Insurance World

People remember how sad they felt while Terri Schiavo withered away; as they watched the woman’s family fight over what they thought she wanted.

You Should Have A Living Will

While Living Wills have existed for some time, they have become household words since the Schiavo case - the Florida woman who suffered severe brain damage in 1990 and became the centre of a legal and moral debate which culminated in her passing away on March 31, 13 days after her feeding tube had been removed.

The controversy pitted Schiavo’s parents, who wanted to keep their daughter alive, against Schiavo’s husband, who said she wanted to die rather live in such a state. Politicians joined in the debate as did church leaders. People around the nation argued the moral and ethical implications of Schiavo’s condition.

Schiavo did not have a Living Will - a written, legal document that clearly expresses what a patient would want done if their condition is terminal and incurable, an important message to your loved ones when you are no longer able to communicate.

While common sense would say Living Wills are more important for the elderly it’s important for adults of all ages to have such documents because you never know when tragedy will strike. Schiavo was only 26 when she collapsed in her home.

There are people who are young that don’t realize this is important, but it is. The Living Will gives you a chance to make a decision you want about life and death.

Who Needs A Living Will?

Everybody needs a Living Will. You can be in charge, regarding the way you are treated at the end of your life.

Nobody in their right mind would want their family to be dragged through something like the Schiavo case. Anybody, regardless of age, should seriously consider how they will be treated, as long as they are living by the medical community.

It is important to have a Will and a Living Will for the children. It makes it easier on families if a situation arrives, so they don’t have to make a decision on their own. It’s never too early to have a Will or a Living Will.

More than half of the 45 million Americans who lack health insurance are self-employed or work at small businesses. Most simply cannot afford the sky-high premiums associated with traditional health insurance policies.

Consumer-guided health plans offer an affordable alternative. The best plans, such as those powered by HealthMarkets, allow consumers to shop online for a doctor or hospital with powerful, user-friendly tools.

But not all consumer-guided health plans are created equal. Some offer little more than cheap rates and few benefits. Three questions can help you separate a real consumer-guided plan from a “look-alike,” ensuring you get the most for your money.

Question 1: Will the plan help stretch my health care dollars?

A well-kept secret is that doctors charge very different prices for the same medical procedure or service. One doctor might charge $90 for a routine office visit, while another in the same town charges $130.

Under a traditional managed care plan, patients don’t know and don’t have a reason to care about differences in price. They might pay the same $20 co-pay at either office.

A consumer-guided plan takes the mystery out of health care pricing. With a consumer-guided plan, patients seeking non-emergency care have a way to know how much things really cost, and a reason to care. By setting a reasonable maximum charge that the policy will pay for any given procedure or service, consumer-guided plans keep premiums low. By giving consumers new tools, they can compare out-of-pocket costs from one doctor to another.

A spending account for routine care helps too. On Day 1 of coverage, well-designed plans typically offer a spending account for routine or preventive services. Money left in the account at the end of the year rolls over. If the fund is depleted, routine services remain covered, but are subject to deductibles and coinsurance. The result: an incentive to go to the doctor for preventive care at a reasonable price.

Many consumer-guided plans also incorporate Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which allow you to set aside money in a tax-advantaged account for health care needs, adding to a sense of ownership over healthcare spending.

Question 2: Does the plan provide information on quality?

To focus only on money misses the point of health care. Consumers also need quick, easy access to other information, including a doctor’s board certification, medical school, and years in practice, and a hospital’s adherence to patient safety standards, volume of procedures and clinical outcomes.

The best consumer-guided plans let consumers post feedback on physicians for other members to view, creating a powerful feedback mechanism such the one used on Internet auction sites. Rude doctors, beware!

Question 3: Does the plan offer education and support services?

Being a smart healthcare consumer can be complicated. A good plan offers customer service representatives trained to discuss the critical issues faced by healthcare consumers, such as how to compare cost among various providers and how to manage financial accounts.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

About HealthMarkets

HealthMarkets is America’s leading provider of affordable health insurance for the individual, self-employed and small business markets. HealthMarkets is also a leader in student and hourly employee insurance nationwide. HealthMarkets has a dedicated agent and broker force of more than 4,000 professionals who are trained and licensed through the company’s agency associates in 44 states.

HealthMarkets sells insurance in 44 states. Please note that HealthMarkets has consumer guided plans approved in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.