Archive for March, 2010
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, or COBRA, allows unemployed workers to keep their health insurance from their previous employer for up to 18 months.
Up until the 15-month subsidy was approved last year as part of the federal economic stimulus bill, laid-off workers were required to pick up the full premium. With the subsidy, the unemployed paid 35 percent of the cost.
That subsidy is now at risk while the U.S. Senate considers whether to extend it. It was eliminated from one jobs bill but is included in a second jobs bill. The Senate, however, has not decided which bill it plans to hear, said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, director of health-care policy for Families USA.
If the subsidy is allowed to expire, no one laid off after Feb. 28 will be eligible for the reduced premiums.
That could mean many won’t be able to afford the premiums and would join the growing rolls of the uninsured, according to Families USA, a national organization for health care consumers.
Throwing a lifeline
The federal subsidy “gives people a small margin of hope,” said Terra Eyl, a career transition specialist with the Larimer County Workforce Center in Fort Collins.
Without the subsidy, COBRA premiums can cost upwards of $1,000 a month making it unaffordable for most families trying to live on unemployment benefits.
Even with the subsidy, COBRA payments can be unaffordable for people, particularly those with lower incomes, Eyl said. “But a small margin of hope is better than no margin, in my opinion.”
Families USA estimates an additional 57,500 Coloradans became uninsured last year when they lost their jobs. And, although economic recovery appears to be under way, economists agree job growth is still a long way off, meaning the unemployment rate is likely to rise this year.
One quarter of Larimer County residents between 18 and 65 were uninsured at some point from 2005 through the end of 2007, according to Health District of Northern Larimer County, the latest statistics available.
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Okay, seriously. This is your eyesight we’re talking about. And you want to pick the guy with the discount pricing? You want to pick the guy with the big fancy office in the middle of downtown? We need to talk.
First, just because they offer discount pricing doesn’t mean they are bad doctors. It doesn’t mean they are good, either. Quite often, LASIK doctors offer discount pricing because they are using old, out-of-date equipment that is paid for, so they can afford to do the procedures for less.
Second, just because they can afford a big fancy office in the middle of downtown doesn’t mean they have a lot of experience yet. That is just a lease payment, after all.
You need to do some research. To help you get started, and understand what kinds of things are really important, here is a list of the basic questions you need to be getting answers for.
• Have any of your friends or family had LASIK and have a doctor they would recommend?
o If they had a good experience, why not start here?
• What is his or her background and training experience?
o Are they a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) or any other refractive surgery organization?
• How many LASIK procedures have you performed?
o Most experts agree that a minimum of a 1,000 is good.
• Is LASIK the primary part of the surgeon’s practice?
• Does he or she a part of the entire process from beginning to end?
• What kind of results have past patients had?
• What other state-of-the-art equipment do they use?
o Wavefront technology is the latest and it allows a mapping for more precise vision correction.
• Do they have patient testimonials available?
o Ask if you directly contact any of these patients.
• Do they patiently and courteously explain all the risks and rewards of the optional procedures and answer all your questions?
• Do they offer custom LASIK?
• Are pre and post op visits included in the cost?
• How many post op visits are included in the cost?
• Are additional post-op visits for emergencies free?
• What kind of results can I expect from LASIK?
• What financing options do you offer?
A couple more things. If you attend a seminar by a particular LASIK doctor, you are no obligated to have him or her perform your procedure. Also, there are great financing options available so don’t let the cost be the reason you change your mind.
If you have to visit several LASIK surgeons before you find one you’re completely comfortable with, then do it. This is your eyesight we’re talking about. Not a quick lunch on the run. Take your time and make your choice wisely. You’ll “see” the benefits of your efforts if you do.
Pain management billing is the process of submitting claims to insurance companies and following them up in order to receive payment for services rendered by pain management healthcare providers. Billing is performed successfully by specialists in the field. It improves billing system, reduces denials, increases reimbursement, and saves valuable time so that the pain management service providers can spend it on patient care. Pain management medical billing services are beneficial for individual physicians, pain clinics, physicians’ groups and hospitals.
Services Offered by Pain Management Billing Specialists
The aim of pain management billing specialists is to collect proper compensation from the insurance company. Medical billing is a process which involves preparation, submission along with follow-up on insurance claims. Pain management medical billing specialists conduct a full research of all accounts to determine the proper steps for a prioritized action plan. It is done in a disciplined manner based on actual documents. Professional medical billing companies have trained staff to look after every aspect of pain management billing. Various software used for pain management billing include IDX, NextGen, Medisoft and more.
A specialist in pain management billing offers medical billing and receivables management. Services rendered by a specialist in pain management billing are:
• Patient enrollment
• Insurance enrollment and verification
• Scheduling and rescheduling
• Coding
• Insurance authorization
• Collections
• Billing and reconciling of accounts
• AR collections
Pain Management Billing Specialists Ensure Accurate Billing
The aim of pain management billing specialists is to provide complete reimbursement at the correct time. Outsourcing companies are equipped with billing specialists, so that difficulties during preparation of complicated claims can be easily overcome. You can find a number of outsourcing companies offering medical billing services. It’s important to find a leading outsourcing company which can offer the best pain management billing solutions at affordable cost.
If you or a member of your family is suffering from allergies, an allergy doctor can be one of the most important persons to have in your life. If you live in Utah, here are some tips for finding the best allergy doctors in your locality:
Go to the AAAAI website
AAAAI stands for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. It is an organization that represents its member allergists, immunologists, asthma specialists and health professionals who work in related fields. Members have to meet certain criteria in order to be considered. Some of these criteria include a medical residency in the treatment and research of allergic diseases and board certification.
The AAAAI website (www.aaaai.org) has an online locator that you can use to find the best allergy doctor in Utah. Simply enter your zip code, state or city and the site will produce a list of allergists or immunologists practicing in the area. The information also includes the addresses of the clinics or hospitals and other contact information.
The AAAAI has a listing of more than 6,000 member allergists in the U.S., Canada and over 70 countries. Its members also hold certain board certifications and are affiliated with different professional medical societies.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
The ACAAI offers a referral service through its toll-free number (1-800-842-7777). You can call this number and ask for a list of allergists practicing in the state.
The ACAAI also has an online locator that you can use. Simply enter your zip code, city, state or if you have it, a street address. You will then be provided with a list of allergists in the area, along with a map of their location. The site will even produce a grid map of the address and information regarding driving distance to the location.
Citysearch.com
Citysearch.com is a very useful website that offers a search facility. With this website, you can search for almost any service you need and it will provide a listing of the providers. Go to http://utah.citysearch.com/lists, enter ‘allergist’ on the search box. You will be provided with the addresses and contact information of these physicians.
Yellowpages.com
Yellowpages.com is an online version of the trusty Yellow Pages directory. It offers specific information regarding the best allergy doctors in Utah. Enter the word ‘allergist’ or ‘immunologist’ in the first search box and ‘Utah’ in the second and click on the ‘find’ button. The site will draw up a listing of allergists in the area.
When looking for the best allergy doctor in Utah, remember to always consider the physician’s qualifications. Check if the physician is board certified and inquire about their related experience. Make sure they have the necessary qualifications to ensure that you get access to the best possible diagnosis and treatment.
Incoming search terms:
In the next two articles I want to take a close look at four processes the optimum performance of which I believe is absolutely vital to the proper functioning of all the body’s cells.
Further, I believe that either prior to birth or as babies or both we knew these processes and how to use them to optimize their health benefits. Unfortunately, we have allowed these key systems to deteriorate, albeit unwittingly, and that by restoring them we interact with the cells and encourage them to raise their efficiency. This in turn rejuvenates all of the body’s major organs and glands including the brain.
Key 1: Sexual Energy
At birth we carry charges of the various bioelectric energies that circulated through us in the womb. Importantly, we know how to circulate these energies through our body by maintaining open channels in which they can flow freely with minimum loss.
Unfortunately, although at an early age we discover the pleasure sexual energy can bring and know innately its remarkable healing power, we soon adopt practices that constrict its flow and squander its power. Practices that inevitably lead to deterioration in health and sexual performance.
I take the position that the sex organs are the foundation stone of the body’s network of glands. If they are not functioning optimally, the performance of other glands is compromised.
I support this position with the contention that it is not by chance that a major circuit for the flow of sexual energy follows a path up the spine from the genitals to the brain. Nor do I believe it is by chance that the brain, through the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, is responsible for monitoring and controlling the bloodstream levels of key hormones and various bio-chemicals secreted by other glands which are vital to one’s health and wellbeing.
So while there are many different bioelectric energy fields in the body it is the sexual energy circuit associated with the male and female sex organs and its link with the brain that is of most value in seeking to take back control over one’s mental health.
Key 2 Movement
In animals the nervous system (origin of brain) came into existence some half billion years ago and its early evolution was largely related to the need for movement to catch food for survival.
Human sperm move to fertilize the ovum and a foetus first begins movement at around 7 to 9 weeks. One might reasonably conclude it knows instinctively (pre-historic programming –if you like) that movement is essential for its survival. But the importance of movement goes further in that it provides a wealth of new experiences to the brain which lead to its growth.
Exercise (movement) needs to be restored as a natural part of everyday life There is further discussion in a later section on the important contribution exercise can make to keeping your brain fit
In the next article I’ll look at the two remaining keys