As the recent WikiLeaks disclosures continue to make headlines across the globe, I can not help but reflect upon what this means for healthcare privacy. Why are these classified documents so “sensitive” in nature, that the White … [Read more...]
Largest Health Insurer Forecasts Growth in Medicare Advantage Plans for Elderly
Today, Reuters reported that United Health Group (UNH.N) expects health insurance plan enrollments to increase over the next year. The Group is the largest health insurer in the U.S and expects the growth to result at least in … [Read more...]
Power to the Patients! New Rules Forbid Discrimination in Medicare Facilities
Patient advocates have commented by the thousands in an effort to end any real or perceived discrimination. In April, 2010, President Obama echoed these pleas...as of this week, new rules have been established and will go into … [Read more...]
How New Health Information Technology Will Save Money and Lives
Why is it that our most sensitive, personal data is often in an unorganized state of disarray? Most of us probably could more quickly pull a given DVD or book from our collections than proffer to a doctor a condition or … [Read more...]
A Mixed Bag in Virginia: Federal Law Prohibits 2011 Social Security Increases, but Federal Agency Grants Millions to Disadvantaged Groups
As Halloween approaches this year, I can't help but draw an analogy between the nights I spent meandering my neighborhood as a kid looking for handouts, and our current economic times. I recall my grade-school friends and I … [Read more...]
Survey Shows Some Nursing Homes May Bill For Services Not Provided
A recent Washington Post article concludes that many nursing homes have been “up-coding” billing for care of residents for years, meaning that some nursing homes sometimes bill a resident more than they should be billed by using a … [Read more...]
Health Reform: Changes in Store for the Elderly
After a year of legislative wrangling and premature forecasts of death, historic legislation overhauling the nation's health insurance system passed the Congress and has been signed into law by President Obama. Among some of the … [Read more...]
New Medical Conditions — Including Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease — Now Qualify for Automatic Disability Benefits
Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits are paid to individuals who, after having worked for many years, develop a disabling condition, prior to their normal retirement age, that is so severe that they are no longer able to … [Read more...]
Myths about Obama’s Health Plan
Lots of clients have been asking my opinion on Obama's new health care reform plan. I'm not at all a political pundit, and I have not read the entire Bill, but I have seen and heard what appears to be a great deal of … [Read more...]
Planning for Long-Term Care (Part 3)
In Part 1 of this series I outlined the necessity to create a good Long Term Care Plan and in Part 2 I discussed the three most essential documents found in that plan. The first essential document is a General Power of Attorney … [Read more...]