October 2008
Greetings Cindy
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of the Alta Family
Sloane Norland Smith was born on September 19, and is perfect, by all reports.
An easy time to check yourself for good posture is when sitting in the car at a red light. Are your shoulder blades in contact with the seat back? If not, push back into the seat until those blades touch and you will feel lengthening in your neck.
Your posture will be better - you will sit taller, so be sure to adjust the rear view mirror for the new you.
Remember When...
I remember the days when health insurance was a no brainer. I plopped my insurance card down on the counter at any medical office, and expected insurance to pick up the tab for pretty much anything I needed. The time line is a bit of a blur now, but things started to get more complicated with the advent of HMOs and PPOs.
Being a little stubborn, I wanted to choose my doctors, so I always checked the box for PPO. One choice led to another. Were the doctors out of network or in-network? Were the services covered or not? Was there a deductible or co-pay, and what’s the difference anyway? So many decisions to make and always when I really didn’t have the time or energy to study Health Insurance 101! So, for your convenience we have all the insurance lingo spelled out on the insurance page of our website.
http://www.altatherapies.com/insuranceTerms.php
It’s really hard to swallow what’s happened. I guess that’s why so many Americans are looking to lawmakers to fix our broken health care system. In the meantime, I’m working with what I have. I’ve had to change my mindset. Not all my health care is paid for, and that’s not all bad. Now, I get to choose who I see and how I spend money on my health. I think it’s worth it – heck – I’m worth it!
You Get What You Pay For!
Asking friends for advice when it comes to a doctor or therapist is the way to go. Often, the people they recommend are out of network. There’s a reason for that, and I have the inside scoop. Physical Therapists who have chosen to be in-network providers for most insurances are having a hard time making ends meet. Insurance companies are slashing reimbursement for in-network providers and those providers have some tough decisions to make. They can either see people for less time, have patients seen mostly by assistants, or maybe a combination of the two. Neither way is great, and the bottom line is, I get what I pay for -- just like when I choose McGuckins over Home Depot. Why should health care be any different?
Are You Paying Too Much?
These days, I pay more for my health care, but why would I pay more than I have to? I take advantage of any savings available by having a tax exempt Flexible Spending Account. I’ve set aside money for health care, which takes the sting out of the bills, and gives me a tax savings besides. Other tax savings
come from HSAs and HRAs. To learn more about these plans go to http://www.altatherapies.com/insuranceNutsBolts.php
Med-Pay and Auto Accidents
Okay, you are probably tired of hearing about insurance, but too many people are driving around unaware of the dangers they face every day! Have you heard about Med-Pay? If you haven’t heard of Med-Pay, don’t get in your car again until you buy some! With Med-Pay, you know your health bills will be paid if you are injured in an auto accident. It’s the best kept secret in town, and your auto insurance agent may have forgotten to mention it to you ][[(wink – wink). Add an Umbrella Policy and you’re good to go. To get the facts, click here.
So now you know as much about health insurance as I do. We’ll see what changes next month!
Stay tuned,
Jane
A Solution is Waiting for You.
