Archive for the ‘HSA’ Category

HSA changes booklet arrives 1/28/2008, with effective date 1/1/2008 and cover date 7/07

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

Why did I just get a “clarifications and changes” document in the mail yesterday, when the effective date on the “clarifications and changes” was 28 days prior, and the date that the information was prepared is listed as 7/07? Shouldn’t I have gotten the information sooner? What if I had made a claim in the new year, but didn’t receive the changes until today? It’s not as though the insurer didn’t have the changes – they probably filed them with the State of North Carolina in July of ‘07.

My preference would be to get the changes a month or two before they became effective, so that if I had any issue I could take action and make changes. Fortunately the changes won’t impact us, but it would have been nice to be notified ahead of time.

Jonathan Pletzke is a consumer expert on health insurance and author of the health insurance book Get a Good Deal on Your Health Insurance Without Getting Ripped-Off, available online and at bookstores nationally. Additional details can be found at the consumers health insurance book and resources website www.BestHealthInsuranceBook.com. Copyright 2007-2008 Aji Publishing.

Posted in Consumer Health Insurance, Health Insurance, HSA, policy changes | No Comments »

Health Insurance Co-Payments Studied

Monday, January 28th, 2008

I just came across a report on the UPI Newswire where information about a study titled “Co-payments as low as $12 deter women from getting mammograms” by Dr. Amal Trivedi. According to this article, the study found that 8% less women were having their annual mammogram when the copayment was $12 versus when there was no copayment at all. I’d need to look at the study further to know whether the populations of women were socio-economically, geographically, and industry neutral, because I can see a lot of differences in attitude based on these factors.

What I think the important message is from the study, regardless of any population related skewing, is that people will skip having preventative medical screenings if there is a cost. This confirms what other studies have said about people without health insurance postponing care until disease has progressed very far, and therefore having a lower chance of a successful recovery.

What does this say for HSA’s? Do people with High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP) that don’t offer covered wellness features have a lower chance of beating serious disease? Is the problem with delivery of health services for what appears to be a very low price? Perhaps we should focus on other reasons that people would avoid an uncomfortable health screening besides cost. What about not having evening and weekend hours? Or a clinic nearby? I bet that we’d find noticeable percentages in these factors, too. Maybe the provider offerings available in different plans would also make a difference in the rate at which people went. Choosing between an unpleasant clinic and a nice one might also make a difference.

I welcome more studies along these lines. We can have the greatest health care available, but if people don’t take advantage of it, for even $12, we have a problem.

Jonathan Pletzke is a consumer expert on health insurance and author of the health insurance book Get a Good Deal on Your Health Insurance Without Getting Ripped-Off, available online and at bookstores nationally. Additional details can be found at the consumers health insurance book and resources website www.BestHealthInsuranceBook.com. Copyright 2007-2008 Aji Publishing.

Posted in co-payments, Consumer Health Insurance, HDHP, Health Insurance, HSA, mammograms | No Comments »