Health Insurance Information For You!
Health insurance seems elusive and even terrifying to many people. However, it is easier than it looks to navigate all that red tape. Health insurance companies must outline their policies clearly, so familiarizing yourself with your insurance provider's policies can help you maximize your benefits. This article will outline a few tips that will make this process easier.
If monthly costs for health insurance are a concern, look a higher deductible plan. This option allows for you to handle smaller out of pocket costs as needed and the need for a deductible is only necessary when a more catastrophic event occurs. The minor incidents are easier to budget and allow you to save monthly dollars for your day to day life.
Sign up for a flexible spending account. If you are paying for your own health insurance costs, consider the move to an HSA. An HSA is a Health Savings Account that you can contribute towards, tax free, and then withdraw the money, also tax free, for any medical costs you face.
Even if you have a great health insurance plan, there will likely be some out-of-pocket costs that need to be covered. If your employer offers it, take advantage of a flexible spending account to set aside some money to pay for these costs without a tax penalty. The downside is that you must spend the money within a set period of time.
Open enrollment is a time for you to assess your health care needs. Your insurance needs can rapidly change as your health changes and your family grows. Open enrollment more info offers you the ability to change vision and dental coverage, too, if you have that option.
When you have done your research on your health insurance, and are finally sure that you have found what you need, you must start to fill out the forms to apply for it. Make sure that you are extra careful and that you are honest. A simple honest mistake or leaving out something important could cause you to be denied coverage. When you have finished filling it out, make sure that you read over it a couple more times to make sure that everything is correct.
Since it's cheaper to do a group plan, your employer rate will be cheaper than a personal insurance plan. If you are self-employed, you could look into joining a trade organization that has group rates for its members.
So you have decided on health insurance, and that is probably quite a healthy decision. However, take your time and do your homework. Don't just instinctively pick a plan without researching a variety and finding the pros and cons of each. As such you will be better protected should the worst come to fruition.
HOW BAD IS THE COVID-19 SURGE? HOSPITALS ARE SUGGESTING PATIENTS VISIT URGENT CARE INSTEAD OF THE ED
With hospitalizations for COVID-19 at their highest point since January of this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID data tracker, some hospital systems are putting out the word that urgent care centers may be the best option for nonemergent complaints. WVU Medicine in West Virginia, for one, went to the local media to announce that patients with complaints like ear or throat pain, abdominal complaints and other similar issues should steer clear of hospitals. Dr. Chris Good, chair of the School of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine, was quoted on WVME Metro News as saying unless patients have “a threat to limb or anything significant like a heart attack, stroke, or some surgical emergency†urgent care is the best place for them to go at this time. West Virginia has more patients in intensive care units across the state than at any other time since such records have been kept. According to the state department of health, 83.3% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.