What plastic surgery is covered by insurance?
While it may seem obvious that reconstructive plastic surgery procedures are covered by insurance and cosmetic plastic surgery procedures are not covered, there are some nuances that necessitate clarification. Even the Australian government’s national health service weighed in on the debate recently. What’s covered? Essentially, if you have a deformity on your […]
Lipoma
While not a particularly sexy topic, a lipoma is something that a lot of Americans experience. A lipoma is a fatty mass that can occur anywhere on the body. While it’s technically a tumor, no one refers to it that way because tumor conjures thoughts of cancer. And a lipoma is typically a very benign, […]
High Deductible Health Plans
With more and more consumers getting high deductible health plans now, there’s an interesting phenomenon afoot. Consumers are paying for medically necessary procedures as though they were cosmetic procedures – completely out of pocket. In the past, you bought health insurance so that medically necessary procedures were paid for. Paying out of pocket was only […]
3 Reasons Price Transparency is Good for the Doctor and the Patient
What will make doctors like patients more and what will make patients like doctors more?! Full disclosure, honesty and price transparency. They all go hand in hand. And nothing is more absent from healthcare than price transparency, but that doesn’t have to be. Price transparency can, if done the right way, give both the patient […]
High Deductible Health Plans Make for Better Consumers of Healthcare
In the recent article by Robert Pear in the NY Times, consumers are learning that their deductibles will be higher in the Affordable Care Act (italics added by this author). This act would be more appropriately named the Accessible Care Act because for most, it will make health insurance more accessible but not more affordable. […]
Price Transparency in the Emergency Room
In a recent NY Times article, the costs in the ER were discussed yet again. This is an ongoing problem that shows the most expensive care is typically in the emergency room. It’s not really a new revelation but by highlighting the actual charges patients are receiving in their bills, it’s just as alarming (Coincidentally, […]