It’s not all bad new out there for Health Care these days. There is good news. You just have to know where to look for it unfortunately.Before the new health care reform, some insurance companies were already making concentrated efforts to lower health care costs. Health care costs are a responsibility of every player in the health care system including hospitals, doctors and other staff, insurance companies and yes, even “we” the patients. Costs are rising from several factors and we consumers can play a big role in helping to reduce costs.So what are insurance companies doing to help? One company has an independent service that works to help keep your costs as low as possible. How you ask? Some Companies are providing advocates that will make costs more transparent so you can make decisions that can lower your overall costWhat if we could know up front how much a procedure would cost? How many times do we just shake our head in agreement when the doctor advises that we need a specific test or procedure? Of course we want to follow doctors orders, but why do we proceed so quickly without even knowing what this could cost us in the end?Wouldn’t it be nice if we had an “estimate” of the procedure? Did you know for example that lab facilities vary widely in their fees for tests? By knowing what labs in our neighborhood charged for certain tests we could have more control and make a more informed decision that could positively effect the end cost of our own health care dollar.Some services even offered cash rewards for using their program to “shop” for specific procedures such as MRI’s, CT Scans, Colonoscopies and more. Upon reviewing this independent service I found these other benefits:1. Explanation on how best to use your benefits
2. Help you work through claims and billing issues
3. Negotiate with out-of-network providers
4. Clarify the amount you can expect to pay for health care services.Don’t forget that this was an independent company not affiliated with a specific insurance company. Insurance companies seem to be seeking to add this value to their plans to make consumers aware of services like these that can be a benefit to the entire health care system.
Tag Archives: health promotion
Barriers to Health Care For Teen Pregnancy
Although teen pregnancy rates have been declining in the past, it is still a trend that is disturbing. With some having sex as early as 11-12 years of age, the chances of a teen pregnancy are increased. With teen pregnancy comes the need for health care. Unfortunately, there are many barriers to health care for a teen pregnancy.Education is a mustOne of these barriers to health care for the pregnant teen is education. Schools do not educate students about their bodies and the way they work. Parents tend to be uncomfortable about discussing sex education matters with their teens, so any information the teen may get usually comes from their peers. This is not usually an effective means of gathering correct information.Financial BarriersAnother barrier to health care for teen pregnancy is income, or the lack of it. Health care is prohibitively expensive for many adults, and even a teen with working parents may not have access to health insurance. When a parent has to decide between rent and food or health insurance, the medical needs are often overlooked. With access to education about pregnancy, and clinics available for teens with no health insurance, there might be a rise in teens seeking out medical care for themselves and their unborn child.Along with inadequate health insurance and low income parents, teens may face lack of transportation to a health care facility. Many 2 income families have one car, and no support system to turn to in times of need. Often health care is not available within a reasonable distance, or there may be no gas for the second car. Even if there is transportation available, a parent may not be able to get time off from work to take the pregnant teen to the doctor, providing the parent is aware of the pregnancy in the first place.Shame and FearThis brings us to another barrier to health care for teen pregnancy. Shame and fear in a teenager can be a powerful motivator for many actions they take. Shame for being pregnant, and fearful of the consequences they may face from a parent can influence a teenager in many ways. One coping skill that stems from these feelings is not admitting to the pregnancy, even to themselves. This, of course, can lead to the teen not receiving any health care until she has progressed far into her pregnancy. This only sets the teen up for possible complications down the road for her and her baby.With education of parents and teens together, perhaps we can overcome these barriers to health care for our pregnant teens. Communication for all can be a good first step in providing access to health care for both the mother and her unborn child.