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Rose McGowan

Pay close attention to your health plan to pay less - 1 views

First things first: Obtain a copy of your plan summary from human resources or directly from your insurer. Take the time to read the policy and if you don't understand something be sure to ask ques...

westhill insurance consulting close attention to your health plan pay less

started by Rose McGowan on 12 Feb 14 no follow-up yet
Nathalie Flex

Westhill Consulting Insurance - Connecticut learns less is more with state health insur... - 1 views

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    I have really bad eyes. I like to get them checked often, but since I don't have health insurance, no doctor's going to really want to take a look at me," he said. He found out that he may qualify for Medicaid, which was long-drawn-out under Obamacare. So far, 9,123 have enrolled over Connecticut's ultimate goal is to sign up 275,000 people. Kevin Counihan, chief executive officer of Connecticut's health exchange, says he's not discouraged by the number of people signing up for private health insurance. "Buying health insurance is expensive and it's expensive and it's confusing and it's complicated. So no, I am not disappointed by it. However, we clearly have a strong goal to meet by March," he said. Counihan look forward to have 100,000 people enrolled by the end of March. He credits the state's computer system with the smooth even out. "Number one is, less is more. Do fewer things well than try to do more things inconsistently. Two is test the heck out of the system and make sure that before you go live, you are pretty darn confident that you know what is going to happen. And three is hire the best people that you can," he said. Counihan was implicated with Massachusetts' health insurance rollout in 2006. He says that taught him people don't buy insurance like they do a book or car. They usually consider the options an average of 18n times before making up their minds. He foresees a sprint of people signing up between Thanksgiving and Dec. 15, which in case is the deadline for coverage beginning on Jan. 1.
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    "Tuesday, November 12, statistics put out by Connecticut demonstrate that its website is the only one to sign up more folks for private insurance than for Medicaid. Angel Medina, 21, went to talk to an Affordable Health Care act navigator in Hartford. Medina was dropped from his mother's health insurance two years ago. "I have really bad eyes. I like to get them checked often, but since I don't have health insurance, no doctor's going to really want to take a look at me," he said. He found out that he may qualify for Medicaid, which was long-drawn-out under Obamacare. So far, 9,123 have enrolled over Connecticut's ultimate goal is to sign up 275,000 people. Kevin Counihan, chief executive officer of Connecticut's health exchange, says he's not discouraged by the number of people signing up for private health insurance. "Buying health insurance is expensive and it's expensive and it's confusing and it's complicated. So no, I am not disappointed by it. However, we clearly have a strong goal to meet by March," he said. Counihan look forward to have 100,000 people enrolled by the end of March. He credits the state's computer system with the smooth even out. "Number one is, less is more. Do fewer things well than try to do more things inconsistently. Two is test the heck out of the system and make sure that before you go live, you are pretty darn confident that you know what is going to happen. And three is hire the best people that you can," he said. Counihan was implicated with Massachusetts' health insurance rollout in 2006. He says that taught him people don't buy insurance like they do a book or car. They usually consider the options an average of 18n times before making up their minds. He foresees a sprint of people signing up between Thanksgiving and Dec. 15, which in case is the deadline for coverage beginning on Jan. 1."
Rose McGowan

NJ targeting unemployment insurance fraud; the check may not be in the mail - 1 views

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    When the Bergen County couple filing for unemployment certified they were "able and looking for work," they did so the same way thousands of others do from home every week - by logging into the state Department of Labor website. The online world, however, is not quite as anonymous as many believe. Every computer carries a unique electronic address so it can be found on the internet, and what alerted state investigators to this particular claim was the location of the network being used. It was not in New Jersey. It was registered to Royal Caribbean Cruises in Miami, and no one was under any illusion that the couple was looking for work at sea. Unemployment fraud is a multimillion-dollar business in New Jersey, say officials, with 1,600 to 2,000 attempts to bilk the system each week - from the couple on vacation certifying they were able to work while cruising to the Bahamas, to hackers from all over the world trying to game the system, to people still trying to collect unemployment benefits even after finding new jobs. "No one likes to be ripped off, but the volume of money we put out is staggering," said Harold Wirths, the commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. New Jersey's Unemployment Trust Fund went broke in 2009, not only under the strain of the severe recession that led to high unemployment levels, but from years of fraud that went on through decades of neglect. Wirths said the fund is now solvent again, due in part to anti-fraud measures being put into play that he said have saved the state $448.7 million the past three years. "We're fighting fraud on every front," the commissioner said. It is a national issue, according to Douglas Holmes, president of UWC Strategic Services, a Washington, D.C., group that represents businesses on unemployment issues.
Rose McGowan

Tips on How to Save Money on Health Insurance - 1 views

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    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
juliarsantos

How to Spot and Prevent Medical Identity Theft - 1 views

Foxbusiness.com | westhill consulting insurance - While credit card breaches at retailers are grabbing headlines, identity thieves are quietly homing in on an even more lucrative area: health insur...

westhill consulting insurance how to spot and prevent medical identity theft

started by juliarsantos on 28 Aug 14 no follow-up yet
Rose McGowan

Tips for Saving Money With Health Care - 1 views

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) -- Medical bills can creep up quickly for those w¬ith and without insurance. For Kristen Drake every dollar counts. "We spend money as wisely as possible but we are still c...

Tips for Saving Money With Health Care

started by Rose McGowan on 17 Jan 14 no follow-up yet
Rose McGowan liked it
Rose McGowan

Westhill Healthcare Consulting | Massachusetts - N.J. Commissioner Offers Insurance Pur... - 1 views

Making the right insurance choices can have significant impact on the small business owner’s operation costs. With that in mind, New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commi...

Westhill Healthcare Consulting Massachusetts NJ Commissioner Offers Insurance Purchasing Tips for Small Businesses

started by Rose McGowan on 03 Feb 14 no follow-up yet
Rose McGowan

Westhill Consulting Insurance - How to Avoid Health Care Fraud | Westhill Consulting In... - 0 views

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    Westhill Consulting Insurance - How to Avoid Health Care Fraud Mail-order medications Patients who buy drugs through mail-order companies could be rolling the dice with their health says Dr. Deborah C. Peel, a physician and founder of the nonprofit Patient Privacy Rights. There's a high probability in many cases that these drugs are counterfeit Peel added. "And you don't ever know because the fraudulent tablets look just like the real ones," says Peel. She says ordering from companies that specialize in mail-order sales that are not affiliated with a legitimate insurance company, especially from foreign countries, can be very risky. Not only could the quality be questionable, it could also be illegal. "But people are desperate because we're being so grossly overcharged for medication," she says. Peel says you can lessen costs by buying generic. You can spot it by: the best thing to do is to keep away from buying drugs from foreign or obscure pharmacies. And if you decide to go with the mail-order route, just stay with U.S.-based companies because if it's a U.S. company, you can report the health care fraud to the Food and Drug Administration while if it's a foreign company, there's little that can or will be done. False product claims According to the Federal Trade Commission, millions fall victim each year to false miracle cures. Especially vulnerable are victims of debilitating and potentially deadly illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV and AIDS. The FTC website says scammers take advantage of people with a grim diagnosis such as cancer and "promote unproven - and potentially dangerous - substances like black salve, essiac tea, or laetrile with claims that the products are both 'natural' and effective." But, say physicians and other experts, simply because something is advertised as "natural" doesn't mean it works. And while a patient is experimenting with bogus treatments, he or she can squander the opportu
Rose McGowan

Westhill Consulting Healthcare - Car Insurance Tips to Help You Buy Smarter - 1 views

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    "Westhill Consulting - Car Insurance Tips to Help You Buy Smarter Car Insurance Tips to Help You Buy Smarter  It doesn't have to be intimidating; buying auto insurance doesn't have to be stressful. There are many options to customize your policy needs base on your budget. If you are knowledgeable with some basic information you can make smarter insurance decisions. These car insurance tips can help you trim down choices and save time and money. * Make sure you're legally covered From state to state, requirements of car insurance vary but one thing is the same virtually everywhere in the U.S. and it is if you drive a car, you're required to have some form of car insurance or proof of financial responsibility. There are more than few factors such as your driving record and insurance history, may affect your policy rates. You may begin here to find the minimum requirements for your state. * Understand your insurance options Car insurance can sometimes be a bit confusing sometimes; it can be complicated to look at because of many choices available to protect you and your car. For you to understand basics, there are nationwide offers such as the following the difference between collision and comprehensive, before you call an agent or get a quote online. * Get at least three quotes It will help if you get quotes from at least three insurance companies you compare price and service options. It is necessary that you request the same coverage from each to get an apples-to-apples comparison. Rates may differ from one company to another. Remember that not because it is the lowest it is the best because the lowest priced insurance may not give you all the coverage you need. Check for every detail, look at price, amount of coverage, benefits and claims services before you make your decision. * Take advantage of discounts This may surprise you, a number of discounts available to lower you for auto insurance rates. An example is if you insure multiple vehicles
Rose McGowan

Critical Health Insurance Plans for Critical Health Ailments - 1 views

There are a lot of health care insurance nowadays with thousands of healthcare insurance companies scattered around the world. Individuals and organizations are slowly starting to appreciate their ...

critical health insurance plans for ailments westhill healthcare consulting jakarta usa united kingdom

started by Rose McGowan on 29 May 15 no follow-up yet
Rose McGowan

Westhill consulting Insurance - Tips for handling early-year medical expenses - 3 views

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    The clock on insurance deductibles reset on Jan. 1, and that means big medical bills are in store for some. Patients may be required to pay thousands of dollars before their health care coverage kicks in. Insurers typically begin or renew policies in January, and that means customers could face some daunting cost-sharing requirements in the first few months of the year. That's especially true if they need surgery or have a particularly expensive prescription. Deductibles topping $3,000 are common among plans sold on the health care overhaul's public insurance exchanges, which provide coverage for millions. Companies also have been raising deductibles for years on employer-sponsored health plans, the most common form of coverage in the United States. Plus cost-sharing requirements for Medicare prescription drug coverage renew every year. All this adds up to a business boon for organizations like the Patient Access Network Foundation, which offers grants to help cover prescription costs for dozens of life-threatening, chronic or rare diseases. The nonprofit had to hire about 80 temporary employees to help handle the heavy workload it receives at the start of the year. It fielded 4,000 calls a day last month, double its normal total. "Everybody who works doing what we do has the same challenge," CEO Daniel Klein said. Klein's foundation is one option patients can turn to if too many expenses hit at the start of the year. Here are some other tips. Understand your coverage: You can't prepare for medical expenses until you know how big the bills might be. Your insurance should come with a plan summary that lays out important numbers. Start by understanding your plan's deductibles, which can differ significantly depending on whether care is received inside or outside the insurer's network of providers. If you take prescriptions, double check how much they will cost. Drug coverage is commonly divided in
Anika Lim

BBB Tip of the Week - 1 views

Open enrollment for many 2015 health insurance plans is around the corner. Those searching for plans online may think they have found a great deal when they've found a scam. Recently, a bogus tra...

Westhill Healthcare Consulting Jakarta fraud prevention review BBB tip of the week

started by Anika Lim on 28 Oct 14 no follow-up yet
Rose McGowan

Westhill Consulting Insurance - Connecticut learns less is more with state health insur... - 1 views

Connecticut learns less is more with state health insurance website Tuesday, November 12, statistics put out by Connecticut demonstrate that its website is the only one to sign up more folks for p...

westhill consulting healthcare Individuals families and the self employed Health Insurance

started by Rose McGowan on 14 Nov 13 no follow-up yet
Rose McGowan

The Medicaid Black Hole That Costs Taxpayers Billions - 1 views

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    Here's some cheerful news: States and the federal government are doing little to stop a costly form of Medicaid fraud, according to a government report released last week. Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for poor Americans, now covers more than half its members through what's known as Medicaid managed care. States pay private companies a fixed rate to insure Medicaid patients. It has become more popular in recent years than the traditional "fee for service" arrangement, in which Medicaid programs reimburse doctors and hospitals directly for each service they provide. Despite the growth of managed care in recent decades, officials responsible for policing Medicaid "did not closely examine Medicaid managed-care payments, but instead primarily focused their program integrity efforts on [fee-for-service] claims," according to the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress. The managed-care programs made up about 27 percent of federal spending on Medicaid, according to the GAO. The nonpartisan investigators interviewed authorities in California, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Texas over the past 12 months. STORY: No Background Checks Needed for Home Health Workers in 10 States Funded jointly by the federal government and the states, Medicaid provided health insurance to about 72 million low-income Americans at a cost of $431 billion last year, according to the report. By the Medicaid agency's own reckoning, $14.4 billion of federal spending on Medicaid constituted "improper payments," which include both overpayments and underpayments. That's 5.8 percent of what the federal government spends on the program. The $14 billion figure doesn't tally what states lose to bad payments. The fraud risk for managed care is twofold. Doctors or other health-care providers could be bilking the managed-care companies, which pass on those fraudulent costs to the government.
Rose McGowan

Fighting insurance fraud is an important department job - 1 views

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    The Anti-Fraud Division of the Kansas Insurance Department (KID) worked nearly 850 cases of suspected insurance fraud in Kansas during 2013. That's a pretty hefty number for our four-person division, but that figure is an average one for us, unfortunately. How to spot the scam: Use common sense, says Quiggle. Check with your state's department of insurance to see if the company is properly licensed. And remember, if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. What to do: If your policy is through an organization, report fraud to someone within the organization. Also, report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov and your state's department of insurance. On a national level, if insurance fraud was a business, it would be a Fortune 500 company, according to national reports. It is, by all accounts, the second largest economic crime in America; only tax evasion exceeds it. This type of fraud is the intentional misrepresentation of facts and circumstances to an insurance company in order to obtain payment that would not otherwise be made. Insurance fraud costs upwards of $80-120 billion annually, but most importantly, it adds hundreds of dollars to your annual insurance premiums, as companies have to include that cost of doing business in the premiums you pay. The fraudulent activity comes in all shapes and sizes, from accident insurance and annuities through health insurance and homeowners claims to renters insurance and travel insurance. It also includes application or policy fraud, where the applicant-or an unscrupulous agent - provides false information or forged documents. The reasons for committing fraud are as numerous as the people who commit it-the need for money for some legitimate (in their minds) or illegitimate activity, or maybe just plain old greed.
Rose McGowan

4 Tips for Navigating Open Enrollment for Insurance - 1 views

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    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
Rose McGowan

The Best Fit in Healthcare Insurance - Westhill Consulting Insurance - 1 views

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    With the widespread of insurance nowadays, people are confused which one is legit and which one is a fraud; which can offer better and which one cost less. Choosing the right health coverage has never been easy, and the health reform law has made things more complicated. Besides sorting through differences in premiums, deductibles, and copayments, you need to consider new provisions in the law that have recently kicked in and could impact your coverage for the coming year. Westhill Insurance Consulting can help you clear away any confusion, doubts and complaints. Health insurance should cover any medical need you may have, now or in the future. Buying insurance on your own used to be riskier because many plans didn't cover important things such as prescription drugs or mental health care. Every kind of health insurance must now cover preventive care, with no deductibles, co-pays, or other types of out-of-pocket expenses. That includes Pap and cholesterol tests, mammograms, immunizations, and colonoscopies when age- and condition-appropriate. But even though you no longer have to worry about your basic health care needs being covered, you'll still have to navigate lots of other confusing choices. That's true even if you get coverage through a job, because more than half of workers have a choice of two or more types of health plans. 1. Do you want to pay for care now or later? All health plans have to come up with enough money to pay for the medical expenses of their members. You can choose to collect most of the money up front in the form of premiums. If you have a high premium, you'll pay a smaller share out of your own pocket, in the form of deductibles, co-insurance, and co-pays. Or plans can go the other way, charging smaller premiums but asking you to pay a bigger share on your own. 2. Are you OK with a small network of docs? Doctors and hospitals accept lower fees from insurers if they know they'll be part of a small, o
Rose McGowan

Insurance in a Divorce - 1 views

Divorce is one of the most devastating events in one couple's life. While most divorcing couples focus on the delicate and often difficult issues of child custody and dividing assets, breaking up c...

westhill consulting health USA Jakarta UK insurance in a divorce

started by Rose McGowan on 17 Apr 15 no follow-up yet
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