Medicare Part A and/or B
Medicare Part C and/or D
Medicare Advantage
Medicare HMO
Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance, or employer-sponsored retiree plan.
**Medicare Supplemental policies are not qualified medical expenses.
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( 2.8 / 370 )New legislation will require Medicare Advantage Fee-for-Service Plans to form provider networks for 2011.
Currently these types of plans let seniors go to any Medicare approved doctor or hospital in their area.
Without provider networks to control costs, these plans are costing Medicare alot of extra money.
However, this is good news for seniors who already own a BlueMedicare HMO(sm) or BlueMedicare PPO(sm) Medicare Advantage Plan here in North Carolina!
Both of thes plans already have their provider networks established here in North Carolina.
These plans are offered by PARTNERS National Health Plans of North Carolina, owned by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina(R).
Thes plans offer:
Low monthly premiums
No referrals required to see a specialists
Low copayments and costs
Medicare Prescription Drug coverage included
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( 2.9 / 324 )The 2009 Annual HSA Contributions have been released by the U.S. Treasury Dept.
For 2009, the maximum annual HSA contribution for an eligible Individual with Self-Only coverage is $3000.
For Family coverage, the maximum annual HSA contribution is $5950.
The Catch-Up contributions for individuals who are 55 or older are increased by statute to $1000 for 2009 and all years going forward.
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( 3 / 274 )A Preferred Provider Organization(PPO) is a network of private, independent medical providers that have contracted with the (PPO) to supply services at either a fixed or a discounted rate.
PPO health insurance plans usually charge higher monthly premiums than (HMO's) but offer a larger choice of physicians and medical providers.
As a consumer, before you buy a health insurance policy, you need do some research to make sure that your doctor(s) and local hospital(s) are in the PPO network.
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( 3 / 292 )Many individuals here in North Carolina and across this country do not understand the BENEFITS of owning their own individual health insurance policy.
The #1 reason for owning your own individual health insurance policy is FINANCIAL protection.
If you, your spouse or children are healthy today, buying a individual health insurance policy now before someone develops a medical condition guarantees that you and your family will have health insurance to pay for these medical conditions in the future.
This protects your financial future in the event you were to lose your job, start up your own business or want to retire early.
Sadly, we see lots of folks who call or come by our office that wants to change careers or retire early, only to find out they cannot buy an affordable individual health insurance policy due to their medical history.
If only these folks had seeked advice from a local insurance agent and purchased their own individual health insurance policy before these conditions occurred, they would have the financial freedom to start their own business or retire early.
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( 2.9 / 310 )As an agent, I have been selling Cancer Insurance policies for the past thirty seven years here in North Carolina. During this time, I have seen many changes in both BENEFITS and how claims are being paid to the policyholders.
Today, treating cancer is becoming both more expensive and also more frequent. Let’s face it, more and more people are being diagnosed today with various cancers than ever before. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will get cancer in their lifetime and about 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in persons 55 and older.
I highly recommend having a Cancer Insurance Policy in addition to a major medical insurance plan since most health insurance policies both individual and group have deductibles and coinsurance to pay when a claim is made. In many cases, Cancer Insurance will more than cover these charges and go beyond this to give the policyholder money to help pay other obligations (non-medical) such as their loss wages, travel, mortgage, car and utilities bills when sickness occurs.
When considering the purchase of Cancer Insurance you should always pay close attention to how the BENEFIT structure of the cancer policy works. Some examples to look for are: what limits are put on surgery, treatments (radiation & chemotherapy) and daily hospital BENEFITS. Look for plans that will pay a “lump” sum or also known as a “First Occurrence BENEFIT”. This BENEFIT will pay the policyholder upon being diagnosed with internal cancer a predetermined amount “up” front. It is very important that you purchase a plan with a high BENEFIT amount (per calendar year) for radiation and chemotherapy. It has been my experience over the years, that policyholders will collect the greatest BENEFITS under these covered treatment expenses.
Since it’s introduction to the marketplace, Cancer Insurance was designed to supplement your existing health insurance coverages. Never purchase these types of supplemental coverages without having in force a quality health insurance plan!
Cancer Insurance is not for everyone, but over the years I have seen it play an important role in policyholder’s lives to help them maintain their current way of life and receive the treatment they so desperately needed.
Ray Von McLeod
Mcleod Insurance Agency, LLC
www.nchealthbenefits.com
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( 3 / 297 )As consumers look for affordable individual health insurance benefits here in North Carolina, they should be aware that many health insurance products in the marketplace are not created equal!
One common problem we see on a on-going basis are "Association" health plans that are available to individuals and their families.
We recently had a small business owner ask us to review his current health insurance plan. After reviewing his policy, we found that the health plan that he purchased had very low lifetime maximums. In fact for surgery his plan stated that it would only pay 80% of $5,000.00!
Most of these plans promise low cost premiums and easy underwriting.
The insurance companies that are behind these type plans often form an "Association" specifically to "evade" the minimum insurance requirements required here in North Carolina and other states.
Most states require individual health plans to have a minimum of $1 to $5 million lifetime maximum benefit.
Sadly, most consumers don't read their policies and do not consult a reputable license insurance agent for advice.
It's not until the consumer suffers a "catastrophic" illness that they realize they made a very bad decision. Once someone suffers a "catastrophic" illness, finding affordable individual health insurance is simply "impossible" to find here in North Carolina!
Consumers should always check out the financial stability of the insurance company their doing business with. The North Carolina Department of Insurance is a helpful source for consumers to find out information on a particular insurance company. They can be reached at 1-800-546-5664 or online at www.ncdoi.com
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( 3 / 327 )Medicare Open Enrollment begins on January 1, 2008 and runs to March 31, 2008.
During this time, you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan or switch back to a original medicare supplement plan.
However, you can't add or change to a plan with prescription drug coverage during this time unless you already have a Medicare prescription drug coverage.
If you switch back to a original medicare supplement plan, you will have to buy a seperate prescription drug plan.
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( 3 / 333 )Have you ever been declined or rated up when you applied for a health or life insurance policy?
Chances are that the information contained in your MIB Consumer File was the reason the insurance company made that underwriting decision!
The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) consists of approximately 470 member companies. They have been in business for over 105 years!
When you apply for coverage, the insurance company will base your acceptance on what is listed on the initial enrollment application you complete and they will also check with the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) to see if the information on your MIB Consumer File is consistent with what was listed on the enrollment application.
This protects the insurance company from issuing polices on consumers that are being dishonest.
Consumers have a right to question the accuracy of the information in their file and have certain rights to get this information removed or corrected.
When is the last time you reviewed your MIB Consumer File?
MIB will provide consumers with copies of their MIB Consumer File annually without charge!
To get a free copy of your file, please call 1-866-692-6901 or visit their website at www.mib.com
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( 3.1 / 355 )Approximately 131 million people in the United States use Prescription Drugs.
Prescription Drugs is one of the leading factors driving health care cost higher.
Did you know that roughly 25 percent of the prescriptions written in the U.S. are NOT filled primarily because of the price of the drug?
One of the best ways to save money on Prescription Drugs is to ask for a "Generic" Drug.
You could save up to 93 percent!
Both "Brand" name and "Generic" drugs contain the same dosage, safety and strength.
"Generic" Drugs are available for about 90 percent of ALL Prescription Drugs!
When is the last time you asked your physician about switching your medication over to "generic" drugs?
So the next time you visit your local physician, ask he/she about using "generic" drugs that will immediately save you some money and help to lower your overall health care costs.
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