Florida Health Insurance Chat l Group Health Insurance Blog

It’s Medicare season again, a time when plans are changed and seniors are forced to face the increasingly difficult task of sifting through options and choices and trying to decide which plan will be best for them. That’s if they are paying attention. Many seniors, overwhelmed or too set in their ways to face a change will likely suffer higher premiums and lessening coverages when they go to fill prescriptions. What can be done to educate seniors and encourage them to make wise choices? What can be done to make the system easier to understand and less confusing to everyone involved?

Fisherman’s Hospital in Marathon FL may now be under the ownership of Babtist Health, making it the second of three area hospitals to belong to Babtist Health. The hospital is currently a community owned, nonprofit institution, but has a very low occupency rate. Babtist plans to offer assistance to uninsured citizens who are under the poverty level, a service which many feel would be tremendously helpful. Talks have been going on for some time, what do you think the outcome will be and will it benefit citizens in the area?

Glenn Mans, a retired employee of the Florida Transportation System and his wife, a school board employee, are finding the rise in the cost of living more than they can manage. With the cost of food, utilities, fuel, and health insurance all on the rise, and their income remaining the same, the couple has to work vigilantly to cut costs and reduce expenses wherever they can. While they don’t have a mortgage payment, credit card balances, or student loan debt, the cost of their health insurance is equivalent to a mortgage payment at over $1200 a month and rising. This couple is struggling, but knows that there are many in much tighter situation than themselves. How are people going to survive if the cost of living keeps going up, but income levels remain basically the same?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is revolutionizing the way we think of buying insurance as it opens several “Blue Store” in Florida. The original store was opened in Pembroke Pines, Florida, but there is also one in the Town Center of Jacksonville, FL. The store offers plans for as low as $20 a month and offer discounts for services. These plans are aimed at people who cannot afford a traditional policy or who cannot aqcuire one for various reasons. What do you think of this new concept of insurance sales and coverage. Are they worth the money, or just a gimmick?

The Quantum Group, Inc, a healthcare organization based in Wellington, FL has announced that it will expand in to several additional Florida counties. The counties make up over 85% of the Medicare population of Florida and the company is very excited about the potential for this growth. How do you think the outcome of the election will affect businesses that depend on Medicare generated income?

While President Elect Barack Obama has made big promises for the country and reforming our health insurance system, the problem that hospitals and medical providers are facing is what to do in the meantime? No relief is in sight for the near future as medical facilities face decreasing revenues, an increase in the number of non-paying patients, and company cutbacks. How long will it be before Obama’s proposed reforms acutally impact the healthcare system? How deep of a hole will we be in by then and how will we get out?

Now that the election is over and Obama is officially the man of the future for our country, what do Floridians have to say about it? For some, the idea of taxing families making over $250,000 is causing some trepidation. But for others, like small business owners who are looking to get tax credits for their employee’s health care, the picture seems a little brighter. Obviously the majority of Florida’s voters were hopeful for a change toward the positive. But was Obama chosen simply because he was offering change? Are Floridians going to be happy about the types of changes he will make?

An analysis done by Avalere Health shows that Florida, in addition to New York, California, Texas, and Illinois, will face a dramatic increase in the premiums of the 10 largest prescription drug plans. These increases will be as much as 30% in some cases, and may also accompany higher copayment costs. The overall picture is that costs are going way up, and benefits are going down. How will Obama’s presidency affect programs such as this?

In Broward County, Sawgrass Plans has introduced the “micro plan” centered around a specific localized group of hospitals and doctors. Up to 30% cheaper than other plans, the micro plan limits the number of physicians and facilities one can visit, but allows for much lower premium costs. Participants still have access to four top quality hospitals and a number of quality physicians, so it isn’t quality that is lacking. But restricting people to this network allows them to negotiate lower costs and pass that savings on to consumers. What do you think of this type of plan? Read more here

Masking her dissapointment in losing the race against former opponent Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton was on hand in Winter Park, Florida in a rally supporting his campaign. Handing out 1-800 numbers and internet addresses for Obama’s campaign, she reminded citizens that it took a Democrat to clean up after Bush the first time, and it would take the same thing to bring relief to the country after George W.’s time in the White House. Floridians were impressed by her lack of bitterness in the rally and by her intelligence and enthusiasm. Many expressed the hope that Obama would employ her in some fashion and all 20 who were interviewed said they hoped she would run for president again. How would Senator Clinton’s plans for health care and the economy fared against McCain’s, had she won the right to run for President?