Health Insurance and You!

There is a perception that health insurance is too expensive, which can certainly be true at times. However, there are some simple ways that can help everyone lower their current health insurance costs-as explained in the article “Make the Most of Your Health Insurance Benefits.”

“Sudden illness and accidents are out of our control, but you can take charge of your own health by making both big and small changes to live a wholesome and healthful life. Take advantage of preventative health insurance benefits that are already built into your plan (i.e. free annual health checkups, flu shots, gym, etc.) to minimize costs while maximizing benefits for you and your family.”

Check out the rest of the article to learn more tips like the one above, and see what simple changes you can make to get the most out of your money. We invite you to join the discussion and leave us any feedback on the tips or additional ideas of your own, in the comments section below.

The tragic story of the whooping cough epidemic that has hit California this summer seems to have taken a turn for the worse. On Thursday, health officials announced that a ninth baby has died from the illness. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, seems like a bad cold or cough in adults but can be fatal for infants. Deaths from whooping cough are relatively rare here in the U.S., and are commonly thought to be a “third-world problem” that we don’t have to worry about. However, in recent years some parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children due to rumors of a link between vaccines and autism. This stems from a study conducted by Andrew Wakefield in 1999, that concluded a temporal relationship existed between MMR shots and autism diagnoses. Since then, Wakefield has been stripped of his medical license and his study has been disproved by subsequent research indicating no correlation between vaccines and autism. Being vocal about this information and dispelling the fears of parents is critical to ending this epidemic of whooping cough deaths. A study published in Pediatrics in 2009 found that children of parents who refuse pertussis immunizations are at high risk for pertussis infection relative to vaccinated children, and that herd immunity doesn’t provide sufficient protection for unvaccinated children. Learn about what the studies and experts say to determine what the benefits and risks associate with vaccines are. Knowledge is power and the more we learn, the more we can prevent future deaths and put an end to this tragedy.

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Katherine Sebelius fired back at those who blamed impending premium hikes in 2011 on patient protections in the Affordable Care Act. In a scathing letter to Karen Ignagni, President of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), she made it clear that the administration “will not stand idly by as insurers blame their premium hikes and increased profits on the requirement that they provide consumers with basic protections.”

Whether you are looking for or currently have health insurance, increased premiums are understandably a very real concern. So, what are the facts? The administration reports that by their analysis and that of industry and academic experts, impact on premiums by greater quality provisions under the Affordable Care Act will be nominal—1% to 2% at the most. Ignagni offers a multifaceted explanation for this increase: “health insurance premiums are increasing because of soaring prices for medical services, the impact of younger and healthier people dropping their insurance during the weak economy, and additional benefits required under the new law.” It’s simple economics—providing greater benefits incur higher costs. Sebelius also warned that insurers with a record of unjustified rate increases may be excluded from health insurance Exchanges opening in 2014.

Overall, it seems as though Sebelius is truly advocating on behalf of the consumer and is making a concerted effort to curb the shady practices of some plans. At getinsured.com, we’ve always been most concerned with providing you the best prices for the care you need—a tool that is becoming more useful than ever, as the health insurance landscape is constantly evolving.

Image Credit: Kaiser Family Foundation

     Employer-sponsored health insurance covers about 157 million Americans, making it the largest source of health coverage in the country. Recent findings in a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, state that employees’ share of premium costs have increased by 47% in the last five years alone. Overall, the average annual family premium for covered workers in small firms increased 103%, in the last decade. Furthermore, 30% of employers sampled reported that they “reduced the scope of benefits or increased cost sharing because of the recession.” In this blog on CNN Money, economist Deborah Chollet describes the situation these companies are in: “employers are struggling to keep their head above water. They’re cutting costs just to maintain employment. One way to do that is to make workers pay more.” Clearly, employees aren’t catching a break anytime soon—so what impact will health care reform have on this? Chollet hopes that, “with reform, there’s an increase in the number of insured people and this will help drive down the big [cost] increase. The KFF study points out that reform will likely have little tangible effect on the premiums that employers and employees pay, in the short-term. However, we can expect imminent improvements in coverage (i.e. limiting annual/lifetime caps on coverage and extending young adults’ coverage under a parent’s policy till age 26) thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Reform holds the promise of long-term savings for both employees and employers, though these changes will be protracted following implementation in 2014.