COVID tests are free. COVID vaccinations are free. But under most insurance plans, treatment for COVID is no longer free. Up to 97% of COVID hospitalizations occur in unvaccinated people. Choosing not to get vaccinated could cost you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. Why Treatment for COVID is No […]
Treatment for COVID is No Longer Free Read More »
You learned in my last post that providers can ask you to waive your balance billing and cost sharing protections under the No Surprises Act. To do so, however, facilities must meet specific requirements. Here’s what you need to know in order to make the best decision for you. Facility Notice & Consent Requirements In
What You Need to Know About Waiving Your No Surprises Act Protection Read More »
In my February post I summarized the No Surprises Act that is going into effect January 2022. The Act’s main objective is to protect patients from huge surprise bills for certain out-of-network charges. Patients will only have to pay in-network rates for covered out-of-network charges. I said I would update you as significant milestones
First Rule Issued for the No Surprises Act Read More »
The July 4th weekend is a great time to celebrate health care choices you can make. There are many aspects of health care you don’t have a say in. Things like the cost of drugs or what your plan doesn’t cover. But that doesn’t mean you are powerless. Here are five health care choices you
5 Health Care Choices You Can Make Read More »
Just three days after announcing a new policy aimed at reducing Emergency Room (ER) coverage, United Healthcare (UHC) delayed the policy’s July 1st start date. The reversal was in response to a fierce backlash from the American Hospital Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians and others. But before we get to the backlash, let’s
UnitedHealthcare Delays Reduction in Emergency Room Coverage Read More »
In 2019 the U.S. spent $3.8 trillion on health care. That much money makes health care ripe for fraud. A conservative estimate by The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association sets health care fraud at 3% of total health care expenditures. That’s $114 billion. As a health care consumer, you could be the target of fraud.
How to Protect Yourself from Health Care Fraud Read More »
Expanding the use of telehealth may be one of the pandemic’s silver linings. The Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente have just announced a joint $100m investment in Medically Home. The organization’s purpose is to “Enable health systems to safely bring the virtual hospital home.” This is important because telehealth, including hospital at home, enables
Hospital at Home: Pandemic’s Silver Lining? Read More »
Last December Congress passed the No Surprises Act. The law’s intent is to prevent surprise bills for a number of out-of-network medical services. As I said in my post last February, the devil will be in the details. The devil and his devilish details are here. Reimbursement Rates The devilish details start with how
The Devilish Details of the No Surprises Act Read More »
There has been a lot of speculation about what Joe Biden’s administration will do to improve health care in this country. The lofty campaign promises always hit the harsh wall of reality once a candidate is in office. In this case “reality” includes industry lobbying and political tug-of-wars in Washington D.C. Speculation is heating up
What’s on Biden’s Health Care Agenda? Read More »
In 2020 Congress passed two laws to protect consumers from COVID-19 charges. So you might think you don’t need to worry about COVID-19 surprise bills. You would be wrong. Rather than helping patients, some emergency rooms and doctors used the laws to enrich themselves. They overcharged insurance companies and consumers. Here are just two examples:
How to Manage COVID-19 Surprise Bills Read More »
