The simplest answer to this question is NO.  According to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse you need to know the following:

Insurance companies. MediCal and Medicare are government health plans and can require a Social Security number. Most insurers providing individual health insurance policies cannot require your Social Security number. However, they might refuse to issue a policy if you don’t provide your Social Security number.

A new Mandatory Insurer Reporting Law (Section 111 of Public Law 110-173) requires group health plan insurers to report SSNs in order for Medicare to coordinate payments with other insurance benefits. The law was enacted in late 2007 but became effective on January 1, 2009. As a subscriber (or spouse or family member of a subscriber) to a group health plan arrangement, your SSN will likely be requested in order to meet the requirements of this law if this information is not already on file with your insurer. Similarly, individuals who receive ongoing reimbursement for medical care through no-fault insurance or workers’ compensation or who receive a settlement, judgment or award from liability insurance (including self-insurance), no-fault insurance, or workers’ compensation will be asked to furnish information concerning their SSN.

For more information about this law see:

• http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MandatoryInsRep/

Originally posted 2010-03-31 05:48:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A co-payment is a fixed-dollar amount that you are responsible for paying for a particular medical service. For example, many plans have $35 co-payments for doctor’s visits. This means it only costs you $35 to see a doctor. Most individual Michigan health insurance plans offer doctor co-pays between $35-$50

Originally posted 2009-07-31 18:36:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Wondering what health insurance companies are going to offer individual insurance on a guaranteed basis once an individual exhausts their cobra coverage?

Until 2014 it looks as if Michigan residents have one choice for guaranteed issue.  BCBS of Michigan.  While other companies such as Aetna, Assurant, Humana, Golden Rule, and Cigna will eventually follow suit.  It is doubtful that they will do so prior to the deadline in which the law states you can no longer be denied for a pre-existing condition.

It remains to be seen if health insurance companies get creative.  By creative, let’s say you cannot be denied for pre-existing condition, but you can be denied due to credit history?  Or similar to auto insurance, your premium is determined by your credit history instead of you health history?

If one thing remains consistent, private companies will find a way to survive legislation…Wow, now that we are completely off track….

If you currently have COBRA health insurance, THAT DOES NOT mean you are guaranteed coverage as of 2010.  You must still pass underwriting guidelines in order to get coverage.  This is a common misconception.

According to recent news, the state of Michigan will be creating a Michigan High Risk Pool by the end of the year.  The benefit to Michigan residents will be that those who currently do not qualify for traditional coverage will have something to fall back on.  You will have more options with the high risk pool, instead of just choosing for BCBS of Michigan.

If you have questions about upcoming changes in the State of Michigan, contact one of our brokers at 888.320.5388.

Originally posted 2010-05-07 09:08:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Lap Band Surgery  in Michigan for patients not covered by health insurance typically costs between $12,000 and $25,000.  The biggest factor affecting cost is your region and your surgeon.

If you are in a large metropolitan area, such as Detroit, costs trend towards the higher end.  Although Oakwood Healthcare System offers a cash price of $15,000.  Oakwood Healthcare has several locations throughout Michigan.  Great Lakes Weight Loss of Michigan offers a price of $10,700.

Lap-Band surgery in Michigan is sometimes covered by health insurance depending on the insurance company and your policy.  Some healthcare plans exclude any type of weight loss surgery regardless of the circumstances.  Quite often in Managed care plans or HMO insurance.

What should be included in the cost of lap band surgery?

• Intitial consultation with the surgeon for screening and explanation of options, risks, and benefits of the surgery
• The fee should include hospital facility fees annd the anesthesiologist’s services
• Some doctors include membership in a support group
• Your routine follow up visits for up to a year after surgery

Additional Costs of Lap-Band

• After the first year follow up visits typically cost between $35 – $200 each
• Complications post-surgery can add to the overall cost. Minor complications can be several hundred dollars.  While major complications that require hospitalization can can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars.
• Some patients require plastic surgery to remove extra skin after rapid weight loss
• Some patients require special vitamins and meals which can add up to hundreds of dollars

Are there discounts for Lap-Band surgery?

If you pay for the surgery out of pocket you may be eligible for tax breaks if the cost of the surgery is high enough in relation to your income.  This is essentially a discount if you qualify, it could potentially increase your tax return.  However for the surgery it is strictly dependent upon your Michigan surgeon.

Which hospitals provide Lap Band Surgery in Michigan?

Certanly there are more, but these are some of the more well known facilities that offer Lap Band Surgery

• Henry Ford Hospital – a center of excellence offering roux-en-y gastric surgeries, both open and laparoscopic, as well as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery
• Oakland Bariatirics – perform several surgical procedures for morbid obesity, including laparoscopic adjustable banding
• Port Huron Hospital – perform lap band adjustable gastric banding system, also known as lap band surgery

Related Information:

Financing Lap Band Surgery in Michigan

NOTE:  Any company mentioned is not a solicitation for business.  Nor is it a recommendation to use their services.  We received no compensation.

Originally posted 2010-04-27 05:55:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Health Insurance can be one of the most frustrating things to shop for.  Trying to understand deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance.  As if you didn’t have enough things to do in your day.  Now you have to try and navigate all this insurance jargon.

With the ever increasing precense of the internet, more and more people are taking the do-it-yourself route when it comes to shopping for insurance.  Whether it’s for their car, their home, or their medical coverage, they enjoy the ease of getting multiple quotes in one place.  I myself have shopped for insurance this way.

I own a small business unrelated.  I was without health insurance.  Prior to getting in to the insurance field, I experienced first hand the frustation of shopping for health insurance.  I would choose the cheapest plan that looked great, office visits, decent deductible.  Only to get a bill from my doctor later, going WTH?  I tried going through a broker.  Maybe my first clue should have been him requesting me to come to his house to discuss coverage.  That plan sucked too.  Of course I didn’t know it until I had to use it.

And there in lies the frustration with health insurance.  While it serves it’s purpose in keeping us financially secure.  My expection of what I was purchasing was not inline with what I was actually getting.

So when I say it’s up to you.  What I mean is that it’s important to ask the right questions.  What does the coverage do if X happens?  What about Y?  If I get cancer is that included in the coverage I purchased?  What about prescription coverage.  I see that it’s included, but do I need to get approval before I go to the pharmacist.

By asking all the right questions up front you can alleviate some of the frustration that you run into on the back end.  Of course when you shop online, who are you going to talk to?  Well, there is a reason why they have a talk to live support on most insurance websites.

Make sure you do you due diligence. If it seems confusing consult a licensed agent.  While most of the time your dealing with guys/gals who are hounding you because of a quote request.  It’s amazing how helpful they will be answer questions when you are calling them.  Agents know their stuff.  Thats why they have a license.  Good luck!

Originally posted 2009-07-09 04:40:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

An office visit copay is the flat dollar amount that you would pay for a routine visit to either a primary care physician or a specialist, with coverage kicking in at 100% after the copay.  Most traditional, employer sponsored plans offer an office visit copay.  However, individual and family plans may or may not include office visits copays as part of the coverage.

SOME of the plans listed in your instant quote will not offer copays for routine office visits.  If you see “$0″ or “N/A” in the Copay column on your instant quote, then those plans will not have an office visit copay.  On plans with no office visit copay, routine office visits will typically apply to your deductible, and you will be responsible to pay the network-discounted rate for office visits until your deductible is met.  On some of the catastophic plan designs with no copays, routine office visits may not even be covered at all!

Carriers that do not offer office visit copays on their basic plan design will usually give you the option to add office visit copays for an additional premium.  Please remember that when you pay a copay on a PPO plan, your deductible IS NOT reduced by the amount of that copay.  Copay expenses, whether for office visits or prescriptions, are unlimited and never included in your PPO plan’s maximum out-of-pocket limit.

Originally posted 2009-10-09 04:54:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Shopping for health insurance is not always fun. Online quotes can result in a ridiculous amount of phone calls. If it’s your first experience, it can be overwhelming. What can I do for you?

Find the most affordable option customized to you

Wish it were more complicated than that…doesn’t need to be. By working with licensed agents we can help you sort out the nonsense and have you on your way to doing the things you enjoy. Like living.

Contact us through twitter – twitter.com/michinsurance or mymichiganhealth.com

Originally posted 2009-07-22 06:56:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Michigan Health Savings Accounts are a financial tools with a High Deductible Michigan Health Insurance Plan designed to help make your healthcare more affordable and give you control over how your healthcare dollars are sent. Typically once you reach your deductible the insurance company pays 100% for covered service. The money you deposit in an HSA is tax-free. You don’t pay taxes on qualified withdrawals, either. In effect, it’s like getting extra money from the government to pay for healthcare. To open an HSA, you first have to purchase a Michigan high deductible health plan.

Originally posted 2009-07-31 19:09:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

“Covered” means that the service is payable AFTER your deductible is met or it is payable AFTER a copay is paid.  A few services, such as State mandated preventive care services like immunizations, mammograms and prostate screenings, are covered without being subject to a deductible or a copay.  But many people mistake deductible expenses as expenses that are “not covered”.  For example, if your PPO plan’s annual deductible has not been met yet, a trip to the lab for bloodwork might result in a deductible expense, an expense that reduces your calendar year deductible, and you will be required to pay the network discounted fee for the blood test.  This service is considered a “covered” expense, even though you have to pay for it.  If the service is “not covered”, it will not reduce your calendar year deductible.

Originally posted 2009-10-09 04:47:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Click below to get a UniCare Quote Online Now

Online UniCare Quote

Originally posted 2009-10-20 19:11:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter