Aetna Health Insurance For Your Protection!

Aetna Health Insurance For Your Protection!

Aetna health insurance has long been a highly recognized insurance company. Millions of people have put their trust in Aetna health insurance over the years. Aetna individual health insurance has been a top choice of employers who want to obtain sufficient coverage for their employees. Medical costs these days are spiraling higher than ever before.

Aetna has risen to the occasion and created some effective new plans to meet todays Aetna individual health insurance needs. For instance, the Aetna Health Fund is in gaining popularity. The employer puts an amount of money in a fund and the employee spends from it until it is gone. After that the employee pays out of pocket for medical expenses, up to a certain amount. Any amount that is left over at the end of the year can be rolled over to the next year. This is just an example of the innovative new ways Aetna individual health insurance can be suited to your needs.

Preventive care is a high priority with Aetna health insurance. Regular check-ups can determine health problems early on before they become life threatening. While this may be common sense, thats not necessarily the case with all insurance companies. Your health is in good hands with health insurance Aetna.

Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

Changes to International Health Insurance

Those who travel overseas for business or vacation may want to know that two of the world's largest international health insurance plans - Atlas Travel and the International Citizen Medical Plan insured by Lloyds of London have changed coverage and rates effective January 1, 2002. The coverage levels are increased for the new policies and the premium cost is proportionately higher.

These plans are specifically designed to deal with the language issues, currency translation and business practices unique to the medical care of international travelers. I believe that the improvements in benefits will be welcomed by customers. The relatively low cost of these plans means that a modest price increase is not a significant barrier for most customers.

The updated rates and forms are now available online at www.MedSave.com using the International Health Insurance or the "Forms" link and printed versions of the new enrollment brochure are expected to be available in early January.

These plans are specifically designed to deal with the language issues, currency translation and business practices unique to the medical care of international travelers. I believe that the improvements in benefits will be welcomed by customers. The relatively low cost of these plans means that a modest price increase is not a significant barrier for most customers.

The updated rates and forms are now available online at www.MedSave.com using the International Health Insurance or the "Forms" link and printed versions of the new enrollment brochure are expected to be available in early January.

Tony Novak, MBA, MT, is a tax and benefits adviser based in Narberth, PA. His businesses Freedom Benefits Association and MedSave.com provide enrollment services to individuals and businesses nationwide

Connecticut Cracks Down on Illegal Health Insurance Plans

The state of Connecticut cracked down on a number of unlicensed health insurance plans and agents this month. The Insurance Department issued warnings to consumers to check the licensing of any firm before doing business. The targeted illegal heath plans were primarily offered to small businesses through their professional industry associations. The health plans claimed that since they were not fully insured and operated in multiple states Connecticuts strict insurance regulations did not apply to them. CT Insurance Department disagreed and closed the plans. A list of the approximately 40 closed plans is posted on the Departments Web site. Since the affected health plans are offered in multiple states, consumers in other states may soon be dealing with similar actions.

But the news is not all black and white. This crackdown closes the door to some of the few remaining affordable health insurance plans for many Connecticut small businesses. Connecticuts past legislative blunders in regulating health insurance are now costing its residents in sharply higher health insurance premiums. The illegal low-priced health plans are actually quite legal and well accepted in other states. The affected consumers are more likely to be irked by the Big Brother attitude of their government than by the fact that their health plan did not meet all applicable state laws. Most will be unable to find replacement health coverage in the same price range.

Tony Novak, MBA, MT, Online Adviser at MedSave.com suggests that consumers keep in mind the simple principal If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are no bargains or great deals in health insurance. If one health insurance plan costs less than another, that is only because it provides less coverage. Make sure that you know specifically what coverage you are giving up before enrolling in a low cost health insurance plan. As long as a plan is fully insured and the agent is also licensed and insured, then it is OK to save money by choosing a plan that eliminates coverage that you do not need. For example, if you dont need maternity coverage or pre-existing condition coverage, then it is safe to buy a plan that costs only half as much as a health plan that does include this coverage.

Novak emphasizes that these buying guidelines apply to residents of all states, not just Connecticut. Unfortunately, too many small businesses buy the lowest cost health plan they can find without really understanding the reason for the cost difference or the risks they may be taking with the lower cost plan.

MedSave.com also adds that the Connecticut crackdown did not affect any of its health plans. All MedSave.com health plans are fully insured and licensed in the state where they are offered.

But the news is not all black and white. This crackdown closes the door to some of the few remaining affordable health insurance plans for many Connecticut small businesses. Connecticuts past legislative blunders in regulating health insurance are now costing its residents in sharply higher health insurance premiums. The illegal low-priced health plans are actually quite legal and well accepted in other states. The affected consumers are more likely to be irked by the Big Brother attitude of their government than by the fact that their health plan did not meet all applicable state laws. Most will be unable to find replacement health coverage in the same price range.

Tony Novak, MBA, MT, Online Adviser at MedSave.com suggests that consumers keep in mind the simple principal If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are no bargains or great deals in health insurance. If one health insurance plan costs less than another, that is only because it provides less coverage. Make sure that you know specifically what coverage you are giving up before enrolling in a low cost health insurance plan. As long as a plan is fully insured and the agent is also licensed and insured, then it is OK to save money by choosing a plan that eliminates coverage that you do not need. For example, if you dont need maternity coverage or pre-existing condition coverage, then it is safe to buy a plan that costs only half as much as a health plan that does include this coverage.

Novak emphasizes that these buying guidelines apply to residents of all states, not just Connecticut. Unfortunately, too many small businesses buy the lowest cost health plan they can find without really understanding the reason for the cost difference or the risks they may be taking with the lower cost plan.

MedSave.com also adds that the Connecticut crackdown did not affect any of its health plans. All MedSave.com health plans are fully insured and licensed in the state where they are offered.

Tax and Benefits Adviser
Freedom Benefits Association

Is Pet Health Insurance an Option?

Most pet owners arent aware that health insurance for their loved animals has been available for about 15 years now. However, both the availability and restrictions on most plans have made this type of health insurance out of reach for most pet owners.

Interestingly enough, pet health insurance has changed in the past couple of years. Now, animal owners are able to afford medical procedures previously prohibitive because of the cost. But many skeptics are concerned that health insurance for pets will see an increase in the red tape us humans already encounter every day.

Animal medicine is one of the few health care services that isnt financially dependent on health insurance. Medical, dental, surgical and pharmaceuticals are all pretty much covered by health insurance in humans, but veterinary patients are responsible for all of that, themselves. Or, at least their owners are.

Health insurance for pets is very similar to insurance for humans. The same fees, deductibles, coverage rates and plans are all in place, with different plans based on the age, species, and general health of your pet.

Most health insurance policies for animals start around the 6-8 week range, but when the policies end depend on a variety of factors, mostly decided by the health insurance company. Some have age limits, and some dont.

And just like with humans, some health insurance companies will only accept your pet on their plan if they are healthy; others will accept them only if they have had a stable condition for more than six months in a row.

Currently, deductibles stand around $100 for pet health insurance. Policy costs vary as much as human health insurance does, unfortunately. Some depend on what types and kind of coverage is desired, and yet others are just blanket coverage catch-alls. Some may only cover accidents and illnesses. And more pets usually means a reduced health insurance rate for subsequent animals.

But what if you decide that an health insurance policy is not right for you, and your pet? There are other options, of course!

First, discuss your situation with your Veterinarian. Some animal hospitals offer packages that arent quite health insurance, but can offer a rate deal of some sorts on more mundane medical procedures (spaying/neutering, vaccinations, etc.), or packages for your aging animal.

Secondly, research plans that offer discounts on animal health services. PetAssure is one of these companies, but there are a myriad of not-for-profits that may offer this as a side benefit when you join. Or, these same animal not-for-profits may offer financial assistance for pet owners whose health costs are beyond their means a sort of emergency fund, if you will.

All in all, it depends on you, and your pet(s), whether or not pet health insurance is the right choice. Hopefully, with the help of this article, your choice will be an informed one.

For more more information about pet health insurance please visit http://www.1health-center.com/articles/The-Important-of-Health-Insurance.php

HIPAA and Document Imaging

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996 and has made quite an impression on the world of digital document imaging and forms processing. Any company as a covered entity of HIPAA needs to take certain precautions when outsourcing any aspect of their operations that deal with personnel health information (PHI.) There are two main components to HIPAA that deal directly with the outsourcing of document imaging and claims processing. Privacy issues and Administrative Simplification are of the utmost importance to HIPAA.

If you have been to doctor?s office the last few years, you probably have been asked to sign all kinds of new forms; these forms are HIPAA privacy forms. It does not end with privacy and disclosure forms, people handling medical information must take special precautions when handling private medical information. This information includes but is not limited claims, patient history files, and enrollment files.

Whenever dealing with a Document Imaging Service provider you should always ask them about their HIPAA policies and procedures. Every one of their employees needs to sign an agreement stating they are aware they are handling people?s PHI. The company should have a zero tolerance policy on distributing or reading anyone?s PHI. Every care and precaution must be taken to ensure PHI remains private.

Under the privacy rule of HIPAA there is a security rule which has three parts:

1. Administrative Safeguards ? are policies and procedures designed to clearly show how an organization will comply with the HIPAA act.
2. Physical Safeguards - Physical access to PHI must be restricted and controlled to guard against inappropriate access to such data.
3. Technical Safeguards ? Any organization engaged in the handling of PHI must control access to computer systems and protect communications containing PHI. These communications must be protected against interception.

The primary goal of the Administrative Simplification portion of HIPAA is to simplify and streamline the administration of health care. Essentially, standards are created to facilitate various types of health care electronic transactions. No one insurer can ask any claims submitter to file in any other electronic formats other than those mandated by HIPAA.

A little bit of work up front will pay off in time. If you use an experienced service bureau or clearinghouse to process your claims, they will be able to convert your paper claims according to the standards set fourth by HIPAA with little effort. Once you successfully submit claims in the HIPAA standard ANSI 837 format, submitting to another insurer will be a piece of cake.

Under the old system, one health care provider could require all claims submissions to be in a HL7 format while another could require a custom text string. There were about 400 different ways to submit an electronic claim before HIPAA. Now there is one way, HIPAA's Way.

• Less setup for new claims submitters (One size fits all)
• Easier training for new staff
• Faster payments

If you feel the company you are doing business with is not serious about HIPAA, find another company to do business with. In the end you are responsible for the actions of your contracted vendors. Any vendor dealing with PHI is also considered a covered entity of HIPAA and therefore legally bound by the act.

We are a NY document imaging company dedicated to finding you the right solution for all your digital data needs. We believe in providing you with all the necessary information and expertise to help you make a sound decision regarding your data processing projects. For more information visit our website at http://www.paper-scanning-services.com

Alert: New HIPAA Rules Could Affect Your Organization

 Trust Failure to adhere to the new guidelines could cost your company
up to $250,000 per infraction!

On April 21, 2005 (just over three weeks from today), a new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security rule goes into effect. The requirements of this rule, which are basically information security best practices, focus on the three cornerstones of a solid information security infrastructure: confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

The imminent HIPAA regulatory requirements encompass transmission, storage and discoverability of Protected Health Information (PHI). Given the widespread use and mission-critical nature of email, enforcement of HIPAA encryption policies and the growing demand for secure email solutions, email security has never been more important to the healthcare industry than it is right now.

Although many assume it applies only to health care providers, HIPAA affects nearly all companies that regularly transmit or store employee health insurance information. HIPAA was signed into law in 1996 by former President Bill Clinton, with the intent of protecting employee health and insurance information when workers changed or lost their jobs. As Internet use became more widespread in the mid-to-late 1990s, HIPAA requirements overlapped with the digital revolution and offered direction to organizations needing to exchange healthcare information.

HIPAA in the Workplace
Collaboration between employers and healthcare professionals has grown increasingly digital, and email has played an ever-increasing role in this communication. However, emails increased importance can lead to severe consequences without proper security and privacy measures implemented.

In addition to the usual concerns about privacy and security of email correspondence, even organizations that are not in the healthcare industry must now consider the regulatory compliance requirements associated with HIPAA. The Administrative Simplification section of HIPAA, which, among other things, mandates privacy and security of Protected Health Information (PHI), has sparked concern about how email containing PHI should be treated in the corporate setting. HIPAA, as it relates to email security, is an enforcement of otherwise well-known best practices that include:

• Ensuring that email messages containing PHI are kept secure when transmitted over an unprotected link
  
• Ensuring that email systems and users are properly authenticated so that PHI does not get into the wrong hands
  
• Protecting email servers and message stores where PHI may exist
  

Organizations regulated by HIPAA must comply and put these practices in place. However, the need to comply with regulations puts particular pressure on the healthcare industry to enhance their use of technology and catch up with other industries of similar size and scope.

Privacy and Email Security
The privacy protection provisions in HIPAA pose a major compliance challenge for the healthcare industry. These provisions are intended to protect patients from disclosure of any of their individually identifiable health information. Organizations that fail to protect this information face fines ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 for each instance of unauthorized disclosure. If the disclosure is found to be intentional, HIPAA provides for fines ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 and possible jail time for individuals involved in the violations.

The clock is ticking its time to get started
Bringing an enterprise into compliance with the rules set by HIPAA can seem like a very daunting task to even the most experienced executives. Nonetheless, the growing dependence on email as a mission-critical application requires that your organization implement comprehensive security and privacy policies and soon. A solid combination of security policies and the technologies to enforce those policies can ensure improved security as well as HIPAA readiness and ongoing adherence.

Despite the immediacy of the new HIPAA security rule, your organization can still achieve compliance. Learn more about how IronMail helps organizations comply with HIPAA by downloading CipherTrusts free whitepaper, "IronMail Compliance Control: Contributing to Corporate Regulatory Compliance". Failure to adhere to the new guidelines could cost your company
up to $250,000 per infraction!

On April 21, 2005 (just over three weeks from today), a new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security rule goes into effect. The requirements of this rule, which are basically information security best practices, focus on the three cornerstones of a solid information security infrastructure: confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

The imminent HIPAA regulatory requirements encompass transmission, storage and discoverability of Protected Health Information (PHI). Given the widespread use and mission-critical nature of email, enforcement of HIPAA encryption policies and the growing demand for secure email solutions, email security has never been more important to the healthcare industry than it is right now.

Although many assume it applies only to health care providers, HIPAA affects nearly all companies that regularly transmit or store employee health insurance information. HIPAA was signed into law in 1996 by former President Bill Clinton, with the intent of protecting employee health and insurance information when workers changed or lost their jobs. As Internet use became more widespread in the mid-to-late 1990s, HIPAA requirements overlapped with the digital revolution and offered direction to organizations needing to exchange healthcare information.

HIPAA in the Workplace
Collaboration between employers and healthcare professionals has grown increasingly digital, and email has played an ever-increasing role in this communication. However, emails increased importance can lead to severe consequences without proper security and privacy measures implemented.

In addition to the usual concerns about privacy and security of email correspondence, even organizations that are not in the healthcare industry must now consider the regulatory compliance requirements associated with HIPAA. The Administrative Simplification section of HIPAA, which, among other things, mandates privacy and security of Protected Health Information (PHI), has sparked concern about how email containing PHI should be treated in the corporate setting. HIPAA, as it relates to email security, is an enforcement of otherwise well-known best practices that include:

• Ensuring that email messages containing PHI are kept secure when transmitted over an unprotected link
  
• Ensuring that email systems and users are properly authenticated so that PHI does not get into the wrong hands
  
• Protecting email servers and message stores where PHI may exist
  

Organizations regulated by HIPAA must comply and put these practices in place. However, the need to comply with regulations puts particular pressure on the healthcare industry to enhance their use of technology and catch up with other industries of similar size and scope.

Privacy and Email Security
The privacy protection provisions in HIPAA pose a major compliance challenge for the healthcare industry. These provisions are intended to protect patients from disclosure of any of their individually identifiable health information. Organizations that fail to protect this information face fines ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 for each instance of unauthorized disclosure. If the disclosure is found to be intentional, HIPAA provides for fines ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 and possible jail time for individuals involved in the violations.

The clock is ticking its time to get started
Bringing an enterprise into compliance with the rules set by HIPAA can seem like a very daunting task to even the most experienced executives. Nonetheless, the growing dependence on email as a mission-critical application requires that your organization implement comprehensive security and privacy policies and soon. A solid combination of security policies and the technologies to enforce those policies can ensure improved security as well as HIPAA readiness and ongoing adherence.

Despite the immediacy of the new HIPAA security rule, your organization can still achieve compliance. Learn more about how IronMail helps organizations comply with HIPAA by downloading CipherTrusts free whitepaper, "IronMail Compliance Control: Contributing to Corporate Regulatory Compliance".

CipherTrust is the leader in anti-spam and email security. Learn more by downloading our free whitepaper, IronMail Compliance Control: Contributing to Corporate Regulatory Compliance or by visiting www.ciphertrust.com.

No Living Will & Power Of Attorney? HIPAA Law Shuts You Out

What do you mean I can't find out about my husband's accident injuries? Why can't we move my mother to the nice nursing-home down the street? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA caused two of my clients to live through these very situations.

A husband and wife were involved in a terrible automobile accident. The husband was seriously injured. His wife wanted to make certain that the needed medical attention was given to her husband. The wife could not get any medical information from her doctor. Even though she was the wife, the new HIPAA law and regulations prevents her from receiving medical information without specific written authorization!

In another case, an elderly widow lady became incapacitated. Her two children wanted to place her in a nursing home so that she would receive adequate care. Even though they had a living will and health-care power of attorney for their mother, they were required to go to court and be appointed her guardians so that they could place their mother in the health care facility.

What is the HIPAA Law all about?

The HIPAA Law in a Nutshell

HIPAA took effect on April 14, 2003.

This legislation applies to virtually every physician, nurse, pharmacist, dentist, and health care provider in the nation. It impacts everyone's access to health care information.

What does this privacy act mean? The regulations stress that health care providers must limit health information to those who are intended to receive it. This means health care information cannot be released to any unauthorized person. This may mean you may not be able to receive medical records for your spouse or parent.

HIPAA Violation Penalties

The penalties for health care providers are staggering. For each disclosure violation, there is a $100 fine. If the violation is knowing, there are criminal penalties of a $50,000 fine and up to one year in prison. If information is provided or obtained under false pretenses, there is $100,000 fine and up to five years in prison. If the wrongful sale, transfer or use of the information was for commercial advantage, there is a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

How does this affect you? To ensure an easy transition, you must have the appropriate medical release language to comply with HIPAA in three of your estate planning documents.

Documents to Update

The documents which need to be updated are:

 

• Your Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney
• Your Living Trust
• Your Durable Power of Attorney

 

What if I do nothing?

You may be forced to sign the doctor's or hospitals forms in a stressful emergency situation. These documents may not reflect your choices and may contain confusing legal and/or medical terminology. Or you may be unable to sign anything and may repeat one of the above scenarios.

If your documents were created before 2003 and have not been amended since, have your attorney review them for HIPAA compliant language. Are you missing some or all of these documents? Make an appointment today!

Visit http://www.stevenallen.com for tips and tools on Wealth Preservation. You can also subscribe to his monthly newsletter Secrets To Wealth Preservation. Steven W. Allen has been an Estate Planning attorney for over 30 years. He is a member of the Arizona Bar Association, National Lawyers Association, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and National Speakers Association. He is the author of four books including the most recent You Can’t Take It With You...So How Will You Leave It Behind?. Go to http://www.EstatePlanningDr.com for your 3 free chapters.

HIPAA and the Internet: Requirements for Intranet Collaboration Software

Sharing private health information over the internet can be a risky business. Unfortunately, as people become accustomed to doing most if not all of their personal business online, the demand for accessing this information online will grow to the point that health care providers will have no choice but to either provide access to this private health information or lose their customers.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted to assure the confidentiality of patient information. This requires that health care providers employ stringent measures to assure that information shared on the internet is protected from unauthorized access.

The HIPAA Act requires health-providing entities to:

 

 

 

• Assign responsibility for security to a person or organization.

   

   

• Assess security risks and determine the major threats to the security and privacy of protected health information.

   

   

• Establish a program to address physical security, personnel security, technical security controls, and security incident response and disaster recovery.

   

   

• Certify the effectiveness of security controls.

   

   

• Develop policies, procedures and guidelines for use of personal computing devices (workstations, laptops, hand-held devices), and for ensuring mechanisms are in place that allow, restrict and terminate access (access control lists, user accounts, etc.) appropriate to an individual's status, change of status or termination.

   

   

• Implement access controls that may include encryption, context-based access, role-based access, or user-based access; audit control mechanisms, data authentication, and entity authentication

 

This law has serious implications for organizations that allow unauthorized access resulting in a breach in confidentiality.

Security is the key

Since the HIPAA law provides for both civil and criminal penalties for violations, data and access security is of the utmost importance. To assure HIPAA compliance, online document management must include a number of security features:

 

 

 

• Secure web server – a server running secure socket layers is the minimum needed.

   

   

• Encrypted database – all data must be encrypted. Software is available that will encrypted all data sent between two computer over the internet.

   

   

• Secure access control -- in addition to a traditional user id and password, it may be a good idea to use a strong password or smart card as additional security.

   

   

• Session timeout – this assures that confidential data is not left on an unattended screen.

   

   

• Server monitoring – the secure web server needs to be strictly monitored to detect break-in attempts.

   

   

• Regular security audits – regular audits are required to make sure all security precautions are working properly.

   

   

• Personnel – system maintenance should be in the hands of qualified personnel familiar with HIPPA requiremen

  Rick Mosenkis is the President and CEO of Trichys, the creators of WorkZone hosted intranet and extranet software, including a higher-security version for HIPAA compliance. With customers around the world, among large and small companies, Trichys develops easy-to-use web-based software that allows non-technical business professionals to leverage the power of the Internet without IT support.