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Health Insurance News and Feature Articles
Health Insurance news and articles to enable you to find affordable health insurance, even low cost or no cost health coverage. Get tips on saving on individual and family health insurance, small business health insurance, maternity health insurance, as well as senior health care coverage, and more...
- Cover the Uninsured Week
May 1-7, 2006
The ProblemNearly 46 million Americans, including more than 8 million children, are living without health insurance forced to gamble every day that they won't get sick or injured.
That's a risk no one should have to take.Uninsured Americans live sicker and die younger than those with health insurance. Just one serious illness or injury can wipe out an uninsured family's bank account, and the problem is getting worse.
The Response
That's why the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and some of the most influential organizations in the country are again organizing Cover the Uninsured Week.
This year's effort will mobilize thousands of individuals and organizations from many sectors of society to plan activities to tell Congress that health care coverage must be their top priority.
Cover the Uninsured Week 2006 will create a groundswell of activities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including press conferences, health and enrollment fairs, seminars for small businesses, campus activities, business leader summits, interfaith outreach, and more.
These activities are designed to mobilize a diverse mix of business owners, union members, educators, students, patients, hospital staff, physicians, nurses, faith leaders and their congregants, and many others at thousands of events across the country.
The Result
Millions of people will be alerted to the pressing needs of those living without health insurance.
These 46 million uninsured Americans need our and your help. It's time to put politics aside and take meaningful steps toward solutions.
You Can Help.
Go to www.CoverTheUninsured.org to:
1. Tell Congress that health coverage must be their top priority. Let's get America covered.
2. Spread the word by sending a Cover the Uninsured Week e-mail to your friends and asking them to help get America covered.
3. Get involved in Cover the Uninsured Week activities and show your support. The Web site lists dozens of ways you can help your community organize activities and events.
- Proof of Citizenship Required for Medicaid Services
Do you wish to access Medicaid services?If you are eligible for Medicaid and wish to access its services, you need to show proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth certificate, passport or another form of identification.
This new federal law will take effect on July 1st. The new requirement was included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which President Bush signed into law earlier this year.
It is intended to prevent undocumented immigrants from claiming to be citizens in order to receive health insurance benefits provided to legal residents. Under federal law, undocumented immigrants can receive only emergency care through Medicaid.
Some health care specialists are concerned that with the new citizenship requirements, many Medicaid beneficiaries, including those who are mentally disabled or homeless, will not be able to produce documentation and will have difficulty receiving Medicaid services.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the requirement will save the federal government $220 million over five years and $735 million over 10 years. CBO says that by 2015, about 35,000 people -- mostly undocumented immigrants -- will lose coverage because of the new requirement.
However, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that three million to five million low-income citizens could not avail of Medicaid services because they do not have birth certificates or passports.
Source: New York Times
- Health Savings Accounts Popularity Grows!
Since the Health Savings Accounts (HSA) started in early 2004, the number of people using HSAs has grown at a phenomenal rate and has tripled to 3 million in the last 12 months!Health Savings Account allows people with high-deductible health insurance plans – defined as having annual deductibles of at least $1,050 for individuals or $2,100 for families – to open a tax-deferred savings account, much like an IRA.
Funds can be deposited up to the amount of the policy deductible and deducted from taxable income -- instead of being lost forever to premiums.
HSA funds can be used for any qualified medical expenses such as doctor visits, over the counter drugs, laboratory fees, long-term care insurance, long-term medical care, Medicare premiums and deductibles, psychiatric care, therapy, vaccines,chiropractors, acupunture, eyeglasses and dental treatment
The HSA funds can be rolled over year after year, and can be withdrawn after age 59 1/2 and used for whatever purpose without penalty.
People are finding many advantages to getting Health Savings Accounts, including:
- HSA offers greater flexibility in spending -- HSA covers a wide range of medical expenses as outlined above
- Unreimbursed health care costs, including deductibles and co-pays, are paid with before-tax dollars.
- HSA holders can save of up to $1,800 in federal income taxes annually, plus state taxes in most states, and can opt to invest the HSA funds in growing range of choices and growth compounds tax-free.
- Unlike the Medical Savings Account (MSA) and the employer-sponsored flexible savings acount, Health Savings Accounts do not have a "use it or lose it" penalty each year
- Healthy individuals can accumulate savings in order to pay health-care expenses later in life or to supplement retirement savings. It allows families with infants or very young children can roll over HSA contributions so that as the children age, if medical needs decrease, there will be additional funds left over to use for expenses such as orthodontics.
Indeed, Health Savings Accounts provide a more affordable health insurance option.
The other good news is that Health Savings Accounts have become more accessible than ever! More and more insurance providers are offering HSA-compatible health insurance plans. And Large banks like Wells Fargo and US Bank are now offering HSAs, along with several smaller banks and credit unions across the nation.
To learn more about the uses and contributions to Health Savings Account, click here.
If you wish to get a FREE Health Savings Account eligible
health insurance quotes, click here. You will be able to check, compare and find the best quotes within minutes. And when you're ready, you can easily apply online.
Source: Marketwatch - Medicare and Medicare Drug Benefit
If you are on Medicare, you may just find yourself enrolled in the new Medicare Drug Benefit soon.The The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in its Web site that it will automatically enroll additional 1.2 million Medicare beneficiaries if they do not take action to enroll on their own by April 30.
CMS plans to enroll those low-income Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for subsidy under the Medicare Drug Benefit - including those who applied for subsidy and were approved but have not signed up for a Medicare drug plan, and those who are enrolled in other federal assistance programs such as
