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Forms or Tools
To Help You
HMO, PPO, Or Fee-For-Service worksheet - Would your loved one prefer using an HMO,
PPO, or fee-for-service insurance?
Use this worksheet to find out.
Simple questions to help you determine your options.
Health Insurance: Best Buys worksheet - A worksheet to help you and your
loved one choose the right health insurance policy by laying out the different options to add up the actual costs, including
premiums. Estimate what your loved one might spend on deductibles,coinsurance
and/or copayments, and services that are not covered
Insurance Info~General
The National Council on the Aging created BenefitsCheckUp
to help older adults to quickly identify programs that may improve
the quality of their lives. Family and friends can also obtain facts about benefits that their loved ones may qualify for. Chances are, you will be surprised
to learn what benefits are available to you, regardless of your
income.
Here's how it works: You take 10 or
15 minutes to enter information about your financial situation into an online questionnaire.
Then, Benefits CheckUp explains what benefit programs you may
be eligible for and how to apply for them. BenefitsCheckUp is completely confidential. It's free!
The Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) is the nation's
most prominent trade association representing the private
health care system. Its more than 290 members provide
health, long-term care, disability, dental, and supplemental
coverage to more than 123 million Americans.
Following are few of HIAA's guidelines:
Specified or dread disease policies
provide benefits only if you get the specific disease or group
of diseases named
in the policy. For example, a policy might cover only medical care for cancer. Because benefits are limited
in amount, these policies are not a substitute for broad medical coverage.
Nor are specified disease policies available in every state.
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Medical Insurance Bureau's Facts On You! Do you know what is in your Medical Information Bureau Files? When you apply for a Life Insurance Policy, there is a place for you to sign allowing the Insurance Company
to check your Medical Information from various sources. What if the information is wrong?How do you know what is in
the files about your health condition is accurate? Read this to learn how you can obtain the information on your medical
records that MIB is sharing with insurance companies!
From CNBC
Children
Childhood Disability Evaluation Rules effective on January
2, 2001-The final rules do not change the disability standard for children. They continue to define the
statutory standard of "marked and severe functional limitations" and also simplified and clarified the language of some rules
Deeming Resources for Children in the SSI Program - The SSI law provides
that we must count some of a parent's income and resources as belonging to a child when we decide if a
child is eligible. A parent's income can also lower a child's SSI payment amount. Read this SSA article.
Social Security-Children With Disabilities -The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) offers
social security benefits for eligible children. Disabled
children who have limited income and resources, or who come from homes with limited
income and resources, may be eligible to receive social security, or specifically,
Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Children can qualify if they meet SSA's definition
of disability and if their income and assets fall within eligibility limits.
Insurance Rates
Modern Maturity article covers what Medicare (50%), Medicaid (15%),
patient (20%), private insurance coverage (10%) and the rest from other sources covers for care.
Shop
for the best rates
MSN
MoneyCentral offers you quick, easy access to online health insurance quotes. Find out what is available in your state. Click on Insurance Quotes
LIFE
INSURANCE
Buying Life Insurance
Before you buy a life insurance policy, you should compare insurance
rates, choose a trustworthy agent and check the reliability of your insurance
company
Life Insurance Options When it comes to choosing a life insurance
policy, you may feel dazed by your options. Here are the basic
types and the pros and cons of each
Long Term Insurances
What you need to know in planning using this type of insurance.
Medicaid/Medicare
Medicare and Medicaid Differences Explained - A comparison between Medicare and Medicaid
and explanations of both types of coverage. People are often confused about the differences between Medicare and Medicaid.
Eligibility for Medicare is not tied to individual need. Rather, it is an entitlement program; you are entitled to it because
you or your spouse paid for it through Social Security taxes. Medicaid, on the other hand, is a federal program for low-income,
financially needy people, set up by the federal government and administered differently in each state. Although you may qualify
and receive coverage from both Medicare and Medicaid, there are separate eligibility requirements for each program; being
eligible for one program does not necessarily mean you are eligible for the other.
Benefits-Legal Help SSI, Medicare, Medicaid
Etc. - Using Creative Alimony, Child Support and Property
Settlements to Maximize SSI and Medicaid. This article was written by a Family Law Attorney for Neigh-borhood Legal Services
and provides an excellent description of Social Security, SSI, Medicare and Medicaid as well as providing examples of how
using things such as "creative alimony", child support and property settle-ments can be used to maximize SSI and Medicaid specially for a child with disabilities.
The first part
discusses each of the programs, qualifications, expected payments, limitations, etc. What I did not know is, under "Early
and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment"
(EPSDT) " a state must provide to Medicaid
beneficiaries under age 21 any service among those listed in the Medicaid Act, including optional services, whether or not the service is included in the state's Medicaid plan or is provided to adults."
Toll free numbers and contact information
for all USA Medicaid offices
Medicaid is a jointly-funded, Federal-State health insurance program for certain low-income and needy people. It covers approx-imately
36 million individuals including children, the aged, blind, and/or disabled, and people who are eligible to receive federally assisted income maintenance
payments. This search engine has been specifically
designed to help you locate the information you are looking for as easily and quickly as possible.as
Fact: Medicare offers health and disability
insurance to retirees who never had a chance at insurance before the government-sponsored program was begun in 1996. Myth: Medicare covers all of a persons medical expenses. If you believe that, you could end up destitute like many senior citizens before the Social
Security Act of 1966, which established Medicare. Click
above to read full article.
Several valuable resources from the Medicare Rights Center
(MRC) |
Medicaid/Medicare continued
HCFA, administers Medicare, the nation's largest health insurance program, which covers over 39 million Americans. Following are HCFA documents.
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information for physicians,
providers, researchers, analysts, and others
Medicare FAQ From Nolo.law
Answers to frequently asked questions about What is Medicare? Who is eligible for Medicare Part A coverage? How much of my
bill will Medicare Part A pay? What kinds of costs does Medicare Part B cover?How much of my bill will Medicare Part B pay?
An explanation of Medicare's home health care coverage.
(21 pages) Available in English, Chinese and Spanish.
Medicare Basics; About Medicare Health Plan Choices and Supple-mental Coverage; About Health Care Choices; About Your Rights and Protections;
Health Information;Medicare Q&A's
Several valuable resources from the Medicare Rights Center (MRC)
Medicare Rights-Home Health & Hospice- On line Consumer Booklet from Medicare
Rights Center (MRC) which is
a not-for-profit organization dedicated
to ensuring that older adults and people with disabilities get good, affordable health care.
From Nolo.law
Minding the Gap in Medicare Coverage -If you're ill or seriously injured, Medicare won't cover all your expenses. Here's what you need to know about
the policies designed to pick up the slack, called Medigap
insurance.
Who Benefits From Medicare Managed Care?-You'll be in a better position to weigh the costs and benefits of Medicare managed care plans if you understand how insurance
companies and doctors make money through them.
Personal Injury
The following are provided in case you have suffered a personal injury leading to your current health
condition.
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- FAQs
A few types of injuries and accidents
almost always require that you consult a lawyer.
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Negotiating With an Insurance Company -After you submit your demand
letter to an insurance company, it's time to
negotiate. Here are some things you can do and say to
ensure a just and speedy resolution of your claim.
Pre-existing Conditions
Many people worry about coverage for pre-existing conditions,
especially when they
change jobs. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) helps assure continued health insurance
coverage for employees and their dependents. Starting
July 1, 1997, insurers could impose only one 12-month
waiting period for any pre-existing condition treated
or diagnosed in the previous six months.
Your prior health insurance coverage will be credited toward
the pre-existing condition
exclusion period as long as you have main-tained continuous
coverage without a break of more than 62 days. Pregnancy is not considered a pre-existing
condition, and newborns and adopted children who are covered within 30 days are not subject to the 12-month waiting period.
If you have had group health coverage for two years, and you
switch jobs and go to
another plan, that new health plan cannot impose another pre-existing
condition exclusion period. If, for example, you have
had prior coverage of only eight months, you may be subject to a four-month, pre-existing condition exclusion period when you switch jobs. If you've never been covered by an employers group plan, and you
get a job that offers such coverage, you may be subject
to a 12-month, preexisting condition waiting period.
Federal law also makes it easier for you to get individual
insurance under certain situations, including if you have
left a job where you had group health insurance, or had
another plan for more than 18 months without a break of more than 62 days.
If you have not been covered under a group plan and have found
it difficult to get insurance on your own, check with
your state insurance department to see if your state has
a risk pool. Similar to risk pools for automobile insurance, these can provide health insurance for people who cannot get it elsewhere.
Prescription Drug Programs
No Insurance? Try Siding Scale Savings - Most states aren't allowed to tell you about the payment sliding scale they can offer you for medical
services but by asking for it, you can get a 40 to
60% decrease in their service charges! Tell them before getting the service that you are "Self-Paid and want their sliding scale discount". Most hospitals, walk-in clinics, and physician's will offer this
discount. You can not have any other insurance
ie must be self-paid.
Social Security Programs
Social Security Benefits
A complete desk reference to SSI eligibility
Eligibility requirements for non-citizens
SSI Fact Sheet - For a free copy of the AARP SSI
Fact Sheet, which provides more information on this benefit, send
an e-mail to member@aarp.org with your name, your full postal mailing address, and the title and stock number (D14755) of the publication.
Disability Evaluation Book Now On-line!Explains how each disability program works, and shows what kind of information health professionals
can furnish to help ensure prompt, sound decisions on disability claims.
SSI pays monthly cash benefits to individuals who have both limited
income and limited resources. The Social Security Administration administers
this federal program. If eligible, individuals may receive both SSI and Social Security
benefits. And, in most states, a person who receives SSI benefits is automatically
eligible for health benefits under Medicaid. What You Should Know
Areas
about which you should be concerned: Social Security and its various permutations, Medicare, pensions and retirement planning.
What Insurances Should You Avoid?
What type of health insurance should I avoid? - From CNBC: When buying health insurance, its important to remember that you want to purchase the
broadest coverage possible. A good, broad policy will cover just about every medical problem you encounter, regardless
of how you get it or where. As a result, you can usually avoid "narrow" insurance policies that will pay only under unusual
circumstances. Here are some health-related policies you can probably live without (go
to link).
Viaticals: Investing money in a way that supposedly helps
a terminally ill person. Sounds good, doesn't it? But things are not always what they
seem. Falling for these investments may be a good way to lose your money.
When you hear "viaticals," watch out! What You Need to Know
WORK RELATED
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