The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (WHCRA)

What every woman should know about

The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (WHCRA)

The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 was put in to protect individuals who elect to have breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomies due to breast cancer.  This law states if your group health plan covers mastectomies, the plan must provide certain reconstructive surgery and other post-mastectomy benefits to rebuild/reconstruct a woman’s breast after a mastectomy; to produce a symmetrical appearance, (looks almost identical to the other breast), and prostheses and treatment of physical complications at all stages of the mastectomy.  Even if you’ve had a mastectomy for a non-cancerous condition the rule still applies.  As always, there are exceptions to this law.  Certain plans that are church plans or governmental plans may not be subject to this law, so it would be in your best interest to check with your plan administrator to verify if you have this benefit. All your health benefits costs would still apply to this service, such as co-insurance cost, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses.  For more information about your WHCRA rights, contact the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration @ 866/444-3272 or visit the EBSA Website @ http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/ and click on the Contact Us for the addresses of the 15 field offices that can assist you.  You can also request a copy of Your Health Plan and HIPAA…Making the Law Work for You and a list of all publications from the Employee Benefits Security Administration.

I'm back......

I’m back.  Yes, I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted, and yes I could rattle off tons of excuses, but I’ll save you all wear and tear on your eyes and just start blogging again.  New changes are coming to my blog.  I’ll be altering the format somewhat.  Not only will I post about understanding your insurance claims, but I’ve decided to add some general health information.  I wish I could say I was abreast of all the current issues there are today, but just like you, I get my information from many sources.  Many of these ideas will come from the internet, magazines, newspapers, television and my own personal experiences.  I’ll try to consistently blog on Monday’s again, hence the word try.   If there are any health-related topics you would like me to blog about, please feel free to email me as well.  My next blog will be about Women’s Health and Caner Rights Act of 1998.  Looking forward to seeing you on Monday.

New Requirements for Health Insurers

Did you know that by March 2012 the Department of Health and Human Services will require that all health insurers provide easy-to-understand information that clearly states the plan's annual premium, dedictible, exclusions and other costs?  This is to help consumers wade through all the confusing definitions, rules and exclusions so they can make effective decisions when choosing health insurance.   When in doubt, always verify any information that is confusing or you may not understand with your Human Resouces Manager and/or your insurance broker.

Health Vault

I came across an article the other day about a way you can keep your medical records and reports online and easily accessible.  I haven't really delved into it yet, but from what I see, it looks like it would be worth a look-see.  It's call Health Vault....      www.healthvault.com

You need to sign up for it and create a user name and password.  Once you've gone through the free registration you will be able to:

Get your medical records in one place:

You can track and manage prescriptions and chronic conditions, organize your medical records in one place so that it's available to you when and where you need it.

Prepare for an emergency:

Whether you travel, have kids, or are a caregiver, getting timely information to the right person can be vital.

 

Tools to care for your family:

With all of your family's info in one easily accessible place, you're always prepared, for everyday doctor visits or emergencies.

 

There is also a Get Healthy section where it gives you tips on firing up your fitness program.

 

Thee is also a Newsletter you can sign up for that will keep you up with the latest health tools and tips.

 

I know I'll be looking into this soon, and will share any further ideas I have about it with you. 

 

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/healthvault/get-healthy/fitness.aspx 

Challenge Questions 6 - 10

Now you've had a chance to test your knowledge on a few insurance basics.   Of course, like any good teacher would tell you, there's always room for more.....which brings me to questions 6 - 10.  They're still basic concepts, but hopefully you'll learn something new from these questions.

True or False

1.      Your doctor can make you pay the contracted adjustments that are not allowed by your PPO insurance that he participates with.

2.      You can only have one insurance policy for billing purposes.

3.      If you go to a contracted provider that takes your insurance, the provider must write off all of the contracted adjustments.

4.      Your doctor can share information about you to other sources without your permission.

5.      Your doctor can bill you for your deductible if your insurance applies it towards his claim.

I'm Back - (Pre-test Questions #1-5)

As you may have noticed, I haven't been posting for the last two months.  Summer has arrived along with my very first grandson Carter.  It’s been a crazy couple of months.  My daughter developed a severe form of pre-eclampsia called HELLP.  It's basically where your liver gets out-of-whack and the enzymes start destroying your red blood cells, as well as your blood pressure goes sky-high.  Needless to say she had to have an emergency C-section under general anesthetic and blood transfusions.  Baby Carter was in the NICU for a week (as he was 3.5 weeks early), but all is well with both mother and baby now. 

Back to the Blog:

For the next couple of weeks I'll be giving you some challenge questions.  These questions all come from my ebook in the form of a pre-test.  Hopefully after you've read my book, you will know the answers to these questions. I'll post five questions at a time and you can see if you know the answers.  If you do, you can email them to me or respond on my blog.  If you would like the answers, email me as well.  I haven't decided if I'll openly post the answers yet or not. 

True or False

1.      Your doctor can charge your insurance company any price that they want.

2.      If you have a HMO, you can go anywhere you want for services and your insurance company will pay the charges.  

3.      A deductible and co-pay mean the exact same thing.

4.      All insurance companies pay the same.

5.      COBRA law allows you to purchase health insurance if you get laid off.

Good Luck

Happy 4th of July

Make it a Happy and Safe One and Remember to Honor Those who Fought for our Freedom!