When selecting health insurance policies, beware of surprise gaps in coverage

A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com. As a lifelong resident of southeast Louisiana and a veteran of numerous weather and flood-related events that have required me to use my homeowners and flood insurance, I am very familiar with gaps in insurance coverage.  Insurance policies are very detailed agreements that many of us read over quickly, but really don’t know what is or is not covered until the time comes to make a claim.  And although we do tend to know the cost of our insurance premium, only after an event do we realize the true cost of the insurance selected and the various gaps that may exist.  These same types of surprise insurance coverage gaps are now appearing in healthcare. It is no longer the norm to see a health insurance policy that simply spells out a deductible and the percentage of medical bills that you as the consumer will pay across the board.  The goal of purchasing health insurance is to allow you and your family the security of knowing that if you are carrying out preventive health care or have an emergent medical need for health care, you will be covered and your costs will be manageable.  That has become a challenge. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Physician Patients Primary care Source Type: blogs