Healthy New York Health Insurance Application
Reader’s Question:
I am about to get my health insurance in New York. I am just curious, what are the factors that affect a person’s health insurance rate? I just wanna make sure that I do some research so I’ll be ready once I purchased my health insurance.
George
NYC/p>
When shopping for health insurance, your will be asked to fill out a questionnaire. This questionnaire, will give an idea to the health insurance companies on how risky you are to be insured. Following are some of the main factors that health insurance companies take into consideration in setting health insurance premiums:
1. Health History. If you have maintained a good health history, which means you were not in and out of the hospital or no heart attack for the past 10 years, then you don’t have to worry. You won’t expect a high health insurance rate since you pose lower risk to be insured;
2. Weight. If your weight is beyond normal or you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 39, you will find it difficult to get a health insurance company willing to insure you. So, I would suggest burn those fats first.
3. Smoker. If you do smoke, then quit. We all know smoking causes cancer. But if you can’t quit, then expect a higher health insurance rate for you;
4. Age. If you are older, the higher your health insurance premium would be. The reason is simple, as you aged, the chance of filing health claims is higher as compared to when you are younger; and
5. Job. If you work as a pilot, fireman, or any other hazardous jobs that puts your life at risk, then you would be expecting a higher health insurance rate.
Exclusions in Health Insurance Policy Louisiana LA
Reader’s Question:
I understand very little about health insurance policies, and I constantly feel in the dark. I do not even have a clear idea of what might not be included, and this worries me. I’ve just always thought that health care insurance policies would save me from exorbitant medical expenses! Can you explain some of the limitations of a health insurance policy? I live in Louisiana.
Joy
New Orleans, LA
If you think that your healthcare plan includes every medical cost you might have in the future, you’re up for a surprise. Mostly, a very good health insurance plan means that you will only need to pay for a minimal amount, but certainly there are limitations to what is covered. Here are some exclusions to your healthcare policy.
First of these are pre-existing conditions. Many health insurance companies are reluctant to shoulder the cost of those medical conditions that you already had before you bought the health insurance policy. Insurers generally have an exclusion period of about 6 months; The state of Louisiana allows this period to be as long as one year. This means you cannot get coverage for pre-existing conditions within the first 6 or 12 months, depending on your contract.
Another is drug abuse. This exclusion assumes that you have inflicted the problem upon yourself. So, in the same way, attempts at committing suicide are excluded. So is alcoholism.
Mental illness–especially if it has already manifested before the start of your contract– will not be covered, as well. So, your psychiatric care will not be paid for by the health insurance company. The same goes for any treatment for learning and behavioral problems.
Cosmetic surgery is not vital to life or living, so looking more beautiful is something you will have to spend for on your own. Most medical procedures considered to be preventive are part of the exclusions, too. So are dental and eye care.
Of course, the best advice I could give is for you to make sure that you read your contract with any insurer very carefully and ask your health insurance company the questions that boggle you.
Tags: Health Care, health insurance, insurance
Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance
In Illinois, all of those with aching backs and hurting muscles are about to get a big break. The Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance in Illinois is going to start covering chiropractic care, an area of medicine that many people want and need, but that most health insurance providers won’t touch because they deem it to be something elective, or not medically necessary. Those who have to deal with aches and pains everyday, and for whom pain pills aren’t enough or aren’t acceptable, they are very necessary, and Blue Cross has come to the light.
The program is called CAM, which stands for complementary and alternative medicine, and it is slated to start on the first of January. The problem that many consumers might find with it is that it is not an actual part of the coverage of their health insurance plan. Rather, it is separate, set up as a discount health insurance card. This does make things easier, as it means claims and referrals won’t be necessary like they usually are, though.
While the actual Blue Cross discount card is cheaper to begin with, it costs more than your usual health care plan if you have to end up using it. You pay the chiropractor or the practitioner of whatever type of alternative treatment you are getting, and the card is only responsible for giving you a discount. While it is a big discount, at twenty five percent, that is only the case if you work within the network that Blue Cross has chosen.
More and more people are becoming interested in alternative forms of health care, and Blue Cross is just the first health insurance company to have buckled under the weight of demands for coverage for this type of treatment. For those who cannot afford any other kind of health insurance, it might be a good start on getting some medical care, considering the lower costs.
Blue Cross is putting itself forward to help current and potential customers understand the program by providing them with a website called Healthy Roads. The website is still in its early stages, but it contains a load of information about different types of alternative health care. It also has a directory of alternative care providers who are part of Blue Cross’s program, and a bunch of products that might appeal to people interested in alternative health care. It’s a great source of information, even for those who do not have a Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plan.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
Researching international travel health insurance
If you intend to go out of the country and get travel health insurance to cover you while you’re away, you will need to put more care and research into your coverage than you would with a normal health insurance plan. Why is that? Because you will be so far away from home that if something goes wrong, you will be basically helpless. In order to protect yourself while you’re away, you need to know that you have a health insurance company that you trust.
One important thing that you have to look into are the credentials of your travel agent. Find out if the company that you’re going with is certified. Ask if they have a certified travel counselor working there. A CTC is someone who has studied to be in the business for an extended period of time. It’s the same reason why you would want a certified nurse to hook you up to an IV.
Don’t forget the background check. One of the most important things is making sure that your institution is financially stable. Check with credit agencies for its history. Also, look into consumer complaints. Find out how it really handles people who come into trouble while they are outside of the country. Call the Better Business Bureau and see how they would rate your travel health insurance company.
Your agent may make a lot of promises, but remember that nothing is true unless you get it in writing. They can make as many promises as they want, but you won’t be covered for them. Either have them put it into your written plan, or don’t take the promise into mind when making a decision. You should be positive that things such as total cost are in there, as well as additions or changes made in the last minute.
Finally, pay for your insurance and your trip with a credit card. Having proper records of all your transactions can help you avoid being the victim of insurance fraud, or being the victim of fraud while you are away.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
When to file a claim about Ohio health insurance
Reader question:
I live in Cincinnati and my health insurance claim was recently denied. I think it was wrongly denied. What do I do?
Maddie
Great question.
I’m sorry that you’re having to go through this, Maddie. I know I worry about paying bills often that I know I have enough money to pay, so I can imagine what it is like when you get a necessary service that you should be covered for and then find out that the payment is all on you. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. If you feel that your health insurance company has wronged you by denying a claim of yours, then you can file a complaint with the Ohio health insurance department so that they can research your complaint to find out who was in the right.
Before you file a complaint you should be very sure that you were wronged, because it doesn’t make the ODI very happy to be looking into false claims. In order to be sure that you are in the position to have the right to file a complaint, you have to meet every single one of the following criteria.
- You got a treatment or medical service that you assumed was covered by your health insurance plan, but your provider has informed you that they aren’t paying because it wasn’t medically necessary.
- You have waited two months since receiving a letter stating that you will not be covered for this service.
- You have already gone through the internal review process with your health care provider and are still denied.
- The treatment or service that you were not covered for would have you pay more than five hundred dollars.
If you meet that criteria, go ahead and file a complaint through the Ohio Department of Insurance website or through one of their physical offices.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.