Jun
30
Health Insurance: Health Savings Account
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Timothy Simmons asked:
Health insurance is a critical part of our health care system. For those that are lucky enough to have health insurance, they know that it shouldn’t be taken for granted. For a large number of the unfortunate who don’t have health insurance for their families, do so at great risks.
Health insurance has long been a popular political subject for our country. There are many that fill health insurance should be socialized. There are just as many feel it should be kept private. While both parties may have sound arguments, we have to accept what is available to us. So, unless you’re a government employee, or one of the dwindling corporate employees still receiving health insurance, you need to go out there and get it on your own.
There are a number of health insurance choices that should suit your specific needs. A Health Maintenance Organization, or more commonly called HMO, is one popular health insurance choice. HMOs are one of the most common forms of health insurance provided by employers. They allow you to visit a pre-selected hospital, doctors, or clinics, without restriction. This may or may not be totally covered by your employer, but usually comes at a fixed monthly cost.
The Preferred Provider Organization, or the PPO, is similar to the HMO concept. With the PPO, you are not forced to get a little dig their doctor or hospital. When you do, however, you receive a discount for doing so. This system works on the reimbursement, philosophy. Essentially, you are reimbursed by your insurance company after services are rendered. Sometimes, they will bill your insurer at the time of service.
Indemnity health insurance plans are eight other top and plan that has become quite popular these days. One reason is, you are able to choose any position or hospital you choose. The drawback to this of course is that it comes at a premium. In addition to higher costs ease typically require a larger deductible. For the hypochondriac this may not be the best choice. Those that like to make lots of visits to hospitals might find other plans more suitable. But for those that have to be on their deathbed to see a doctor, this may be an appropriate plan.
The Health Savings Account, HSA, has some similarities to the indemnity health insurance plans. As the Health Savings Account is probably most suitable to the individual that doesn’t require a lot health care, or checkups. These individuals, which most commonly are men, may find the Health Savings Account to be a good choice for them.
Health Savings Accounts are a way to both have a way to save and pay for medical expenses. Any contributions that are made to the Health Savings Account that go unused for medical purposes are retained in a savings account. This savings account can hold many popular investments, such as mutual funds. So, getting back to the individual that avoids medical care, this individual gifts for both best of both worlds. They get the protection of the much-needed health insurance. This provides protection against large medical or accident issues. But, if these funds go unused, they get the benefit of putting the money away for retirement. Any after-tax dollars that are contributed to the Health Savings Account can be detected, up to $2900 for 2008.
Choosing a health insurance plan may seem like a very confusing process. There is no open and shut method of choosing the best health insurance. Each individual is different, with different health needs. The most important step here is to get some form of health insurance. Go in without adequate health insurance puts you and your family at tremendous risks. And those risks just aren’t worth the possible consequences.
Doyle
Health insurance is a critical part of our health care system. For those that are lucky enough to have health insurance, they know that it shouldn’t be taken for granted. For a large number of the unfortunate who don’t have health insurance for their families, do so at great risks.
Health insurance has long been a popular political subject for our country. There are many that fill health insurance should be socialized. There are just as many feel it should be kept private. While both parties may have sound arguments, we have to accept what is available to us. So, unless you’re a government employee, or one of the dwindling corporate employees still receiving health insurance, you need to go out there and get it on your own.
There are a number of health insurance choices that should suit your specific needs. A Health Maintenance Organization, or more commonly called HMO, is one popular health insurance choice. HMOs are one of the most common forms of health insurance provided by employers. They allow you to visit a pre-selected hospital, doctors, or clinics, without restriction. This may or may not be totally covered by your employer, but usually comes at a fixed monthly cost.
The Preferred Provider Organization, or the PPO, is similar to the HMO concept. With the PPO, you are not forced to get a little dig their doctor or hospital. When you do, however, you receive a discount for doing so. This system works on the reimbursement, philosophy. Essentially, you are reimbursed by your insurance company after services are rendered. Sometimes, they will bill your insurer at the time of service.
Indemnity health insurance plans are eight other top and plan that has become quite popular these days. One reason is, you are able to choose any position or hospital you choose. The drawback to this of course is that it comes at a premium. In addition to higher costs ease typically require a larger deductible. For the hypochondriac this may not be the best choice. Those that like to make lots of visits to hospitals might find other plans more suitable. But for those that have to be on their deathbed to see a doctor, this may be an appropriate plan.
The Health Savings Account, HSA, has some similarities to the indemnity health insurance plans. As the Health Savings Account is probably most suitable to the individual that doesn’t require a lot health care, or checkups. These individuals, which most commonly are men, may find the Health Savings Account to be a good choice for them.
Health Savings Accounts are a way to both have a way to save and pay for medical expenses. Any contributions that are made to the Health Savings Account that go unused for medical purposes are retained in a savings account. This savings account can hold many popular investments, such as mutual funds. So, getting back to the individual that avoids medical care, this individual gifts for both best of both worlds. They get the protection of the much-needed health insurance. This provides protection against large medical or accident issues. But, if these funds go unused, they get the benefit of putting the money away for retirement. Any after-tax dollars that are contributed to the Health Savings Account can be detected, up to $2900 for 2008.
Choosing a health insurance plan may seem like a very confusing process. There is no open and shut method of choosing the best health insurance. Each individual is different, with different health needs. The most important step here is to get some form of health insurance. Go in without adequate health insurance puts you and your family at tremendous risks. And those risks just aren’t worth the possible consequences.
Doyle
Jun
29
ssfinn asked:
Im doing a research paper on the advantages to music in both the prenatal and early development of children, as well as the advantages in medicine that music introduces. Any good websites you may suggest, or books to further the search for info?
Landon
Im doing a research paper on the advantages to music in both the prenatal and early development of children, as well as the advantages in medicine that music introduces. Any good websites you may suggest, or books to further the search for info?
Landon
Jun
27
American Health Care Academy Volunteers at St. Joseph’s Residence
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American Health Care Academy asked:
The American Health Care Academy believes that caretaking provides a purpose in life. Volunteers from the AHCA spent an afternoon at the senior care center at St. Joseph’s Residence on October 17, 2008 to bring good will and companionships to the residents.
St. Joseph’s Residence, www.stjr.org, is an assisted living facility in Dallas that has been operating for 50 years. Run by the Bethlemite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus They are one of America’s best long term care providers and work with residents to provide assisted living for single men, women and married couples over the age 65. The Sisters pride themselves on giving a high quality of life that includes annual field trips, daily activities and programs and social gatherings in a beautiful park-like setting.
The staff of American Health Care Academy began a volunteer program as a way of giving back to the community. The residents at St. Joseph’s started the afternoon with a rousing, hour long game of BINGO! Everyone loves to play and high participation kept everyone laughing and having a good time. Winners were given prizes which they treasured.
After BINGO, the staff set up a craft activity and assisted residents in preparing and decorating picture frames. The idea was to actively engage the seniors in helping to make a gift they could give to loved ones or family members. Many residents worked closely with American Health Care Academy volunteers to create special works of art to give as gifts to the sisters who run St. Joseph’s Residence or keep and put pictures of their loved one in them. The Bethlemite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were very appreciative of the thoughtfulness of the residents and of the participation of AHCA volunteers.
The American Health Care Academy offers nationally certified Online CPR classes. Online training allows flexibility and paced learning that many people respond well to. When the CPR certification class is complete, people have a stronger ability to respond to emergency situations.
American Health Care Academy at www.cpraedcourse.com help prepare people to respond during a crisis. CPR classes are specifically designed to deliver quality education and training through an online format that can be applied to work with adult, children, or infants.
Hector
The American Health Care Academy believes that caretaking provides a purpose in life. Volunteers from the AHCA spent an afternoon at the senior care center at St. Joseph’s Residence on October 17, 2008 to bring good will and companionships to the residents.
St. Joseph’s Residence, www.stjr.org, is an assisted living facility in Dallas that has been operating for 50 years. Run by the Bethlemite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus They are one of America’s best long term care providers and work with residents to provide assisted living for single men, women and married couples over the age 65. The Sisters pride themselves on giving a high quality of life that includes annual field trips, daily activities and programs and social gatherings in a beautiful park-like setting.
The staff of American Health Care Academy began a volunteer program as a way of giving back to the community. The residents at St. Joseph’s started the afternoon with a rousing, hour long game of BINGO! Everyone loves to play and high participation kept everyone laughing and having a good time. Winners were given prizes which they treasured.
After BINGO, the staff set up a craft activity and assisted residents in preparing and decorating picture frames. The idea was to actively engage the seniors in helping to make a gift they could give to loved ones or family members. Many residents worked closely with American Health Care Academy volunteers to create special works of art to give as gifts to the sisters who run St. Joseph’s Residence or keep and put pictures of their loved one in them. The Bethlemite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were very appreciative of the thoughtfulness of the residents and of the participation of AHCA volunteers.
The American Health Care Academy offers nationally certified Online CPR classes. Online training allows flexibility and paced learning that many people respond well to. When the CPR certification class is complete, people have a stronger ability to respond to emergency situations.
American Health Care Academy at www.cpraedcourse.com help prepare people to respond during a crisis. CPR classes are specifically designed to deliver quality education and training through an online format that can be applied to work with adult, children, or infants.
Hector
Jun
27
Why You Need Health Insurance
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Nitin Gupta asked:
The United States does not have socialized medical care. If you have no health insurance coverage, you have to pay for health care out of your own finances at the time of service. This can run into many thousands of dollars for serious illnesses.
You buy health insurance for the same reason you buy other kinds of insurance: to protect yourself financially. With health insurance, you protect yourself and your family in case you need medical care that could be very expensive.
You cannot predict what your medical bills will be. In a good year, your costs may be low. But if you become ill, your bills could be very high. If you have health insurance, many of your costs are covered by a third-party payer, not by you. A third-party payer can be an insurance company or, in some cases, it can be your employer.
Many people in the United States are enrolled in some sort of managed care health insurance plan. This is an organized way of both providing services and paying for them. Different types of managed care plans work differently and include preferred provider organizations (PPOs), health maintenance organizations (HMOs), point-of-service (POS) plans and fee-for-service plans.
Individuals enrolled in health care plans pay a monthly or quarterly fee as insurance for the time when they will need medical attention. At the time when a service is provided, the health insurance organization pays part or all of the fee, minimizing the amount you have to pay at the time you receive the service.
The information presented here will help you choose a health insurance plan that is right for you. If you are married or single, have children or no children, this information will help you to find out how to choose a health insurance plan that best meets your needs and your financial circumstances. Definitions of the health insurance terms used are included in the section called Understanding Health Insurance Terms.
Understanding Health Insurance Terms
Coinsurance
The amount you are required to pay for medical care in a fee-for-service plan after you have met your deductible. The coinsurance rate is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, if the health insurance company pays 80 percent of the claim, you pay 20 percent.
Coordination of Benefits
A system to eliminate duplication of benefits when you are covered under more than one group plan. Benefits under the two plans usually are limited to no more than 100 percent of the claim.
Co-payment
Another way of sharing medical costs. You pay a flat fee every time you receive a medical service (for example, $5 for every visit to the doctor). The health insurance company pays the rest.
Covered Expenses
Most health insurance plans, whether they are fee-for-service, HMOs, or PPOs, do not pay for all services. Some may not pay for prescription drugs. Others may not pay for mental health care. Covered services are those medical procedures the insurer agrees to pay for. They are listed in the health insurance policy.
Customary Fee
Most health insurance plans will pay only what they call a reasonable and customary fee for a particular service. If your doctor charges $1,000 for a hernia repair while most doctors in your area charge only $600, you will be billed for the $400 difference. This is in addition to the deductible and coinsurance you would be expected to pay. To avoid this additional cost, ask your doctor to accept your health insurance company’s payment as full payment. Or shop around to find a doctor who will. Otherwise you will have to pay the rest yourself.
Deductible
The amount of money you must pay each year to cover your medical care expenses before your health insurance policy starts paying.
Exclusions
Specific conditions or circumstances for which the policy will not provide benefits.
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)
Prepaid health plans. You pay a monthly premium and the HMO covers your doctors’ visits, hospital stays, emergency care, surgery, checkups, lab tests, x-rays, and therapy. You must use the doctors and hospitals designated by the HMO.
Managed Care
Ways to manage costs, use, and quality of the health care system. All HMOs and PPOs, and many fee-for-service plans, have managed care.
Maximum Out-of-Pocket Expenses
The most money you will be required pay a year for deductibles and coinsurance. It is a stated dollar amount set by the health insurance company, in addition to regular premiums.
Non-cancellable Policy
A policy that guarantees you can receive health insurance, as long as you pay the premium. It is also called a guaranteed renewable policy.
PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
A combination of traditional fee-for-service and an HMO. When you use the doctors and hospitals that are part of the PPO, you can have a larger part of your medical bills covered. You can use other doctors, but at a higher cost.
Pre-existing Condition
A health problem that existed before the date your health insurance became effective.
Premium
The amount you or your employer pays in exchange for health insurance coverage. Primary Care Doctor
Usually your first contact for health care. This is often a family physician or internist, but some women use their gynecologist. A primary care doctor monitors your health and diagnoses and treats minor health problems, and refers you to specialists if another level of care is needed. In many health insurance plans, care by specialists is only paid for if your are referred by your primary care doctor. An HMO or a POS plan will provide you with a list of doctors from which you will choose your primary care doctor (usually a family physician, internists, obstetrician-gynecologist, or pedicatrician). This could mean you might have to choose a new primary care doctor if your current one does not belong to the plan. PPOs allow members to use primary care doctors outside the PPO network (at a higher cost). Indemnity plans allow any doctor to be used. Provider
Any person (doctor, nurse, dentist) or institution (hospital or clinic) that provides medical care.
Third-Party Payer
Any payer for health care services other than you. This can be an insurance company, an HMO, a PPO, or the Federal Government
Donald
The United States does not have socialized medical care. If you have no health insurance coverage, you have to pay for health care out of your own finances at the time of service. This can run into many thousands of dollars for serious illnesses.
You buy health insurance for the same reason you buy other kinds of insurance: to protect yourself financially. With health insurance, you protect yourself and your family in case you need medical care that could be very expensive.
You cannot predict what your medical bills will be. In a good year, your costs may be low. But if you become ill, your bills could be very high. If you have health insurance, many of your costs are covered by a third-party payer, not by you. A third-party payer can be an insurance company or, in some cases, it can be your employer.
Many people in the United States are enrolled in some sort of managed care health insurance plan. This is an organized way of both providing services and paying for them. Different types of managed care plans work differently and include preferred provider organizations (PPOs), health maintenance organizations (HMOs), point-of-service (POS) plans and fee-for-service plans.
Individuals enrolled in health care plans pay a monthly or quarterly fee as insurance for the time when they will need medical attention. At the time when a service is provided, the health insurance organization pays part or all of the fee, minimizing the amount you have to pay at the time you receive the service.
The information presented here will help you choose a health insurance plan that is right for you. If you are married or single, have children or no children, this information will help you to find out how to choose a health insurance plan that best meets your needs and your financial circumstances. Definitions of the health insurance terms used are included in the section called Understanding Health Insurance Terms.
Understanding Health Insurance Terms
Coinsurance
The amount you are required to pay for medical care in a fee-for-service plan after you have met your deductible. The coinsurance rate is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, if the health insurance company pays 80 percent of the claim, you pay 20 percent.
Coordination of Benefits
A system to eliminate duplication of benefits when you are covered under more than one group plan. Benefits under the two plans usually are limited to no more than 100 percent of the claim.
Co-payment
Another way of sharing medical costs. You pay a flat fee every time you receive a medical service (for example, $5 for every visit to the doctor). The health insurance company pays the rest.
Covered Expenses
Most health insurance plans, whether they are fee-for-service, HMOs, or PPOs, do not pay for all services. Some may not pay for prescription drugs. Others may not pay for mental health care. Covered services are those medical procedures the insurer agrees to pay for. They are listed in the health insurance policy.
Customary Fee
Most health insurance plans will pay only what they call a reasonable and customary fee for a particular service. If your doctor charges $1,000 for a hernia repair while most doctors in your area charge only $600, you will be billed for the $400 difference. This is in addition to the deductible and coinsurance you would be expected to pay. To avoid this additional cost, ask your doctor to accept your health insurance company’s payment as full payment. Or shop around to find a doctor who will. Otherwise you will have to pay the rest yourself.
Deductible
The amount of money you must pay each year to cover your medical care expenses before your health insurance policy starts paying.
Exclusions
Specific conditions or circumstances for which the policy will not provide benefits.
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)
Prepaid health plans. You pay a monthly premium and the HMO covers your doctors’ visits, hospital stays, emergency care, surgery, checkups, lab tests, x-rays, and therapy. You must use the doctors and hospitals designated by the HMO.
Managed Care
Ways to manage costs, use, and quality of the health care system. All HMOs and PPOs, and many fee-for-service plans, have managed care.
Maximum Out-of-Pocket Expenses
The most money you will be required pay a year for deductibles and coinsurance. It is a stated dollar amount set by the health insurance company, in addition to regular premiums.
Non-cancellable Policy
A policy that guarantees you can receive health insurance, as long as you pay the premium. It is also called a guaranteed renewable policy.
PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
A combination of traditional fee-for-service and an HMO. When you use the doctors and hospitals that are part of the PPO, you can have a larger part of your medical bills covered. You can use other doctors, but at a higher cost.
Pre-existing Condition
A health problem that existed before the date your health insurance became effective.
Premium
The amount you or your employer pays in exchange for health insurance coverage. Primary Care Doctor
Usually your first contact for health care. This is often a family physician or internist, but some women use their gynecologist. A primary care doctor monitors your health and diagnoses and treats minor health problems, and refers you to specialists if another level of care is needed. In many health insurance plans, care by specialists is only paid for if your are referred by your primary care doctor. An HMO or a POS plan will provide you with a list of doctors from which you will choose your primary care doctor (usually a family physician, internists, obstetrician-gynecologist, or pedicatrician). This could mean you might have to choose a new primary care doctor if your current one does not belong to the plan. PPOs allow members to use primary care doctors outside the PPO network (at a higher cost). Indemnity plans allow any doctor to be used. Provider
Any person (doctor, nurse, dentist) or institution (hospital or clinic) that provides medical care.
Third-Party Payer
Any payer for health care services other than you. This can be an insurance company, an HMO, a PPO, or the Federal Government
Donald
Jun
20
Thinking Of Getting Health Insurance?
Filed Under Wellness | Leave a Comment
Uchenna Ani-Okoye asked:
When comparing individual health insurance quotes in the marketplace it is very important that you are comparing plans that have similar policy benefits.
Ask about the limitations of the health insurance coverage as well as the deductibles. Additionally, 14 percent of Ohio residents under the age of sixty-five did not have health insurance during 2005.
Unlike most of your employed counterparts, there is no employer subsidy for your health insurance. Contacting a benefits insurance broker whenever you call or email a health insurance broker, it is very important to prepare ahead of time.
We also find ourselves more stressed about finances and frustrated about escalating health insurance premiums, greater deductibles, larger co-pays and higher taxes.
How much better can it get for those with no health insurance? We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled ‘real time’ application and acceptance experience. They are responsible for paying their own taxes, and you no longer have to pay for health insurance.
Private health insurance should not be confused with permanent health insurance, which is something completely unrelated to medical costs and which pays out an income if you become permanently ill. It was our decision to write so much on health insurance after finding out that there is still so much to learn on health insurance. A recent study showed that 74 percent of standard workers have health insurance through their jobs, compared to only 21 percent of non-standard workers.
Many folks also believe that long term care is covered by health insurance and/or Medicare. This can be car insurance, gas, transportation, health insurance, food, etc. Health insurance portability & accountability act ensures complete security of digital health information that includes - secure storage system and secure transmission of digital information over the Internet.
If you’re interested in premium individual health insurance preferred provider plan at affordable rates, created specifically for young, healthy individuals, you should take a look at precedent.
One business man predicts that if nothing is done and the health insurance premiums keep increasing that in the year 2008, the amount of health premium contribution to employer will surpass their profit. The number of people that are forced to go without health insurance is nothing less than a crisis in this country today.
Voted the number one insurance portal by Florida consumers, Florida Health insurance web, reports nearly three million Floridians without health insurance in Florida. So it does not make sense for them to be paying a high premium for a traditional health insurance plan with co-pay, particularly when their medical treatments are not covered anyway.
You and your family’s health insurance needs will change as well so be sure and add or remove options and benefits to customize the plan to best fit your needs.
A health insurance lead can also be someone who is self-employed and needs to obtain coverage for themselves or their entire family. Smoking will not immediately disqualify you from being approved for health insurance but it really doesn’t help your over all cost. And managed care has capitalized further by applying the medical, disease-based model onto the practice, requiring any and all users of health insurance to declare a diagnosis worthy of treatment.
Increased premiums may drive people who fund their own health insurance out of the system by making personal insurance unaffordable. If you need to get a Florida health insurance quote there are several ways of getting started.
Igor
When comparing individual health insurance quotes in the marketplace it is very important that you are comparing plans that have similar policy benefits.
Ask about the limitations of the health insurance coverage as well as the deductibles. Additionally, 14 percent of Ohio residents under the age of sixty-five did not have health insurance during 2005.
Unlike most of your employed counterparts, there is no employer subsidy for your health insurance. Contacting a benefits insurance broker whenever you call or email a health insurance broker, it is very important to prepare ahead of time.
We also find ourselves more stressed about finances and frustrated about escalating health insurance premiums, greater deductibles, larger co-pays and higher taxes.
How much better can it get for those with no health insurance? We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled ‘real time’ application and acceptance experience. They are responsible for paying their own taxes, and you no longer have to pay for health insurance.
Private health insurance should not be confused with permanent health insurance, which is something completely unrelated to medical costs and which pays out an income if you become permanently ill. It was our decision to write so much on health insurance after finding out that there is still so much to learn on health insurance. A recent study showed that 74 percent of standard workers have health insurance through their jobs, compared to only 21 percent of non-standard workers.
Many folks also believe that long term care is covered by health insurance and/or Medicare. This can be car insurance, gas, transportation, health insurance, food, etc. Health insurance portability & accountability act ensures complete security of digital health information that includes - secure storage system and secure transmission of digital information over the Internet.
If you’re interested in premium individual health insurance preferred provider plan at affordable rates, created specifically for young, healthy individuals, you should take a look at precedent.
One business man predicts that if nothing is done and the health insurance premiums keep increasing that in the year 2008, the amount of health premium contribution to employer will surpass their profit. The number of people that are forced to go without health insurance is nothing less than a crisis in this country today.
Voted the number one insurance portal by Florida consumers, Florida Health insurance web, reports nearly three million Floridians without health insurance in Florida. So it does not make sense for them to be paying a high premium for a traditional health insurance plan with co-pay, particularly when their medical treatments are not covered anyway.
You and your family’s health insurance needs will change as well so be sure and add or remove options and benefits to customize the plan to best fit your needs.
A health insurance lead can also be someone who is self-employed and needs to obtain coverage for themselves or their entire family. Smoking will not immediately disqualify you from being approved for health insurance but it really doesn’t help your over all cost. And managed care has capitalized further by applying the medical, disease-based model onto the practice, requiring any and all users of health insurance to declare a diagnosis worthy of treatment.
Increased premiums may drive people who fund their own health insurance out of the system by making personal insurance unaffordable. If you need to get a Florida health insurance quote there are several ways of getting started.
Igor
Jun
20
Health Care Reform: an Opportunity for Insurance Industry Participation in Sierra Leone’s Medical Care System
Filed Under Wellness | Leave a Comment
Kortor Kamara asked:
The socialized system of healthcare delivery and financing, a relic of the British colonial era, still practiced in Sierra Leone has glaringly failed and any efforts at resuscitating it without implementation of major structural and systemic reform will only serve to prolong the inevitable.
Throughout the world, total state control and management of industries, services, markets and the means of production are gradually becoming a relic of the past. This model as practiced in the Sierra Leone healthcare system has empirically been proven to have served only to stifle innovation, growth, productivity and quality output with a resultant decline in overall living and healthcare standards of the citizenry. The current state of the hospitals and health centers glaringly highlights the systemic problems endemic in the entire government owned, managed, financed and operated health care system.
The continued operation of such a decadent and dilapidated delivery and financing system, lacking in even the basics of a modern healthcare infrastructure continues relegating Sierra Leone to the very bottom of the human development index.
The transformation thus of the medical healthcare delivery and financing system into a private insurance or a national insurance based system offers opportunities not only for insurers to develop market-based medical insurance plans and policies but also serves to effectuate the Ministry of Health & Sanitation’s desired policy goals, as espoused in the 2002 National Health Policy Paper.
Both policy and regulatory officials, healthcare providers, the insurance industry and other stakeholders must be engaged to effectuate implementation of fundamental systemic reforms if the country is to avert an even greater catastrophe.
Privatization:
Under the proposed privatization plan, the Ministry of Health & Sanitation will be transformed from ownership and management of hospitals, clinics, and employer of last resort for all physicians, nurses and ancillary healthcare providers into a health agency with only policy and regulatory functions.
The goal will be for the health agency to serve as a policy and regulatory watch dog mandated with ensuring that adequate and quality medical care is provided at the various private hospitals, clinics and pharmacies that will inevitably be established with the break-up of the current government owned facilities.
With the break-up and subsequent purchase or leases of these hospitals, clinics, health centers and other facilities, investors and entrepreneurs in an effort to realize maximum returns on investments, will economically be compelled to upgrade quality and standard of care, introduce state of the art equipment and technologies and engender a type of market forces competition which will inure only to the betterment of health consumers in the country.
A much needed infusion of capital into the health care industry by such a privatization plan will clearly spur additional economic activities in ancillary industries, as the dynamic forces of privatization and market mechanism forces of demand and supply will ensure competition for the healthcare pie.
Divestiture of Government Ownership:
The dismantling of the current mammoth and highly inefficient government owned healthcare delivery and financing entity must from a public policy perspective be designed and restructured to ensure governmental ownership and management divestiture from hospitals and other health care facilities.
Under such a scenario the government’s current enormous but woefully mismanaged capital outlay for health services will be substantially decreased as inefficiencies of corruption, salaries of providers, infrastructure maintenance, costs of medications and diagnostic equipments and other overhead operating costs will no longer be recurrent expenditures from the nation’s depleting coffers.
A system based entirely on a private market-based national health insurance plan with private enterprise and market competition at its core appears the most logical reform policy route to ensure a future sound, efficient and profitable health care infrastructure.
Health Insurance Plans:
The cog which the proposed new system must revolve around is a nationwide network of affordable health insurance plans creatively designed to ensure a greater pool participation of a majority of the population. In such a system health insurance companies and provider organizations will be established to market various health plans, with minimum services and premiums based on market conditions. The responsibility for monitoring compliance by the various plans would fall under the ambit of both the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Sierra Leone Insurance Commission.
Multi-Payer System:
A major plank in this proposed health care delivery and financing privatization hinges on the enactment of health insurance legislation providing for employers to provide health care for their employees and dependants as part of a standard benefits package with concomitant tax incentives and governmental subsidies to ensure compliance. With such legislation the virtual free socialized medical care system, the costs of which have been borne exclusively by the government will now be based on a multi-payer system in which government, employees and employers will all participate.
With the system as currently structured however, only the government has a financial interest and stake and when other programs conflict with the financing of health care, politicians have only been too willing to sacrifice the health of their citizens on he alter of their greed and personal aggrandizement.
It is envisaged that health insurance providers will introduce concepts and plans, such as Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), through alliances of health providers and insurance companies and marketed to employers, labor unions, governmental ministries and corporations on an annual premium basis.
The competition engendered by such health organizations for the medical insurance pie will subsequently result in competitive rates, coverage, deductibles, co-payments and premiums to make health care costs affordable for all.
The Unemployed:
As unemployment and underemployment are perennial problems in the Sierra Leonean economy, the provision of health care benefits to this category of the population must remain the responsibility of government. Medical services provided to this category of citizens in a private enterprise environment must be reimbursed by the government on a negotiated and pre-determined fee schedule or an insurance mechanism established in which government negotiates with providers and carriers for the provision of services.
As an example a fund established by levying taxes on the private health care providers, envisaged to emerge with such privatization, could be instituted and utilized to pay for these indigent services.
Further, since the hospitals, medical clinics and other medical facilities will be operated as businesses, either for profit or as non-profit organizations, the market forces of demand and supply will certainly ensure that patient quality care, improvements in diagnostic technologies, competent personnel and a general responsiveness to the demands of the clients will drive the new marketplace. The lethargic and inefficient atmosphere witnessed at most government hospitals today with customer service virtually non existent would be a philosophy of the past.
The economic viability of healthcare businesses will depend largely on the clientele they can attract and maintain utilizing the above yardstick. Providers of lousy health care plans and services will inevitably loose business to competitors as every year participants will have an opportunity to change health insurance plans.
Since a large population of Sierra Leone resides in rural areas, the proposed privatization plan will ensure the expansion of health care facilities into areas currently inadequately serviced. This plan will ensure that clinics and doctors put up shop in every part of the country in order to tap into the healthcare services available in these rural areas.
Challenges to Insurance Companies:
Designing an insurance system and plan to cater to the needs of the rural population who often are self employed in farming and mining activities posses a challenge to insurers in Sierra Leone, who in the past have been largely passive and unimaginative in policy design to meet the challenges and risks confronting the nation’s socio-economic landscape.
Proactive and creative underwriting of risks must be undertaking by underwriters, actuaries and marketing specialists to design, tailor and price health insurance coverage to meet the diverse needs of the insuring public. For example, the creation of pools by occupational categories could be one method by which insured’s, engaged in similar trades could be encouraged to form co-operatives for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage at affordable rates for themselves and dependants. Premium payments through the pooling together of the co-operatives commodities can be an alternative payment method for the medical services. Health insurance companies could possibly establish subsidiary or ancillary companies solely for the handling of payments made by cash crops.
The current system under which nearly all doctors and related health care providers are employed by the government while at the same time owning private practices would be changed with a concomitant government savings on salaries, productivity and other fringe benefits. As privatization takes over in the hospitals, physicians, nurses and other providers will no longer be on the government’s payroll but will rather be independent contractors with their own practices.
Conclusion:
Whilst a micro version of the proposed reform has mushroomed in an ad hoc manner over the years with some large companies and corporations contracting with individual physicians and clinics for the provision of health care to their employees and dependants, the kind of systemic and structural overhaul needed to forestall a total collapse of the system and extend similar services to all could only be realized by a comprehensive approach along lines of reforms proposed in this policy paper.
Randolph
The socialized system of healthcare delivery and financing, a relic of the British colonial era, still practiced in Sierra Leone has glaringly failed and any efforts at resuscitating it without implementation of major structural and systemic reform will only serve to prolong the inevitable.
Throughout the world, total state control and management of industries, services, markets and the means of production are gradually becoming a relic of the past. This model as practiced in the Sierra Leone healthcare system has empirically been proven to have served only to stifle innovation, growth, productivity and quality output with a resultant decline in overall living and healthcare standards of the citizenry. The current state of the hospitals and health centers glaringly highlights the systemic problems endemic in the entire government owned, managed, financed and operated health care system.
The continued operation of such a decadent and dilapidated delivery and financing system, lacking in even the basics of a modern healthcare infrastructure continues relegating Sierra Leone to the very bottom of the human development index.
The transformation thus of the medical healthcare delivery and financing system into a private insurance or a national insurance based system offers opportunities not only for insurers to develop market-based medical insurance plans and policies but also serves to effectuate the Ministry of Health & Sanitation’s desired policy goals, as espoused in the 2002 National Health Policy Paper.
Both policy and regulatory officials, healthcare providers, the insurance industry and other stakeholders must be engaged to effectuate implementation of fundamental systemic reforms if the country is to avert an even greater catastrophe.
Privatization:
Under the proposed privatization plan, the Ministry of Health & Sanitation will be transformed from ownership and management of hospitals, clinics, and employer of last resort for all physicians, nurses and ancillary healthcare providers into a health agency with only policy and regulatory functions.
The goal will be for the health agency to serve as a policy and regulatory watch dog mandated with ensuring that adequate and quality medical care is provided at the various private hospitals, clinics and pharmacies that will inevitably be established with the break-up of the current government owned facilities.
With the break-up and subsequent purchase or leases of these hospitals, clinics, health centers and other facilities, investors and entrepreneurs in an effort to realize maximum returns on investments, will economically be compelled to upgrade quality and standard of care, introduce state of the art equipment and technologies and engender a type of market forces competition which will inure only to the betterment of health consumers in the country.
A much needed infusion of capital into the health care industry by such a privatization plan will clearly spur additional economic activities in ancillary industries, as the dynamic forces of privatization and market mechanism forces of demand and supply will ensure competition for the healthcare pie.
Divestiture of Government Ownership:
The dismantling of the current mammoth and highly inefficient government owned healthcare delivery and financing entity must from a public policy perspective be designed and restructured to ensure governmental ownership and management divestiture from hospitals and other health care facilities.
Under such a scenario the government’s current enormous but woefully mismanaged capital outlay for health services will be substantially decreased as inefficiencies of corruption, salaries of providers, infrastructure maintenance, costs of medications and diagnostic equipments and other overhead operating costs will no longer be recurrent expenditures from the nation’s depleting coffers.
A system based entirely on a private market-based national health insurance plan with private enterprise and market competition at its core appears the most logical reform policy route to ensure a future sound, efficient and profitable health care infrastructure.
Health Insurance Plans:
The cog which the proposed new system must revolve around is a nationwide network of affordable health insurance plans creatively designed to ensure a greater pool participation of a majority of the population. In such a system health insurance companies and provider organizations will be established to market various health plans, with minimum services and premiums based on market conditions. The responsibility for monitoring compliance by the various plans would fall under the ambit of both the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Sierra Leone Insurance Commission.
Multi-Payer System:
A major plank in this proposed health care delivery and financing privatization hinges on the enactment of health insurance legislation providing for employers to provide health care for their employees and dependants as part of a standard benefits package with concomitant tax incentives and governmental subsidies to ensure compliance. With such legislation the virtual free socialized medical care system, the costs of which have been borne exclusively by the government will now be based on a multi-payer system in which government, employees and employers will all participate.
With the system as currently structured however, only the government has a financial interest and stake and when other programs conflict with the financing of health care, politicians have only been too willing to sacrifice the health of their citizens on he alter of their greed and personal aggrandizement.
It is envisaged that health insurance providers will introduce concepts and plans, such as Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), through alliances of health providers and insurance companies and marketed to employers, labor unions, governmental ministries and corporations on an annual premium basis.
The competition engendered by such health organizations for the medical insurance pie will subsequently result in competitive rates, coverage, deductibles, co-payments and premiums to make health care costs affordable for all.
The Unemployed:
As unemployment and underemployment are perennial problems in the Sierra Leonean economy, the provision of health care benefits to this category of the population must remain the responsibility of government. Medical services provided to this category of citizens in a private enterprise environment must be reimbursed by the government on a negotiated and pre-determined fee schedule or an insurance mechanism established in which government negotiates with providers and carriers for the provision of services.
As an example a fund established by levying taxes on the private health care providers, envisaged to emerge with such privatization, could be instituted and utilized to pay for these indigent services.
Further, since the hospitals, medical clinics and other medical facilities will be operated as businesses, either for profit or as non-profit organizations, the market forces of demand and supply will certainly ensure that patient quality care, improvements in diagnostic technologies, competent personnel and a general responsiveness to the demands of the clients will drive the new marketplace. The lethargic and inefficient atmosphere witnessed at most government hospitals today with customer service virtually non existent would be a philosophy of the past.
The economic viability of healthcare businesses will depend largely on the clientele they can attract and maintain utilizing the above yardstick. Providers of lousy health care plans and services will inevitably loose business to competitors as every year participants will have an opportunity to change health insurance plans.
Since a large population of Sierra Leone resides in rural areas, the proposed privatization plan will ensure the expansion of health care facilities into areas currently inadequately serviced. This plan will ensure that clinics and doctors put up shop in every part of the country in order to tap into the healthcare services available in these rural areas.
Challenges to Insurance Companies:
Designing an insurance system and plan to cater to the needs of the rural population who often are self employed in farming and mining activities posses a challenge to insurers in Sierra Leone, who in the past have been largely passive and unimaginative in policy design to meet the challenges and risks confronting the nation’s socio-economic landscape.
Proactive and creative underwriting of risks must be undertaking by underwriters, actuaries and marketing specialists to design, tailor and price health insurance coverage to meet the diverse needs of the insuring public. For example, the creation of pools by occupational categories could be one method by which insured’s, engaged in similar trades could be encouraged to form co-operatives for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage at affordable rates for themselves and dependants. Premium payments through the pooling together of the co-operatives commodities can be an alternative payment method for the medical services. Health insurance companies could possibly establish subsidiary or ancillary companies solely for the handling of payments made by cash crops.
The current system under which nearly all doctors and related health care providers are employed by the government while at the same time owning private practices would be changed with a concomitant government savings on salaries, productivity and other fringe benefits. As privatization takes over in the hospitals, physicians, nurses and other providers will no longer be on the government’s payroll but will rather be independent contractors with their own practices.
Conclusion:
Whilst a micro version of the proposed reform has mushroomed in an ad hoc manner over the years with some large companies and corporations contracting with individual physicians and clinics for the provision of health care to their employees and dependants, the kind of systemic and structural overhaul needed to forestall a total collapse of the system and extend similar services to all could only be realized by a comprehensive approach along lines of reforms proposed in this policy paper.
Randolph
Jun
20
Julie Health asked:
Dating back more than 4,000 years, Chinese green tea diet has been long revered as a tasty drink that can ward off diseases and improve one’s well-being. There are only a few herbs that can surpass its impressive history.
Since its first recorded use during the time of Emperor Shen Nung, the link between Chinese green tea diet and good health has never been severed. Today, further studies are made to test the benefits of the remarkable health elixir.
Traditional Health Benefits of the Diet
According to tradition, this diet could cure anything from headaches, body aches, and pains to constipation and depression. Over the centuries, more health claims are made on account of the Chinese green tea diet.
It detoxifies the body. The presence of polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant in this particular tea, is said to combat harmful free radicals and help keep the body free from diseases. In this regard, Chinese green tea helps maintain the overall well-being of the body. It fights against the anti-aging process because the antioxidants can boost immunity, preserve young-looking skin, and brighten the eyes.
Additional health benefits of the green tea is it increases the blood flow throughout the body. Because it contains a little caffeine, ingesting this drink stimulates the heart and allows the blood to flow more freely through the blood vessels. For the same reason that tea stimulates blood flow, it also stimulates mental clarity.
For many years, men of science remained skeptical about the health claims made by Chinese green tea diet enthusiasts because the health benefits are truly vast in number. Their doubt was changed to a more positive reception when subsequent researchers proved its disease-preventing attributes and confirmed most of the health claims.
The Heart
Study after study has shown that drinking green tea and eating polyphenol-rich foods reduces the risk of any heart complications. It helps strengthen the blood vessels that provide oxygen and valuable nutrients to the heart and brain. It has also been researched that men who use the diet have a 75 percent less possibility of having a stroke than those who don’t use the diet.
The green tea diet helps lower total cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Study shows that men who drink nine or more cups of Chinese green tea daily have lower cholesterol levels than those who drink fewer than two cups. While nine cups may seem a lot, break it up through out the day and you’ll realize it’s not that difficult to drink that many cups. You could have one during and after each meal and during your breaks.
You really need to learn more. The Silent Killer Exposed uncovers and gives you the information you need to maintain a healthy blood system. Visit it here now.
Longevity
The role of the ‘Chinese diet’ in promoting longevity has been investigated upon by many researchers. They found the premise of their study on observing Japanese women who are greater-than-average green tea drinkers; have lower mortality rates compared to others. This led the researchers to believe that the diet has “a protective factor against premature death.”
The polyphenols found in the diet may be held accountable. With its high amount of polyphenols, it seems to have a stimulating effect on the immune system. A stronger immune system as a result of drinking the green tea helps reduce risks of obtaining many illnesses.
If these health benefits of doing the Chinese green tea diet don’t motivate you to start drinking this miracle in a cup, chances are you’ll never become motivated to loose weight. So start today and drink up. The health benefits go well beyond weight loss!
Curtis
Dating back more than 4,000 years, Chinese green tea diet has been long revered as a tasty drink that can ward off diseases and improve one’s well-being. There are only a few herbs that can surpass its impressive history.
Since its first recorded use during the time of Emperor Shen Nung, the link between Chinese green tea diet and good health has never been severed. Today, further studies are made to test the benefits of the remarkable health elixir.
Traditional Health Benefits of the Diet
According to tradition, this diet could cure anything from headaches, body aches, and pains to constipation and depression. Over the centuries, more health claims are made on account of the Chinese green tea diet.
It detoxifies the body. The presence of polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant in this particular tea, is said to combat harmful free radicals and help keep the body free from diseases. In this regard, Chinese green tea helps maintain the overall well-being of the body. It fights against the anti-aging process because the antioxidants can boost immunity, preserve young-looking skin, and brighten the eyes.
Additional health benefits of the green tea is it increases the blood flow throughout the body. Because it contains a little caffeine, ingesting this drink stimulates the heart and allows the blood to flow more freely through the blood vessels. For the same reason that tea stimulates blood flow, it also stimulates mental clarity.
For many years, men of science remained skeptical about the health claims made by Chinese green tea diet enthusiasts because the health benefits are truly vast in number. Their doubt was changed to a more positive reception when subsequent researchers proved its disease-preventing attributes and confirmed most of the health claims.
The Heart
Study after study has shown that drinking green tea and eating polyphenol-rich foods reduces the risk of any heart complications. It helps strengthen the blood vessels that provide oxygen and valuable nutrients to the heart and brain. It has also been researched that men who use the diet have a 75 percent less possibility of having a stroke than those who don’t use the diet.
The green tea diet helps lower total cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Study shows that men who drink nine or more cups of Chinese green tea daily have lower cholesterol levels than those who drink fewer than two cups. While nine cups may seem a lot, break it up through out the day and you’ll realize it’s not that difficult to drink that many cups. You could have one during and after each meal and during your breaks.
You really need to learn more. The Silent Killer Exposed uncovers and gives you the information you need to maintain a healthy blood system. Visit it here now.
Longevity
The role of the ‘Chinese diet’ in promoting longevity has been investigated upon by many researchers. They found the premise of their study on observing Japanese women who are greater-than-average green tea drinkers; have lower mortality rates compared to others. This led the researchers to believe that the diet has “a protective factor against premature death.”
The polyphenols found in the diet may be held accountable. With its high amount of polyphenols, it seems to have a stimulating effect on the immune system. A stronger immune system as a result of drinking the green tea helps reduce risks of obtaining many illnesses.
If these health benefits of doing the Chinese green tea diet don’t motivate you to start drinking this miracle in a cup, chances are you’ll never become motivated to loose weight. So start today and drink up. The health benefits go well beyond weight loss!
Curtis
Jun
16
Jun
11
Ruby asked:
My last bag of Wellness Core kibble had a sticker on it that said the food was now available in a canned formula, which I’d like to try for my cats. Except, I can’t find it anywhere. Is this formula available yet? If not, when will it be in stores?
Ives
My last bag of Wellness Core kibble had a sticker on it that said the food was now available in a canned formula, which I’d like to try for my cats. Except, I can’t find it anywhere. Is this formula available yet? If not, when will it be in stores?
Ives
Jun
9
Antiviolence League B asked:
I have had two difficult encounters with judges from Sacramento. Both were women. One was literally talking to herself, or something out side herself, while on the bench. Another was cruel and berating to certain people ( one that was threatened with **** and attempting to get a restraining order). Other restraining orders were passed out by her like candy to favored children without any evidence but the testimony of the requesters, who often lie.
Edmund
I have had two difficult encounters with judges from Sacramento. Both were women. One was literally talking to herself, or something out side herself, while on the bench. Another was cruel and berating to certain people ( one that was threatened with **** and attempting to get a restraining order). Other restraining orders were passed out by her like candy to favored children without any evidence but the testimony of the requesters, who often lie.
Edmund
