New York health insurance

The final federal medical privacy rule involving free health insurance in New York provides Americans a new federal right to medical privacy. Fact: The rule creates a massive federal mandate that requires every doctor and other health care practitioner to share patients' records with the federal government specifically the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) without patient consent. The federal government even has the right to access an individual's psychotherapy notes in order to monitor compliance with the new rule. Ironically, this federal mandate will be enforced by HHS' Office for Civil Rights

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), created under Title XXI of the Social Security Act, expands health coverage including free health insurance in New York to uninsured children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private coverage. It builds on Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program that covers more than 40 million low-income individuals, including more than 20 million children. Most states provide SCHIP coverage for children in families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). In 2002, the FPL for a family of four is $18,100.

Ensuring Meaningful Health Benefits. Under the program, states may choose to expand their Medicaid programs, design a separate child health program, or use a combination of both. States choosing separate child health programs must offer either the same or "equivalent" benefits as those offered under one of three benchmark plans: the standard Blue Cross/Blue Shield Preferred Provider Option offered by the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program; a health benefit plan offered by the state to its employees; or the HMO benefit plan with the largest commercial enrollment in the state.

Limiting Patient Costs. SCHIP limits the out-of-pocket costs that enrollees must pay. If a state expands its Medicaid program, existing Medicaid limits apply. Cost sharing is not permitted for any family for well-baby or well-child visits, including immunizations and routine preventive and diagnostic dental services. Preventing Cost Shifting. To prevent states from shifting children from the traditional Medicaid program to this new program, states cannot reduce coverage including free health insurance in New York, below the Medicaid eligibility standards for children that were in place on June 1, 1997. All states must design their programs to prevent substitution of SCHIP coverage for private health insurance. Before you look at the different companies and their premiums, you need to determine which package of benefits is best for you.

Remember: Medicare supplemental insurance does just that-it supplements what Medicare pays for; hospital, medical, and related expenses Medicare doesn't cover and that you might be responsible for. While you may have hospitalization coverage through your employer, many plans cover 80% or less of the hospital room cost. With the average hospital inpatient stay costing approximately $1,102 per day*, you could be personally responsible for $220 per day if an accident puts you in the hospital. Even if you have a comprehensive medical plan with a low co-pay, there are other out-of-pocket expenses to consider:

• Temporary loss of wages
  
  
• Child care expenses
  
  
• Physician and surgical fees
  
  
• Special medications

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO’s) under free health insurance in New York are a group that contracts with medical facilities, physicians, employers to provide medical care to a group of individuals and sometimes individual patients. Enrolling in an HMO gives you access to a "primary provider" who knows your personal, family, social, and financial situations well enough to coordinate your care in an effective manner. An HMO primary care provider (usually a doctor or nurse practitioner) will be available to see you for basic care and for illnesses.

They run tests or prescribe treatments before referring you to a specialist if necessary. If you did need a specialist, he/she would be a member of a HMO network who had contracted work with the HMO. HMO's are the most common individual health insurance plans.

Click here for a Free Insurance Rate Quote.

© 2004 Compareinsureusa - All rights reserved.

Home Page / Site Map / New York health insurance