical record), designed for phlebology and venous surgery. SonoSoft's Vein Specialist module produces reports of every procedure, including a complete initial workup, endovenous ablation procedures (laser or radiofrequency) and follow-up visits for sclerotherapy, and can automatically generate a CEAP classification.

The company said it believes the partnership with MPMsoft will give it a combined product that meets the specialised needs of vein surgery practices, providing a seamless operation between the two programs.

No financial details were disclosed.

Medical Billing and the Discrepancy Paradox of the Rising Healthcare Costs

Health care spending continues to rise at the fastest rate in our history. In 2005, total national health costs rose 6.9 percent -- twice the rate of inflation - reaching $2 trillion, or $6,700 per person [Catlin, Cowan, Heffler, et al, 2006]. Currently, total health care spending represents 16 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). In the next decade, U.S. health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels, reaching $4 trillion in 2015 [Borger et al, 2006].

While some experts maintain that our health care system is costly because it is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, waste, inappropriate care, and fraud [Health Insurance Cost, National Coalition on Health Care, 2008], at least three remaining key factors, namely, aging population, expensive medical innovation, and defensive care, contribute substantially, to the overall cost picture.


1. Aging population

In the United States, the proportion of the population aged >65 years is projected to increase from 12.4% in 2000 to 19.6% in 2030. The number of persons aged >65 years is expected to increase from approximately 35 million in 2000 to an estimated 71 million in 2030, and the number of persons aged >80 years is expected to increase from 9.3 million in 2000 to 19.5 million in 2030 [Public Health and Aging: Trends in Aging --- United States and Worldwide, 2008; Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].
"The growing number of older adults increases demands on the public health system and on medical and social services. Chronic diseases, which affect older adults disproportionately, contribute to disability, diminish quality of life, and increased health- and long-term--care costs." [UN, 2002] 125 million Americans have one or more chronic conditions (e.g. congestive heart failure, diabetes.) Chronic diseases account for 75% of all health care expenditures. Source: Burrill & Company, 2006

2. Expensive innovation

* The American biotechnology industry has surpassed pharmaceutical companies for the third straight year as the primary source of new medicines, and biotech revenue jumped nearly 16 percent to a record $50.7 billion in 2005. Source: Ernst & Young LLP, 2006

* The USA is the world's largest and wealthiest pharmaceutical market, accounting for around 48% of the world total. Per capita expenditure on drugs is US $1,069 in 2006, nearly double the level found in the rest of the world. Source: Espicom Business Intelligence, 2006
* ...an estimated 30% of new products under development are "combo products" - involving medical devices embedded with pharmaceutical or biologics components. [Combination Products- Navigating Two FDA Quality Systems, Microtest White Paper, 2007]. The combination products market is estimated at $5.9B in 2004, and will continue to grow at a compound annual rate of 10% through 2009. By 2009, the market is expected to reach approximately $9.5B worldwide with a majority of these revenues from drug-eluting stents and steroid-eluting electrodes. Source: Navigant Consulting, Inc. In 2004, the US held approximately 65% of the drug-device combination product market. By 2010, the US is projected to hold 57%. Source: Business Communications Inc.


3. "Defensive" Medicine

"One of the major cost drivers in the delivery of health care are these junk and frivolous lawsuits. The risk of frivolous litigation drives doctors -- and hear me out on this -- they drive doctors to prescribe drugs and procedures that may not be necessary, just to avoid lawsuits. That's called the defensive practice of medicine.. . . . See, lawsuits not only drive up premiums, which drives up the cost to the patient or the employer of the patient, but lawsuits cause docs to practice medicine in an expensive way in order to protect themselves in the courthouse. The defensive practice of medicine affects the federal budget. The direct cost of liability insurance and the indirect cost from unnecessary medical procedures raise the federal government's health care costs by at least $28 billion a year." [US President George Bush, Arkansas, January 26, 2004]

Now let us observe the paradox:


1. On one hand, the participants of every ancillary industry to health care, including insurance companies, hi-tech and pharmaceutical engineers and scientists, as well as lawyers, have increased their profits in step with the rising costs of health care at ever accelerating pace.

2. On the other hand, the medical and chiropractic office owners - the actual health care providers - have not only failed to keep up with raising costs but have lost a significant part of their income. In fact, between 1995 and 1999, at a time when most wages and salaries in the United States rose 3.5 percent after adjusting for inflation, average physician net income from the practice of medicine, adjusted for inflation, dropped 5 percent [Reed and Ginsburg, 2003]. In 2006, the median compensation for specialty and primary physicians grew only 1.7 ($322,259) and 2 ($171,519) percent respectively, slower than consumer price index of 3.2 percent [MGMA Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2007 Report]. In comparison, health care costs beat the inflation by 3.5% reaching the annual growth rate of 6.7 [Health Care Spending, 2008]

Diverting our focus away from trying to find solutions to the problem of rising health care costs, we ask a different question: How such a paradoxical situation is possible without a deliberate and systematic strategy against health care providers?

Travel With Holiday Medical Insurance And Roam Free

While you are traveling many of the health insurance companies will offer you a limited coverage mainly if you have abroad trip. You may require a holiday medical insurance if your health insurance is covering from specific providers only care of your immediate area. Such policies may cover hospital stays, medical care, and also to a perfect medical facility or a transportation home.

How Do I know If I Need Holiday Medical Insurance?

Several reasons are there to have a holiday medical insurance very important for you. While traveling abroad you will definitely require to have an insurance for yourself against the potential health problems specially if you belong from a country, which gives managed health care and that too within the country only. In the same way if you are having the private health insurance, which only has coverage to specific regional facilities then the holiday medical insurance can be a must for you to save yourself from the grave medical problems.

An extra insurance may help you to have better care with a guarantee to be able to have immediate care if you already have a medical condition like diabetes or asthma that may likely act up while you are traveling.

The holiday medical insurance can be a very good investment if you are planning to travel such an area in the world that normally has overall poor medical care. For the regional medical care even if you manage to get the coverage but still your health insurance company might not cover the transportation or the evacuation to the medical facility will no way near you.

Where Can I Purchase Holiday Medical Insurance?

You can buy holiday medical insurance from various independent insurance agents as well as companies. Buying the insurance from a tour company or a travel agent is not a good idea always because some where else you may often get better coverage and rates. To find a good rate shop around and surely read every detail given on your policy so that everything that you will need is covered by your policy. The small print often will include the crucial exceptions as well as exclusions.

What Should I Look For In a Holiday Medical Insurance Policy?

The policy that you are purchasing must cover all your existing health conditions, transportation to and from the medical facilities and also the major medical expenditures. Make sure that your policy covers the transportation while you are traveling abroad mainly to an impoverished area.

Medical Billing Audit - Why Should Providers Audit Payers?

A Sacramento-area surgeon couldn't schedule surgeries for more than six months because his contract was not loaded in the insurer's computer system. More than 200 of Dr. Watson's patients received letters indicating incorrectly that he was no longer participating in the network. Watson lost about 25 percent of these patients and was not paid for about eight months. Another insured spent eleven months trying to get claims paid for his family, including an autistic child. The insurer never specified what information was needed to make the denied claims eligible for payment.

Are these three isolated incidents or are they three symptoms of a growing problem with the entire provider's reimbursement system? The owners of health care practices easily recognize these painfully familiar symptoms. The better questions are: how are they related to the rising healthcare costs and what can a provider do to help?

In 2005, national healthcare costs rose 6.9 percent - twice the rate of inflation, reaching $2 trillion. National healthcare costs are predicted to double to $4 trillion by 2015. While key health care cost factors include aging US population, the arrival of new and expensive drugs and bio-tech devices, and the defensive medicine, the insurance costs alone stand out as a key contributor to rising healthcare costs. Exorbitant executive compensation became a hallmark of healthcare insurance industry, where William McGuire, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, has reportedly received over $500 million since 1992, more than $1 billion worth of options, a lump sum payout of $6.4 million upon leaving the company, and an annual pension of $5.1 million. But such compensation can be easily justified on Wall Street, when comparing it to outstanding insurance industry profits, such as 38 percent growth in earnings in the 3rd quarter of 2006.

The problem for any successful insurance company is how to make such growth sustainable? This question is difficult because the premium growth (68.4 percent) has disproportionally outpaced both inflation (16.4 percent) and workers earnings (18.2 percent) during the same period (2001-2006), making it impossible to continue to rise the premiums without losing major segments of insured population.

Without the ability to attract new clients or to further raise insurance premiums, cost reduction becomes the next most important approach to enhance profitability. Such cost reduction can be done in a variety of ways, which we conveniently divide into strategic and tactical or opportunistic approaches.

Strategic insurer's arsenal

The creation of an oligopsony through consolidation is the main weapon in the strategic arsenal of insurance companies. Oligopsony exists when providers significantly outnumber buyers, enabling them to dictate prices. Take for example, the PacifiCare's $9.2 billion merger with United Health Group Inc. in late 2005, which created a vast network of HMO and PPO plans covering more than 3 million Californians. Today, three plans alone (UnitedHealthcare, WellPoint and Aetna) cover 77.7 million insured lives. Oligopsony allows the systematic and continuous cost reduction without extra investment, e.g., annual cut of allowed rates (such as the average reimbursement for E&M allowable dropped 10 percent in 2006 and another 6.5 percent in 2007), payment suspension for specific procedures (such as EKG tests for routine physicals), offering "all or none" participation alternatives, or the creation of "tiered networks" that profile providers and incentivize patients to see lower cost providers.

Tactical insurer's weapons

Increasing billing process complexity and inventing new denial reasons through arcane terminology, disparate data formats, and modifications of CPT/ICD codes and medical necessity rules - these are all examples of tactical methods designed to increase providers costs for both billing and follow up and reduce the payments at the expense of practice owners. These methods need continuous investment in personnel training, better process management, and improved technology to keep them effective as the providers begin building more sophisticated systems to scrub and analyze claims and discover payment discrepancies and irregularities.

Provider's Response

Returning to the three incidents mentioned at the outset of this article, the joint Department of Managed Health Care and Insurance Department determined that these are not isolated cases. It analyzed 1.1 million paid claims from June 2005 to May 2007 that covered about 190,000 members in PacifiCare's HMO plans and PPO coverage [Gilbert Chan , "PacifiCare fined record $3.5 million," www.sacbee.com , January 30, 2008] and discovered 30 percent of the HMO claims wrongly denied and 29 percent of the disputes with doctors were handled incorrectly. PacifiCare paid out over $1 million and was fined additional $3.5 million.

In summary, providers need new and effective approaches to mobilize both legal and organizational talent to reverse their revenue decline. Legal methods battle market conditions like oligopsony while large-scale medical billing networks aggregate claim volumes and create resulting economies of scale to enable analytical discovery of under-payments.

Home Business Medical Plans - Find Affordable Small Business Health Insurance

The only small and home business owners who are not worried about health insurance, usually have some other form of coverage. Some are covered through a spouse's group health plan, and some already have a retirement plan from earlier employment or military service. However many small business owners have made their career out of what they do now, and so they must rely on themselves to provide a medical plan for themselves, and their family.

If you do not have employees, you need to look at individual coverage. If you have a couple of employees then you have a choice to make. A small business group plan is a great benefit, and it tends to attract and retain qualify people. However, premiums for small groups are expensive and risky. Since their is only a small pool of people to spread the risk, and since federal law mandates that insurance companies have to accept everybody, expect to pay for a policy!

Now you will be able to deduct some of this expense from your business taxes. You can also expect your employees to share some of the cost. Also, remember that employees do like group health insurance as a workplace benefit. So consider this option, but keep in mind, that costs and extra paperwork can be daunting.

On the other hand, individual health insurers get to underwrite everybody they accept. Younger and/or healthier people will get a cheaper rate. Older people, or especially those with health conditions, will either get charged more, or they may not be able to get a plan to accept them at all! Of course, every state has some sort of high risk plan for people who cannot obtain their own plan, but expect to pay for this.

Employees must pay for the premium themselves, but some companies will let you pay a list bill. You withdraw the amount from each worker's paycheck. Because you will not have the burden of carrying the plan yourself, maybe you can afford to pay your employees a bit more to make up for it. The advantage for the employees is that their policy is portable, and so they can take it with them even if they leave your company. Another advantage for healthy employees, is that the premium should be lower. However, less healthy employees, may have a hard time, and you should probably consult with an experienced agent for options.

Now, if you do not have any employees at all, or if you only employ your spouse, then you must get a family plan. If premiums seem to high, I suggest looking at very high deductible major medical with Health Savings Accounts (HSA). You can offset the deductible with the money in the HSA, and those contributions have tax advantages. Plus, if you retire and join Medicare with any money left in your account, you can add it to your retirement savings without a penalty!

I cannot tell you how to find cheap medical coverage, but I can tell you how to protect yourself from the risk of huge bills or having trouble finding the right care while saving some money on your monthly bill.

Tips for Choosing a Group Medical and Dental Insurance Broker in Oklahoma

You may have worked with an employee benefits broker when setting up and reviewing your company's employee benefits program. This is the person that markets plans, usually from a number of different insurance companies, and assists the employer in selecting an insurer and plan design that best suits the company's needs.

But what if you're not happy with your broker or your plan? How do you go about finding a new one, or making sure your company's group insurance is in the best hands? Here are a few things to consider when you're choosing a group health and dental insurance broker.

Is the broker focused on the employee benefits marketplace?

If the broker is an insurance agent that discusses your benefits plan, and then wants to talk about your personal life insurance or property and casualty insurance, this might be a bad sign. There are thousands of different kinds of insurance out there, each with its own set of laws and policies. You don't want a jack-of-all-trades here. You want a specialist.

A broker that focuses on employee benefits will be more likely to be familiar with the increasingly complex benefits market. He should also be able to not only help you put a new plan in place, but be there after the initial sale is made to assist in the everyday servicing of the benefits plan.

Can you get referrals?

Don't be shy about asking the broker for names and phone numbers for at least 15 of his current, local business clients that his firm has served for at least five years. Referrals are absolutely your best way to distinguish between a slick talker and the broker that offers good, long-term value to his clients.

When you call these referrals, ask them questions such as "What happens when you have a claims or billing problem? Does your broker's office work with your employees on these issues, or do they have to call the insurance company? How satisfied have you been with the long-term service that your broker's office gives you?"

What kind of customer service does the broker offer?

Customer service really is the most vital factor. As the client, you do not pay directly for the broker's services. All brokers are paid an ongoing commission by the insurance company. So, it really costs you no more to work with a good, service-oriented broker than one that sells you a plan and disappears.

Are you familiar with the insurance companies being marketed?

The group medical insurance industry has greatly consolidated over the last decade or so. A market that once offered endless choices for health insurance has been reduced to less than 10 credible choices in most parts of the country. Most good brokers will show you the same array of leading insurance plans, simply because the choice is limited.

Beware of a broker that tries to market an off-brand plan, one that you are not familiar with, or that has low financial ratings. Often these kinds of programs offer low initial premiums to the buyer and high commissions to the broker, but do not perform well over time.

Because most good brokers will offer the same plan choices, the buying decision comes down to this: Which broker demonstrates the best service capability to your company? Which broker offers a long list of referrals of current, long-term clients without being asked for it?

Most employees and job seekers consider a company's benefit package nearly as important as salary when deciding whether to stay at a job or which job offer to accept. A good benefits broker should be like a human resources director for your company: helping you hire and retain the caliber of employees that makes your business successful.

How to Choose a Group Medical Insurance Plan - The Forgotten Factor

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Yupptv.comYou've met with three or four insurance brokers, and all have given you spreadsheets presenting proposals from a number of insurance carriers vying for your company's business. Most of these spreadsheets, from all the brokers you met with, show basically the same selection of programs.

You go through each plan to understand it as best you can. You even run it by some other employees to get their input. Finally, you make a decision, call the broker to give him the good news, and away you go. The broker? Well, since all the brokers showed basically the same plans, you call the broker that also sold you the property and casualty insurance to your firm.

What have you forgotten?

It's a problem.

Your new group medical insurance plan has been in force for some time now. Employees come to you at least several times a week with claims problems, benefit questions and complaints.

Your job is NOT to be an insurance expert, so you call the broker that sold you the plan, looking for help. When he calls you back a couple of days after you left him a voice mail, he says he will check into your various questions and get back with you.

The broker calls you back a week later, with some garbled answers that really don't address the issues. You end up having your assistant call the insurance company's toll-free number, where she gets passed around to three different extensions, still not getting answers.

The forgotten factor

Go back to the beginning. You spent a lot of time trying to choose the right group insurance plan. But you really didn't put much consideration into which broker to write the program with. Broker selection was the forgotten factor.

Choosing a good broker is at least as important as which plan of insurance you select.

What should an employee benefits broker provide to you?

The broker will talk to your employees.

Your employees should be able to call your broker's office with claims problems and benefit questions, and talk to someone who is knowledgeable and will not leave them hanging. Your broker's office should be a dependable resource to you and your employees.

The broker will talk to the insurance company.

Your broker should do most or all of the communicating with the insurance company for all claims and billing issues. Again, you and your employees are NOT insurance experts. Your broker's office should be.

The broker will become a trusted advisor.

A good broker will become an extension of the human resources efforts of your company. His office will, by keeping your benefits program efficient and well-serviced, help you hire and keep the best employees. Even more than your accountant and attorney, he and his support staff will become trusted advisors.

How can you choose a good broker?

Make sure that your broker is a specialist in employee benefits. This will not be the broker that handles your property insurance or personal financial planning.

Ask for a list of at least 15 of his local business clients that have used his firm for at least five years, and call these referrals asking what type of job the broker's office has done for them. If the broker balks at this, or only can give you a few referrals, move on.

Make sure the broker has a knowledgeable and experienced staff. The broker is only one person, and he will often be out of the office. You should ask to talk to the person in the broker's office who will be handling the day-to-day servicing of your plan. Talk to that person on the telephone and make sure he or she seems competent and will be comfortable to work with.

The broker is often the forgotten factor. And don't you forget it.

Rehab Billing Service Outsourcing - Zero-Sum Argument and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Over 17 percent of accounts receivable for an average physical therapy practice are beyond 120 days since the date of service. Although this may not seem to be a problem, as it would be expected that the money will come eventually, in fact an unpaid claim that is 180 days overdue has less than 1% chance of ever being paid. In other words, the average rehab practice delivers almost one fifth of its services for free. Would billing outsourcing be an appropriate solution for this problem?

Extra Time and Reduced Cost Benefits

Traditionally, advocates of outsourced physical therapy billing bring up extra time and cost gains as two main arguments in their favor. The rehab practice owner uses the extra time for patient care, family, or practice development. Cost gains are typically measured in terms of salaries and benefits of reduced billing personnel. However, the first argument (extra time) is often irrelevant to therapists satisfied with their schedules and practice sizes, and the second argument too often turns into a wash in light of commission-based fees typically charged by the billing services.

Zero-Sum Argument Against Outsourcing

Opponents of outsourced rehab billing often use the deficient denial follow up argument, which is a variation of a "zero-sum argument." It is based on an assumption that physical therapy billing service has a limited capacity for follow up and physical therapists receive selective follow up based on arbitrary criteria, such as unpaid balance. A win in terms of follow up effort for one physical therapist is a loss for another. The rehab billing service provider may skip follow up entirely, collecting the fee only on claims that were paid without any manual intervention and causing the payments to each physical therapist to shrink because of forfeited erroneous or delayed claims. But the rehab practice owner with in-house billing operation has all of its follow up capacity focused on a single practice and so, the argument goes, the in-house billing service must deliver better results than the outsourced service.

Measuring physical therapy billing quality, i.e., the percent of accounts receivable beyond one hundred and twenty days, exposes the fallacy of this argument. Note that ten percent improvement in overall billing quality means ten times more to the bottom line than one percent reduction in billing costs. Therefore, an outsourced physical therapy billing service provider charging a percentage of total collections has a larger incentive to improve overall payment performance and maintain better client loyalty than to sell a deficient service to another physical therapist.

In conclusion, rehab practice owners must establish objective performance and compliance criteria and use them systematically and within individual practice context when deciding about billing service outsourcing. Note that billing quality is a key component of the billing cost computation and the decision to outsource the billing service is based on a multi-fold improvement in billing quality. The rule of thumb is that the new combined percentage of fees and uncollected revenue outperforms in-house costs and A/R, and such performance improvement can be verified independently and continuously.

How The Billing for Your Medical Services Works

If you've been to a doctor, you know how crazy things can get with the billing even if you have insurance. In this article, we seek to explain how this maze of red tape works.

Simply put, medical billing involves a series of communications between a doctor's office and a medical insurer. What is medical billing used for? As you sit atop that cold steel table awaiting your prognosis, your doctor's office is engaging in a dialogue with your current insurance company. The topic of conversation? You, of course. As your doctor checks for all your vital signs, various medical codes are placed next to your personal medical information contained within your file.

Once your doctor leaves the examination room, your file then goes into the hands of a medical secretary, and it is sent electronically to your insurance provider using the codes mentioned above. Once your insurer has your medical information, they then begin to check your policy in order to make sure that your claim is valid. If you are covered insurance wise, your insurer will then pay the claim. If not, your medical request will be rejected.

As a matter of fact, medical claims are rejected nearly 50% of the time. In most cases, a lack of adequate communication between your doctor's staff and the insurance company is to blame. Most of the time, a medical provider will have to contact an insurance company more than once in order to make a claim. Codes can become crossed, and medical diagnoses may be overly complicated causing a bit of a problem. What is medical billing used for when it comes to government medical programs?

Whether you have a private or governmental insurance provider, the billing remains the same. No matter what sort of coverage you currently have, there must be some form of consultation between an insurance provider and a medical facility. It is interesting to note just how many claims are filed every day within the United States (millions), and how many people actually know what a medical claim consists of (hundreds).

Now that you are able to answer the original question (what is medical billing?), you have a better understanding of how insurance companies work. The next time that you visit your doctor's office, think about all the different types of interactions that are occurring at that very moment. It may not be the most intriguing subject, but it does effect nearly every person that's ever made a doctor's appointment.

If You Consider That Medical Insurance is Too Expensive, Then Think Again

An amazing twenty percent of adult Americans say that they are not able to afford satisfactory health care according to the latest figures released by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). So, are you amongst the more than 40 million individuals who cannot sleep soundly for fear of not being able to meet the cost of medical treatment in the event of accident or illness? More importantly, do you have to be among the 40 million?

The CDC report which was published in 2007 and explored health across the United States looked in some detail at several aspects of health care and found that:

1. Ten percent of people are currently unable to meet the cost of prescription medicines.

2. Ten percent of people put off seeking medical treatment as a result of the price.

3. As many as nearly 1 in 3 young people between the ages of 18 and 24 do not have a usual source of medical treatment or health insurance.

4. Ten percent of people between the ages of 45 and 64 do not have a usual source of medical treatment and approximately 50 percent of these adults are suffering from hypertension, a major heart condition or diabetes.

5. One out of every 5 people under 65 years of age are not insured for at least part of every year, with the majority of these being uninsured throughout the year.

A lot of people are fortunate enough to get cover for themselves and their families through schemes run by their employer, however escalating costs are forcing many employers to reduce their employee health insurance plans or to drop them altogether. There are however also millions of people who cannot get cover through their employment and who need to make arrangements for themselves. It is this second group which often considers that health insurance is simply too costly.

But should you dismiss the idea of getting medical insurance out of hand simply because you consider that it is too expensive? Health insurance comes in various shapes and sizes and, although a traditional indemnity plan can be very expensive, there are a lot of affordable options.

Put simply, health insurance falls into two broad categories comprising disability plans and medical expense plans. The first provides compensation for your loss of income when you are no longer able to work because of disability while the latter provides cover for medical bills arising out of injury or accident.

Each of these types of health insurance can be written as a single plan or separately and separate plans can again be broken down to cover particular areas such as accident coverage, major medical expenses, basic medical expenses, hospital care and a great deal more.

Further, cover can now be provided by not just traditional insurers, but also by a variety of group organizations, companies such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield, health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations, each of which can provide a wide range of plans with payment options that suit practically every pocket book.

If you are frightened by the thought that you cannot afford health insurance then think again. You might not be in a position to purchase a comprehensive plan covering all eventualities but it is a sure bet that you will be able to discover a plan which will give you at least sufficient coverage to provide you with some peace of mind.

Where to Get Cheap Emergency Medical Insurance

When you're planning the trip of a lifetime, the last thing you want to think about is getting injured or ill while on your trip. However, accidents and injuries happen, and you need emergency medical insurance to help you get the best care possible while far away from home.

But Won't My Health Insurance Cover Me?

If you have health insurance, you should definitely check your policy to see what coverage is available when you're away from your home country. You will likely find that your regular health insurance offers no coverage or only 50% coverage for medical expenses. It likely will also not cover you if you need to be evacuated back home.

What Does Emergency Medical Insurance Cover?

It covers travel-related medical emergencies, whether you are a student studying abroad for several months, a businessperson, or a vacationer traveling for just a few days. In fact, you can purchase insurance for the exact number of days you'll be gone.

When you purchase your emergency insurance, be sure to check that the policy:

* Covers any preexisting conditions you have

* Includes an emergency assistance phone number you can call to help you find a doctor or hospital if necessary

* Includes emergency medical evacuation

You can also choose whether you want the policy to include additional coverages for baggage insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and trip interruption insurance.

Finding a Cheap Policy

Fortunately, emergency travel insurance doesn't cost a lot, often just a dollar or two a day. To get a cheap rate, go to an insurance comparison website. You can enter your travel information and insurance needs and you will then receive quotes from multiple A-rated insurance companies.

Catastrophic Health Insurance Plus Supplemental Medical Equals Great, Affordable Health Coverage

If you are self employed or do not get health insurance through your job, then it is something you are probably concerned about. Many people have been financially ruined because they got sick or had an accident when they did not have coverage, and many studies show that people with health insurance get better care! Even if you decided to budget for a health plan, you may have been declined for coverage because of a pre existing health condition. It can be very tough to find an adequate medical plan these days for lots of reasons!

However, maybe you haven't considered the combination of a high deductible, or catastrophic, health insurance plan with a supplement. The medical plan may have a deductible of $5,000, $10,000, or even $20,000! That sounds like a lot, but it will pale in comparison with the medical costs a person can incur because of a major accident or injury. Because the deductible is high, the premiums will be much lower. These types of plans also do not suffer as many rate increases, and insurance companies usually relax their underwriting standards too!

Of course, $5,000 to $20,000 is still a lot of money to have to pay, but it is also amount you could probably borrow or pay off. Think of this size of a deductible as a car payment. However, if you ran up a $100,000 or $1,000,000 bill because of a terrible accident or illness, it would be almost impossible for most you to find that much money from a lender. That would be like paying off a home mortgage, or maybe even the mortgage on a mansion! It would be much easier to handle the car payment, now wouldn't it?

But we are not done yet. Remember I mentioned supplemental plans. You can find cash supplements to cover unexpected accidents or sickness in the amount of $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000. Because these policies only cover this low amount, they are affordable and easy to qualify for! Now you have taken care of that unexpected bill.

You can also find a high deductible medical plan that qualifies as an HSA (Health Savings Account) plan. You can set up a savings account that actually pays interest. Contributions are tax deductible, within specified limits. And you can use the money in this account for many medical costs that health insurance plans do not usually cover.

So consider what you have now. You are paying $300 to $500 less for your catastrophic health plan every month if you are like many families Take some of that money and contribute to your tax deductible savings account, and then take a little more and pay for a supplement. You have a way to pay for doctor's visits and prescriptions, and you have coverage in case of a major illness! You will probably even have a little money left over to spend on other items in your family's budget. Also consider that, no only is the HSA account deductible, the premiums may also be deductible. I cannot help you find really cheap health insurance, but I can help you save some money!

High Deductible Major Medical Insurance - Where to Get the Best Rates

Looking to lower your monthly premium on your health insurance? High Deductible Major Medical Health Insurance may be the answer you've been looking for. Here's what it is and where you can get it cheap.

What is High Deductible Major Medical Health Insurance?

This type of insurance covers you only for serious injuries or illnesses. You select the deductible you want, which will usually be from $500 to $10,000 per year. You pay all your medical expenses up to this deductible, after which the company pays 100% of any additional medical expenses.

If My Deductible is so High, How Am I Saving Money?

You are saving money because, while your deductible is high, your monthly premiums are low. Consider this: your monthly premiums can be half of what you would pay for a traditional health insurance program. In addition, these types of health plans are often coupled with "insurance savings accounts."

What's an insurance savings account? You can think of it as a medical 401-K, in which you regularly deposit money-on a pre-tax basis-to cover your medical expenses until you meet your deductible. So if your deductible is $2,000, you would want to deposit $2,000 in your insurance savings account each year to pay for that deductible. When you have a medical expense, you draw money out of the savings plan to pay for it.

Sounds Great - Where Can I Find a Cheap Plan?

You can find free quotes for cheap high deductible health insurance plans quickly and easily by going online to an insurance comparison website. On such a site, you can shop for a plan any time by just filling out a simple form with information about yourself and your health insurance needs. You then receive quotes from multiple A-rated companies, which you can look over on your own time and choose the best plan for your situation.

And if you have any questions, the best comparison websites have insurance professionals on-hand who will answer your questions and provide information on how to lower your premium even further (see link below).

Cheap Medical Insurance Companies Online in Arizona

Mention the idea of cheap medical insurance and most Arizona residents will laugh in your face. The very idea that medical coverage could still be cheap in this day and age is ludicrous - right? Well, until relatively recently that may have been true, but now there is a new form of medical coverage that could turn many people's healthcare world up-side-down and save them a ton of cash in the process.

The new form of coverage is a Health Savings Account, also known as an HSA. These are special savings accounts that are funded with cheap tax-free dollars. You use these cheap dollars to pay for all of your medical bills each year, and since you are paying for your own doctor's office visits, and paying for your own outpatient needs, and paying for your own specialists and paying for your own prescriptions, there is no one to tell you which doctors or what pharmacy you have to use. You are in full control of your own health care.

And since you are paying for everything with tax-free money you are saving the equivalent of approximately 25% on all of your costs.

Also, since you save money by needing medical treatment less, you have a tremendous incentive to stay healthy. You have an added reason to stop smoking or using chew and you have a great reason for skipping as many fast food meals as you can and watching your weight.

Another tremendous advantage to a Health Savings Account is that any cash left in the account at the end of a year can be rolled over into the next year. This means that over time you could build up a nice tax-free retirement nest egg - especially if you keep yourself healthy.

Obviously there are some things none of us have any control over - such as a totally unexpected catastrophic accident or illness. Such an event could wipe out our life savings or even force us to sell our home in virtually the blink of an eye.

Your Health Savings Account has you covered there, as well. You will be required to purchase a cheap super-high-deductible health insurance policy which will protect your assets if you should suffer a catastrophic event.

Getting Medical Insurance Plans For Students

When you head off to college, your mind is usually filled with hanging out and partying. You tend to think the rules don't apply to you and freedom is at your fingertips. You'll never again be told what to do. Well some students seem to have that illusion, but most are really stressed about their grades and having to face life without their parents whom, up until this moment, have taken care of all their expenses. The last thing you need is something else to worry about with all this reality setting in. You still need to keep yourself prepared for the worst even though you are young and healthy. This is the reason medical insurance for student is something important.

When some students go off to college, they don't have health or dental insurance coverage. Due to the fact that this was previously taken cared of by their parents before. Had they taken some time and do some research, which could most likely be found at the school's website, you'd find that health insurance plans are mandatory for full time students.

If you are attending a University or a community college and have no health insurance, make sure to look into medical insurance for students. You can never be too sure when you may be in need of it. Most college students don't have thousands of dollars set aside to take care of their medical expenses in case they get sick or are hospitalized for a while. Dental insurance may not be necessary, but you should definitely look into the medical plans that your school provide. Don't wait until it's too late if you happen to be a full time student. Look into a medical insurance plan that fits your needs and budget.

Affordable High Risk Medical Insurance Online in Arizona

Ask almost any Arizona resident how they feel about medical insurance and you're sure to hear the same thing from each and every one of them - medical coverage is just too darn expensive. It's gotten so expensive, in fact, that fully 16% of all Arizona residents can't afford any coverage at all. Or at least they think they can't afford any coverage. The fact is, there's a new type of medical coverage that's radically different and potentially less expensive that could be the answer millions of Arizona residents have been hoping for.

But before we look at this new form of medical protection let's talk about your overall health since this new form of coverage works best for people who are generally healthy and don't need to see their doctor very often in a normal year.

There are two primary things that most Americans can do to improve their health and lower the cost of their health care. If they smoke or use chew they can stop, and if they are overweight they can shed a few pounds. Neither of these things is very appealing to most people, but the fact of the matter is you can save a ton of money every year if you can quit smoking and drop a few pounds.

Quitting smoking is more a matter of finally deciding on a gut level that you want to quit than it is based on any kind of patch or other gimmick. Either you sincerely want to quit or you don't - and if you don't really feel the NEED to quit smoking then it's very likely that any attempt to quit will fail.

Losing weight is also a matter of not just wanting to lose but of NEEDING to lose. One thing many Arizona residents can do to lose weight is to drive right on past their favorite fast food joint every day. If you have a real craving for a burger and fries then DON'T stop. A burger and fries can have more than 1,000 calories and enough fat and cholesterol to swim in.

Just how sincere are you about saving money on your health care?

The new type of health policy that can save you a ton of money is known as a Health Savings Account, or an HSA. This is a very special savings account that you put cheap tax-free dollars into. You then pay for ALL of your health needs every year with your own tax-free dollars.

Since you are using your own money to pay for your health needs you are in total control. You pick your own doctor, your own specialist, and decide about your own prescriptions.

As part of your Health Savings Account you will be required to buy a very cheap super-high-deductible health insurance policy. This high-deductible policy won't pay a penny toward your normal doctor's office visits, or your prescriptions (that's what you use your tax-free savings account for). What this cheap medical coverage does do is it protects your life savings and even your home from the possibility of a catastrophic accident or illness that could cost you tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars and wipe out all of your assets overnight.

But regardless of what kind of health coverage you're looking for, one thing will always save you big bucks, and that is buying your policy online. Buying online health insurance will save you 20 to 30% each and every month. In fact, it simply doesn't make sense to buy your health coverage anywhere but online these days.

Cheap Medical Insurance Online in Arizona

Cheap medical insurance is an idea that has thousands of Arizona residents almost salivating. For most Arizona residents it has been so long since they have been able to get cheap medical coverage that they have given up all hope of ever seeing a low-cost policy again. Take heart, because all hope is not lost. There is a relative new and almost unknown form of health coverage that can save virtually everyone thousands of dollars a year while still providing them with full medical protection.

This new form of coverage is called a Health Savings Account, or HSA. An HSA is a very special savings account that you put cheap tax-free dollars into. You then use your tax-free savings to pay for all of your own medical needs during the year.

Since you are paying for your own doctor's visits and your own specialists and your own prescriptions you can pick and choose any doctors you want and any pharmacy you want with no interference whatsoever from anyone. You are in total control. And since you are paying for everything with tax-free money it's equivalent to a savings of approximately 25%.

Another huge benefit of a Health Savings Account is that any money remaining in the account at the end of a year is rolled over into the next year - tax free! That means over time it is possible that you could build up a nice tax-free nest egg that you can spend as soon as you start using Medicare.

Obviously this type of plan works best for people who are generally healthy. In fact, the majority of healthy young individuals and families could do quite well investing in this type of health plan. This type of medical coverage encourages individuals to quite smoking or using any tobacco products and it encourages people to lose weight - because the healthier you are the more you save!

Of course the surest way to save money on ANY health plan is to buy your policy online. As everyone knows, online insurance sellers have almost no overhead plus they have a lot of competition - two things which add up to incredible savings for you.

In fact, buying your medical policy online is equivalent to buying it at wholesale - and wouldn't you rather buy wholesale than pay retail?

Cheap High Risk Medical Insurance Online in Arizona

The incredibly high cost of medical insurance has sent hundreds of Arizona residents scrambling to find a cheaper high risk form of coverage. Up until relatively recently there really wasn't any alternative to high-priced medical coverage, but now everyone has a choice in their medical coverage and for thousands of people there is a new form of medical "insurance" that makes a lot more sense - and which saves them hundreds or even thousands of dollars each and every year.

This new type of health coverage is a Health Savings Account, or HSA. If you've never heard of it before you're not alone. HSAs have not been well publicized. An HSA is a very special savings account that you can put tax-free dollars into. That's right. The money you put into your HSA is not taxed. You use these cheap tax-free dollars to pay for your medical needs each year.

Paying for your doctor visits and your prescriptions with tax-free dollars is equivalent to getting your medical coverage at a discount of around 25%. And because you are spending your own tax-free money on your doctor and hospital and prescriptions there are no restrictions whatsoever on which doctors or specialists you see. You call the shots.

Not only that, but since any funds left in your account at the end of a year are rolled over into the next year, it is quite possible that a fairly health individual could, over time, build up quite a nice tax-free nest egg which they will have access to once they begin collecting social security and taking advantage of Medicare.

To protect your life savings and even your home from the possibility of a catastrophic accident or illness which would otherwise wipe them out, you will be required to purchase a very low-cost super high deductible health insurance policy at the same time that you open your Health Savings Account.

This super-high-deductible policy won't pay for your doctor's visits or your prescriptions during a normal year - that's what you use your tax-free savings account for. Your cheap health policy is only designed to protect your assets in the event of some major accident or illness.

There is something else you can do that will save you more money on your health coverage than you ever thought possible - and it's so simple. Buy your policy online. There are dozens of online health insurance sellers, each vying for your business and each one ready to offer you health coverage at what amounts to wholesale prices!

Don't pass up the opportunity to get your medical coverage at a savings of anywhere from 20 to 30%. Get online right now and see for yourself exactly how much you can save.

Affordable High Risk Medical Insurance in Arizona

Just over 50% of all Arizona families who have medical insurance report that the high cost of their monthly premium makes keeping their coverage a severe financial burden, and just over 16% of all Arizona residents report that they can no longer afford any medical coverage at all. And the problem is getting worse with each passing year. The good news is, there is a new type of "policy" available that just may be the prescription that many - including you - are looking for.

Before we talk about this new type of cheap insurance it's essential that we mention how important it is to do whatever you can to keep yourself healthy. This includes such things as not smoking or using chew, not eating at fast food restaurants, and getting some exercise every week. I know you've heard all of those things before, but maybe it's time for you to take them just as seriously as you take finding affordable health coverage.

The new type of medical coverage, which is proving to be extremely affordable for many people, especially people who are generally healthy, is called a Health Savings Account, or HSA. This is a special savings account that you can put tax-free dollars into. The catch is, you can only use those cheap tax-free dollars to pay for medical expenses during the year.

Because you do not pay taxes on the money you spend for your health needs, it is equivalent to saving at least 25% on the cost of your care. This is one reason why eating right, getting some exercise, quitting smoking and staying away from fast food restaurants is so important - the less you see your doctor the more you save.

As part of your Health Savings Account you will be required to purchase a cheap super-high-deductible health insurance policy. This policy will have a deductible of well over $1,000, which means that it won't pay anything toward any of your normal doctor's visits or pay for any of your prescriptions during a normal year.

The purpose of the cheap high deductible policy is to protect your savings account and even your home from the possibility that you will be hit with a catastrophic illness or accident which will end up costing you tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

Another way for you to save a boatload of money is to buy your health insurance online. The savings you will find online can be truly staggering.

If you really want to find the cheapest online medical coverage possible then compare prices on more than one website - then all you need to do is to pick the cheapest price you find and you can be certain that you are getting the most savings possible on your health insurance each and every month.

Health Insurance Helps Protect You From High Medical Costs

Health insurance helps protect you from high medical care costs. It is designed to cover treatment for curable, short-term illness or injury ( commonly known as acute conditions).

Health

Health insurance is also not cheap and it can't be because doctor bills are so high. It is so expensive nowadays because for one, there have been big gains on medical science over the past few years. Health policy is protection against the possible health problems that could happen in the future, and you have absolutely no way of knowing what those might be.

The accident, to be covered, must have occurred while the beneficiary was covered under this exact same health insurance contract. Many people in the United States get a health insurance policy through their employers. These plans contract with health care providers and medical facilities to provide care for members at reduced costs. You can also purchase health insurance on your own. People who meet certain requirements can qualify for government insurance, such as Medicare and Medicaid. You can count on your policy to cover you for a hospital stay. Most policies cover doctor visits, but benefits for mental health, prescription drugs and dental care are strictly optional. A growing number of public and private sources compile information on the track records of individual doctors, hospitals, and health plans. State and federal regulations protect you from losing your health coverage in the event you lose your job. If you and your spouse both get health insurance at work, you must sort out whether it makes more sense to have two policies or for one of you to cover the other. The health care system is changing and so is health care within the United States which has resulted in more families participating in heath insurance.

Policy

Even if you do receive coverage through an employer-sponsored health plan, you should consider the cost-saving benefits of switching to a family health insurance policy or moving some of your family members off of your group policy into a family plan. Since small business health insurance offers guaranteed coverage to all employees in a given company, it can be difficult and time consuming for a small business owner to find the best policy. Each health insurer will give you a policy summary or "key facts" document and a full policy document either before or immediately after you sign the contract of insurance. The summary or "key facts" document will set out any significant and unusual limits of your policy. Health care reform is a top priority for voters, and the presidential candidates continue to present an array of policy initiatives that could transform the nation's health care system. Before choosing the health insurance policy, it is advised that the customer compares the health insurance quotes of different companies. When choosing, the customer has to check it up and make sure that the policy does not come with an indemnity style policy of has calendar year limits. The cheapest policy is too expensive if it leaves you exposed. The difference is that a whole life insurance policy builds equity and a term life insurance policy is mainly used to take care of debts for your family and for your self if you perish prematurely. Make sure that your medical care policy is doing the business you set it out to do. All you need to do is compare coverage and pick which policy is the best for you.

Cheap Medical Insurance Online In Alabama

Everyone in Alabama, it seems, is desperate for cheap medical insurance. And it's no wonder. Of the people who have coverage just over 50% report that the cost of their monthly premium is a severe drain on their budget. And even worse, approximately 16% of all Alabama residents can't afford any health insurance coverage at all. There is some good news, however. There are several ways that YOU can get your health policy at a cheaper rate than you are probably paying for it today.

Let's start with one of the most important ways that you can save money on your coverage - and that's to buy it online. There is no doubt whatsoever that for the vast majority of people who are looking to purchase a health policy their best bet - by far - is to buy their insurance online.

Even if you buy online there are still ways for you to save even MORE.

Don't smoke and don't use chew or any other tobacco product. You've heard that before, of course, but continuing to smoke or to use chew will cost you a LOT of money in higher premium costs. Is it really worth it to you?

There is a rather new form of cheap health coverage that may be of interest to you. It's called a Health Savings Account, or HSA. This is a unique savings account that you fund with cheap tax-free dollars. The money in your HSA account can only be used to pay for medical expenses.

As part of your HSA account you will be required to buy a cheap super-high-deductible medical insurance policy. The deductible on this policy will be so high that the policy will pay absolutely nothing toward your health care in a normal year.

The purpose of this insurance is to act as a safety net should you suffer some type of catastrophic illness or extremely serious accident that might otherwise deplete your life savings or even force you to sell your home or to declare bankruptcy.

But remember, no matter what kind of health plan is right for you the cheapest place you're going to find it is online.

Cheap Medical Insurance Companies in Arizona

For many people the very idea of finding cheap medical insurance companies seems ridiculous. And it's no wonder. The cost of health coverage has gotten so high that almost no one can afford to buy individual insurance and even group coverage is now so expensive that more than 50% of all Arizona residents who are part of a group plan admit that the cost of their monthly premium is a severe strain on their family's budget. However, there is one place where you can still find cheap companies.

Before we talk about getting cheap health coverage it's important that you understand that you need to do your part as best you can by getting and staying healthy. The healthier you are and the fewer times you need to see your doctor each year the more you are going to save.

Do you know just how much you can save on your health care costs if you don't smoke and don't use chew or any other tobacco product? In some cases the savings can be as high as 20% or even more! There are a lot of reasons for you to quite smoking - and now saving a bundle on your health insurance is one of them. One of the questions you have to ask yourself is: Just how serious are you about finding cheap medical coverage? Are you serious enough to quit smoking?

Diet and exercise also play a part in getting cheap premiums. If you aren't serious enough about your health to stop eating at fast food restaurants, stop eating French fries and other fried foods, and giving up super-high-calorie hamburgers, then you aren't really serious about finding cheap medical coverage.

You also need to get serious about exercise. You don't need a gym membership and you don't need to buy the latest and greatest gizmo from an infomercial. What you do need to do is to get up off that couch and walk around the block three or more times every week. You need to ride your bike to do some of your errands, or you need to join a group that walks around the mall in the mornings. You need to move your body.

Increasing your co-payment from 25% to 50% can save you as much as 10% on the cost of your premium, and setting your yearly deductible at the highest level you can afford will also save you money every month.

But the real trick to finding the cheapest medical insurance companies in Arizona is to simply buy your policy online. Online health insurance sellers discount their policies by as much as 30% in many cases. There is now no reason whatsoever for paying outrageously high prices for medical insurance when you can get such great deals online.

In order to get the cheapest prices online you'll need to make your price comparisons on more than one site, but once you've finished making all of your comparisons and you have all of the prices laid out before you, your only "job" then will be to pick the cheapest price and then sleep easy night after night, knowing you are saving the most money on your medical insurance that you possibly can.

Cheap High Risk Medical Insurance in Arizona

The high cost of medical insurance here in Arizona is driving thousands of individuals and families to scramble frantically for cheap high risk medical insurance. If you are among those frantically searching for it that you can afford there is some good news. There are there specific actions you can take to reduce the cost of your traditional medical insurance, often by 25% or even more!

Let's start with some simple steps you can take. Paying your premium automatically from your savings or checking account every month saves the insurance company the cost of sending you a bill and they are happy to pass a good portion of that savings on to you.

You can also save a lot (and feel better) if you eat right and get some exercise. If you're really serious about saving money on it then get serious about dropping fast food restaurants and getting some exercise. You know that eating high calorie, high fat hamburgers and French fries isn't good for you. You know that they contribute to weight problems, high blood pressure, diabetes and a whole host of other ills. So stop eating at places like that. The healthier you are the less you're going to need medical care and the less you are going to pay for your health insurance.

And get a little exercise. Just walking around the block a few times each week, or riding a bike to do a few errands, or joining a group that walks around the mall in the mornings... ANYTHING that will get you on your feet and moving will be a help.

If you don't see your doctor often why not increase your co-payment from 25% to 50%? Doing that will save you quite a bit on the cost of your health insurance premium.

Similarly, if you can afford to increase your yearly deductible you can save a lot on the monthly cost of your health insurance.

And one of the surest ways of saving money and finding the cheapest health insurance is to buy your insurance online. It's true. Online sellers have a huge advantage over their brick and mortar cousins because they have almost no overhead and so they are able to pass tremendous savings on to you. In fact, you can sometimes save as much as 25% simply by buying it online.

Cheap Medical Insurance Companies Online In Alabama

If you are looking for cheap medical insurance companies here in Alabama there's really only one place for you to look, and that's online. Online sellers of insurance have almost no overhead and so they can pass truly remarkable savings along to you. The super good news is that there are simple ways for you to save even MORE!

One thing you can do is to pay your monthly premium automatically each month out of your savings or checking account. If your insurance company doesn't have to send you a costly bill every month they can afford to reduce the cost of your medical insurance.

If you don't see your doctor often then it can really pay for you to increase your co-payment from 25% to 50%.

Likewise, you can save money on your medical insurance instantly if you increase your deductible. Just be careful that you don't increase your deductible past the point at which you can afford to pay it.

And speaking of high deductibles, one of the newest forms of cheap medical insurance is called a Health Savings Account, or an HSA. This is a special savings account that you fill with cheap tax-free dollars. You use those tax-free dollars to pay for all of your medical costs.

You also use those tax-free dollars to pay for a cheap super-high-deductible medical insurance policy. This cheap policy will have a deductible so high that in a typical year it won't pay even a penny toward any of your medical bills - that's what you use the tax-free savings account for.

Where these policies come in handy is if you should suffer a catastrophic illness or accident that runs up medical bills into the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars - something that can happen in the blink of an eye.

Without one of these cheap medical policies you would be forced to wipe out your life savings, you might have to sell your home and you might even be driven into bankruptcy.

So check out all of your alternatives - but when it comes time to buy your medical insurance you really NEED to buy it online. You'll save even more money when you buy your insurance online if you take the time to review prices from a number of medical insurance price comparison websites and not rely on the results from just one site.

So happy hunting - and remember, if you take the time to look carefully online you really and truly CAN fine health insurance at prices you probably never dreamed possible.

Cheap High Risk Medical Insurance Online In Alabama

For most people medical insurance here in Alabama seems extremely expensive. In fact, medical insurance is now so expensive that fully 16% of all Alabama residents can't afford any medical coverage at all. The good news is there are several simple things you can do that will make YOUR cost of health insurance much more affordable.

One thing you can do is to pay your monthly premium automatically from your checking or savings account. If your insurance company doesn't have to send you an expensive bill every month they are going to pass that savings along to you.

Don't smoke or use chew - or any other tobacco product for that matter. It should come as no surprise this late in the game that if you smoke or use chew you'll never qualify for the cheapest high risk medical insurance available. If you're serious about saving money on your medical insurance then you're going to have to be equally as serious when it comes to quitting all tobacco products.

If you don't see a doctor on a regular basis then it will probably pay off handsomely for you if you increase your co-payment from 25% to 50%.

Increasing your deductible to the highest level you can afford to pay each year will also decrease your monthly cost of health insurance. Obviously care must be taken that you don't agree to pay a higher deductible than you can actually afford.

If you're after the absolutely cheapest high risk health insurance you may want to consider a Health Savings Account, or HSA. This is a special savings account that you can only use to pay for your medical expenses using non-taxed dollars, which saves you at least 25% off the cost of your medical care.

These accounts come with a very low-cost super-high-deductible health insurance policy. These policies have deductibles of at least $1,200 to $2,400 so these policies are not going to pay for any of your health care needs during a typical year. These policies are only used if you should suffer some sort of catastrophic accident or major illness that costs you tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Then your low-cost high-deductible policy will save your life savings and even save you from being forced to sell your home.

You can also save a lot of money on your health insurance if you buy it online. Online health insurance sellers have virtually no overhead and so they are able to pass tremendous savings along to you.
In order to get the very best price possible online you'll need to see as many comparison health insurance prices as possible from as many different insurance companies as possible. The way you do that is you must make your price comparisons on several different sites and not rely on the results from just one site.

But do check out the prices online because that is where you are always going to find your best deals.

Affordable High Risk Medical Insurance Online In Alabama

If you want to find affordable high risk medical insurance here in Alabama you really only have one choice: you need to look online. Online health insurance sellers have almost no overhead and so they are able to pass that rather substantial savings directly to you. However, if you really want to save as much money as possible there are a few simple things you can do that will save you even MORE.

One of the simplest things you can do is to pay your monthly premium automatically each month out of your savings or checking account. This saves the insurance company the cost of sending you an expensive bill every month - and so they pass along the savings along to you.

Don't participate in dangerous or extreme sports or hobbies. If you are going to go out of your way to put your health at risk you certainly can't expect an insurance company to offer you cheap health insurance.

Likewise, if you smoke or use chew you can't think in your wildest dreams that you are ever going to get affordable health insurance. If you want affordable health insurance one cost you are going to have to pay is to quit smoking or using chew.

For many people the most affordable high risk medical insurance is one of the relatively new Health Savings Accounts - also known as an HSA account. These are special savings accounts which you fund with cheap tax-free dollars. You can only use these accounts to pay for medical expenses.

Any tax-free money left in your account at the end of the year can be rolled over into the next year, allowing you to potentially build up a rather nice tax-free nest egg over time.

These accounts come with a very low-cost and super-high-deductible health insurance policy. These policies have such a high deductible that they almost never pay for any of your medical needs in a normal year - that's what the tax-free savings account is for. What these low-cost policies do is they protect your life savings and they protect you from the possibility of being forced to sell your home in the event that you suffer some sort of cataclysmic event, such as a serious illness or a catastrophic accident that runs up medical bills in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight.

But whether you decide on an HSA account or you decide to go with a more traditional health insurance policy, one thing remains constant - you are going to get the very lowest rates if you buy your health insurance online.

Don't rely on the results you get from just one of the many health insurance price comparison websites out there. Each site only shows you the prices from a small handful of insurance companies. If you want to see the widest range of available prices open to you then you'll have to run your price comparisons on at least 3 different sites.

As soon as you've done that, however, then your job is virtually done. All that's left is for you to choose the most affordable high risk medical insurance you've found - and know that you are now saving as much money every single month as you possibly can!