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"Is 'Obamacare' like Canada's health-care system? 'Not even close,' according to critics The first major U.S. health-care reform passed in nearly 50 years is the Obamacare but regardless of critics passing judgment on "Obamacare" as "Canadian-style" health insurance, critics note that major differences between the two systems persist. The U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which went into effect earlier this week, is "not even close" to the Canadian system says McGill University Professor of Political Science Antonia Maioni. "Obamacare keeps in place the basic principle of health care in the United States which is: if you want to get access to care you need to buy insurance coverage," she told CTV News Channel on Friday. "Obamacare is trying to make it easier for people to be able to buy that insurance coverage and, if you are very poor, to be able to qualify for a government program. But it doesn't have the same principle as in Canada, where if you are a legal resident, you are automatically enrolled in a provincial or territorial health plan." In an op-ed published in the Globe and Mail, Maioni said the major differences between "Obamacare" and Canada's health-care system include: "Obamacare" is not a single-payer system (where one entity, usually the government, pays all costs) Care depends on the type of insurance coverage you buy Insurance coverage varies by state Wait times are based on the level of insurance coverage Obamacare" faces challenges in cost control Maioni said that while "Obamacare" was passed, in part, to address American spending on health care - the highest in the world at nearly 18 per cent of GDP, or $3 trillion - the act remains "problematic." "There's nothing in it that speaks to really serious cost control," she said. She furthermore said that while Canada also spends a lot on health care, there are mechanisms that the provinces can use to contain spen

Does health insurance increase your lifespan? Felue Chang, who is newly insured under an insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act, receives a checkup from Dr. Peria Del Pino-White at the South Broward Community Health Services clinic on April 15 in Hollywood, Fla. The mortality rate in Massachusetts declined substantially in the four years after the state enacted a law in 2006 mandating universal health care coverage, providing the model for the Affordable Care Act. In a study released last week, Harvard School of Public Health professors Benjamin Sommers, Sharon Long and Katherine Baicker conclude that "health reform in Massachusetts was associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality." The authors caution that their conclusions, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, may not apply to all states, and other studies have shown little correlation between having insurance and living longer. Nevertheless, the Harvard study adds to a growing body of evidence that having health insurance increases a person's life expectancy.

Health insurance protects you from any unexpected and costly medical emergencies. However, the situation today is different than 20 years ago where healthcare is now rather cheap and affordable for all Americans. Choosing a reliable insurance company can be complicated, as you will have to deal with several insurers and their various healthcare policies. Individuals who want to enroll themselves to a good health insurance policy must take their time in choosing a good company that offers the right coverage at an affordable cost. Saving money on health insurance is not an easy goal to achieve but with some thorough research, you'll have an understanding of each of the policies available. First and foremost, you should check out the company's credentials and past achievements before you consider it as the one to get your policy from. Don't get confused by the different policies they offer; just choose the one that suits your budget with the coverage you need. Having good customer service that will answer your concerns in case the situation gets complicated is also a must for all health insurance companies. Comparing health insurance quotes is another good thing to consider, as it will give you the opportunity to choose the right policy that fits your needs. A cheap insurance policy is always an attractive deal for anyone to consider, but you must also check for the benefits it provides. It does appear like you save money in choosing an inexpensive plan, but with limited medical coverage you will end up spending more. Going through the terms and conditions before signing up with any plan is one way to find out if your insurance policy will take care of you until its validity ends. Joining various discount clubs for a lesser monthly payment is also a good idea. Some companies even provide up to 60 percent discount as long as you show them your discount cards. However, it will help you choose the right club to join if you check each plan's coverage as some re

According to healthcare attorney Susan Miller, detailed evidence of HIPAA compliance and going beyond just the black letter HIPAA rules will be important factors when the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) makes its HIPAA audit rounds this fall. Miller said that OCR has been talking about evidence of compliance since 2009, when it first released the HIPAA Omnibus Rule Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM). Evidence of compliance, in my view, goes beyond what the rule asks of an organization, such as where its policies and procedures are. This includes the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPPs), business associate agreements (BAAs), but they've also [made it clear] that organizations must have a breach plan. In no place in the regulation does it say that an organization has to have a breach plan or process. It does makes sense to have a breach plan to know what the organization will do when it has a breach event. I would suggest that organizations have a breach plan that they look at and update yearly. OCR will be looking for specific things in the plans, Miller said, including communication tactics within a breach plan. And Miller tells her clients that they need a detailed training plan, as well as the training materials and sign-in sheet or even some way to know when staff completes computer based training (CBT) modules, depending on how they do training. The important thing is knowing the training was completed. And organizations need something similar to a contingency plan, which is in the Security Rule but the larger organizations name as business continuity and disaster recovery plans. "Think of [the Boston Marathon bombings] - you need something that's going to help you continue to function during these events that are out of the control of the covered entity or business associate (BA)," Miller said.

CMS created the Zone Program Integrity Contractor (ZPIC) program to investigate allegations of Medicare claim fraud in the country's seven traditional Medicare program claim processing zones. Kathleen King, a GAO director, testified that the ZPICs say they helped Medicare save about $250 million in 2012. CMS does not know how quickly ZPICs are conducting investigations, King said. The GAO is looking into the possibility that the ZPICs could save Medicare more money by acting more quickly, according to King. Hearing witnesses also talked about another Medicare fraud prevention program -- an automated Fraud Prevention System that came to life in 2011. The system is supposed to use "predictive modeling" -- data sifting tools -- to identify suspects for the ZPICs to investigate. During the first year of operation, the system generated only about 5 percent of the ZPICs' leads, King said. CMS says the system is now the primary source of the ZPICs' leads, but details are scarce, she added. Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, director of the CMS Center for Program Integrity, said the Fraud Prevention System stopped, prevented or identified $115.4 million in improper payments during the first two full years of operation. Savings increased in the second year, Agrawal said. King said one problem is that the Fraud Prevention System does not give CMS any way to suspend paying questionable Medicare claims while investigations are still under way.

SACRAMENTO, California - Aetna Inc. discontinue selling individual health insurance policies in California, just weeks after opting out of the exchange that is being established as part of the national health care reforms, a state regulator said last month. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said he was disappointed in Aetna's decision because consumers need more choices. The decision does not affect people who have Aetna insurance through their employer. "This is not good news for California consumers," Jones said in a statement. "A competitive market with more choices for consumers is important, as we implement the Affordable Care Act and health insurance coverage is a requirement." In California's individual health insurance market, Aetna is a quite small player. According to 2011 figures compiled by the California HealthCare Foundation, Aetna has about 5 percent of the state's individual health market. By comparison, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and Kaiser share 87 percent. Aetna says it has about 58,000 individual enrollees in the state and expects to have about 49,000 by the end of the year. It plans to withdraw from the state at the end of the year but will continue to offer small and large group plans, as well as Medicare, dental and life insurance products. Those in search of to buying their own health insurance will be directed to Covered California, the state's new health insurance exchange starting Oct. 1. Aetna was not among 13 insurance carriers that will sell individual coverage to millions of Californians through the exchange. According to Jones' office Under state law, Aetna will not be allowed to sell individual policies in California for five years once it leaves that market. http://www.westhillinsuranceconsulting.com/blog/ http://www.westhillinsuranceconsulting.com/

Westhill Healthcare Consulting is one of the internet's oldest sites that offer consumer information on reasonably priced health and medical coverage since it was published during early 90's. It is the most-trusted independent site, respect and loyalty was earned trough the years of hard work. All the information on this site is projected to the general consumer audience. Westhill Healthcare Consulting is not selling insurance and is not an insurance agency Your concern is our business, as service to our visitors, we provide health insurance quotes from carefully chosen partners who are in the business of selling health insurance, and who meet Westhill Healthcare Consulting strict standards. It is the referrals that pay us and in turn this is what we use to pay the cost of publishing this site. http://www.westhillinsuranceconsulting.com/blog/

Never take medical health insurance advice from someone that is absolutely unqualified to give you with these tips!! Don't take medical health insurance advice from someone unqualified to provide these tips. Seek any adverse health insurance specialist, they've analyzed and therefore are licensed to provide these tips and they are liberated to you. Rely On Them!! All of us have our own opinion of what health plan we want. And not because someone is your relative, someone you know or someone he knows are associated with some section of healthcare totally not connected to insurance, does not necessarily mean they are completely knowledgeable of the solutions for your individual needs and questions. And even before problems show up, insurance specialists are always readily available. Most insurance specialists get compensated through insurance service providers, so their professional services can you. Rely On Them!!

Charging you for help getting new insurance Someone contacts you, offering to help you navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace for a fee - or saying that you need a new insurance card now or you'll have to pay a penalty. Regardless of the set-up, their goal is to get your bank account or credit card number. Don't give your information. The people who offer legitimate help with the Health Insurance Marketplace - sometimes called Navigators or Assisters - are not allowed to charge you. In fact, you can't pay them. What's more, you don't need to buy a special insurance card, or pay any penalties for not buying one, either. Bottom line: Never give your money or your information to anyone who contacts you. Medicare cards Someone gets in touch, saying you need a new Medicare card because of "Obamacare." They tell you that you'll lose Medicare coverage if you don't pay a fee for a new card or give them your Social Security number and bank account or credit card number. Not true. The Affordable Care Act doesn't say you need a new Medicare card, or another health insurance card. Nor does the law say you'll lose Medicare coverage. Don't give your personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you. When in doubt, call 1-800-MEDICARE, before you give anyone your money or information. Medical discount plans Someone contacts you, offering discounts on health services and products. They might say the discount plan will save you money and that it meets the minimum coverage required under "Obamacare" so you won't have to pay a penalty or look at other plans. Medical discount plans are not health insurance. Sometimes, medical discount plans illegally pretend to be insurance. The only way to know is to ask specific questions and not pay until you read the terms. Most medical discount plans are a membership in a "club" that claims to offer reduced prices from certain doctors, certain pharmacies, and on some procedures.

Consumer Alert: The Impact of Health Care Fraud on You! In 2011, $2.27 trillion was spent on health care and more than four billion health insurance claims were processed in the United States. It is an undisputed reality that some of these health insurance claims are fraudulent. Although they constitute only a small fraction, those fraudulent claims carry a very high price tag. The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA) estimates that the financial losses due to health care fraud are in the tens of billions of dollars each year. Whether you have employer-sponsored health insurance or you purchase your own insurance policy, health care fraud inevitably translates into higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for consumers, as well as reduced benefits or coverage. For employers-private and government alike-health care fraud increases the cost of providing insurance benefits to employees and, in turn, increases the overall cost of doing business. For many Americans, the increased expense resulting from fraud could mean the difference between making health insurance a reality or not. However, financial losses caused by health care fraud are only part of the story. Health care fraud has a human face too. Individual victims of health care fraud are sadly easy to find. These are people who are exploited and subjected to unnecessary or unsafe medical procedures. Or whose medical records are compromised or whose legitimate insurance information is used to submit falsified claims. Don't be fooled into thinking that health care fraud is a victimless crime. There is no doubt that health care fraud can have devastating effects. What Does Health Care Fraud Look Like? The majority of health care fraud is committed by a very small minority of dishonest health care providers. Sadly, the actions of these deceitful few ultimately serve to sully the reputation of perhaps the most trusted and respected members of our society-

When shopping for a plan, start with the basics of what you're looking for and what you're willing to pay for, says Michael McMillan,Executive Director of Market and Network Services at Cleveland Clinic. Then make your selection carefully so you get what you're paying for, he adds. To help you navigate enrollment - either on health insurance exchanges or elsewhere - McMillan offers the following helpful tips: 1. Know what services are covered under a selected plan Start by reviewing what each particular plan offers. For example, what does the network of care providers look like? What services are most important to you based on your particular health needs or conditions, and are they available within a plan's coverage? "This will be a period of great change, and consumers will have a lot of options they haven't had before on the exchanges," McMillan says. "It's important to be clear on what's available and what isn't." 2. Make sure your providers are part of the network When choosing plans, this is a major factor. Look at any given plan to see if your doctors and hospitals you use regularly are listed as network providers. One evolving trend has been for health plans to create narrow networks - smaller versions of their standard network that help them achieve a lower price. The bottom line: Not all providers are included in these limited networks, so it's worth your effort to check first and make sure your new plan includes the doctors and other practitioners you see regularly, McMillan says. 3. Know your out-of-pocket costs These are costs associated with the care received. They include things such as deductibles - the amount you pay before coverage kicks in - as well as copays and coinsurance on services. Out-of-pocket costs vary by the "metal" level of plan you choose on a health insurance exchange. So, for example, you would pay 40 percent of costs of coinsurance in a bronze plan, and 30 percent for silver. In some high

Trials involving human patients are crucial to the advancement of clinical science. But they're not without risk. Fortunately, insurers are willing to cover them. Westhill Insurance Consulting, one of the most trusted on-line insurance consultant that offer consumer information on reasonably priced health and medical coverage has these following things to review if you are planning to take part in a clinical test. Challenging trials One challenge for underwriters is the relatively small premium base measured against a trend for higher [insured] limits to be requested. Clinical trials policies normally have "claims made" wordings which means that insurance coverage does not automatically extend beyond the trial dates. The potential gap is where you arrange insurance, let the policy end and have no insurance for an event which may occur sometime in the future that can be attached to the clinical trial. Serious problems in clinical trials are rare, as Rossano points out. "But what I would say is that clinical trials are not without risk. The risk of a clinical trial is that the human body is very complex and in rare cases there can be unforeseen outcomes, as happened in cases like TeGenaro."

Starting a business is risky enough in the best of circumstances. Most new ventures fail, and the prospect of forgoing a salary is enough to keep many would-be entrepreneurs from taking the plunge. But think about how much harder it would be if your child had a health condition, and you couldn't get her insurance if you struck out on your own. That's less of a problem in the U.S. than it was a few years ago, thanks to Obamacare, but until recently it was a very real conundrum. So does the extension of publicly provisioned health insurance prompt more people to start companies? That's the question asked by a paper released earlier this year by Gareth Olds of Harvard Business School. Olds analyzed Census data from before and after the passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program in the U.S. in 1997 to assess its impact on entrepreneurship. CHIP, or SCHIP as it was previously known, provides publicly funded health insurance to children whose families don't qualify for Medicare, but whose incomes still fall below a cutoff (typically around 200% of the federal poverty line). His results suggest that the policy did significantly increase business creation by those families affected. The self-employment rate for CHIP recipients increased from just under 15% of those eligible to over 18%. That amounts to an a 23% increase. The rate of ownership of incorporated businesses - a better proxy for sustainable, growth entrepreneurship - increased even more dramatically, from 4.3% to 5.8%, an increase of 31%. What about all the other factors that might skew this sort of analysis? Olds used several quasi-experimental statistical methods in his research to control for such variables. The basic intuition behind his methods is that a family just above the CHIP cutoff isn't all that different from a family just below it. Whether you make 199% of the poverty line or 201% doesn't matter for much, except whether or not you'll be able to enroll in the program.