from our friends at: www.aetna.com Young children, a demanding job, a friend in need ― many things can cause preventive health care to fall by the wayside. Until a nagging symptom reminds you it’s been a while since your last checkup. It’s tempting to put off seemingly minor dental issues until your schedule lightens up. But the warning signs below … Read More
No Surprises Act: Has The Law Had The Desired Impact On Surprise Billing?
from our friends at: www.benefitspro.com Here’s a surprise: The No Surprises Act (NSA) passed by Congress in 2020 is working. That’s the word from a research report from the Urban Institute. Several researchers from the Urban Institute and Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms (with backing from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) conducted interviews with 32 regulators and stakeholders representing … Read More
Public Health Emergency “Unwinding” Begins
from our friends at: www.cahealthadvocates.com Tips for Advocates to Help People Keep Their Medicaid or Enroll in Other Quality Health Coverage Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many changes were made to support continuous Medicaid enrollment and coverage. For example, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which was signed into law on March 18, 2020, provided states with … Read More
What Should I Know About Medical Credit Cards?
from our friends at: www.consumerfinance.gov Some health care providers offer financing options to pay your medical bills, including medical credit cards or payment plans that allow you to pay in installments. These financial options can have downsides. Here’s how they work and what to consider. If you’re unable to pay a medical bill, you have a few different options to … Read More
Millions of Californians Are at Risk of Losing Medi-Cal Coverage
States are preparing to remove millions of people from Medicaid as protections put in place early in the covid-19 pandemic expire. The upheaval, which begins in April, will put millions of low-income Americans at risk of losing health coverage, threatening their access to care and potentially exposing them to large medical bills. In California, where about 15.2 million people are … Read More
How To Switch Medicare Advantage Plans or Switch From Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare
from our friends at: Medicare Interactive Typically, you can only enroll in a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage during specific times each year. Make sure to enroll in a timely manner to avoid gaps in coverage when using these enrollment periods. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period If you have: You can switch to: … Read More
How To Know If Your Workplace Group Disability Insurance Is Enough
‘There may be a false sense of security.’ from our friends at: CNBC If you’ve opted into your company’s group disability insurance plan, you may assume there’s sufficient income protection if you can’t work due to illness or injury. But experts say your workplace coverage may not be enough. John Ryan, founder and CEO of Ryan Insurance Strategy Consultants, urges … Read More
Biden Administration Plans To End Covid Public Health Emergency In May
from our friends at: CNBC Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The Biden administration plans to end the Covid public health emergency this spring, as the U.S. shifts away from responding to the pandemic as a national crisis and instead manages the virus more like a seasonal respiratory disease. The White House, in a statement on Monday, said it would terminate on … Read More
Can I Draw Social Security At 62 and Still Work Full Time?
All financial plans are important, but Social Security benefits play a profound role in preventing elderly poverty and are paid out at an important stage in a worker’s life. With that in mind, it pays to know when you can start receiving your monthly payments and how continuing to work while collecting Social Security will impact your benefits. As the … Read More
Covered California: 2023 Renewals, Open Enrollment, Dependents Update
Each year Covered California begins the renewal process for the upcoming plan year, which typically begins October 1 and runs through December 31. During this process Covered California redetermines the eligibility of each enrollee and qualified individual for coverage effective January 1 of the following year. Covered California is required to send renewal notices no earlier than the first day … Read More