Tag: benefits

8 benefits of Telehealth | Healthcare IT News

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been an eye-opener for what really matters in both personal and professional life. Healthcare providers are especially faced with new challenges: balancing best-practice patient care, reworking guidelines to protect and support their personnel, and much more. These challenges gave telehealth the chance to grab the spotlight.

The benefits of telehealth are striking, offering hospitals the chance to brand themselves as innovative and using cutting-edge technologically. And while the pandemic has pushed telehealth forward, its ability to provide a high level of medical care in numerous situations will make telehealth a permanent fixture in healthcare. Continuous improvements in technology and further simplifications of tedious processes support this evolution.1,2,3
 

Here, we summarize 8 reasons why you should consider telehealth to be part of the holistic health practice of your hospital.

  1. Expand Your Patient Base

A frustrating element of in-person care has always been late or no-show patients. It results in time lost for the Health Care Practitioner (HCP) as well as the lost opportunity to reach out to a new patient. Now, imagine HCP’s days full of virtual medical visits. There is a reduction of no-shows and increased treatment persistence4, mainly because of treatment success. In a survey based in the US, patients that experienced telehealth visits highly rated this type of healthcare (recommendations: > 80%)5,6, stating it was beneficial for their mental health as well.7

Additionally, HCPs’ patient base can be dramatically expanded since telehealth provides easy access and scheduling. In a cross-sectional survey, 52.5% of clinicians were convinced that virtual visits allow for higher efficiency, while quality was equal to that of in-person visits.5

For healthcare providers, the promotion of telehealth solutions can lead to increased patient numbers. Via telehealth opportunities, you easily enlarge the catchment area of your hospital. This is of particular interest in the countries, where most of the overall population lives in rural areas.6,8,9

  1. Increased Patient Flexibility

When scheduling a doctor’s appointment, patients must consider a variety of personal barriers, such as: travel time, time off work, childcare, and more. Telehealth visits dramatically reduce these accompanying problems, leading to stress reduction and increased flexibility – even in emergency situations. In fact, this kind of convenience was highly appreciated and preferred by established patients as shown by Donelan et al.5

In a survey among telehealth patients in the UK conducted by Dhahri et al., family closeness was one of the most appreciated advantages of telehealth.10 This may be due to elderly patients or children having support from their adult family members during virtual visits. In a cross-sectional telehealth narrative analysis conducted by Kruse et al., preferred modality and improved self-management were among the most frequent factors mentioned by patients.11

Based on this, in addition to medical advantages, patients benefit as well from reduced transportation and waiting times. Collectively, on-demand virtual visits can help your patients to balance work, life, and healthcare.

  1. Increase Collaboration Opportunities between Medical Disciplines

A full-service hospital combines

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Comparing Dental Benefits Included with Medicare Gain Strategies Can Help you save Seniors Thousands

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You’ve got unquestionably seen the tv adverts selling absolutely free dental gains obtainable when you call to inquire about the correct Medicare plan. It is correct that Medicare Gain ideas currently normally include some dental benefits. But that’s in which the similarity finishes and the require to evaluate begins.

Dental care and overall health treatment protection

Dental care is particularly critical for seniors. According to the Facilities for Disease Control, a person in five adults 65 or more mature have untreated tooth decay. Around two thirds (68%) have gum disorder. Oral hygiene is an essential aspect of trying to keep your general well being in form, but conventional overall health insurance plan does not involve caring for your teeth and mouth in regular protection.

Medicare and Dental

Medicare does not frequently address dental treatment. Having said that, Medicare Advantage plans are more and more beginning to present Medicare dental benefits. In 2021, some 16.6 million MA system personal enrollees had access to some dental protection. Roughly 24 million men and women have Medicare Advantage coverage.

How to locate the correct Medicare dental prepare

When it arrives to contemplating dental positive aspects, the very first position of comparison ought to be which dentists are lined by a certain system. Some require the use of dentists who are component of a designated community. Another will permit you to use any dentist you desire. Basically pay the dentist and submit a declare for reimbursement up to the most. In the situation of a system from a primary nationwide insurance provider, the greatest system restrict for 2022 will be $1,500.

What is lined by most dental MA strategies?

Most dental programs involved with your Medicare Edge prepare will protect preventive dental products and services. These include things like oral examinations, dental x-rays, cleaning and even fluoride treatment options. Every program, nonetheless, will define particular limits. Most address 100% of x-rays and cleanings. Some only cover a share of the charge for fillings or other products and services.

Non-program expert services this kind of as extractions, periodontic and endodontic expert services can be fairly high priced. Some incorporated dental designs do not include any of these. Many others do, even with a $ copay, whilst restrictions may possibly utilize and pre-authorization may well be essential.

Programs typically have optimum out-of-pocket limits. While the regular annual limit on dental protection was $1,300 in 2021, much more than 50 % of enrollees ended up in a strategy with a greatest advantage of $1,000 or less. Some experienced restrictions of $500.

At older ages, considerably less frequent dental requires are normally essential. This is wherever expenses can really incorporate up and the distinctions between options can be especially essential. As an illustration, most Medicare Gain dental designs do not include or fork out for implants. If you are inclined to needing implants, a plan that does could be a substantial funds saver. Our exploration located a prepare that reimburses up to $2,000 each year.

Getting

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Biden reconciliation framework involves Medicaid workaround, no Medicare dental or vision added benefits

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The White Household-backed social paying out framework will function a pared-down expansion of the two Medicare and Medicaid protection as President BidenJoe BidenIdaho state Household passes employee vaccine payment bill Biden sends 2016 climate treaty to Senate for ratification Rubio vows to sluggish-stroll Biden’s China, Spain ambassador nominees Far more seeks to protected sufficient guidance to progress the laws.

The framework, previewed for reporters Thursday morning forward of Biden’s assembly with Household Democrats, would provide four many years of backed personal wellbeing insurance on the Very affordable Treatment Act (ACA) exchanges for men and women with decreased incomes living in states that did not grow Medicaid less than the health care legislation.

In accordance to the White Residence, the system would supply $ rates for 4 million men and women in the “coverage hole,” indicating they don’t get paid plenty of to qualify for ACA subsidies but, since they dwell in a nonexpansion point out, also make as well substantially to qualify for Medicaid. 

The temporary approach is far more market-friendly than the proposal presented by Home Democrats in September, which would have produced an entirely new “Medicaid-like” federal government program to provide coverage in the 12 nonexpansion states.

Whilst several Democrats backed the notion, it was opposed in the latest times by Sen. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinSanders vows to oppose protection bill: ‘We will need to get our priorities right’ Vitality details main blames marketplace for high fuel costs Classes acquired from a failed wager on ‘Housing First’ Far more (D-W.Va.) and other lawmakers from states that have been having to pay for expanded Medicaid for years. They argued it would not be reasonable for their constituents if the federal govt paid the full charge of the holdout states to grow.

But at the very same time, the short term system could be simpler to established up and might stay away from pushback from business groups that get worried a new federal software is a stepping stone to a more substantial-scale, authorities-run “public solution.”

Backers of Medicaid growth, such as Property Greater part Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Georgia Democratic Sens. Raphael WarnockRaphael WarnockCongress barrels toward end-of-calendar year pileup Bill seeks to help households of Black WWII veterans deprived of GI benefits Gingrich backs Herschel Walker in Ga Senate race Far more and Jon OssoffJon OssoffGingrich backs Herschel Walker in Ga Senate race Democrats push Bureau of Prisons director over staffing shortages 5 things to watch in the Virginia governor’s race More, wished it to run for as extensive as possible.

On Medicare, the framework will extend protection for hearing rewards, which is just a person-third of what progressives ended up pushing for. 

Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersSanders vows to oppose protection monthly bill: ‘We need to get our priorities right’ Journalist: Progressives face ‘challenging media environment’ in elections The Hill’s Early morning Report – Offered by ExxonMobil – Biden hails infrastructure legislation, talks with China’s Xi Far more (I-Vt.) has drawn a line in

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Medicare Advantage plans’ ‘free’ dental, vision, hearing benefits come at a cost

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When Teresa Nolan Barensfeld turned 65 last year, she quickly decided on a private Medicare Advantage plan to cover her health expenses.

Barensfeld, a freelance editor from Chatham, N.Y., liked that it covered her medications, while her local hospitals and her primary care doctor were in the plan’s network. It also had a modest $31 monthly premium.

She said it was a bonus that the plan included dental, hearing and vision benefits, which traditional Medicare does not.

But Barensfeld, who works as a copy editor, missed some of the important fine print about her plan. It covers a maximum of $500 annually for care from out-of-network dentists, including her longtime provider. That means getting one crown or tending to a couple of cavities could leave her footing most of the bill. She was circumspect about the cap on dental coverage, saying, “I don’t expect that much for a $31 plan.”

Through television, social media, newspapers and mailings, tens of millions of Medicare beneficiaries are being inundated this month — as they are each autumn during the open enrollment period — by marketing from Medicare Advantage plans touting low costs and benefits not found with traditional Medicare. Dental, vision and hearing coverage are among the most advertised benefits.

Those services are also at the center of heated negotiations on Capitol Hill among Democrats as they seek to expand a number of social programs. Progressives, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), are pressing to add dental, vision and hearing benefits to traditional Medicare.

Despite the high-powered advertising of the Medicare Advantage plans pitched by the likes of celebrities Joe Namath and Jimmie Walker, beneficiaries still generally end up with significant out-of-pocket costs for many of these services, a recent study by KFF found. That’s partly because the private plans limit benefits. While people in traditional Medicare paid on average about $992 for dental care in 2018, those in Medicare Advantage plans paid $766, according to the study. For vision, people with traditional Medicare paid $242, compared with $194 for those covered by a Medicare Advantage plan.

“It stands to reason there would be lower out-of-pocket spending in Medicare Advantage than in traditional Medicare, but the differences are not as large as one might expect,” said Tricia Neuman, a senior vice president at KFF and executive director of its Medicare policy program.

More than 26 million people were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans for this year — 42% of all Medicare beneficiaries. Enrollment in the private plans has doubled since 2012 and tripled since 2007. Unlike traditional Medicare, these private plans generally allow coverage through a limited network of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies.

Open enrollment for 2022 plans runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and some Advantage plans offer enticements such as hundreds of dollars’ worth of groceries, home-delivered meals or $1,000 in over-the-counter items such as adhesive bandages and aspirin.

But many seniors don’t realize there are restrictions on these benefits. They may cover extras only for enrollees with certain

… Read More... Read More

Medicare plans, ‘free’ dental, vision, hearing benefits come at a cost

Dania

By Phil Galewitz | KHN

Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News

When Teresa Nolan Barensfeld turned 65 last year, she quickly decided on a private Medicare Advantage plan to cover her health expenses.

Barensfeld, a freelance editor from Chatham, New York, liked that it covered her medications, while her local hospitals and her primary care doctor were in the plan’s network. It also had a modest $31 monthly premium.

She said it was a bonus that the plan included dental, hearing and vision benefits, which traditional Medicare does not.

But Barensfeld, who works as a copy editor, missed some of the important fine print about her plan. It covers a maximum of $500 annually for care from out-of-network dentists, including her longtime provider. That means getting one crown or tending to a couple of cavities could leave her footing most of the bill. She was circumspect about the cap on dental coverage, saying, “I don’t expect that much for a $31 plan.”

Through television, social media, newspapers and mailings, tens of millions of Medicare beneficiaries are being inundated this month — as they are each autumn during the open enrollment period — by marketing from Medicare Advantage plans touting low costs and benefits not found with traditional Medicare. Dental, vision and hearing coverage are among the most advertised benefits.

Those services are also at the center of heated negotiations on Capitol Hill among Democrats as they seek to expand a number of social programs. Progressives, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), are pressing to add dental, vision and hearing benefits to traditional Medicare.

Despite the high-powered advertising of the Medicare Advantage plans pitched by the likes of celebrities Joe Namath and Jimmie Walker, beneficiaries still generally end up with significant out-of-pocket costs for many of these services, a recent study by KFF found. That’s partly because the private plans limit benefits. While people in traditional Medicare paid on average about $992 for dental care in 2018, those in Medicare Advantage plans paid $766, according to the study. For vision, people with traditional Medicare paid $242, compared with $194 for those covered by a Medicare Advantage plan.

“It stands to reason there would be lower out-of-pocket spending in Medicare Advantage than in traditional Medicare, but the differences are not as large as one might expect,” said Tricia Neuman, a senior vice president at KFF and executive director of its Medicare policy program.

More than 26 million people were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans for this year — 42% of all Medicare beneficiaries. Enrollment in the private plans has doubled since 2012 and tripled since 2007. Unlike traditional Medicare, these private plans generally allow coverage through a limited network of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies.

Open enrollment for 2022 plans runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and some Advantage plans offer enticements such as hundreds of dollars’ worth of groceries, home-delivered meals or $1,000 in over-the-counter items such as adhesive bandages and aspirin.

But many seniors don’t realize there

… Read More... Read More

Medicare Plans’ ‘Free’ Dental, Vision, Hearing Benefits Come at a Cost

Dania

When Teresa Nolan Barensfeld turned 65 last year, she quickly decided on a private Medicare Advantage plan to cover her health expenses.

Barensfeld, a freelance editor from Chatham, New York, liked that it covered her medications, while her local hospitals and her primary care doctor were in the plan’s network. It also had a modest $31 monthly premium.

She said it was a bonus that the plan included dental, hearing and vision benefits, which traditional Medicare does not.

But Barensfeld, who works as a copy editor, missed some of the important fine print about her plan. It covers a maximum of $500 annually for care from out-of-network dentists, including her longtime provider. That means getting one crown or tending to a couple of cavities could leave her footing most of the bill. She was circumspect about the cap on dental coverage, saying, “I don’t expect that much for a $31 plan.”

Through television, social media, newspapers and mailings, tens of millions of Medicare beneficiaries are being inundated this month — as they are each autumn during the open enrollment period — by marketing from Medicare Advantage plans touting low costs and benefits not found with traditional Medicare. Dental, vision and hearing coverage are among the most advertised benefits.

Those services are also at the center of heated negotiations on Capitol Hill among Democrats as they seek to expand a number of social programs. Progressives, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), are pressing to add dental, vision and hearing benefits to traditional Medicare.

Despite the high-powered advertising of the Medicare Advantage plans pitched by the likes of celebrities Joe Namath and Jimmie Walker, beneficiaries still generally end up with significant out-of-pocket costs for many of these services, a recent study by KFF found. That’s partly because the private plans limit benefits. While people in traditional Medicare paid on average about $992 for dental care in 2018, those in Medicare Advantage plans paid $766, according to the study. For vision, people with traditional Medicare paid $242, compared with $194 for those covered by a Medicare Advantage plan.

“It stands to reason there would be lower out-of-pocket spending in Medicare Advantage than in traditional Medicare, but the differences are not as large as one might expect,” said Tricia Neuman, a senior vice president at KFF and executive director of its Medicare policy program.

More than 26 million people were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans for this year — 42% of all Medicare beneficiaries. Enrollment in the private plans has doubled since 2012 and tripled since 2007. Unlike traditional Medicare, these private plans generally allow coverage through a limited network of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies.

Open enrollment for 2022 plans runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and some Advantage plans offer enticements such as hundreds of dollars’ worth of groceries, home-delivered meals or $1,000 in over-the-counter items such as adhesive bandages and aspirin.

But many seniors don’t realize there are restrictions on these benefits. They may cover extras only for enrollees with

… Read More... Read More