Keeping an eye on your Insurance

Throughout my time in health care, the most frequent questions that ever occur have been in regard to the mass confusion that often results from patients trying to understand their health insurance and benefits. Although most of my day is spent as a care provider, I'm also a consumer, so I can truly feel for anyone that has found themselves in this situation. As the year begins to come to a close, I'd like to provide a few tips to help you to better utilize your insurance benefits.
1. Pay attention to when your health insurance ends its benefits year. Most insurance companies still utilize December 31st. However, there are a number of plan that now use selected dates throughout the year, based on your date of acceptance, your birthday, or some date in July they randomly decided upon. If you are not sure when yours is, call your insurance agent or ask your health care provider to check on this for you.

2. Use it or lose it. "Deductible" is the amount that must be paid by the insured, before the benefits of the policy can apply. If you have already met your deductible for the year, and know you are in need of health care, I highly recommend taking the time to make your appointments and get the care you need before the benefit year ends. If you wait, you'll have to start paying to meet the new year's deductible all over again, when you could have saved yourself some cash.

3. Know thy policy. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people debating whether or not they do or don't have coverage for services and products only to find out that they misread or didn't read their explanation of benefits (EOB) when they came in the mail. The next time you see one mailed to you, instead of clicking delete or tearing it up, make sure that you pay attention to the details. If you don't agree with it, or don't understand some of the codes they are using, ask the billing department to explain it to you. Most billing departments would like to know if an error has been made, as well.

4. Hate it, love it, deal with it. The bottom line is that unless you are the owner of an insurance company, or are lucky enough to have a fantastic policy provided by your company, pretty much no one else likes insurance. Consmers and providers alike can find it extremely aggravating and difficult to deal with, but deal with it we must, and therefore we each must decide to simply take it or leave it.

Who knows, maybe in the next few years we will all win the world lotto and never have to worry about coverage again. Then again, we'll probably just find something else we dont like about its replacement. So until then, good luck and happy health hunting.

And by the way, if you are in need of pain relief, sports medicine or stress management assistance, call us at Action Sports Chiropractic & Wellness, 858-481-0303, to make an appointment today. Do it now while you are thinking about it, and before the rush of the holidays. We promise we will be more than happy to explain your insurance coverage.

Vote for Health Care

I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but if for some reason you have been living in a bubble and didn't know it- Today is Election Day! Hopefully by now you have had a chance to look at all the issues surrounding our country and your community, and are either on your way to the polls or have already voted. If you haven't, or don't plan on voting today, I urge you to please reconsider and do it now.

I realize that, depending on your state, some people may feel that there is no point in voting. After all, isn't it all decided on electoral votes anyhow? Well, I have to admit sometimes I feel that way as well. However, I would like to remind you of how important your vote is when it comes to Propositions of State and County. In case you haven't noticed, or have just avoided them, there are many other propositions and candidates for positions that are not all over TV ads. Issues like fire safety, district development, fund allocations, and of course, health care.

Whether or not you vote for a Republican or a Democrat, just be sure you go out and vote. Too many people complain about Today's social problems, yet do absolutely nothing about trying to help improve them. Figure out what you believe in, and make the decision to support it today. Go Vote. Your Voice Counts!