We thought a helpful blog for our patients and followers would be a quick guide on navigating the world of Health Insurance, especially since open enrollment is coming up quickly and 2020 has been a year to really think about our health.
Health insurance isn't like any other type of insurance because it pays for the preventative care and on-going needs when managing conditions. Your traditional home owners, renters, or car insurance doesn't do that, they are only there if catastrophe strikes.
Now add that the United States currently ranks highest in healthcare spending among the developed nations of the world (1). You would think that means the US has the healthiest people, right? Actually, we rank about the lowest.
Although the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world, the nation ranks lowest in terms of “efficiency, equity and outcomes,” (2)
Part of the problem is with the current medical model of disease "management" and frequent need for expensive (too expensive) pharmaceuticals in our country and you unfortunately need a very pricey policy for most Americans.
Policy Types
HMO: Health Maintenance Organization
These plans typically deliver their services through a network of facilities and providers. They give you less choice of providers and you'll often have a primary care physician (PCP) who will dictate your referrals and manage your overall care. These plans often do not pay for physician visits outside their network. (i.e. Kaiser).
PPO: Preferred Provider Organization
These plans offer more flexibility on which providers you can see, as long as they are contracted with the insurance company (in-network) you will get the most benefit, and you won't need referrals to see many of these providers. You can also see physicians who aren't contracted with the insurance carrier (out-of-network), but you will pay more (because there is no contracted reduced rate with the insurance company).
EPO: Exclusive Provider Organization
Much like a PPO, but you will not have any coverage for out-of-network providers. You need to see an in-network provider in order to have coverage (some Kaiser plans are like this).
POS: Point of Service Plan
A mixture of HMO and PPO. You may have a PCP who coordinates your referrals for you. You can typically see out-of-network providers, but will pay more.
Catastrophic (High Deductible) Plan;
These plans have the lowest premiums and are typically reserved for those < 30 years of age. You will have a few preventative care visits with your PCP (meaning you aren't seeing them for a problem) that are paid by insurance, but all other care applies to your deductible, meaning you pay the full (contracted) cost. Once you've paid the whole deductible, then your care is covered 100%. Deductibles for these plans are generally several thousand dollars.
We don't usually recommend these unless you are super healthy, have a stellar diet and are well versed in taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically in addition to having a nice chunk in your savings account. What we see happen is patients put off a problem until it's too late, as they limit your access to more affordable care when an early issue arises.
Plan Coverage
Once you decide on a type of policy, you then have to choose your coverage level. Many plans are ranked in terms of Bronze (lowest coverage, most out-of-pocket) up to Platinum (highest coverage, least out-of-pocket). These have several types of out-of-pocket costs that can vary depending on the plan. The premium is higher for plans with lower out-of-pocket costs. The out-of-pocket costs can also be thought of as your cost-share with the health insurance. You pay a portion of the costs, and insurance pays the rest.
Contracted Rate: This is the cost of the visit dictated by the insurance company for providers who are in network (contracted) with the insurance provider. This varies depending on the insurance company, plan and provider. It is a discounted rate from the provider's usual and customary rate that insurance has negotiated with the provider in order for them to be considered in-network. Simply having an insurance plan helps you get access to these lower rates.
Deductible: The amount of the contracted rate (see above) you need to pay in full until certain benefits become covered by insurance. Not all costs are subject to the deductible, and it's important for you to know what is subject to the deductible and what isn't. This can vary greatly, depending on the plan.
Labs and diagnostics are typically subject to the deductible.
Preventative exams and screening labs (i.e. annual cholesterol) are typically not subject to the deductible.
Copay: A flat amount you will pay for each visit to your doctor. Different doctors can have different copay amounts (i.e. a specialist copay will be higher than your PCP copay). Copays are typically not subject to the deductible.
Coinsurance: A percentage of the visit cost you are required to pay for each visit or service. Coinsurance is often subject to the deductible before it applies.
When you see your doctor at PCNM, we will check your benefits to estimate your out-of-pocket costs based on the plan information we can find. We find this helps patients better understand their insurance policy and helps make for better, fully informed decisions regarding their health care needs. We understand that in today's world, finances unfortunately play a large role in our healthcare decisions, and we strive to keep our healthcare as affordable as possible.
Will they ever make the system less costly, more efficient, have more equality and improve patient outcomes? We sure hope so! In order to do this we need a system with more focus on real prevention (not just screening), education in proper diet and exercise, and a complete food system overhaul. We also need to target treatment in resolution of the problem and less management of the symptoms through pharmaceuticals. This doesn't fit well within the current medical/insurance model, and although we as a medical office can achieve this for our patients, it forces us to try to work within a broken and misdirected system and leads to some services and treatments not being covered by insurance, such as certain evaluations, nutrients, herbal medicines and homeopathics. HSA (Health Savings Accounts) are a great way to help cover the costs of these needs.
Questions?
We understand the world of health insurance is incredibly complicated, and sometimes it can really feel like the insurance companies make up their own rules or make things more complicated just for fun. Unfortunately, nothing is straight forward with health insurance, and that's why we have a dedicated Patient Insurance Advocate, who can help in understanding your health plan and help estimate any out of pocket costs for your care at PCNM. Our goal is to always maximize what is covered by your plan and minimize your out of pocket costs whenever possible. We are also committed to affordable healthcare that is based on real prevention and solving the problem, not just managing it.
Current patients can message our Patient Insurance Advocate, Katrina through the patient portal. Prospective patients can reach her by emailing billing@pacificnatmed.com.
We also recommend working with a Health Insurance Broker. These professionals are well versed in helping individuals find an affordable insurance plan that meets your needs.
We highly recommend:
Sarah Teeple: Health Markets, (503) 828-1138
Cecily Hutchins: Greenberg Insurance Associates, (503) 297-8078
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of physicians at Pacific Clinic of Natural Medicine, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of our physicians and their community to promote wellness . PCNM encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional and medical services. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
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