Health Insurance Archives - Page 40 of 52

Insurance Rates: 5 States You Don’t Want to Start A Business In

We can’t tell you where to live, but if you’re looking into starting a business somewhere, it may be wise to look into the average insurance rate for each state. The average premium can give you the scope. Group health insurance is a benefit you can’t afford to overlook when it comes to your benefits package. Prospective employees will flock to you when you offer this because when you offer health insurance, you offer peace of mind.

open map of the continental united states — *Your location can change your insurance rate a great deal. Make sure to do proper research.*

Each state has a different premium, and getting this information can hint at your prospective insurance costs should you operate there. Health insurance costs are growing with a 214% rise in premiums for single coverage and 239% for family. Of course, EZ.Insure’s agents will have a comprehensive view of your specific situation, but let’s look at the most expensive states to live in.

Why These States Have the Highest Premiums (Without Subsidy)

Wyoming at $865

Some good news here! Wyoming actually saw relief from premium increases this year for their insurance rate. However, this was after a 48% rise in 2018. That’s quite an incline. While this explains the higher cost now, it also gives hope for the future that this number could drop on the list.

Wyoming has been fighting for first place in “Who Is the Most Expensive” between Iowa and Alaska. Differing costs in plans fluctuate as cost-sharing reductions are put mostly on medium rate plans. This hampers attempts to curb this by government programs because their influence usually falls to the lower rate plans.

In either case, Wyoming continues to hold a top-3 spot in the most expensive zone, so not the best state for your company to start. It also doesn’t seem to be getting any less expensive.

Nebraska $838

nebraska sunset over a field with a fence — *It’s beautiful, but Nebraska seems to be an expensive place to live with it comes to insurance.*

In Nebraska’s exchange, there is one insurer that has a complete monopoly on the market: Medica. This isn’t a recent thing either. A monopoly means they can charge whatever they’d like, and those that want insurance must buy it.

2019 showed only a 2.2% increase across the Medica board. It seems small, but because the insurance rate is already so high, any increase is only going to increase pressure on the market and business owners, meaning you.

Iowa at $762

The same problem with Oklahoma carries over to Iowa. While over half of Iowan residents receive health insurance through an employer, the other half do through government assistance. This is good for Medicare and employers that can handle the payments for group insurance. However, for those that cannot, it would be a good idea to take a second look before coming here.

Studies show that businesses in Iowa are going through financial hardship due to these drastic increases in premiums. Percentages of this increase jump wildly through the years with a 19% rise in 2002 to a softer 8.4% rise in 2018. While the rising slows, it should still caution a prospective business owner.

Alaska at $702

This state has a disproportionate population size, and the vast majority of Alaskans live away from the booming cities and markets. What this means is, a lot of people are in remote areas and the road systems don’t reach all of them. This raises the insurance rate because of the danger associated with rural areas.

Coupled with these is a limited amount of medical service providers. If you need a specialist, you may have to travel quite a while to see them, even out of state. These hamper the medical field with more costs and increase the amount the professionals (or specialists) are paid. Altogether, it nets a large increase for your company if you expect to operate here.

Oklahoma at $696

After Alaska (and Texas, not on this list), Oklahoma has a high uninsured rate. This is 13.9% of the populace. With so many people uninsured, it doesn’t leave a good impression for your business here.

Under the Affordable Care Act, this state did not opt into federal funds for expanding health care. This left thousands of people without access. These people continue to go to hospitals when they are sick, putting a strain on health providers.

What does this mean for you? While the insurance rate may be high for your business, offering health care may be an even more attractive choice for a prospective Oklahoma employee. You’ll have to decide whether or not it’s a good idea for your business.

money and medication from health insurance — *Medication is needed everywhere. Health insurance is not something to take lightly.*

When it comes to your business, your insurance rate is important to your bottom line. Most insurance is required. Others aren’t, but they’re still good to have. These states here show with their health insurance premiums what you can expect in the group world. Have any more questions?

EZ.Insure is there to make sure your business is covered. Your agent will answer any questions you have, compare different plans for you, and even sign you up when you’re ready, free of charge and without having to worry about being hounded by endless calls. To get started simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or you can speak to an agent by emailing [email protected], or calling 888-615-4893. EZ.Insure makes the entire process easy, and quick.

Does Trumpcare Exist?

When President Trump took office, one of his campaign promises was to get rid of Obamacare also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and replace it with new health care. Trump delivered on this campaign promise, providing Americans with Trumpcare, also known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Trumpcare was voted on, and passed in the House on May 4, 2017. Since being passed, the number of Americans getting health insurance has gone up by 7 million. There are some similarities between Obamacare and Trumpcare. So why have Americans been signing up for insurance more now with Trumpcare?

Chart with blue bars increasing in size with a red line drawn over them. — *Since Trumpcare was introduced, more Americans have been signing up for health insurance.*

Short Term Plans

Short term plans used to have limitations of 3 months. As of October 1st, 2018, the short term health plans have a one-year policy term. Short term health insurance provides fast, flexible insurance with many benefits. You may pick your deductible amount from many options. You are also able to drop coverage without a penalty for a long term insurance option. Premiums are lower than ACA health insurance plans, and you get coverage as soon as a day after applying.

Once someone signs up for a one-year short term plan, they may potentially renew it for up to three years. Insurers can ask medical questions and possibly reject consumers due to pre-existing conditions for a short-term policy. Once approved for the plan, if a consumer develops a ‘pre-existing condition’, rejection can occur during the renewal process

Individual Mandate

Obamacare enforced an individual mandate penalty for Americans who did not have insurance. The individual mandate was the requirement of people to obtain health insurance for the year, and if not then you had to pay a penalty during tax season. In December 2017, President Trump eliminated the individual mandate from Obamacare. Trump did away with the individual mandate because Republicans believed it discouraged people from buying insurance that costs just as much as the uninsured penalty.

Pre-existing Conditions

Like Obamacare, Trumpcare protects people with pre-existing conditions. People who stay insured, without a gap in coverage, will not pay a price for health insurance based on pre-existing conditions. No insurance plan can reject you, charge you more, or refuse to pay for essential health benefits for any condition you had before your coverage started. However, Trumpcare has given the states authority to change the pricing for people who do not stay insured

A sign with "health" on it point to the right with another sign below it saying "illness" pointing to the other. — *Pre-existing conditions are covered under Trumpcare, but people with them may have to pay more.*

year round. In other words, once you choose to be uninsured, and stay uninsured for an extended period of time, you will face a higher rate for health insurance due to your pre-existing conditions.

Federal Invisible Risk Sharing Program

Trumpcare created the Federal Invisible Risk Sharing Program. It is a pool of funds the government sets aside to assist insurance companies in covering people with high expenses (people with pre-existing conditions). The risk pools are invisible to the customer. This means that high medical cost individuals would not know they’re in the risk pool. They are expected to pay the same cost for insurance as healthy people.

Trumpcare does exist, and has been slowly replacing Obamacare. Getting rid of the individual mandate, and extending short term plan’s length has been Trumpcare’s biggest changes, and main focus. These changes were made in hopes of getting more Americans to sign up for insurance, because the more that people sign up (especially healthy people), then the lower the insurance costs will be. Since more Americans have been signing up for health insurance, hopefully the costs will begin to go down.

“Medicare For All” Cause Friction In First Debate

In April, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a new version of his “Medicare for All” bill, a single-payer health care that would eliminate private health insurance companies. Under Medicare for All, Americans would no longer pay premiums or deductibles, because the government-run system will replace private health insurance offered through employers. Republicans vocally expressed that Medicare for All is costly and ineffective. Democrats who stood behind the plan are slowly backtracking. During the debate on July 26, ten Democrats stood on stage, but only two raised their hands when asked if they were in favor of dismissing private health insurance. Some Democrats criticized the single-payer health care plan, broadcasting the first divide among the candidates.

red boxing gloves on a table. medicare for all debate. — *During the Deomcratic debate, there was a clear divide among the candidates about Medicare for All healthcare.*

Senator Warren and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio were the only two debating Medicare for All’s efficiency. Warren stated that Medicare for All solves the problems that families face due to rising insurance premiums. Most cannot afford healthcare.

Other Democrats offered to keep private insurance, in order to give Americans a choice. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she was “just simply concerned about kicking half of America off of their health insurance in four years.”

Candidates Senator Cory Booker and Representative Tulsi Gabbard signed the Medicare for All bill but did not raise their hands at the debate. Even Representative Beto O’Rourke, who was once for the Medicare for All bill, changed his mind. It was clear he was not supporting it, stating that he would rather be in favor of a milder option allowing people to voluntarily buy into Medicare instead. “I think the choice is fundamental to our ability to get everybody cared for,” O’Rourke said.

De Blasio interrupted as O’Rourke spoke, the debate’s first interjection. “Wait, wait, wait,” he said. “Private insurance is not working for tens of millions of Americans when you talk about the co-pays, the deductibles, the premiums, the out-of-pocket expenses. It’s not working. How can you defend a system that’s not working?”

“That’s right. So for those for whom it’s not working, they can choose Medicare,” O’Rourke responded.

Former Representative John Delaney chimed in stating that “we should keep what’s working and fix what’s broken. We should give everyone in this country health care as a basic human right for free. But we should also give them the

the word healthcare in scrabble letterswith a green leaf to the left side of it. — *The future of America’s healthcare is unclear. But for now, Medicare for All does not seem to be favored.*

option to buy private insurance.”

A poll from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that Americans supported Medicare for All 56% to 42%. The numbers have fallen to 25% when people were told it could lead to delays in getting care, and to 37% when they were told it could lead to higher taxes.

Democrat candidates displayed a clear divide and issue amongst Medicare for All. Even candidates, who once endorsed the bill in the past, showed they currently don’t support it. This is just the beginning of the health care battle.

A Groundbreaking Drug For Postpartum Depression Is Here!

According to research, postpartum depression affects about one in seven women. It is a serious mental illness, and can lead down harmful roads like experiencing thoughts about taking your own life, or harming your child. The US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has recently approved a drug targeted to help treat women with postpartum depression. While it hopes to help treat women in as quickly as two days, the drug Brexanolone, sold as Zulresso, comes with great costs.

A caucasian hand with an IV in it on a bed. — *The new PPD drug will be given through an IV drip in a hospital or medical center.*

Postpartum depression is usually treated with counseling and medication that can take weeks to work. If not treated properly, PPD can last months, or even years. Clinical studies showed that Zulresso will treat PPD within two days, and improve symptoms for over a month.

The Treatment

The treatment is given as an IV drip over 60 hours. Because it is not a regular oral pill, it has to be done in a hospital or medical center under medical supervision. The clinical studies found some mild side effects, such as headaches, dizziness, loss of consciousness, or excessive sleepiness.

Tiffany Farchione, M.D., acting director of the Division of Psychiatry Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research stated “Because of concerns about serious risks, including excessive sedation or sudden loss of consciousness during administration, Zulresso has been approved with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) and is only available to patients through a restricted distribution program at certified health care facilities where the health care provider can carefully monitor the patient.”

The Results

The trials conducted in 2016 and 2017 involved more than 200 women who have symptoms of PPD. Some women were given Brexanolone, while others were given a placebo. At 60 hours, 75% of the women who received the drug either had symptoms completely cured, or at least halfway improved. Among the patients who got the drug at 60 hours, 94% did not relapse at the 30-day followup.

The Costs

Sage Therapeutics Inc. is the drug’s manufacturer, and they confirmed that it will cost you roughly $20,000 to

Hands on a lptop wth an upward chart on the screen, and another hand's finger pointing at the screen. — *Although the drug cost is high, Sage Therapeutics is hopeful insurance companies will cover it due to the great results.*

$35,000 per treatment. This does not include the costs of the hospital or medical center. Each vial costs about $7, 450, resulting in almost $35,000 to complete the course of treatment. Although the drug is not yet covered by insurance, Sage Therapeutics said they are working on that aspect. “We’ve certainly been in encouraging conversations with insurance companies,” says Jeff Boyle, a spokesperson for the company. He added that the company expects insurance will cover it because “they recognize the value of this medication.”

Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, a professor of mood and anxiety disorders at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, who was a researcher in the phase III trials for the drugs said “My greatest hope is that this increases awareness. What’s heartbreaking is the number of women who suffer in silence and do not get the treatment that they need,” she said. “People need to reach out and get screened and get treatment, regardless of if treatment is with Brexanolone or not.”

Due to the drug’s severe treatment, scientists are working on other forms of the drug that will not require being hospitalized. Hopefully, it will be something that people can take orally, and won’t cost the price of a new car.

Why African Americans Are 20x More Likely To Have Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer in America. It affects African Americans more than members of any other race or ethnic background. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 44% of African American men and 48% of African American women have some form of cardiovascular disease, putting them at a far greater risk for heart disease and stroke than Caucasians. In fact, in African Americans under the age of 50, the heart failure rate is 20 times higher than that of any other race. There are multiple factors that contribute to heart disease, with

*Heart disease is higher among African Americans than any other race.*

high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) being the largest factor. Weight, dietary practices and smoking can also contribute. However, there are ways to combat these factors, and lower your risk of developing heart disease, or beat it if you are already struggling with this silent killer.

High Blood Pressure

According to a 2009 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, African Americans are more likely to have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, than members of any other race. The risk is especially high in African American women. The American Heart Association theorizes that high blood pressure develops early in life for African Americans due to their genetic makeup, and salt sensitivity. This raises the chance of having a stroke. Because high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death, it is important to learn ways to lower your blood pressure and keep it under control. Whether high blood pressure runs in your family or not, find out what your numbers are and check them often. The more regularly you check your blood pressure, the greater your chance of learning how to control it. Report your numbers to your doctor so they can be aware of the changes as well.

Obesity & High Cholesterol

Another risk factor for developing heart disease is obesity, and African-American women are 80% more likely to be overweight or obese, than any other groups in the U.S. Being overweight increases your chances of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease; the more weight you carry, the more oxygen your body needs to move around the excess tissue, which means your heart needs to work harder and will be put under stress. Some strategies for controlling your weight include drinking plenty of water to feel more full, and opting for lean meats such as chicken instead of beef. Vegetables and fruits should be added to every meal as well. Exercise plays a key role in burning calories and strengthening your heart, so it is important to make moving your body a daily habit. Start slowly with gentle activities such as walking for half an hour everyday.

Diabetes

African Americans are also 77% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, a disease which can play a significant role in developing heart disease. High levels of glucose (or hyperglycemia, a defining characteristics of diabetes) narrow and harden the arteries, thus making it harder for blood to flow to and from your heart and, again, causing stress to your heart. Diabetes is, however, treatable and preventable as long as you are aware of the causes and work at managing it if you do develop it. Staying away from sugar and high-carb foods will help keep your insulin

levels down.

Smoking

The CDC has found that 1 in 5 African American adults smoke cigarettes, a practice which increases the chance of developing heart disease. It is no secret that smoking is not good for you, and it can be hard to quit once you begin, but it is never too late to stop smoking. Seek help from your doctor, as well as family or friends to help you quit. Quitting will significantly lower your risk of heart disease

While your racial or ethnic background may mean a greater chances of developing heart disease, lifestyle choices play a bigger role. In order to reduce your risk, it is important to take care of yourself and stay healthy. Stay on top of your blood pressure numbers, and take the necessary medications to keep it regulated. A healthy diet is key to keeping your heart healthy, so make sure you eat foods low in sodium, and limit sugary snacks or foods. Avoiding heart disease is possible as long as you take care of yourself, as healthier lifestyle changes can go a long way in reducing your risk.

Why Is Monitoring Blood Pressure Important?

Hypertension, another name for high blood pressure, can lead to serious complications including heart disease, stroke, and death. One in 3 adults have hypertension, which is about 75 million Americans. Tracking your high blood pressure is important because the higher it is, the higher you are at risk of heart problems. High blood pressure puts more strain on your heart and your arteries. The arteries will become thicker and weaker over time, which in turn makes them more narrow. The more narrow an artery becomes, then the more likely it is to clog up which can lead to a heart attack, stroke, kidney issues, and even dementia.

*Monitoring your blood pressure at home can lead to controlling and lowering your blood pressure. This will lower your risk of a heart attack and stroke.*

The more strain and weaker your artery becomes, the more likely your artery will burst causing a heart attack. There are ways to lower your blood pressure, including physical activity, diet change, and the most important way is to monitor it every day. A research in Minnesota studied 450 people with hypertension, and half were given home blood pressure monitors. The other half got the usual care from their primary doctors. The group that got the home monitoring systems had more success in getting their blood pressure under control than the other group.

What To Do

Having an at-home blood pressure monitor is convenient and easy to use if done correctly. You need to be properly positioned when testing your blood pressure to get the best numbers. Make sure to be sitting with your upper arm, heart, and monitor at the same level. This will produce the most accurate levels. Record every time you take your blood pressure. Keeping track of your levels important so you can manage your blood pressure.

How Often To Check

After you have bought the right kind of blood pressure monitor for your home, make sure to test at the right times to get the best results. Check your blood pressure twice a day, once in the morning before any medication, and the other in the evening. Then you will drop to doing it 2-3 days a week. Take note of any symptoms you may experience such as dizziness during readings. After this, report to your doctor and ask your doctor how often you should continue to check your blood pressure at home.

*When monitoring your blood pressure, be sure to record your numbers. Then you can discuss it with your doctor.*

You can buy an at-home blood pressure monitor at a pharmacy or online for anywhere from $50 to $100. Your insurance company may cover come of the cost, so find out if they do by calling and asking. Once you get an at home monitor, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist how to use it. If you are one of the millions of Americans that suffer from high blood pressure, then consider an at-home monitor. Studies have show that people who check their levels at home had better results of managing and lowering their blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease, attacks, and strokes. An easy way to regulate it and lower it is by checking your blood pressure regularly at home.

Tag: Health Insurance