Posts Tagged ‘Reform’

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How Health Insurance Exchange Fit into Health Care Reform

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

How Health Insurance Exchange Fit into Health Care Reform

Some people see the implementation of health insurance exchanges as being a key component in health care reform. The reason for this is that health insurance exchanges give consumers options.

For example, if you receive your health care benefits through your employer, you basically only have two options. You either enroll in the plan chosen for you, or you do not enroll in that plan. There are not a lot of other options available to you. If you decide to not enroll in your employer-sponsored group health plan, then you have to navigate the private insurance market. This can be a complicated process. Also, in this market, the health insurance carriers have all of the power, and will deny or approve your application based on your health.

In the future, health insurance exchange will do a lot to alleviate some of those problems. Health insurance carriers will be prohibited from basing premiums or approval on pre-existing medical conditions. New health insurance policies in the future will have a standard required comprehensive set of benefits. More importantly, all of these plans, policies, and companies will list their information on health insurance exchanges.

Consumers will go to these health insurance exchanges and will be able to find a wide array of competing insurance companies, and their competing plans. Health insurance exchanges will provide easy access to compare benefit levels, included and excluded services, network restrictions, and premium costs. A consumer will not have to go to each different company’s web site, but will instead find all of the information available on health insurance exchanges. Of course, that is what insurance brokers do right now, but many people do not know they can use insurance brokers to provide all of this information, plus excellent customer service. Health insurance exchanges in the future will serve the same function as an insurance broker does now.

Because many people will use health insurance exchanges to find a health insurance policy, they may allow for quantity group discounts on their policies, which will mean more leverage and buying power for the consumer. When health insurance exchanges promote competition among companies, more consumer power, lower prices, higher quality, and better service is often a result. This in turn will result in more individuals purchasing health insurance plans through health insurance exchanges, and a productive cycle of customer service and better health care will take place.

At this time, health insurance exchange has not been fully formed and is not fully functioning. Some examples of health insurance exchanges have existed in Massachusetts and Utah, so many future health insurance exchanges will be based on their model, and that of New York’s health insurance exchange. Many people are looking forward to the positive health care reform results that health insurance exchanges should have. Health insurance exchanges will start out serving the self-employed and individuals, but eventually, they may offer competition for even employer-sponsored group health plans. The idea of health insurance exchanges, however, is that people who want better health care options will be able to find better health care plans.

Sam Dicosta shares his knowledge on health insurance that makes you able to find the plans that best fits your needs. If you want to know about health insurance exchange health insurance, health insurance quotes, health care, medical insurance visit nationalhealthinsurance-exchange.com


Article from articlesbase.com

Pros of Health Care Reform: You Might Actually Get and Stay Healthy

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

Pros of Health Care Reform: You Might Actually Get and Stay Healthy

With the 2010 mid-term elections behind us, we will undoubtedly be hearing renewed debate over the health care reform bill. Few in the media actually talk about the pros of health care reform. However, the good thing coming out of all of this free speech and debate is that there seems to be a greater focus on actually promoting health rather than promoting staying sick.

In the past, health care was about doctors keeping us healthy. In recent decades, doctors have had less and less time to spend consulting patients on lifestyle habits to improve health. Through no fault of their own, the few minutes that they have to spend with patients is usually reduced to looking at some numbers on a chart and prescribing the appropriate medication. Sometimes the advice of “eat right and exercise” is given while the doctor walks out the door. The patient is left thinking that medications are the only option.

The overwhelming amount of medications these days are prescribed for overweight-related diseases such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Because the patient hasn’t learned healthier habits through taking medication alone, the patient is actually getting sicker each year. All of a sudden, the patient is on multiple medications. Over decades, major health issues and surgery for back pain, knee pain, heart blockages, and diabetes-related eye and foot problems is the common result.

The other result is that as the population gets sicker, the demand for subsidized medicines and surgeries increases. There has even been talk about subsidizing weight loss surgery! Health care costs increase not only for the patient, but for everyone. This is unfortunate, because in most cases these diseases are completely preventable with proper nutrition.

If the discussion over the cons and pros of health care reform has done anything, it has brought this issue closer to the forefront. Prevention is not quite at the top of everyone’s list, but it is getting there.

Let’s pretend that the government completely overhauled the health care system, with the focus on keeping people healthy rather than helping them stay sick. Where might the tax dollars that would have otherwise funded medications and surgeries go?

The government invests money not in farm subsidies for large farms, but in small family farms so that everybody can have access to fresh, healthy local produce and meats
The government invests money in community-based health coaches who offer private coaching to people committed to getting and staying healthy despite the obesity-promoting world around them
The government mandates that insurance companies provide coverage for alternative healthcare practitioners such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopathic and homeopathic doctors, etc.

These examples could end up on the “pros of health care reform list” if there were enough demand from the American people. Americans are getting more overweight and obese every year, and clearly the current health care system has been complicit in promoting this cycle of sickness and money spent on keeping people sick, otherwise we wouldn’t be in this situation. It’s like pouring money into a never-ending funnel of sickness!

Hopefully the recent elections will reignite debate as to how best our health care dollars our spent. If the government shifts its focus from putting money into managing sickness to investing in a healthy America, Americans would be happier being healthier and wealthier.

 

If you don’t want to wait for the government to decide on the worthwhile pros of health care reform, you can get instant access to Belinda’s free 7-day mini-course, “How to Eat Healthier with Limited Time and Money.” You’ll discover easy ways to limit portion sizes and stretch your food dollar, which will save an enormous amount of personal and national health care dollars in the long run.

 

Belinda is a Certified Health Coach who enjoys helping others discover their desires and motivations for living a healthier life. She helps people reach their weight loss and health goals in a healthy, easy way that actually saves them money. Get the mini-course now at http://www.HealthyAffordableWeightLoss.com.


Article from articlesbase.com

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I Am A Health Insurance Agent and Health Care Reform Is Killing My Buisness!

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

I Am A Health Insurance Agent and Health Care Reform Is Killing My Buisness!

January 1, 2011 is nearing at an almost blink-of-an-eye pace, leaving many health insurance agents worried and wondering what is going to happen to their ability to thrive financially.

 

There are over 2,500 pages of information regarding health care reform which was recently passed and many health insurance agents- no, make that mostly all insurance agents have no time to sit down and sort through all of the jargon. So, what is the cliff notes version? What will affect you, the health insurance agent the most? Plain and simple: sooner rather than later, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny individuals medical coverage due to medical conditions. As of September 23, 2010, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to children with medical conditions. Reality check? September 23rd is just 9 days away! Beginning in 2014, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny adults. In short, this means that if the insurance companies have to extend coverage to sick people, then two things have to happen. First, insurance premiums will most likely go through the roof in order to accommodate, or to make available more money to pay out on almost indefinite claims. The sicker the person, the more money will be spent on their medical care by the insurance company. Second, your commissions are going to plummet! In fact, starting January 1, 2011, insurance companies will begin to slash what historically allowed for a pretty lucrative lifestyle for agents down to, in some instances, barely making it. These insurance companies need to restructure their books and “trim the fat” so to speak. Where is the easiest place to take some of that fat from? YOU- the agent.

 

What is an agent to do? Should he or she move out of the financial sector and begin answering customer service calls at the local bank call center? Maybe. Should they go back to school and get a degree in another unrelated field? Maybe. However, most career insurance agents don’t have the time nor the desire to tear down what they have built and start over and in this case- if you are that agent who doesn’t want to start over, there are a few different options.

 

First and foremost, if you are not familiar with what exactly your license allows you to sell, become familiar and do it fast! Most health insurance licenses (depending on the state) go hand in hand with a life insurance license as well as a variable annuities license. If you do NOT have the life and annuities designation, do the homework and take the exams necessary to get them. These could literally mean the difference between you staying in the insurance industry and having to leave it to go join the circus. Once you have these designations, or if you already do, there is a particular school of thought that you are going to have to adapt to, and it is that health insurance sales alone are most likely not going to be your bread and butter any longer.

 

Second, get close and personal with life insurance. Nothing to do with health care reform touches the life insurance industry. In fact, the life insurance industry is still booming-  and actually, always has been. It is known to be where the real money is as far as selling insurance goes. Most health insurance agents are used to a 15%-20% commission structure. Life insurance agents have been enjoying anywhere from approximately 55%-90% commissions and they have been doing so for years.

 

If you are a captive agent, contact the go-to person within the company and see if life insurance is something they have available for you to offer. If it isn’t, make your argument! Tell them why it should be especially now with what’s going on in health care. If after that, it is still not an option, you may want to consider becoming captive with a new company- one who does make life insurance available for you to sell. If you are an independent agent, it is as simple as getting appointed with a life insurance company and then marketing their product. Many agents who sell both health and life sell them “together” which means that while you are selling health insurance, you are talking about life insurance and vice versa. Pitch both at the same time and more often than not, you will walk away with two deals and a lot more money in your pocket than if you only mentioned health insurance.

 

So, there is a silver lining in the dark cloud called health care reform. It doesn’t mean you have to throw in the towel and find a new industry. You just need to diversify yourself by adding to the products you sell within the insurance industry and focus on maximizing your income while helping people.

 

I am a first time mom of a 3 month old baby girl. I work from home as a health and life insurance agent. I have always had a passion for writing and I love Articels Base because it’s a great way to reach a large audience and feel like someone juat may listen to what I have to say!


Article from articlesbase.com

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