Walkin for Amazing Care – Quality Care

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

At Advantage Urgent Care we advocate “walk in for amazing care.” So what does amazing care look and feel like?

Over an 11 week period I will be outlining how we at Advantage Urgent Care define Amazing Care. The first edition was dedicated to our providers. The second edition focused on our professional medical support staff. This third edition describes our quality care.

Quality care begins with the right professionals. In my first blog I articulated that our providers are highly experienced board-certified and board-eligible physicians and physician assistants. Additionally our professional medical support staff is highly tenured and continuously trained in the latest medical service techniques. We treat your urgent care needs quickly and professionally. Lastly, we insure appropriate test results are forwarded to your family physician when follow-up treatment is necessary.

When you visit Advantage Urgent Care in Glendale know that you will experience the quality care you deserve.

Common Questions – Health Care Reform

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Possibly the four most often asked questions asked about President Obama’s health care reform are listed below.

What Would Happen to Medicare?

The proposal would set up a board that would research and propose solution to reduce the costs of Medicare.  The board would be specifically prohibited from proposing anything which would amount to rationing care for the elderly.  Instead the proposal would focus on reducing waste and fraud while making Medicare more efficient.

What if I Can Not Afford Health Insurance?

Individuals who make between 100%-400% above the federal poverty level would be eligible to receive credits to assist them in purchasing health care insurance.  The amount of credit would generally go down the more income an individual made.  For the poorest the credit may pay for all of their health care premiums.

Would Employers Be Forced to Provide Insurance?

Maybe.  If a business has over 50 full-time employees they will be forced to offer health care coverage or face a $750 fee per employee.  Businesses with less than 50 employees would be exempted from providing coverage.

What About Medicaid?

Medicaid would be expanded to cover all individuals under the age of 65 who make less than 133% of the federal poverty level.  Currently the poverty level is around $18,000 for a family of three.

Ref: Ryan Witt  -  Political Buzz Examiner

Amazing Care – 2nd Edition

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

At Advantage Urgent Care we advocate “walk in for amazing care.” So what does amazing care look and feel like?

Over an 11 week period I will be outlining how we at Advantage Urgent Care define Amazing Care. The first edition was dedicated to our providers. This second edition is focused on our professional medical support staff.

Generally the first and last medical person you come in contact with is a medical support staff. They’re the ones who perform triage initially to understand your symptoms and begin to gather medical information (temperature, blood pressure etc.). These factors contribute to a provider appropriately diagnosing and determining a treatment. Often treatment begins in the clinic. It is our tenured professional medical support staff administering the treatment. Beyond years of experience our staff is among the best trained in our business, with years of certification education, followed by continued in-house and external training.

When you visit Advantage Urgent Care know that you will be cared for by highly tenured and trained professional medical support staff.

Health Care Reform – Impact for Employer-Sponsored Health Care Plans

Monday, April 12th, 2010

According to Lockton Companies, the following is the immediate financial impact considerations for employer-sponsored health care plans:

Pre-Existing Condition Restrictions

Detail: Plans must remove pre-existing exclusions for children under the age of 19

Impact: Minimal

Lifetime Benefit Maximums

Detail: Plans cannot apply lifetime dollar limits on “essential benefits.”

Impact: Modest, for plan’s claims cost (.05-1.5%) Potentially dramatic for stop-loss premiums

Coverage of Adult Children

Detail: Dependent children remain eligible for coverage until age 26 regardless of student and marital status (prior to 2014, only if the child doesn’t have access to other employer-based coverage).

Impact: Modest. Potential increases to plan’s costs range fro .1-4.1%.

Trend in Plan’s Cost

Detail: Other factors in or related to the health reform bill will impact plan costs, such as increased administrative requirements, delays in generic-drugs coming to market and “Fear Factors” (i.e., reserve build-up by carriers and increased utilization by members)

Impact: Modest to significant, depending on the circumstances

WHAT HEALTH CARE REFORM MEANS TO YOU

Monday, April 5th, 2010

What Health Care Reform Means for You

If you have:

Health insurance through your employer

Very little will change. Some new benefits include no lifetime dollar limits on policies, elimination of co-pays for some preventive care, and older children may stay on their parents’ policies until age 26.

Individual/family insurance you purchase on your own

You will be able to purchase health insurance through a state “exchange” starting in 2014. Although the exchanges have yet to be designed, they are intended to provide more affordable and subsidized individual and small business plans.

Medicare coverage

The “doughnut hole” in prescription drug benefits you currently receive will be gradually filled. If you have a gap in coverage this year, you will receive a $250 rebate check.

Medicaid (Healthy Options) coverage

Medicaid coverage is expanded to cover more people. Adults without children will be eligible for the first time in 2014.

No coverage

You may be eligible for expanded enrollment in Medicaid. By 2014 you will be able to purchase affordable coverage in an “exchange.” Those who do not purchase coverage in 2014 will pay a penalty.