How to select a health insurance plan
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mployers and individuals may begin to shop around for new health insurance plans as the fiscal year comes to a close. Cost and the proximity of doctors and medical services often motivate consumers to switch their insurance plans. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Conference of State Legislatures, the average family plan in the United States costs almost $16,000 per year, with employees enrolled in a company plan paying around $4,000 of their own money. Finding a new health insurance plan can be challenging. With so many offerings, it can be difficult to find the best available option for you and your family. When open enrollment season arrives, understanding health insurance terminology and your own needs as a policy holder can help make your decision that much easier. · Verify network doctors. Finding doctors you can trust can make all the difference when managing your health and the health of your family. If you already have a primary care physician and/or specialists you like, confirm that the new plan’s network includes these doctors. Otherwise, you may be subjected to out-of-network costs that can quickly add up. · Make a list of your priorities. Relatively young and healthy individuals may have more flexibility with their insurance plans. However,
have higher copayments and deductibles so that your overall insurance bill each month is lower.
Finding doctors you can trust can make all the difference when managing your health and the health of your family. those thinking of starting a family or people with a preexisting health condition have to be certain an insurance plan covers the preventative care and other specialized screening tests/drugs they need. · Understand your share of the costs. Plans often are broken down into three different cost requirements for members: copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. A copayment is the fee charged by the doctor for each visit. Copayments vary but may fall between $10 and $30 for primary care physicians and even more when visiting specialists. A deductible is an amount of money you must pay out of pocket before
your insurance provider will begin to pay. For example, you may need to reach up to $5,000 for generalized healthcare costs before the remainder of care for the year will be fully covered by the insurance plan. Typically, after a deductible is met, coinsurance will kick in. Coinsurance is a percentage-participation in the plan. That means the insurance carrier will pay a predetermined percentage of the costs, such as 80 percent, and then you will be responsible for the remaining balance (20 percent). These fees help health insurance companies offset costs. You can seek plansthat offer the lowest out-of-pocket expenses or ones that
· Look for annual limits. Some plans will put a cap on how many visits you can make to a specific provider in a given calendar year. If you must visit specific doctors many times per year, look for plans that do not set limits on visits. · Don’t forget prescription drugs. Health insurance plans often include prescription drug plans. Check that medications you take are covered by a plan you are considering before buying the plan. Health insurance can be a tricky subject. Investigating all of the options and basing your decision on need, and not necessarily price, can ensure you get the plan that is right for you.
How to find the right oncologist for you
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he day a person is diagnosed with cancer is a life-altering moment. Many people rely on support networks made up of family and friends to help them during their cancer treatments, and such support networks can extend to patients’ choice of oncologists as well. Oncology is a branch of medicine involved in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. The term “oncology” is derived from the Greek word “onco,” meaning bulk or mass. Upon diagnosing patients with cancer, oncologists explain the type of cancer patients have and explain the various treatment options available to patients. Oncologists also are on call to answer any questions and are often the first people patients turn to when they have questions about
their disease. Taking an active role in their cancer treatment can help patients feel more in control of their situations, and patients’ choice of oncologist is one of the first big decisions they must make. · Start with a referral. Begin by speaking with your primary care physician. He or she may have a list of recommended oncologists or ones affiliated with nearby hospitals. If a loved one has battled cancer in the
past, ask him or her for a recommendation. · Do your research. The goal is to find an oncologist who specializes in your form of cancer and has a good treatment success rate. Do not be afraid to ask about success statistics and ask for prior patients’ names so you can get their opinions on the care they received. Look up the doctor’s credentials as well. For example, HealthGrades.com provides information on malpractice and disciplinary history. · Consider a group practice. As with other medical providers, some oncologists work together in full partnerships with other oncologists. Choosing this type of provider may enable you to gain the benefit of the doctors’ collaborative experience. · Judge communication style and compassion levels. Does the doctor answer your questions in a manner
that fits with your personality? Do you feel supported by the doctor and that he or she exudes empathy? Oncologists need to walk the fine line between qualified medical provider and friend. · Look into insurance coverage. While you may want to go with one particular doctor, you must investigate if your insurance covers that particular oncologist. Otherwise, out-of-pocket expenses may be considerably high. · Look into the hospital. Consider the quality of care at the hospital where the oncologist will treat you as a patient. Hospital quality can matter based on the type of care given, proximity to the patient’s home and reputation. A qualified, compassionate oncologist can make it easier to navigate a cancer diagnosis.
Don’t be burned by poor fever advice
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levated body temperature, also known as fever, makes many people run to the medicine cabinet. This is especially true when fever strikes a young child and parents’ concerns grow. But fevers are quite common and not nearly as harmful as many people may think. Although illnesses may bring about fevers that can be life-threatening, including malaria and dengue, more run-of-the-mill fevers are typically triggered by common bacterial or viral infections or even inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, offers The Mayo Clinic. Sometimes the cause of a fever can’t be identified, but that is not necessarily cause for alarm.
Fevers are a natural immune response. The purpose of a fever is to gain an advantage over an infectious agent by making the body less favorable for the spread of this agent, whether it’s a virus or bacterium. Many infectious agents are temperature-sensitive and require the right mix of conditions to be able to become profligate consumers of the body’s resources. The hypothalmus is the body’s internal thermostat and will be triggered by biochemical substances in the blood alerting the body to the presence of a potential invader. The body then will retain and generate more heat to essentially kill off that invader. According to the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Indiana University, because children have
immature and novice immune systems, they tend to get higher fevers more quickly than adults. As children age and their bodies learn and adapt, fevers typically are not nearly as severe. This may be a reason why a child’s high fever is less of a concern than the same fever in an adult. Normal body temperature fluctuates during the day, but a temperature from about 97 F (36.1 C) to 99 F (37.2 C) generally is considered “normal.” Adults should only be concerned if a fever is high-grade, reaching 104 F or more. Such fevers are considered dangerous. Chronic fevers, or those persisting for longer than three to four days, also should be checked out by a physician. Watching how a person behaves may indicate whether he or she is ill
enough to necessitate a doctor visit. Infants should always be checked by a doctor if they have a fever because it could be a sign of a serious infection. Low-grade fevers generally do not require any medicine, and taking a fever-reducer may prolong the underlying illness or mask the cause of it. Give the body a chance to fight the foreign invader before reaching for acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Physicians may advise avoiding fever-lowering drugs for temperatures of 102 F (38.9 C) or lower. Always call a doctor if you need clarification on medication dosage and other fever recommendations. Fevers can be scary, but they are just one of many ways the human body defends itself against illness.