|
Share of Cost, Alternative to Dental InsuranceOther Alternatives If you belong to a professional association, you might be eligible for a dental insurance or discount dental plan. Many associations partner with a PPO to provide their members with dental plans that offer very comprehensive insurance coverage at more affordable prices Share of Cost – End of Senior PenaltyGovernor Newsom and our State Legislature have finalized the 2019-2020 budget and in it is much good news for our state’s older adults. One of the top wins is the end of the senior penalty in the Medi-Cal program; other wins include the expansion of many key programs serving and supporting older adults. This good news, on top of the executive order for creating a statewide Master Plan for Aging, marks a great start to this fiscal year and our new Governor’s term. The elimination of the senior penalty means that approximately 27,000 more seniors and people with disabilities will be eligible for free Medi-Cal. Starting no sooner than January 1, 2020, California will increase the Aged and Disabled Medi-Cal income eligibility limit to 138% FPL to match that of other Medi-Cal programs. This a huge win that CHA and many advocates statewide have been fighting for for years. Source: California Heath Advocates SOC, What is Peptic Ulcer DiseasePeptic Ulcer Disease: is when the lining of the stomach or small intestine has been damaged by a bacterial infection or by taking too much of certain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti infammatory drugs. SOC -Where to Buy Affordable Dental PlansYou can obtain quotes for more affordable dental insurance plans from companies online and through your local insurance agent or broker. Please keep in mind that there are many web sites who give the appearance of selling dental insurance but instead only offer a dental discount plan which is not insurance. Your dentist may also have affordable dental plan options available to patients. Ask the receptionist if they partner with a dental plan company and see if one might be right for you. SOC – Affordable Dental Plans – HMOAffordable dental insurance plans from an HMO have a limited pool of dentist to select, but it is a more affordable insurance plan. If you are self employed and looking for a more affordable dental plan, a discount dental plan may be an alternative. Discount dental plans are not dental insurance plans. A discount plan partners with dentists to provide customers with a savings on visits to the dentist office. The downside to discount dental plans is that they are not regulated and you have limited recourse if you experience dental plan problems. Affordable Dental Insurance Plans, Share of CostAccording to the National Association of Dental Plans, approximately half of the U.S. population does not have an affordable dental plan. The cost for affordable dental insurance can vary. Therefore, it is important to understand all your options in obtaining the most affordable dental plan coverage. The company where you work may provide the most affordable dental insurance plan options. Dental insurance plans for individual and families are usually an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) or a PPO (Preferred Provided Organization) and operate much like traditional health insurance organizations. Share of Cost, ADHDADHD: Could maternal depression be the cause? ADHD is growing in prevalence, however, we are still no nearer to understanding why ADHD occurs. New research asks whether maternal depression might be the key. Share of Cost, The Ten Causes of Epigastric PainEpigastric pain is a common sympton of an upset stomach, which may be due to long term gastrointestinal issues or just an occasional bout of indigestion Below is a list of the ten causes of Epigastric Pain
Share of Cost on Your Care ProviderThere are limitations on the number of hours provided per task that your care provide can do. Such as, your care provider cannot spend more than six hours per month on domestic services or more than one hour per week shopping for food. If you can show that you need more time for a specific service, your county IHSS worker will see if additional hours can be authorized to meet your needs. Share of Cost IssuesQuestion: What can I do if I have a problem with my share of cost? Reply: You can complain if you think that you have a problem with your share of cost: • If you should be getting free Medi-Cal To Complain
Share of Cost, Watch Out for Romance ScamsWith Valentine’s Day upon us, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reminds elders to be aware of romance scams and to “guard your wallet as well as your heart.” Below is an article from the CFPB on what to watch out for and how to protect yourself from such scams. If you or your friends and family members are looking for romance, make sure to be choosy about that next sweetheart because anyone can become a victim of a romance scam . Perhaps your friend meets someone new and they both seem smitten quickly. After a few weeks, the new darling asks your friend to loan them money or wants control over your friend’s bank account. And that’s when you realize that your friend has fallen for a scam instead of a new love. These scams happen when a new love pretends to be interested in you as a way to get your money. In fact, they may not even be who they say they are. Romance scammers focus on single people, often older adults who might be more trusting. Widows and widowers, LGBT elders, and isolated single adults are common targets, but scammers look for anyone eager for a new relationship. Romance scams can happen in person, but often happen online through social media or dating websites and smartphone apps. Here are some common scenarios that may be a scam:
Romance scams are not limited to Valentine’s Day, so be smart about who you connect with, and save yourself the worry about Cupid’s arrow striking your wallet instead of your heart! Here are some ways you can protect yourself and your friends and family from romance scams:
Share of Cost, How does stress make us ill?Psychological stress is a well-known risk factor for illness, but how exactly does it make us sick? A new study has provided some interesting insight. Researchers help to explain how stress can make us sick. Researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing have revealed how a protein known as corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtype 1 (CRF1) responds to stress by sending signals to specific immune cells. This causes immune cells to release chemical substances that can trigger a host of diseases, including asthma, lupus, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Share of Cost, Do You Know People Who May Be Eligible for Part D’s Extra Help?Do you know people who are struggling to pay their Medicare Part D prescription drug costs? If so, they may qualify for help through Medicare’s Part D low-income subsidy (LIS), also known as Extra Help. For those who qualify, the Extra Help can save them thousands of dollars a year by helping cover the cost of their Part D plan premium, deductible and drug copayments. Despite how good these benefits are, many people who qualify are unaware of this program. Please help us reach those not yet enrolled by passing on the word on the Extra Help program and encouraging people to apply. (Note: the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) can also help cover some of Medicare’s costs for those who qualify, and save beneficiaries thousands of dollars a year.) Below are 5 good enticing facts to know about Medicare Part D’s Extra Help, taken from the National Center on Law and Elder Rights.
Share of Cost, hat State or Federal laws, regulations, or policies or restrict competition and choice in healthcare marketsWhat State or Federal laws, regulations, or policies (including Medicare, Medicaid, and other sources of payment) reduce or restrict competition and choice in healthcare markets? Medicare can be confusing or even overwhelming, especially when a person has chronic illness, limited resources, or a lack of help. Choosing among traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare Part D, and supplemental or “Medigap” options can make it almost paralyzingly complex. We rely on people with Medicare to make informed, savvy choices—in other words, to “vote with their feet”—so that competition can reward plan innovations that work, identify bad actors and problematic behaviors, and reduce both beneficiary and program costs. Yet, studies show that older adults struggle to compare plans1 and often do not change MA or Part D plans even when doing so may lead to lower premiums and reduced cost-sharing.2 To put it simply—people with Medicare are overwhelmed with information, but it may not be the information they need. As policymakers consider putting beneficiaries on the hook for plan and health care choices, the absence of quality, useful information becomes increasingly punitive. We cannot support proposals that will shift costs to people with Medicare, penalize them for failing to make optimum choices, or otherwise transfer burdens onto their shoulders. Doing so becomes especially egregious when people are kept in the dark about what their choices are or what they might mean. The existing resources are insufficient. They must be improved before new complexities are added. Currently the only Medicare choice tool is Plan Finder. While Plan Finder allows head- to-head comparisons of prescription drug plans, its utility is limited as it does not even allow a beneficiary to search across plans for particular providers. And there is no adequately-resourced tool to fill the gaps. The vital State Health Insurance Assistance (SHIP) program, which offers one-on-one personalized assistance,3 is woefully underfunded, faces challenges meeting current demands, and is constantly under threat.4 1-800- MEDICARE, while a needed resource, is no substitute for in-person assistance. We urge the administration not to move forward with any proposals to increase plan flexibility that would also further complicate beneficiary choice until adequate tools and resources are available for beneficiaries to effectively evaluate and compare their options. We also note that as plan offerings become more complex, the administration’s responsibility to oversee plans appears to be getting less emphasis. Such oversight is an obligation that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) owes to beneficiaries, and is only increased by increasing complexity. We might point out that CMS’s inability to negotiate prices for prescription drugs further compounds beneficiaries’ options, as plans are free to choose the pharmaceutical benefit managers that give them the “best price for a restricted formulary” regardless of how it will impact the beneficiary. Recently an 81 year old beneficiary with diminished capabilities succumbed to marketing mailers from a United Healthcare plan endorsed by AARP and enrolled in a Medicare Advantage HMO plan without understanding the implications of her decision. She just “trusted AARP!” The local HICAP (California’s SHIP) will attempt to unravel her situation to ensure that she and her daughter understand the consequences of her decision, and make any needed changes based on her unique circumstances.
Share of Cost, More on Medically Needy Program How it WorksYou do not need to show that you actually paid the medical expenses to meet your spend-down. You just have to show proof that you incurred the expenses. States vary in what kind of expenses are allowed, but all states give credit for Medicare and other health insurance premiums. Share of Cost, About the Xiphoid Process
|