Find Low Cost Health Insurance In New York

Title:Find Low Cost Health Insurance In New YorkWord Count:318Summary:Finding low cost health insurance in New York is difficult enough if you are not employed, soit should not be too difficult task if you are employed, right? Wrong. Many employees of smallbusinesses in New York are not offered low cost health insurance through their employers. Thisis not beneficial to the employers or the employees, since many people choose their jobs basedsomewhat on the benefits they will receive.If you live in New York and work for a business whose ...Keywords:Article Body:Finding low cost health insurance in New York is difficult enough if you are not employed, soit should not be too difficult task if you are employed, right? Wrong. Many employees of smallbusinesses in New York are not offered low cost health insurance through their employers. Thisis not beneficial to the employers or the employees, since many people choose their jobs basedsomewhat on the benefits they will receive.搕If you live in New York and work for a business whose owner thinks it is oo small?to offerhealth insurance, you may be in luck. In 2000, the governor of New York proposed to acomprehensive insurance coverage plan to be made available to New York employees and theirfamilies if they do not have health insurance. The New York Legislature ratified the proposal,and the program became known as Healthy NY.搒According to Healthy NY, a mall business?is one that has 50 or fewer employees. When asmall business has this number of employees, the business feels as if it can not afford to offer

low cost health insurance to its employees; however, thanks to Healthy NY, all small businessescan take advantage of offering low cost health insurance to its employees.The even better news is that you do not have to be an employee of a small business to purchaselow cost health insurance through Healthy NY. Sole proprietors may also purchase low costhealth insurance through Healthy NY.If you work for a small business in New York that does not offer health insurance because itfeels as if it can not afford to, talk to your employer about Healthy NY. Not only with HealthyNY benefit the employees of the business, but being able to offer low cost health insurance toemployees will also help your employer because he or she will be able to attract and retainquality employees.Title:Introduction To California Health Insurance In 5 Easy PiecesWord Count:1930Summary:Okay...so you've visited countless websites, received instant health insurance quotes andcolorful benefit descriptions with enough small print to make you scream...WHAT DOES ITALL MEAN (and who writes this stuff)!!!Well we didn't write it but after years of reading it, we have boiled down the various plans to 5key elements...and if you understand just these points...you will be able to walk into theCalifornia health insurance market with confidence (and a fair amount ...Keywords:california,health,insurance,quoteArticle Body:Okay...so you've visited countless websites, received instant health insurance quotes andcolorful benefit descriptions with enough small print to make you scream...WHAT DOES ITALL MEAN (and who writes this stuff)!!!Well we didn't write it but after years of reading it, we have boiled down the various plans to 5key elements...and if you understand just these points...you will be able to walk into theCalifornia health insurance market with confidence (and a fair amount of sanity left).Now granted, there are tweaks and twists between the plans, but with the above 5 points, youalready have 90% of it...the other 10% you can ask us.So let's get started. HMO, PPO, EPO...what does it all mean. We will take a good look at whatthey are but more importantly...how they affect your care. Let's take a closer look...

1. Understanding the California insurance network - HMO, PPO, EPO and how it affects you.HMO...PPO...EPO??? What does it all mean. Well... rather than give you the long version ofeach term, let's get to the heart of what each is, and more importantly, how it affects you.First a stroll down medical memory lane. Up until the mid 80's (wow...last century), Californiahealth insurance was pretty straight forward. You can go to any doctor and the insurancecompany is going to pay a certain amount. It was around this time however, that they came upwith \"managed care\". And voila, terms like HMO, PPO, and EPO made their entrance. Wellwhat are they?They are essentially volume discounts.In order to control costs, the insurance company went to doctors and said, \"Look. If you joinour PPO, we'll bring you a lot of customers (us the insured) but we want you to discount yourcosts 30-60%. That $100 doctor visit should be $60. And if you join our HMO, we'll pay you$50/month for each person who signs up with you. In turn, there will be a lot of people to makeup for this discounted amount.Now there are variations in a contract between insurance companies and doctors, but essentially,they are offering volume discounts to help contain medical cost inflation...and it worked!! Fromthe early 90's to about 1997...all was relatively calm on the insurance premium front. We mayhave reached the extent of what managed care can do as premiums have risen significantlysince 1998.Now that we have a behind-the-scenes view of what HMO, PPO, and EPO are from a doctorpoint of view...how do they affect us??First let's break each one down.If the old way (Fee for Service) was that you can go to any doctor you wish, then the HMO(Health Maintenance Organization) is the polar opposite. You choose one doctor up front, andessentially all care is managed through that doctor and with a local hospital and medical group.This doctor is referred to as a Primary Care Physician and he or she makes most decisions oncare and/or referral to quotes. The trade-off with this highly structured system is that thebenefits are very rich...i.e. low out-of-pocket expense when you get sick or hurt. Some peopleswear by it...others swear at it. It works for people who are flexible and want low-out-of-pocketexpense. You typically do not find HMO's available in rural areas...because remember, theyneed lots of people to make it work.Back to our spectrum, the PPO's (Preferred Provider Organization) are somewhere in betweenthe \"go to any doctor\" method of the past and HMO's \"choose one doctor/hospital\". There is anextensive list of doctors and hospitals in California from which you can go to. You referyourself out to quotes and you are not locked into one area or one doctor. You receive thenegotiated rates (30-60% discounts mentioned above) with a PPO plan which can amount tosignificant savings. That being said, you will help pay along the way...either in the form of apercentage or a deductible (we'll get into these in section 4). Now with PPO's, you can go todoctors who are not in the network but then your benefits are significantly reduced. Why??These doctors are not offering the \"volume discount\" we mentioned above.Another variation not as often seen is an EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization). An EPO has

the exact same doctors/hospitals as the PPO list but with no out-of-network benefits. If you goto a doctor not listed on the EPO list, you have no benefits.2. Premiums...the amount you pay each month to keep the policy in effect...but there's moreSuch a loved topic...health insurance premiums. Just the thought can raise blood pressure fasterthan the actual rates seem to go up. Let's take a closer look and find out why an expensive planmight not necessarily be the right plan.It is a pretty straight forward contract...as long as you pay the premiums...the insurance carrierwill cover you, but what exactly are we paying for? Before we take a look at big bills and smallbills...etc...you need to understand a fundamental truth about health insurance.If you are getting great benefits for the smaller bills...believe me...you are PAYING FOR IT.It's the equivalent to buying a car warranty that also covers a weekly car-wash, oil change every3,000 miles, and a new set of tires every two years....sounds great but the cost would be sohigh...no one could afford it!! Health insurance is very similar...A simple example (real life) will help explain this.Let's say you have a PPO High-deductible at $47/month that mainly covers the big bills...anysmall stuff will be your responsibility. Compare that to a 30% PPO plan for $167/month thatwill cover right away...leaving you to pay 30%. That means your doctor visit is going to bepretty cheap. Remember, it will handle the big bills pretty much the same.Now the first reaction to our $47 plan is...\"You mean I HAVE to pay for the doctor visits andanything else up to $2,250??? That doesn't sound too good!!\"But let's look at it more closely...The difference in premium is $120/month. That's $1,440 a year.That's a lot of small bills you better be having in order to get any value out of the moreexpensive plan. So you're paying a definite $1,440 to cover a potential $2,250 expense. That'snot smart insurance. You want to pay pennies on the dollar...i.e. protect with $47/month from apotential $20,000+ surgery bill.3. The real reason to buy California health insurance...The \"Big What-if\"I hear it almost daily...\"I'm healthy - what do I need health insurance for??\"The average person lands in the hospital every seven years. Almost 50% of bankruptcies in theU.S. are the result of a sudden medical condition or accident...and believe me...they were allprobably \"healthy\".There is a double-edged sword in today's medical world. Improvement in medical technologyand capability is unprecedented with even further developments around the corner through newgenetic advancements. All this is great but as the capabilities increase so do the resulting costs.The possibility for the large medical bill is really why you need health insurance and this shouldbe ultimately what your plan protects against.Maximum out of PocketMost plans handle this Big What-if or catastrophic health coverage with a \"maximum

out-of-pocket\", quite possibly the most important part of your medical plan.It basically means, if you have a big bill (or a series of bills) when does the plan pay at 100%.Of course, this maximum applies to in-network (see Section 1 Doctor doctor) and for coveredbenefits. It usually applies to a calendar year, from January to December after which it is reset.Typically, the Maximum includes deductible (we'll talk about the deductible in the next section- small bills).4. Pennies on the nickel?? Insight into how insurance plans handle the smaller bills.Now small bills basically refers to everything up to your maximum-out-of-pocket (see Section 3- Big Bills). There are different ways each plan handles these expenses so lets explore them andmore importantly...their costs to you.Up to your maximum, each plan handles smaller bills in one of three ways. By small bills, wemean everything from your doctor visit charge to minor surgery...essentially what falls belowyour maximum (because it goes 100% after that anyway!!). Let's first understand what theseterms are, and then really understand how much it costs to have the bells and whistles.Deductibles, Copays, Co-insurance.A deductible is an amount that you will pay 100% of before the plan starts to pay. Think of if asa pool of money. Once you have spent your pool of money out of your pocket, the insurancethen starts to kick in. This amount is usually in a calendar year, January-December. Sometimesthere are separate deductibles for specific care such as maternity. Now remember, if you arein-network i.e. you are Blue Cross and the doctor is a Blue Cross doctor, then you will get30-60% off because of the negotiated rates. Let's look at an example...Doctor visit is $100. Because you are Blue Cross PPO and doctor is Blue Cross PPO, then thischarge may drop to $60. You pay this $60 and it applies to your deductible.This negotiated rate is a great benefit even before you have met your total deductible. Now outin the market today, they primarily have what's called a high deductible plan (from around$1,000 to $3,000) which is for the person who is really worried about the big what-if and wantsto keep their monthly premiums down. A great example of this is the Health Savings Accountplan which has special tax advantages for the self-employed and small group.A Copay is simply an amount you pay for a given service. For example, a $40 copay usuallymeans you will pay $40 for the doctor consultation. Keep in mind that additional services, i.e.labs, x-rays, etc...will have additional costs. Sometimes there are copays on specific services.For example, ambulance or emergency room visit might have a copay.Co-insurance refers to a percentage you will pick up for services. For example, a 30% planmeans that you will pay 30% (insurance will pay 70%) of the negotiated rate.These are essentially the three ways an insurance plan handles the smaller bills.5. How plans handle what is increasingly the most costly part of visiting thedoctor...prescriptionsBrand name prescriptions have been increasing 20% per year and despite the political

rhetoric...that's probably not going to change for a while.In case you have been away the last couple of years, pharmaceutical companies have changedthe way they market their products. It use to be that they would primarily market through thedoctor...a \"push\" method. Now, with huge advertising campaigns, they are advertising directlyto you, the consumer in the thought that you will then go and request that medication from yourdoctor...the \"pull\" method. Guess what...there is a cost to all this and you want to make sureyour plan covers it.Most insurance plans handle prescriptions with a copay, a fixed amount you pay. Typically,there is a different copay amount for brand name and generic stemming from the situation Imentioned above. Across the board, you usually find a $10 generic copay and a $25 brand namecopay but make sure to check the policy...it might be different.Well we have made it through...hopefully with few scars and a great deal more understandingof how to read the plans.Title:Using Buttons and Badges in the Health Care IndustryWord Count:546Summary:In the health care industry, buttons can be a great way to spread motivation, identify people, andhelp with the healing process. There are many different uses and fun projects that hospitals cando with buttons and badges.Keywords:button, buttons, badge, badges, maker, machine, parts, supplies, hospital, health, care, industryArticle Body:Buttons for hospitals can be a great way to spread motivation, identify people, and help with thehealing process. There are a great many uses and fun projects that hospitals can do utilizingbuttons. From Public Relations to patient care, buttons can serve you well in a hospitalenvironment.抯Any hospital with a children ward should have a button maker machine. Children in thehospital are often frightened, disoriented and of course ill. For patients who are able to sit upand draw, button making can help fill those hours between visitors, occupy their mind and make抯them feel useful. A positive outlook plays a critical role in a patient recovery and forchildren, it is important to inspire creativity to take their minds off their environment. Buttonmaking for the children can be both beneficial to their mental health and fun.Provide a template to a child and some crayons or markers. Family members can bring photos

or other flat items to add to the button. The children can be left to their own creativity or a dailyor weekly theme can be used. For children who are long term patients, giving them a button tomake everyday can ease anticipation and give them something positive to look forward to thenext day. This will also help in establishing some form of routine, which in smaller childrenwill help them feel safe in their environment. Completed buttons can be worn by the children,their families, the staff, or displayed on bulletin boards outside the door of their room.Displaying the buttons will make walking the halls interesting and fun for both children andfamily.Buttons can be another great gift item in the hospital gift store. These are an inexpensive andeasy item to make for sale in the shop. \"Congratulations!\" in pink or blue on a button for births抯 抯would be a great idea for the new older brother or sister to purchase for mom. This same buttoncan be added to a stuffed bear or bunny. \"It a Girl!\", \"It a Boy!\", and \"Get Well\" wouldall be great sayings for buttons to be added to stuffed animals or cards that are sold in the giftshop. For example, you can post a sign that reads \"Buy a Stuffed animal and get a button foronly a dollar more.\" Buttons make great keepsakes and are so inexpensive to produce that evenat the price of one dollar you can make a handsome profit for the gift shop.Buttons for patients and staff are another use for the button making machines. An interestingproposition for the new parents is to have a \"New Dad\" and \"New Mom\" button made up forthem with the name, birth date, weight and length of their new child. These are great keepsakesfor parents to put in baby albums. Proud parents can wear these buttons in the hospital and you抯can sell additional buttons for their family members such as grandparent aunts and uncles.抯Imagine the pride on a new older brother face as he wears a button that reads \"Ask me aboutmy new baby sister\". These buttons show that you go the extra mile for your patients and theirfamily.