Thankfully medical errors are evidently going down and ranking in about the 20% range. That means that 80% of the reasons for high health insurance prices are neglecting our health and medical inflation. On the surface 20% doesn’t sound that bad, but when you crunch some of the numbers you will be totally appalled.
Get this, and these are recent statistics provided by the Department of Health & Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. They’ve found that potentially preventable errors that happen during or after surgery may cost employers close to $1.5 billion a year. Yes, BILLION.
That’s a whole passel load of money being spent on fixing medical errors, extra costs that have no business happening in the first place. Consider the significant burden of these extra expenditures on the health care system. But then, you already know that, as you are paying ever-increasing health insurance rates.
Here’s just a quick sampling of some of the medical errors that add to the cost of running the health care system – and by the way – if the mistake made is fixed by the hospital, they try and bill the insurance company for it.
Extra nursing care resulting from medical errors is high up on the list of things filed in the unnecessary costs file and coming in at about $12,196 (33% more costs). Kidney failure or out of control blood sugars came in at $11,797 for 32% more expenses. Pulmonary problems, blood clots etc. was about $7,838 at 25% more expensive, followed by wound opening at $1,426 for 6% more expenses than should have been necessary.
The scariest part of the statistics is the number of preventable deaths – 1 out of every 10 patients who died within 90 days of an operation, died due to preventable errors. One third of those deaths happened after the initial hospital discharge.
This death or injury by medical error problem isn’t new. It’s been around for ages, but not much seems to be done about it. It’s arguable that the high demands on the health care system today would naturally result in errors due to the pressures. But if these medical errors take the lives of over 300,000 people nation wide a year, something has to give.
By: C. Green
Posts Tagged ‘Health Insurance Rates’
Health Insurance Prices Affected by Three Things
April 20th, 2010Where to Get Low Cost Health Insurance in Ohio
April 7th, 2010
Thanks to rising medical costs, health insurance rates are at an all-time high. But there are places where you can get cheap health insurance in Ohio.
The first thing you need to look at when considering health insurance in Ohio are the types of insurance that are available. There are four basic plans:
1. Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) – These plans set you up with a network of doctors and hospitals who provide your health care. You must choose a primary health care physician who oversees your care and refers you to specialists, and you are only allowed to see physicians within your network.
HMOs are the cheapest of all the health care plans. They have low co-payments, usually $5 to $10 per doctor visit, and involve the least amount of paperwork.
2. Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) – Similar to HMOs, these plans set you up with a network of health care providers, but unlike HMOs you may see specialists within the network without getting permission from your primary care physician. If you see a non-network physician you may have to pay the bill yourself and submit it for reimbursement.
PPOs cost slightly more than HMOs, and co-payments average $5 to $10 per doctor visit.
3. Point of Service Plans (POSs) – These plans also set you up with a network of health care providers, but, for an additional fee, you may see a physician who is not part of the network.
POSs generally cost more than PPOs but are more flexible. Co-payments average $5 to $10 per visit.
4. Indemnity Plans – These plans let you choose your own doctor and hospital, and you can visit any specialist you choose. You pay a deductible, usually $500 to $1,000, before your insurance company will begin paying claims. After you pay your deductible, your company will pay most of your medical bill, usually 80%, and you pay the remaining 20%.
Indemnity Plans are the most expensive health care plans and involve the most amount of paperwork.
Low Cost Health Insurance in Ohio
In order to get the best rate on your health insurance policy you need to compare rates from different companies. The fastest way to do this is to visit an insurance comparison website where you’ll not only get multiple rate quotes, you’ll also be able to get advice from insurance experts who can help you find the best policy for your needs. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s free.
By: Brian Stevens
Florida Self Employed Health Insurance
March 27th, 2010
Florida residents that are self employed and looking for health insurance have a number of options available to them. Be aware that depending upon your health, your age, and other factors unique to your particular situation there is no hard and fast rule as to which option is best for you. However, there are some general guidelines that will help you make the best Florida self employed health insurance decision.
The first Florida health insurance option available to the self employed is to simply apply for an individual health insurance policy. The benefit to applying for an individual health insurance policy is that individual health insurance rates in Florida are very competitive.
The downside to attempting to purchase an individual health insurance policy in the state of Florida is that you must be healthy. According to FL law, a health insurance company can decline your application for an individual health insurance policy based on prior medical history (pre-existing conditions), height and weight restrictions, and other health related criteria.
That means if you have cancer, diabetes, weight problems, or a host of other physical ailments then you will be denied coverage with a Florida individual health insurance policy. (Any unscrupulous agent that tries to tell you other wise is misrepresenting whatever product he or she is trying to sell you as health insurance when in fact it is probably a discount health plan or a health insurance indemnity plan with very limited coverage).
The second Florida health insurance option available to the self employed is to apply for a Florida group health insurance plan. In Florida, any group of 2 employer/employees or more is considered eligible for a Florida small group health insurance. (If it is just you: 1 self employed person functioning as a sole proprietor in the state of Florida then you have a different option open to you – see option 3 below). The benefit to applying for a Florida small group health insurance policy is that that certain health issues that can signal an automatic decline on the individual health insurance side will not signal an automatic decline on the group health insurance side.
The downside to attempting to purchase a group health insurance policy in the state of Florida is that it can be very expensive. Think of it in terms of: the more potentially unhealthy people that the insurance company has to give health insurance to (group health insurance) the higher the premiums will be as opposed to where the insurance company can pick and choose who they will accept for health insurance (individual health insurance).
The third Florida health insurance option available to the self employed is for those that are functioning as a sole proprietor. Florida self employed sole proprietors can apply for a Florida guaranteed issue small group health plan. The Florida guaranteed issue small group health plans has an open enrollment period only during the month of August.
Florida self employed health insurance can be a somewhat tricky area to navigate without the help of a licensed independent Florida health insurance agent. There are also many different ways to save money in taxes – one of which being the ability to deduct your health insurance premiums paid on Schedule C of your tax return against and up to your Schedule C income (Meaning that even if you don’t itemize [Schedule A] you can still deduct your health insurance premiums paid all the way up to your Schedule C income!).
By: Joel Ohman
