The Importance of Keeping Good Files
As in everything that involves money, it is important to keep good records of your medical expenses for many reasons.
Keeping track of deductibles, especially for a family,can be time consuming, but is an important task. Every policy has different deductibles for lab work, hospital emergency room visits, hospital stays, doctor visits and x-rays, and it is often difficult to track.
Keeping track of your out-of-pocket expenses becomes very important when it comes time to complete your taxes. It also comes in handy to know what your expenses are for medical care when choosing to change companies or policies.
A file folder that includes a copy of the policy, copies of your medical bills and copies of what your insurance company has paid on those bills is usually all you will need.
When a bill comes for a provider, you will usually receive a statement from your insurance company showing what portion of the bill they paid, and many times providers write off the remainder, if it is not a large sum.
If you visit several doctors, you may want to have a file folder for each doctor or provider.
Insurance companies do occasionally make mistakes, but they are usually on top of their game. Having a copy of the policy handy makes it easy to check deductible levels and whether a particular service is covered or not.
It also serves as a ready resource for telephone numbers, website information and your contact at the insurance company.
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Saturday, February 04, 2012
The Importance of Good Records
The Importance of Good Records
Keeping your own records of any medical care that you and your immediate family have received is the only way to be sure that your insurance and bills are free from mistakes. It may seem unimportant now, but later in life when you try to get life insurance or get treatment that is appropriate for you, the importance will be in the spotlight. Everything from your allergies to your payment records with medical facilities can hurt you if they are wrong in your report. You could be given improper treatment or even denied treatment at all. By keeping your own records, you can dispute anything that is false.
Would you believe that you could be denied a job because of something erroneous on your medical records? It is true; if you are reported to have a disability, whether it is true or not, you could be turned down. You would be labeled as a risk, especially if the company offers insurance; they would know that you are going to cost more money to employ. The same goes for applying for health insurance where your medical records show that you would require prescription drugs, doctor visits, and increased chance of emergencies. It is quite the ordeal if you do in fact have a disability, but imaging if you did not have one at all-you would be turned down for insurance, while also being completely ineligible for disability financial help.
An example of a mistake that could be made on your record would be a diagnosis error. Perhaps you request that your doctor check a suspicious lump in your breast. On the first visit he may suspect that it is cancer. Most people will get a second opinion or go for a more thorough conclusive examination. If the second doctor decides that it is only a cyst and has it removed, your personal records would show that you are cancer-free. However, if this visit was documented incorrectly, or not at all, you may have trouble getting insured and not know why. If you had a record of the second visit that found the cyst, this situation would be easily disputed and your record would be accurate.
Human error is simply a part of life, even on medical documents. It is important to always keep your own records so that insurance companies get accurate information about you and your health condition. If you are being turned down for insurance and do not know why, you are best advised to be sure that you are not being misrepresented within your medical records. This problem can be cleared up quickly and easily if you are responsible enough to keep your own personal records.
Keeping your own records of any medical care that you and your immediate family have received is the only way to be sure that your insurance and bills are free from mistakes. It may seem unimportant now, but later in life when you try to get life insurance or get treatment that is appropriate for you, the importance will be in the spotlight. Everything from your allergies to your payment records with medical facilities can hurt you if they are wrong in your report. You could be given improper treatment or even denied treatment at all. By keeping your own records, you can dispute anything that is false.
Would you believe that you could be denied a job because of something erroneous on your medical records? It is true; if you are reported to have a disability, whether it is true or not, you could be turned down. You would be labeled as a risk, especially if the company offers insurance; they would know that you are going to cost more money to employ. The same goes for applying for health insurance where your medical records show that you would require prescription drugs, doctor visits, and increased chance of emergencies. It is quite the ordeal if you do in fact have a disability, but imaging if you did not have one at all-you would be turned down for insurance, while also being completely ineligible for disability financial help.
An example of a mistake that could be made on your record would be a diagnosis error. Perhaps you request that your doctor check a suspicious lump in your breast. On the first visit he may suspect that it is cancer. Most people will get a second opinion or go for a more thorough conclusive examination. If the second doctor decides that it is only a cyst and has it removed, your personal records would show that you are cancer-free. However, if this visit was documented incorrectly, or not at all, you may have trouble getting insured and not know why. If you had a record of the second visit that found the cyst, this situation would be easily disputed and your record would be accurate.
Human error is simply a part of life, even on medical documents. It is important to always keep your own records so that insurance companies get accurate information about you and your health condition. If you are being turned down for insurance and do not know why, you are best advised to be sure that you are not being misrepresented within your medical records. This problem can be cleared up quickly and easily if you are responsible enough to keep your own personal records.
Health Insurance Basics
The Health Insurance Basics
Health insurance, in this modern world of cancer,
heart disease, AIDS, diabetes, asthma, ageing and
other diseases and afflictions, it is essential to
have some sort of health insurance.
There are many levels of health insurance coverage
available; unfortunately, like most things in life,
you get what you pay for, and good coverage can be
very expensive.
The two most common terms in referring to health
insurance are premium, which is the amount paid for
the insurance, and deductible, which is your
out-of-pocket expense before the insurance pays your
provider.
For instance, you might pay $300 premium per month for
family coverage, and your deductible might be $250 per
person, which means if you fell and broke your ankle
and went to the hospital emergency room, you would be
required to pay the first $250 of the bill.
You can purchase very basic catastrophic coverage,
which would carry a very high deductible and the
premium would be less than comprehensive coverage
which would have a higher premium and lower
deductible.
It pays to invest the time to investigate various
insurance options, taking into consideration your age,
your general health and the health of your family
members.
Your employer may offer group health insurance, which
is most likely the least expensive option for you, and
usually the premium is deducted from your paycheck.
Health insurance is a calculated risk; can you afford
the premiums or are you willing to risk that you would
pay less out of pocket for medical expenses in a year
than the premiums would cost? Consider carefully.
Health insurance, in this modern world of cancer,
heart disease, AIDS, diabetes, asthma, ageing and
other diseases and afflictions, it is essential to
have some sort of health insurance.
There are many levels of health insurance coverage
available; unfortunately, like most things in life,
you get what you pay for, and good coverage can be
very expensive.
The two most common terms in referring to health
insurance are premium, which is the amount paid for
the insurance, and deductible, which is your
out-of-pocket expense before the insurance pays your
provider.
For instance, you might pay $300 premium per month for
family coverage, and your deductible might be $250 per
person, which means if you fell and broke your ankle
and went to the hospital emergency room, you would be
required to pay the first $250 of the bill.
You can purchase very basic catastrophic coverage,
which would carry a very high deductible and the
premium would be less than comprehensive coverage
which would have a higher premium and lower
deductible.
It pays to invest the time to investigate various
insurance options, taking into consideration your age,
your general health and the health of your family
members.
Your employer may offer group health insurance, which
is most likely the least expensive option for you, and
usually the premium is deducted from your paycheck.
Health insurance is a calculated risk; can you afford
the premiums or are you willing to risk that you would
pay less out of pocket for medical expenses in a year
than the premiums would cost? Consider carefully.
Stay Legal! Avoiding Insurance Fraud
Stay Legal! Avoiding Insurance Fraud
Everyone knows that the health insurance industry is continually raising monthly premiums, and many feel this is unjust to you as the consumer. However, the health insurance industry has had to fight increasing health insurance fraud. The amount of money spent on investigating and prosecuting fraud is then passed on to policyholders. Many people do not understand what health insurance fraud entails, though. With reports estimating health insurance fraud is a $30 billion to over $100 billion industry per year, the topic should not be taken lightly. Every health insurance policyholder should understand what health insurance fraud is and its consequences. By doing so, you are more able to recognize and fight fraud.
Health insurance fraud is typically defined as intentionally deceiving, misrepresenting, or concealing information to receive benefits from the insurance company. Essentially this means that you assert that you paid for certain medical procedures or expenses out-of-pocket which you have not actually received, and you are submitting claims to the insurance company to receive reimbursement. Another example of member fraud is to conceal pre-existing conditions or to alter medical documents so that non-policyholders or ineligible members receive medical benefits under your policy. Perhaps your sister does not have insurance and needs medical attention. Having her use your name and policy to cover the expenses is health insurance fraud. While you may think that this is a small issue in comparison to your sister receiving treatment, it is actually very serious to your health insurance company and industry, and will result in fines and possible imprisonment if your are caught.
Not only policyholders commit fraud, but providers (physicians, hospitals, etc.) do as well. Since physicians and hospitals bill the insurance company for services they provide for you, they are also receiving reimbursement from the insurance company. When providers commit fraud, they may be billing the insurance company at higher rates for services rendered or they may bill for services you never received. In these cases, you will probably be asked to cooperate in the insurance company's investigation.
Another type of health insurance fraud that has developed recently targets the policyholder more than the insurance company. Schemes have developed where fake insurance companies or agents sign unsuspecting customers for coverage at surprisingly low premium rates. They often act much like a regular insurance company for the first few months, paying for smaller medical claims like physicians visits. But once you have a more serious medical condition that needs treatment, the insurance company will disappear - along with the money you have been paying in premiums.
The rule with health insurance fraud is much like that of any other scam: if a deal seems too good to be true, just remember - it probably is. Remember to be honest in your dealings with health insurance companies and expect the same in the return from these companies, as well as your health care providers. Stay legal to avoid fines and prison and to continue receiving health insurance coverage.
Everyone knows that the health insurance industry is continually raising monthly premiums, and many feel this is unjust to you as the consumer. However, the health insurance industry has had to fight increasing health insurance fraud. The amount of money spent on investigating and prosecuting fraud is then passed on to policyholders. Many people do not understand what health insurance fraud entails, though. With reports estimating health insurance fraud is a $30 billion to over $100 billion industry per year, the topic should not be taken lightly. Every health insurance policyholder should understand what health insurance fraud is and its consequences. By doing so, you are more able to recognize and fight fraud.
Health insurance fraud is typically defined as intentionally deceiving, misrepresenting, or concealing information to receive benefits from the insurance company. Essentially this means that you assert that you paid for certain medical procedures or expenses out-of-pocket which you have not actually received, and you are submitting claims to the insurance company to receive reimbursement. Another example of member fraud is to conceal pre-existing conditions or to alter medical documents so that non-policyholders or ineligible members receive medical benefits under your policy. Perhaps your sister does not have insurance and needs medical attention. Having her use your name and policy to cover the expenses is health insurance fraud. While you may think that this is a small issue in comparison to your sister receiving treatment, it is actually very serious to your health insurance company and industry, and will result in fines and possible imprisonment if your are caught.
Not only policyholders commit fraud, but providers (physicians, hospitals, etc.) do as well. Since physicians and hospitals bill the insurance company for services they provide for you, they are also receiving reimbursement from the insurance company. When providers commit fraud, they may be billing the insurance company at higher rates for services rendered or they may bill for services you never received. In these cases, you will probably be asked to cooperate in the insurance company's investigation.
Another type of health insurance fraud that has developed recently targets the policyholder more than the insurance company. Schemes have developed where fake insurance companies or agents sign unsuspecting customers for coverage at surprisingly low premium rates. They often act much like a regular insurance company for the first few months, paying for smaller medical claims like physicians visits. But once you have a more serious medical condition that needs treatment, the insurance company will disappear - along with the money you have been paying in premiums.
The rule with health insurance fraud is much like that of any other scam: if a deal seems too good to be true, just remember - it probably is. Remember to be honest in your dealings with health insurance companies and expect the same in the return from these companies, as well as your health care providers. Stay legal to avoid fines and prison and to continue receiving health insurance coverage.
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