Paying for Health Care Reform With Medicare/Medicaid Savings

Here in Ft Myers, health insurance reform is a huge issue as our local population consists largely of retirees, many of whom are becoming increasingly concerned about the cost sustainability of their Medicare and their Fort Myers health plans. As health care costs continue to rise, reform is something the Obama Administration earnestly hopes to include in the 2010 Fiscal Budget. President Obama has identitifed savings which could constitute a reserve fund for the proposed health care reform plan. Approximately half of the funding would come from proposals to generate revenue, while the rest would come from Medicare and Medicaid savings.

Based on White House projections, the Medicare savings proposals would reduce beneficiary premiums for physician and outpatient services by about $33 billion over the next decade. As a result of these proposals, beneficiaries would also see an improvement in the quality of their Medicare services. The reserve fund includes a host of Medicare/Medicaid savings proposals, some of which include:

- Improving the accuracy of Medicare and Medicaid payments. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) would have to strengthen their integrity efforts in order to address flaws that have led to billions in overpayments and fraud each year.

- Reducing Medicare overpayments to private insurers would save taxpayers roughly $177 billion over 10 years, as well as reduce Part B premiums. This would be accomplished through the establishment of a competitive system in which payments are based on an average of plans' bids submitted to Medicare.

- Reducing hospital readmission rates and improving post-hospital care. The idea here is that a combination of incentive payments and penalties would lead to better care and fewer readmissions, which would save approximately $25 billion over 10 years.

- Expanding the Hospital Quality Improvement Program to improve quality of care for beneficiaries. This would be done by tying a portion of Medicare payments for acute in-patient hospital services to hospital performance on certain measures of quality. As a result of this effort, Medicare would save around $12 billion over 10 years.

- Cutting waste, abuse and fraud. When it comes to care, patients need quality, not quantity. Unnecessary treatments are not only expensive, but can also pose risks to patient health. To prevent physicians from ordering unnecessary treatment, the Administration proposes increasing scrutiny (through a pre-payment review process) in high-risk areas or for those physicians who order an excessive amount of high-risk services.

For residents of Fort Myers, health insurance, Medicare and health care reform are no doubt important topics. As citizens directly affected by these potential changes in policy, it's important that you stay abreast of the facts, beware of misinformation surrounding health care reform, and show your support for legistlation that speaks to your needs (which are probably not unlike those of many other Americans). If you are satisfied with your Ft Myers health plans, rest assured in knowing that under Obama's plan, you would be able to keep your private insurance and continue seeing the doctors you trust.

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Serving central and west coast Florida, Bay Marketing, a licensed independent contractor with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, has been providing Ft. Myers insurance plan information for individuals and employers during the last twenty years. Many of their professional agents specialize in both individual and commercial health insurance for the florida business owner. Call 239-275-8500 / 800-330-7124 or contact Bay Marketing for an online individual and group insurance quote at Florida Health Plans Online.

Author Elliot Bigman.

Tips For Choosing a Doctor

If you are working with a Ft. Myers health insurance plan, your ability to choose your doctor may be affected by your plan. Whether you are new to the area and are just looking into Ft. Myers health plans or you are beginning new insurance coverage, finding a doctor can be a little bit of a daunting task. After all, this is a person into whose hands you will be placing yourself for your basic medical care, to monitor any medical conditions you have, to handle any acute illnesses short of hospital visits, and for referring you to specialists as needed.

Why look for a new doctor right away? The answer is simple: because you need to have a primary care physician that you are established with. If you are not established at a doctor's office, it can be extraordinarily difficult to get an appointment, especially in an emergency. Without established care, you will likely end up in the hospital or urgent care to seek treatment, which is decidedly more expensive. Were you to visit your own primary care physician, you would be treated by someone who has knowledge of your personal and medical history and would therefor be able to make better decisions about what course of action to take.

Tips for finding a new doctor:

*Ask people you know and trust if they would recommend their doctor. If so, inquire with the office as to whether they are accepting new patients.

*Check with your local hospital- they should have a list of area physicians (usually family physicians that are on staff with the hospital) that may include information as to which practitioners are open to new patients at that time.

*You can perform online checks on doctor's credentials, and oftentimes find reviews on local or national medical review sites. If you are working from a list of doctors within your Fort Myers health insurance plan, look to these sources to learn more about the doctors available to you.

General questions to ask potential doctors:

*What services do they offer?
*What hours do they operate and what provisions are made for after-hours needs?
*Who would be in charge of your care were they to be unavailable?
*Do they have staff privileges at any of the local hospitals?
*How does the office process insurance claims?
*What is their policy on referrals?

Meeting with a doctor is the absolute best way to make your decision about whether or not to come to them for your primary care needs. It is best to schedule an annual check up or a new-patient well visit before you have need of any actual medical care. Discuss any questions or concerns you have with the doctor. Get a feel for their general approach and decide whether or not they are the appropriate physician for you, based on your office visit, personal interaction, and the availability of the services you would need from them.

Serving central and west coast Florida, Bay Marketing, a licensed independent contractor with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, has been providing insurance plan information for individuals and employers during the last twenty years. Many of their professional agents specialize in both individual and commercial health insurance for the florida business owner. Call 239-275-8500 / 800-330-7124 or contact Bay Marketing for an online individual and group insurance quote at Florida Health Plans Online.

Author Elliot Bigman.