Arizona Health Insurance Blog for Group Plans & Medicare Page 4

Buying a health care plan for the first time can be overwhelming. When you’re new to the insurance market, it is difficult to know if you’re making the right choices. There are so many types of plans, a ton of new words that most people probably don’t know or understand and you only have a small timeframe to choose an insurer and coverage that is right for you. For most people, they end up having to choose between a Health Maintenance Organization plan (HMO) and a Preferred Provider Organization plan (PPO). What are the advantages and risks associated with each…

When buying insurance, oftentimes it makes sense to get a plan that covers preventative care rather than picking a plan with a huge premium. In fact, if you tend to be quite healthy, getting a plan that doesn’t require a co-pay for preventative care can help you to avoid illness or even improve your health, so other services aren’t regularly necessary. The problem is, it’s hard to define on your own what is considered preventative care. For example, if you get bloodwork because you’re at a new doctor and they want a better idea of your health history, that could…

"Why does health insurance have to be so complicated?" one might ask, particularly in this season of health exchanges, health savings accounts and broken healthcare web sites. Hey, at least it's not as difficult as the U.S. Tax Code, but just give it time. Health insurance is just one of those things that people don't want to learn about; until they need it, that is. Most of us have had company benefits explained to us time and time again, only to need a refresher course every time open enrollment rolls around. Well, get ready, because if you think it was…

As healthcare costs rise, many insurance providers have started offering flexible plans to meet every budget. Instead of limiting members to a choice between PPO, HMO and Short-Term health coverage, they started offering high-deductible health plans (HDHPs.) While these plans certainly addressed the hefty monthly premiums, they made it difficult for members to reap the benefits without paying thousands of dollars out-of-pocket. Enter the "Health Savings Account," otherwise known as the HSA.

A lot has been written about the changes to Medicare, and proposed changes yet to come, so it's no surprise that so many Arizona seniors are confused about their choices. One of the most common questions in this state is, "How do I choose a Part D plan?" According to a recent article from the Tucson Citizen, "Medicare Part D: So many choices!" (October 16, 2012), a study by Health Affairs revealed that seniors overspend on prescription drug plans by more than $368 per year. The reason for this is that they pay for more coverage than they need. In…

High protein diets may have changed over the years – starting with liquid protein in the 80’s, followed by the Atkins Diet and South Beach. While some people still claim that low-fat diets are better than low-carbs, high protein foods are more effective at satisfying hunger. When the overall goal is to reduce calorie intake; it’s usually better to stick with foods that fill keep hunger at bay, but not all high-protein foods are created equal.

If you’ve heard the claims of gluten-free diet fanatics, it may sound a little too good to be true.  The dietary side effects of wheat gluten have been blamed for everything from obesity to heart disease and A.D.D., so it’s no surprise there would be some skeptics who find it hard to believe.  The truth is that gluten sensitivity itself is considered a disease; one which results in a wide variety of symptoms including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other bone and joint pain symptoms.  Does this mean that everyone who consumes too much gluten will develop arthritis?  Probably not, but…