Practical Saver: Tips for saving money on healthcare By KARA ROZENDAAL Courier Columnist Changes in the health insurance arena have many consumers scrambling for affordable options. Don't despair; there are still ways to save significant money on healthcare. Below are a few medical resources that Prescott has to offer, as well as tips on how to pay less at the doctor's office, and an alternative to health insurance. To save money on premiums, many families opt for higher-deductible health insurance policies. High deductibles generally equate to lower monthly insurance premiums. However, in exchange, the majority of the medical expenses are paid out of pocket. In the case where doctor's visits and medical treatment are paid out-of-pocket, you can save money by asking the medical office if there is a cash pay discount. When a patient pays cash and the business doesn't need to submit the claim to the insurance company, it saves the office time.

WEDNESDAY, May 7, 2014 (Health Day News) - there will be almost twice as many elderly Americans in 2050 as there are now, posing serious issues for the nation's health care system, according to two U.S. Census Bureau reports released Tuesday. "The United States is projected to age significantly over this period, with 20 percent of its population age 65 and over by 2030," Jennifer Ortman, chief of the Population Projections Branch at the census bureau, said in an agency news release. The number of people aged 65 and older is projected to reach 83.7 million by 2050, compared with 43.1 million in 2012, the bureau reported. This sharp rise is due to aging baby boomers, which were born between 1946 and 1964 and began turning 65 in 2011. An aging population "will have implications for health care services and providers, national and local policymakers," Ortman added. She said businesses will also have to adapt to meet new demands as a rising number of elderly influences both the "family structure and the American landscape." Baby boomer-influenced growth in health-care related industries began a few years ago, the agency said. According to the census bureau, there were about 819,000 health and social assistance-related facilities and businesses in 2011 - a 20 percent jump from 2007.

Entrepreneurs' Outlook for the Healthcare Cloud Is ... Cloudy I've written sunny posts about the opportunity for entrepreneurs in key areas of digital healthcare: health & fitness wearables and healthcare transparency businesses. The "healthcare cloud" is a third major area of innovation, but here the opportunities for entrepreneurs will be fewer and will carry more risk. [Disclosure: New Atlantic Ventures in which I am a partner has an investment in one of the four companies cited below: TruVeris.] First, the pro's: the idea of putting data and applications in the cloud is taking hold throughout the IT world, including healthcare. Payers and providers get the fact that they are being held accountable for managing cost and outcomes for groups of people ("Population Management") and they are working hard to master this problem, which creates strong need to collect and analyze data from many sources in one logical database. And cloud technologies promise to both lower costs by strengthening care coordination, and to improve clinical outcomes, e.g., analysis of medical data in the cloud has revealed drug interactions that were not previously understood (1) Read more http://www.westhillinsuranceconsulting.com/

Avinash, a businessman, knows how to deal with all kinds of clients. Avinash, a businessman, knows how to deal with all kinds of clients. However, his inexperience in finding good health insurance policies has landed him in trouble a couple of times. In the recent past, he hasn't been able to keep an eye on the rising premiums of his health coverage and ended up spending much more than he should have. It is essential for you to go through the policy premium rates from time to time. Several strategies can be adopted for reducing the premium over a period of time. Rising health insurance policy premiums could be devastating because you would end up spending a big part of your income in paying them. We buy a health insurance policy to secure our future in case of a medical emergency. Even if you can't control expenses with respect to sickness, you can definitely control the rising health cover premiums. Avoid a policy with claim holding Insurance firms are known to charge a huge amount of premium to cover the client, considering it is going to cover the entire cost if the policy benefits are claimed. Sometimes, when you claim the policy benefits, your insurance provider hikes the premiums for the next year. So, it becomes imperative to go for an insurance policy that entails lower burden. For keeping a tab on premiums, it is recommended to opt for a family floater policy. These coverage policies can be taken for all your family members. They are much cheaper as the premiums are divided and you have to pay on an individual basis. Family floater insurance policies come with a two-year waiting period and some of the diseases/disorders that are covered during that time are all kinds of duodenal or gastric ulcers, sinuses, hemorrhoids, fibromyoma, hysterectomy, cataracts, endometriosis, hernia, etc. Opt for a policy with high

February 25, 2014 - The Internal Revenue Service is offering educational Health Care Tax Tips to help individuals understand how the Affordable Care Act may affect their taxes. The IRS has designed the Health Care Tax Tips to help people understand what they need to know for the federal individual income tax returns they are filing this year, as well as for future tax returns. This includes information on the Premium Tax Credit and making health care coverage choices. Although many of the tax provisions included in the law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, most do not affect the 2013 tax returns. The Health Care Tax Tips, which are now available at IRS.gov/aca, include: * IRS Reminds Individuals of Health Care Choices for 2014? Find out what you need to know about how health care choices you make for 2014 may affect your taxes. * The Health Insurance Marketplace - Learn about Your Health Insurance Coverage Options - Find out about getting health care coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. * The Premium Tax Credit? Learn the basics of the Premium Tax Credit, including who might be eligible and how to get the credit. * The Individual Shared Responsibility Payment - An Overview? Provides information about types of qualifying coverage, exemptions from having coverage, and making a payment if you do not have qualifying coverage or an exemption. * Three Timely Tips about Taxes and the Health Care Law? Provides tips that help with filing the 2013 tax return, including information about employment status, tax favored health plans and itemized deductions. * Four Tax Facts about the Health Care Law for Individuals? Offers basic tips to help people determine if the Affordable Care Act affects them and their families, and where to find more information. * Changes in Circumstances can Affect your Premium Tax Credit? Learn the importance of reporting any changes in circumstances that inv

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 questions.
Know your plan

Doctor's offices are not perfect and sometimes mistakes are made on your bill. Always ask for an itemized statement and review it to make sure all of the services were provided. The following notes may help you save on your out-of-pocket costs:

If you have a hospital stay planned, ask if you can bring your own regular medications. Hospitals charge by the pill and you could easily pay double what the medications cost you at the pharmacy.
Go to an in-network provider whenever possible. The insurance companies negotiate fees with doctors and decide on a reasonable price for services rendered. When you go to an in-network doctor, she may not bill you for anything other than your deductible, copayment or coinsurance. If she bills you for a higher amount than has been agreed, she must write off that amount. The doctor is not allowed to bill you for it.

Know your keywords
Copayment is a set fee that you pay for each doctor's visit or for each medication.
Deductible is the amount you must pay before payment coverage starts. Check your plan to see if doctor's visits and emergency room visits are paid before the deductible is met; you still have the copayment for the visit and any coinsurance will apply.
Coinsurance is the percentage of the bill you must pay. An example: For an in-network provider, you may have to pay 10 percent of the bill and for an out-of-network provider you may have to pay 20 percent. Each insurance policy is different. Once you have met your out-of-pocket maximum, the coinsurance and deductible are waived.
Contribute to a flexible spending account for medical fees. You can contribute up to $2500. If you are married you and your spouse may each contribute $2500. Depending on your plan, you may now be forced to meet a deductible before any medical fees will be covered, even doctors visits. (Note this is not how every plan works; each one is different). I have seen posts on Facebook where premiums have gone up so there will be less to bring home in a paycheck; to make matters worse they must also meet their deductible before their costs are covered. Many people will have health insurance and not be able to afford to actually use it. A flexible spending card can help. Contribute at least your deductible to the account. You will pay a set amount each pay period towards your FSA. It comes out of your check before taxes. The entire amount that you have designated is available to you at the beginning of the year. You must continue to make the contributions for the entire year unless you change employers. In that event, if what you used exceeded what you had contributed you won't be required to pay it back. I have a friend whose child received braces and shortly after he lost his job. The braces were covered by the FSA and he didn't pay a dime; this was before they lowered what you may contribute to the FSA. If you have funds left at the end of the year or leave the company any leftover funds will be forfeited.

Know your network
Compare the costs of procedures at different facilities. If you are having a CT scan, MRI, myelogram, ultrasound or other tests, check to see which facilities are in-network near you. This is important for the dentist as well. Make some calls to compare the prices at different facilities for that test to find the best rate. Usually you are required to pay a percentage of the testing; the lower the fee for the test, the lower your out-of-pocket costs will be. For example: If a test is $10,000 and you have to pay 10 percent, your fee would be $1,000. If the test is $6,000 your fee will be $600 dollars. Check to see if the facility requires your payment up front or if they will allow you to make payments.
Sometimes a facility will require you to pay an estimated amount before services are rendered, and then they bill the insurance company. This can result in an overpayment by you - especially if you have already met your deductible. Always check your explanation of benefits to see what your insurance company paid and what it has determined to be your out-of-pocket costs. If you paid more than you should have, call the doctors office and ask for a refund. Don't count on them just sending it to you; most times that won't happen.
Don't assume that because you went to an in-network facility for testing or a hospital stay that all of the doctors who see you will be in-network. Most of the time they are not. In this case, if you went to an in-network facility most insurance companies will treat the claim as an in network one. This results in the insurance company paying a higher percentage of the bill and reduces your costs. You still will be required to pay whatever the insurance doesn't pay, but your cost will be lower. If you are required to pay 10 percent of a $1,000 dollar bill, your fee will be $100. If you are required to pay 20 percent because it is not in the network, you would be required to pay $200. Review the explanation of benefits and if you were billed for out-of-network services at an in-network facility, call the insurance company and request it to reprocess the claim. This has resulted in refunds for me in the past.

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb 10, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Imagine you've been in the hospital. You've eagerly waited for the day you could go home. When that day finally arrives, you're thrilled. It's a safe bet the last thing you want to do is to have to return to the hospital.


Unfortunately, far too many people are returning to the hospital after receiving care there, particularly seniors. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly one-fifth (19.6 percent) of traditional Medicare beneficiaries who had been discharged from a hospital were re-hospitalized within 30 days, and 34 percent were re-hospitalized within 90 days.1 The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has estimated the cost of hospital readmissions at $15 billion.


"We know that many of these instances are unavoidable," said Dr. Mary McCluskey, chief medical officer of WellPoint's Government Business Division. "However, some are preventable, which is unfortunate since hospital stays can expose patients to a host of complications, including possible infections, as well as being costly, stressful and inconvenient."


WellPoint, which serves thousands of seniors through its affiliated Medicare plans, offers the following tips for making sure a hospital stay doesn't end up turning into a round-trip.


Understand discharge directions. The transition home really starts before the patient leaves the hospital. It is critical to understand hospital discharge directions. This isn't as easy as it sounds since patients may be medicated, stressed, groggy or confused. For that reason, it is recommended that patients repeat instructions to their physicians to make sure they understand them. It also may help to write down the instructions or enlist a family member or caregiver to help document them. Another way for a patient to smooth the transition home is to make sure someone at the hospital contacts their primary care physician (PCP) with information about their condition and treatment. People with chronic conditions see many different doctors. It is important for those doctors to communicate with each other.


Fill prescriptions and take them as prescribed. Upon being discharged from the hospital, it is important to fill prescriptions immediately and take them as prescribed. Patients should make sure to understand the timing, dosage and frequency of each drug. Also, patients should take care to understand how existing medicines, including over-the-counter drugs, interact with new drugs. Finally, if any drugs have been stopped, it's important to ask why. It may be helpful to get a pill organizer to keep track of medicines.


Get follow-up care. According to America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), half of patients who were re-hospitalized within 30 days did not have a physician visit between the time of discharge and re-hospitalization, suggesting one of the reasons people end up back in the hospital is lack of follow-up care. That is why it's so critical for people to transition from the hospital to their PCP. Patients should schedule follow-up appointments with their regular doctor and keep them. The PCP can coordinate care, making sure patients aren't exposed to dangerous drug interactions or unnecessary tests. Anyone with trouble getting a timely appointment can call their insurer for help.


Eat properly. People recently discharged from the hospital need to get proper nutrition, including following any dietary restrictions. Appetite is often suppressed after an illness; however, if someone is too sick to eat due to pain, nausea, inability to swallow, etc., then they should contact their doctor.


Take advantage of programs that are there to help. People with Medicare Advantage plans may have access to resources, including case managers, to help them return safely to their homes. Case managers may be able to help a recently discharged patient find transportation to doctor appointments, address potential safety issues in the home and help them locate community programs offering everything from meal delivery to free or discounted medicines. These people are experts at understanding the system and it is their job to help.


Know when things aren't getting better. Patients should understand which symptoms require immediate intervention and return to the hospital, if necessary. People who aren't getting better shouldn't wait for their next appointment.


Be an engaged consumer. Many trips to the hospital occur without warning. However, people with advance notice have resources available to help them research quality and cost. Information about readmission rates for certain hospitals, for example, is available at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov , where visitors can enter a procedure and a zip code, select three hospitals, and click "Outcome of Care Measures" to compare results.


"Most of us will have to go to the hospital at some point in our lives," said McCluskey. "The key is being an engaged patient to prevent hospitalization from becoming a downward spiral, both physically and financially."


WellPoint affiliates are PPO plans, HMO plans and PDP plans with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in WellPoint affiliated plans depends on contract renewal.
1 Jencks SF, Williams MV and Coleman EA. "Rehospitalizations among Patients in the Medicare Fee-for-Service Program." New England Journal of Medicine, 360(14): 1418-1428, April 2, 2009.
SOURCE: WellPoint


WellPointDoug Bennett Jr., (502) 889.2103 Doug.BennettJr@wellpoint.com

The needs of elderly parents can surprise even those who are prepared, but you don't have to support your family alone Adult children of older parents should prepare financially for the costs of care and travel. Photograph: Alamy We all want to age like the late Pete Seeger, who celebrated his 90th birthday performing onstage in front of thousands of adoring fans of all ages at Madison Square Garden, and went on to entertain the Newport Jazz Festival audiences a few months later. In our pragmatic moments, we know that the odds of living that long and in such good health aren't in our favor. We know we need to plan not only to live longer but perhaps to spend more time in costly nursing homes or care facilities. It's not just ourselves we have to worry about. Failing to develop a plan to help our parents in their final years could deliver a similar kind of blow to our emotional and financial wellbeing. In the last few months, I've watched three friends, ranging in age from their 40s to the early 60s, scramble to resolve non-medical problems for their parents. In all cases, that meant forking out on costly airfares to be there in person; in one case, it required money to hire a new accountant. "I've always been aware that at some point, there would be an emergency, but I had assumed it would be a stroke or something, not this," one told me, ruefully. A recent US Trust survey revealed that while about half of all Americans have planned for their own long-term care needs, on

Study: More exercise, less sitting reduces heart failure risk for men More exercise, less sitting reduces heart failure risk for men By American Heart Association DALLAS - sitting for long period's increases heart failure risk in men, even for those who exercise regularly, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Heart Failure. Preventing heart failure, researchers found, requires a two-part behavioral approach: high levels of physical activity plus low levels of sedentary time. The study is the first to examine the link between heart failure risk and sedentary time, said Deborah Rohm Young, Ph.D., lead researcher and a senior scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, Calif. "Be more active and sit less. That's the message here," Young said. Researchers followed a racially diverse group of 84,170 men ages 45 to 69 without heart failure. Exercise levels were calculated in METs, or metabolic equivalent of task, a measure of the body's energy use. Sedentary levels were measured in hours. After an average of nearly eight years of follow-up, researchers found: Men with low levels of physical activity were 52 percent more likely to develop heart failure than men with high physical activity levels, even after adjusting for differences in sedentary time. Outside of work, men who spent five or more hours a day sitting were 34 percent more likely to develop heart failure than men who spent no more than two hours a day sitting, regardless of how much they exercised. Heart failure risk more than doubled in men who sat for at least five hours a day and got little exercise compared to men who were very physically active and sat for two hours or less a day. Study limitations included: Since

Information submitted COLUMBUS - Complications with the federal health insurance exchanges have created challenges for some consumers who have not yet received proof of their insurance coverage. As a result, many consumers are unsure if their medical treatments are covered and are unable to provide their proof of coverage. "Since open enrollment began on Oct. 1 the federal exchange has struggled to process applications and enroll consumers in coverage," Ohio Lieutenant Governor and Department of Insurance Director Mary Taylor said. "These delays are making it more difficult and confusing for consumers to use the health insurance plans they have purchased through the federal exchange." If you recently purchased a plan, but still haven't received proof of insurance from your insurance company, Taylor offers these tips. Contact the Company The first thing you should do is contact your insurance company to verify that you do have insurance coverage. Ask your insurance company for proof of coverage, such as an insurance card or identification numbers. Take detailed notes of conversations and include the representatives names, and date and time they took place. Keep copies of written communication you received from your insurance company such as emails or letters. You may need these materials later. You should also verify that you have paid your first premium on time. Some insurers have permitted late payments for coverage that is retroactively effective to Jan. 1. Ask your insurer for their deadline and keep any records that can serve as proof of payment. If you are about to buy coverage from the federal exchange, print any paperwork or confirmations that you receive during the enrollment process. Payment Options

 

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 cutting it pretty close," said Drake.
So close, that none of her bills are for health insurance.
"I try to eat healthy and take good care of myself, but otherwise I just try to hope I don't get sick. I don't go to the doctor," said Drake.
Harrisonburg Ob/gyn Associates office manager Windy Lamoreaux gives a 20 percent discount to those uninsured or paying cash.
"Even with a 20 percent discount, I am sure it would be too expensive," said Drake.
Harrisonburg Ob/gyn Associates also has the option of a payment plan.
"It could be a three month payment plan, it could be a 12-month payment plan, it could be until that bill is paid in full," said Lamoreaux.
She said if cost is an issue, at her office, you can refuse to get some lab work that the doctor recommends.
"We are trying to help you do what you are willing to do, we are not going to force you anything you can't afford," said Lamoreaux.
At Harrisonburg Ob/gyn Associates ,you can also check for medication prices at different pharmacies before you get your prescription.
Before you get any procedure done, Lamoreaux recommends to talk to your provider about costs.
"The last thing you want to do is do the procedure or the lab and after it's over then we have the problem. It is better to be notified ahead of time," said Lamoreaux.
Also, always be sure to double check your bill and ask questions which will help you make sure your insurance company pays what it is supposed to.
Every doctor's office or hospital may have different policies when it comes to payment.

According to her friends, Cynthia McGee Bryant was a religious woman who owned her own insurance agency, worked hard and didn't have enemies. But on Monday, someone shot McGee Bryant, 53, to death inside her office at 400 W. 25th St., police said. Few details were released by the investigators however they did not mention if the motive was robbery. Officers received a 911 call about 12:15 p.m. and found Bryant's body a couple of minutes later at McGee Insurance and Financial Services, Police Department spokeswoman Shannon Cordingly said. Detectives were hesitant in revealing where in the office Bryant's body was found or what part of the body she was shot in and whether anyone witnessed the crime. They would not even say who was responsible in calling 911. McGee Bryant's former husband, Reginald Bryant, said his ex-wife was focused on her job and on evangelical work. She was a longtime member of Livingston Street Church of God in Orlando. "She was a God-fearing woman," Bryant said. McGee Bryant, who lived near Lake Mary, was from a small town in Georgia and also lived in upstate New York before moving to Central Florida to be near extended family, her ex-husband said. She was named Allstate agent of the year in her territory in 2005 and started her own Allstate agency in Sanford in 2007, according to her website. She started her current business in 2009. Her business is selling personal and business insurance. Her motto was "Integrity. Commitment. Dedication. Loyalty. Respect. Responsive." Bishop Antonio Richardson, whom Bryant recruited a few months ago to be spiritual leader at Livingston Street Church of God, described McGee Bryant as "a very soft-spoken, giving person" who sometimes paid clients' premiums when they could not afford to, ministered to the homeless and handed out money on the street if she saw a needy person. She as well was a licensed minister who was about to become outreach director for her congregation. "It's a shock," Richa

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 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.
http://www.westhillinsuranceconsulting.com/blog/westhill-consulting-insurance-connecticut-learns-less-is-more-with-state-health-insurance-website/

"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

A few persistent Iowans manage to buy health insurance on crash-plagued Obamacare exchange

There were at least five strangely determined Iowans have dealt with signing up for health insurance on the government's balky new online marketplace.

They were the Hardy Handful. It seems that they were eager to wait through endless holdups and to try, try again after constantly being booted off the system. They had enrolled in insurance plans sold on the public marketplace by CoOportunity Health.

"They threaded the needle and got in," said Cliff Gold, the insurance carrier's chief operating officer. "It's like when a radio station says, 'If you're the 20th caller, you'll win something.' These people were the 20th caller."

Two of the unidentified purchasers are from Iowa City, two are from Glidden and one is from Clive, Gold said.

Also called exchanges, the health-insurance marketplaces are a key part of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Since they opened Oct. 1, they have been plagued with technical problems. Iowa's exchange is using a federal website, healthcare.gov, which has been beset with delays and crashes. Federal officials have blamed the glitches on an unexpected surge of millions of consumers trying to use the system at once. But some computer experts have said the problems are at least partly due to technical flaws in the site. Federal officials are pledging to fix the issues as quickly as possible.

Gold said he is encouraged by the fact that a few people are getting through. He likened the situation to trying to start a care on a frigid winter morning. "At first, it just turns over. Then it kicks in," he said. "Well, it's kicked in, but it's still cold inside the car."

CoOportunity Health is one of two carriers selling individual policies throughout Iowa on the new exchange. Gold said the company confirmed today that at least five Iowans and nine Nebraskans had selected its policies via the new system. The other statewide Iowa carrier, Coventry, declined to say whether it had sold any Iowa policies on the new system.

Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart said CoOportunity's news was encouraging. "Hopefully the system issues will begin to subside as more Iowans go online to enroll in the coming weeks," he said.

They are the only place to buy insurance policies that qualify for new federal subsidies; this is one of the main attractions of the exchanges. The subsidies will aid Americans with moderate incomes pay premiums. A lot of officials have been advising consumers to hang around another week or two before trying to get on the systems, so the bugs can be worked out. Consumers have until Dec. 15 to sign up for policies that will take effect Jan. 1, and they will have until March 31 to buy policies that will count toward the new requirement that most Americans obtain health insurance for 2014.

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How to Find Affordable Family Health Insurance http://www.westhillinsuranceconsulting.com/blog/how-to-find-affordable-family-health-insurance/ Take advantage of free quotes: Who doesn't like free, it a great price! There are many health insurance websites where you can find lot of sites with free family insurance quotes. You must take advantage of these. Not every policy is going to fit for everyone because every family is different. To know the best one for you and your family, use these quoting tools to gather prices and service offerings. And do not think about it as a waste of time, after all it is a free look into the company. It is free yet well worth the time it takes to fill out the questionnaire or quoting application. Know your priorities: You should know and you must be well aware of all your priorities regarding your health care. Are you satisfied with your current doctor or are you open to find new ones? If you are unsure, sit down and take some time listing of your top five most important things when looking for a new policy or health insurance company. This will help you narrow down exactly what you only need and what your looking for. Ask for help if you need it: It is all known to us that understanding the ins and outs of health insurance policies and coverage could sometimes be very frustrating. This is more common to those who are just new to it. Do not hesitate to ask questions if you need to ask questions, ask your questions to the health insurance company representatives. You can even ask your husband, your wife, your dad, your mom, or even your friends. But if you feel that you are not satisfied with the answers you got, don't be frightened to enlist the help of an insurance broker. They can help you find the best rates available, can explain the inner workings of the policy, and know what places are reputab

Tips for navigating Obamacare http://www.westhillinsuranceconsulting.com/blog/westhill-consulting-tips-for-navigating-obamacare/ Think hard before your drop insurance entirely Tambe said that might not make good business sense despite some companies might be tempted to abolish insurance benefits completely and let employees go to marketplaces to get coverage. The problem is insurance purchased on the marketplace will be more expensive for individuals. Then the company will risk talent leaving the company for a competitor who offers them the less expensive option if the company isn't willing to compensate by raising their salary. "It may work to keep costs down but you'll have a hard time keeping talented folks," he said. Other federal programs could help you For households making under 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, the ACA grants subsidies available on the public marketplace under certain circumstances. Additionally there are current efforts for Ohio to spread out the Medicaid program to households making less than 138 percent of the poverty level. This in turn if acted out would make more people eligible for those programs. Not all individuals will qualify for subsidy even though most Americans will be eligible to obtain coverage through the exchange. Employer-sponsored coverage may affect an employee's ability to meet the criteria for the subsidy. If there are many employees qualify for federal assistance, it will be reasonable to let them use those plans, particularly since employees being offered insurance by an employer aren't allowed onto the marketplace if their employer is offering insurance deemed affordable, or 9.5 percent of their wage rate based on 130 hours per month for single coverage. "A lot of folks qualify for these things, and there's no penalty to employers," Tambe said. Know the paperwor