Medicare, Health Insurance Cuts Hurt Doctors with Small Practices

There is a sad reality facing many doctors in America who run their own businesses. Due to smaller reimbursements from health insurance companies, increasing business expenses and drug costs, and frequently changing regulations; doctors are running out of money to run their small practices. This information comes from "Small Business: Doctors going broke," by Parija Kavilanz of CNN Money. This is not only affecting family practice doctors, but also oncologists, cardiologists and just about every other specialty.

Believe it or not, half of all U.S. doctors operate in a private practice, so the loss of this industry would really hurt Americans' health care choices. Medicare cuts have hurt doctors with small businesses. Cardiovascular services saw 35-40% cuts in Medicare recently and there is a 24.7% cut in Medicare doctors' pay pending. Sadly, these cuts could force some doctors to close their small practices. Doctors have been going with less or no pay and taking out loans just to cover the payroll costs at their practices.

Medicare cuts are based on the state of the economy and health insurance companies base their reimbursements on what is happening with Medicare. Since doctors have been trained in medicine, they have to do added research to properly run a small business. Let's hope for some regulation and some better luck for doctors running small practices. While hiring another person is low on the priority list, it is wise to have someone with a business background to run a medical practice and not all doctors have that.

Open Enrollment for Medicare Starts Early

All Medicare eligible individuals need to be aware of the early open enrollment period this year. Starting Saturday, October 15th, recipients can choose their new plan if they choose to do so. What's more important is the end date of December 7th. This is the last day recipients can switch their plans. If they miss this deadline, individuals could end up losing the coverage they want, or they could lose all coverage. With so many choices in Medicare supplements and Medicare Advantage plans, preparation is crucial.

With open enrollment earlier than normal, there are concerns that some seniors may miss the deadline and end up missing out. The government is working hard to get the information out to as many recipients as possible, but it will be hard to tell how many people will be left out. This time is critical in choosing plans that are best suited for the individual. There are so many choices to sort through and seniors are encouraged to meet with an expert to help sort through the variety of plans. It's easy to get overwhelmed with all of the information, but with the right preparation seniors can make the best choices for them and their families.

Medicare Safe From First Round Cuts

Many Americans are concerned about how the major cuts Congress plans on implementing are going to affect their health insurance. Cuts are going to be made in many areas throughout the nation, but the article "Students, Seniors May Feel Impact of Debt Deal" by Sandra Block from USA Today says that Medicare health insurance and social security are safe from the first round of cuts being made.

This doesn't automatically mean cuts will never be made, just probably not right now. Seniors will still feel some of the effects from major cuts throughout the industry. Some effects may be felt for those using care-giving services, nutrition counseling, and those relying on the government to help them find employment.

Seniors will still be receiving their social security checks though and this is huge. Relief has been felt across the board as Congress made a decision on the nation's debt problem. The debt is still there and cuts will continue so time will tell how this will ultimately affect health insurance for seniors and their overall finances.

Medicare Supplements: Plans F-N

Once you become eligible for Medicare and you sift through all of your health care needs you will quickly come to realize that Medicare does not necessarily cover all of your needs. Luckily, there is Medicare supplement insurance, also known as Medigap, which fill in the coverage gaps for standard Medicare Plans. There are numerous plans to fulfill the needs of a variety of Medicare recipients and some of these plans include:

• Medicare Plan F
• Medicare Plan G
• Medicare Plan K
• Medicare Plan L
• Medicare Plan M
• Medicare Plan N

Each plan has a unique set of benefits and it can truly be overwhelming to sift through all of the choices and decide which plan works best for you. The good news is that the plan structure is mandated by the government so regardless of which insurer you choose, you can trust that the benefits will be the same as some other insurer. It's important to know that prices do vary. Be sure to comparison shop to determine which insurance company will offer you the best deal. Reaching out for expert advice on Medicare never hurts and you could end up saving a lot of money making making the right choice.

Medicare 2011: Changes to Come

The United States government sponsors many health insurance programs such as Medicaid and the Healthy Indiana Plan, but it's most popular program, Medicare, is up for some big changes in the coming months.

According to the article "Medicare Changes Set for 2011" by The Times-Standard outlines 4 of the major changes to come. They include:

1. New yearly open enrollment for Medicare Advantage
2. Updates for the Medicare Prescription Drug programs
3. Less being paid into the "donut hole"
4. Annual wellness visits

These are just a handful of the upcoming changes for 2011 according to The National Council on Aging. Beneficiaries are encouraged to review their Medicare packages to ensure they understand all changes being made that will affect them. Many will need Medicare supplement plans to have full coverage and you want to make sure you can continue to see the same doctor. The changes are intended to improve the program overall, but as the shift takes place some may be left confused so getting educated is very important.

Ohio DOI

The Ohio DOI continues to offer valuable support to Ohio residents with questions on insurance. They provide information on auto insurance, health insurance, life insurance, homeowners insurance and even more. They even have an online toolkit that is worth checking out.

Ohio senior citizens can turn to the DOI for assistance at any time. The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program is a completely free benefit for Ohio citizens which provides accurate information on insurance programs and Medicare. There are free seminars to attend and representatives to talk to.

With all the misinformation out there on insurance in general it's very beneficial to have a team of professionals looking out for the consumer. As health care reform approaches there will be even more confusion with insurance so knowing you have someone to turn to with accurate information is very reassuring.

Healthy Indiana Plan and Medicare Still Available as Economy Slows

The article "Slow Economy Drives More Patients to Clinics" by Emily Monacelli on etruth.com says that more patients are avoiding their doctor and visiting community health centers instead. This is a direct result of the slowing economy and more uninsured Indiana residents.

Heart City Health Center in Elkart saw over 10,000 patients in 2009 which was up 45% from 2008 according to CEO Vernita Todd. Unfortunately, more patients does not translate to more revenue. Approximately 65% of the clinic's adult uninsured visitors receive a 90% discount based on their income level.

Many of these patients are unaware of the affordable options available to them and their families such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Healthy Indiana Plan. Many of these people are the working poor and they want to be covered, especially to protect their children but the money just isn't there. Having available health clinics is a blessing to communities, especially in tough times when unemployment is up and uninsured residents are on the rise.

Humana Suspends Sales of Medicare Advantage Plans

Humana Inc. and other health insurance providers are temporarily suspending marketing of non-group Medicare Advantage plans after finding out that sales agents forged signatures and signed up dead people.

The move comes after complaints were made regarding insurance salesmen being overly agressive when trying to sell the health insurance plans to the elderly, even going as far as to sign up dead people and forge signatures.

The health insurance companies who suspended marketing the government funded plans are working with the U.S. Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.

Medicare has approximately 43 million beneficiaries, of which about 7.5 million are in Medicare Advantage plans. Enrollment of seniors in Private fee-for-service plans is rising sharply and now accounts for about 20% of the $60 billion Medicare Advantage program.