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Bush Wants Health Insurance Tax Breaks

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:56:06 +0000

Jan. 28, 2008 — President Bush proposed new tax breaks for individuals who
buy their own health insurance, making the proposal the only new health care
initiative of his final year in office.
The proposal came in President Bush’s final State of the Union address to
Congress Monday night. In it he proposed making the cost of individual
insurance tax deductible, a benefit now reserved for employer-sponsored
coverage.
“This one reform would put private coverage within reach for millions,
and I call onthe Congress to pass it this year,” the president
said.
The policy would let people who purchase medical coverage on the individual
market deduct the costs of the coverage from their taxes. Right now such
coverage is not deductible, though individuals may save some money tax-free in
health savings accounts to spend on medical care.
The president’s proposal faces hurdles in Congress. Democrats who control
Congress have shown little appetite for the individual insurance market, where
coverage is usually far more expensive than in group coverage purchased through
an employer.
Views of Presidential Candidates
But the plan echoes that of several Republican presidential candidates.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, and former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney all favor changing the tax code in ways similar
to the president’s proposal. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani also
favors the change, along with offering a $15,000 tax exemption available to
families to buy coverage.
The tax proposal was the only new health care policy Bush announced in the
speech Monday. He reiterated past calls for expanding health savings accounts,
allowing employer and membership organizations to band together across state
lines to buy cheaper coverage in Association Health Plans, and curbing medical
malpractice liability lawsuits.
None of the policies is popular with Democrats.
“I don’t think we’ll see any significant health policy changes in the
110th [Congress],” Rep. Phil Gingrey, a Georgia Republican and physician,
told WebMD.
Cloning and Stem Cells
Bush also repeated calls for Congress to ban the cloning of embryos. Many members of Congress, including
some conservative Republicans, want to ban cloning for reproductive purposes
but keep it legal for the purposes of stem cell research.
The president called attention to a research trial reported in November in
which scientists succeeded in programming skin
cells to act like stem cells. That could give them the ability to grow into
many different bodily tissues, making them candidates for potential disease
cures.
“This breakthrough has the potential to moveus beyond the divisive
debates of the past by extending thefrontiers of medicine without the
destruction of human life,” Bush said.
The White House is at an impasse with Congress over embryonic stem cell
research. Congress passed a repeal of federal research limits, only to have it
vetoed by the president.
“I am glad that President Bush has recognized the recent advances in
stem cell research. This again highlights the need for a new, national
initiative supporting all types of ethical cell-based research, including
embryonic stem cell research,” Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., author of
several stem cell research and cloning bills, said in a statement.

Underwriting for Medicare Supplements Lenient

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:31:04 +0000

Not many people know that insurance companies are more lenient in their underwriting for Medicare supplements, which is a blessing if a person has a medical condition they don’t want to cover.

Here is how the drill works if one applies for Medicare, as opposed to a large health insurance company, who would rather not underwrite certain “conditions.” An applicant still does go through a medical underwriting routine with Medicare, it’s just not as rigorous and restrictive as it would be for an insurance company. The underwriting for Medicare is figuring out what will work best for people with particular health conditions. Once that is out of the way, it tells the person applying what kinds of choices they have for various packages.

Choices are always a good thing when it comes to Medicare supplements, especially during a recession when dollars are scarce. Currently, there are several parts to Medicare Part A for a stay in hospital, but it does not cover service; and Part B, which covers services. Those two parts are considered to be the staples of Medicare. Additionally, there are further options of Part D (drug coverage) and Plans A through L to back-fill any gaps in a person’s health coverage. Consider that to be the icing on the cake for the two main parts.

While many consumers find the parts and plans confusing, it all works out in the long run by talking to an experienced health insurance agent. There is no point in trying to spend hours of time figuring out what part or plan or combination will work, when picking up the phone to call a local health insurance agent will get answers immediately. The advice is free and always ready-made to a customer’s requirements.

So, spend some time talking to a local health insurance agent and get the accurate lowdown on what the different guidelines are for medical underwriting, and how that ultimately affects the prices of policies. All policies offer the exact same coverage, no matter where in the U.S. they are purchased. The thing that makes the difference is that each insurance company may charge what they want to charge for selling the Medicare supplements.

Deseret News (Salt Lake City) - Bush signs bill banning job, health-insurance bias linked to genes

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:41:02 +0000

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Wednesday signed legislation to protect people from losing their jobs or health insurance when genetic testing reveals they are susceptible to costly diseases.
Broadly embraced in Congress, the anti-discrimination measure aims to ensure that advances in DNA testing won’t end up being used against people.
The new law forbids employers and insurance companies from denying employment, promotions or health coverage to people when genetic tests show they have a predisposition to cancer, heart disease or other ailments.
“It protects our citizens from having our genetic information misused,” the president said.

Aetna AARP Health Insurance Come Together to Reach Out to Members

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:31:02 +0000

Just as recently as the spring of 2007 Aetna and AARP have joined together to form a new type insurance offered from Aetna to AARP members between the ages of 50-64. Though this new insurance program members will be offered new cool products and different types of insurance directed to members. This is a new idea for Aetna, dealing with people who are in the early stages of retirement but in most cases aren’t retired. Though the new plan Aetna will offer individual health insurance plans starting in 2008 to the more than 17.7 million members. Studies were done to find out how many AARP members were uninsured it was found that a great deal of them were not, and this was grounds for this new 7 year deal.
One of the main reasons why people in this age group were found to be uninsured was because they were trying to save money for other things. Many people felt that the money that they pay for monthly premiums could be better allocated in other places like in a retirement fund. It is during ages 50-64 when people begin to think about retirement and setting up retirement funds, this often makes people nervous and leads them to cancel their health insurance to save. Another reason why many people in this age group are lacking insurance is because they may not be making enough more to financially support themselves, never mind being able to afford insurance. By the time people reach this age there is a good chance that they have put their children through school, and there is a chance they may be living on their own. For millions of Americas there are many things that people put financially as priorities before health insurance.
Now with the baby boomer generation reaching their 50 and 60 more people than ever before will fall within this age group that Aetna AARP health insurance will be reaching out to. These two companies decided to start this insurance plans after discussions between the two companies on how they could better reach out to this generation and give them and their families more affordable and better health insurance. What many people who are this age don’t think of is that it is during this age when most medical problems begin, when it comes to early memory loss or even pill regimens that may last the rest of their lives. It would be so helpful for the millions of the people who fall into this category to reap the benefits of affordable health insurance, which may dramatically lower the cost of prescription drugs for themselves and their families. The goal of these two companies is to help out Americans when it comes to giving them the best health insurance fore the best costs.

Where can I find senior help ?

admin — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:51:01 +0000

A lot of people dread going old, but whether we admit it or not, getting old is just a part of life and something that all of us anticipate. However, there are always ways for us to be able to arrange for the so-named golden years. This is to ensure that the days after retirement will definitely be just like a walk in the park - absolutely free from uncertainties.
You have almost certainly heard that most seniors are getting stuck in an old folks home that they do not like , but they practically have no other choice. This, and other seniors needs particulary senior health care, can be well taken cared of if you will make the effort to start getting ready for it at this time.
The usual way to go, regard getting ready for retirement or senior health care is by buying a retirement plan from life insurance companies. This kind of life insurance plan should be started as early as you start working. Why ? Well the sooner you begin, the sooner your premium will mature thus, the bigger profit for you. While retirement plans give you just retirement money to you on anything you want, there are also senior health care plans on hand , in which you will too have to pay monthly premiums for some years to make sure that when you reach that certain age, you will certainly have someone or a place that will take care for you.
taking into account that in Western countries it has never been a practice for the elders of the family to stay in their kids house, it is definitely a great idea to have a senior health care arrangement ready just so that you will be ready with whatever may happen to you in the future. Just think , heaven forbid, if you got sick and you do not have any income to pay for medical help, will you just be content in letting yourself to be weaker by the minute - and finally pass away from illness? Have a senior health care plan will verify to be of good use to you whether or not you have a sickness that needs to be taken cared of. There are as well some perfectly healthy seniors in old seniors home too, but they still benefit of senior health care plans , just to ensure that all their needs will be taken cared of - even something trivial as have the right to vitamins.
Nowdays, senior health care has actually grown into a full size industry , wherein more institutions are being established to cater senior health care. frequently, clients are given the option to employ a private nurse that can reside in the customers home and work there full time , while there are also care givers or nurses available to aid to the needs of seniors in old folks homes. But do not think that just since an old folks home, you will not be able to receive the good senior health careas the sort offered by private nurses. Times have changed and old folks homes or communities are actually more modern and well maintained already , so there is absolutely no reason to be .

Graduating College Seniors Find Georgia Health Insurance Affordable

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:26:05 +0000

Many graduating college students worry about health insurance coverage when they graduate college and are job-hunting out in the real world. There are a lot of coverage options for graduates that they may not even know about. The first one is that it is possible that you may be able to continue your college’s health insurance plan, some schools offer extensions on their coverage past graduation. Many schools know that it is very difficult to find a job and coverage after graduating and it is likely that the recent graduate may not be able to afford insurance immediately. If you are covered by your college or university’s insurance plan, you may be able to continue coverage, in order to do this you can contact your school’s registrar’s office and talk to them about possibly retaining coverage post graduation. They may be able to continue coverage for a few months until you are able to get your feet on the ground. For many school’s this type of insurance would be called a continuation plan because it “continues” after college, because in many states specifically Georgia, the rate of uninsured people dramatically increases after college so many Georgia health insurance companies deal with schools to create continuation plans for students.
Another option for graduating college students is continuing on their parents plan. For many students who have been under their parent’s insurance plans through college there is a possibility that you may be able to continue coverage after graduation. Every health insurance company has different rules for this but most Georgia health insurance companies allow a continuation past graduation. In order to find out if your insurance company does this you can ask your provider and get details regarding the circumstances. Also it is important to look very closely at your parent’s plan after graduation because depending on the state you live in your coverage may extend past college, which would require you to seek no additional coverage. Many students and parents are not aware of this in many cases until it is too late and they have already purchased their own insurance plan, which is another thing that graduating college students can do.
Purchasing your own individual health insurance plan is something you can do if you are no longer on your parent’s plan or your schools. When you decide to purchase your own insurance policy you have to look around and see what would be best for you in your situation. In the state of Georgia, health insurance policies can be very inexpensive if you shop around and find the one that meets your personal needs the best. Keep in mind the budget that you have to spend on insurance policy, as well as the flexibility you want with your plan when it comes to coverage.

Congress Reverses Medicare Cuts

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:57:01 +0000

As predicted in a recent WebMD blog, Congress has voted to reverse a scheduled 10.6% cut in Medicare reimbursements. Moreover, instead of another planned cut of 5% in January 2009 there will actually be a 1.1% increase in Medicare payments. Click here to learn how Congress got itself into this mess in the first place.So everybody can take a deep breath and relax for a little while. Now some doctors can get back to work.Yes, I said back to work.Due to the severe nature of the projected Medicare cuts (as well as its trickle-down effect on all other government and private health plans) some doctors closed their offices except for genuine emergencies. Dr. David Richardson is an Los Angeles ophthalmologist who took that extreme measure. No routine appointments - emergencies only. Was it really that extreme?Simple business practices demand that revenues (reimbursements for services) must exceed the costs required to operate that practice. Did you know that over half of what doctors collect immediately goes towards paying overhead? The key word is collect. If you ever examined one of those computer-generated “Explanation of Benefits” from your health insurer (an oxymoron, they actually explain very little) you’ll discover that there is an enormous gap between what the doctor legally bills and what insurance agrees to pay. It’s not unusual for a doctor to perform a 45 minute procedure, bill $1100, and collect $307! Remember, half of that disappears with overhead, and nobody has paid any taxes yet!So let me ask you, would you be upset if your physician restricted services, curtailed clinic hours, or barred Medicare beneficiaries all in the name of keeping the practice solvent? Think about it, then let’s hear from you!Related Topics: Focus on an Issue: Health Insurance for RetireesMedicare Advantage: Private Health Insurance Through MedicareTechnorati Tags: Medicare, physician reimbursement, Congress, health and wellness

Buying Family Health Insurance Coverage in Illinois

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:16:00 +0000

Buying family health insurance in Illinois isnt that difficult if you follow a few guidelines.

One of the first things to consider is having every family member on a separate policy. While that idea might go against the grain, there is a very good reason for it. Its a proven fact that some insurance carriers have actually cancelled a whole familys health insurance coverage because of something that might be wrong with just one dependent. Thats a pretty scary thought to have everyone in the whole family suddenly without health insurance.

Dont jump whole hog into buying health insurance from a company no one seems to know very much about. The ideal thing is to thoroughly check out whether the company under consideration has a good track record for paying claims or not. Word of mouth is often helpful here.

If there isnt much information to be found about the company, take a pass and move on to another choice. The ideal health insurance agent is one who will spend time educating clients about their options and not pressuring them to buy anything, not to mention the agent knows precisely who has a good track record for paying their claims.

When choosing an insurance company before buying health insurance, its a good idea to pick a company that does not hike rates every six months after the initial first year with them. While this might seem impossible to believe, it does happen and in fact there are examples of insurance companies handing out a 31% rate hike every six months after the first 12 months, this despite assuring the customer would only see (on average) a mere 8% increase in rates. No one needs to be dealing with rate increases like that.

It may be tempting to fudge a persons health status on an insurance application; after all it just seems like a little white lie. Never try and hide any health conditions from the insurer. It is a virtual guarantee that they will find out later during the course of medical testing, etc. Finding out later has some serious repercussions that may include policy cancellation.

Dont go to the doctors office that often? If that is the case, consider a different type of health insurance, as there is no sense in paying for the ability to visit the doctor frequently if that never happens. It doesnt make sense to fork over hard earned money for doctor co-pays if it isnt necessary.

Seek an expert health insurance agent that isnt just out to sell something, but takes the time to help figure out which plan would be the very best fit for everyone that needs health insurance.

Aetna Health Insurance Can Save Your Money on the Cost of Prescription Drugs

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:36:00 +0000

The costs of medical bills and prescriptions can be outrageous if you are not insured by an insurance company such as Aetna health insurance. Though companies like Aetna, people are covered in three main segments health care, dental care, and pharmacy. Between these three segments, Aetna health insurance covers more than 35 million people in the United States this is including families, individuals, college students, and the elderly. Without health insurance even the cost of a simple prescription can become a burden. Prescription insurance is normally called a prescription drug plan, with a prescription drug plan, individuals set up for a health insurance plan in which themselves, or their family is covered either partly or completely for the cost of prescription drugs. Coverage for a prescription drug plan can be tailored to one person individually, or an entire family which would be collectively.
Many people are covered for prescription drug plans through their employer which may set up an option for employees where they can chose the type of insurance they want whether it is a group plan or individual plan. Normally it is less expensive to be insured in a group plan rather than an individual plan, because with a group plan, insurance is spread out over the group instead of specifically tailored to one person. These group plans offered through many peoples employees can be very beneficial when in a household only one person is working and either children or a spouse needs to be insured.
One question that companies such as Aetna health insurance is most commonly asked is whether they cover only one-time prescription drugs such as Penicillin, which is used for many types of illnesses such as strep throat, or ear infections, or if they cover prescription drugs that are needed everyday for example if your child takes Adderoll because they have been diagnosed with ADHD. The answer to that ranges between insurance companies but for most companies there is a provision that applies to prescription drugs which charges you for prescription drugs at a low co-payment. This type of insurance plan is literally an insurance plan, deductibles are used for the costs of prescription drugs and co-payments are used when you visit the doctor.
Another type of insurance plan that is popular among Americans is one in which you are insured to receive a discount specifically for prescription drugs. This allows people to avoid the high cost of prescriptions without paying a high monthly rate for insurance coverage. Companies such as Aetna health insurance are not out there to harm you, their goal is to offer you the best rate possible when it comes to affordable health insurance that meets you and your family’s needs. There is a common misconception that insurance companies are just out there to steal your money, although you may not need insurance coverage right now, why risk possibly paying hundreds of thousands of dollars on medical bills if something was to happen.

Medical Coverage Woes Reach Middle Class

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:07:08 +0000

June 10, 2008 — Twenty-five million U.S. adults are in danger of financial hardship, debt, or bankruptcy from medical bills, even though they have health insurance, a study released Thursday concludes.
The report shows that the number of underinsured Americans — many of them middle-class — jumped 60% between 2003 and 2007. That’s in addition to the 47 million Americans whose health and finances are at risk because they lack health coverage altogether, it concludes.
“As a nation, we are losing ground,” says study researcher Cathy Schoen.
“Today in the U.S., you can have insurance all year long but still go into medical debt or face bankruptcy when you get sick,” says Schoen, a senior vice president at The Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit health care think-tank.
The report defined people as “underinsured” if they were insured all year but spent 10% or more of their income on medical expenses. Low-income people who spent 5% of their income on medical bills and anyone whose insurance deductibles were 5% or more of their income also qualified as underinsured in the study.
Many employers are paring back coverage in their health plans as a way to cut costs. Increasingly employers are turning to plans with higher deductibles, higher co-pays, or other features requiring workers to spend more of their own money.
Small businesses and workers who buy their own coverage on the individual market are the most vulnerable to cutbacks that can lead to underinsurance, says Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund.
The number of middle-class people who now qualify as underinsured “nearly tripled” during the study, Schoen says.
Researchers also warned that underinsured are likely to skip doctors’ visits, leave prescriptions unfilled, or forgo needed treatment in an effort to save money.
“The underinsured look a lot like the uninsured,” Schoen says.
The study included a telephone survey of 3,501 adults from across the U.S. from June 6 through Oct. 24, 2007. It published today in the online version of the journal Health Affairs.