Referring to healthcare reform as a “hot topic” would be a gross understatement. The potential societal (and political) implications that accompany an undertaking of this magnitude have jumped to the forefront of headline news and daily conversation.
As a person interested in alternative approaches like chiropractic and acupuncture, you may be wondering how your future rehab and wellness benefits might be administered under the new law, and whether the reform is favorable to complementary medicine.
We were pleased to learn of these pro-patient provisions specified in the healthcare reform law:
The END of preexisting exclusions and unfair coverage terminations. Insurance as we now know it contains steep and frightening coverage restrictions against conditions you may have had treated while you were covered under another plan or when you were between jobs and insurance policies. Further, many of us know someone who was dropped from their insurance plan – or who reached their plan’s “lifetime max” – when they became seriously ill and needed coverage the most.
The new law eliminates these types of unfair/untimely termination and benefit caps, and provides a lifeline for the uninsurable: a special pool of high-risk insurance from which no one can be excluded. An added benefit, adult children can remain as dependents on their parents’ plan until age 26.
Provider nondiscrimination. Direct language included in the law prohibits discrimination by insurance companies based on a provider’s license or participation (in-net or out-of-net). Could this signal an end to arbitrary denials of covered benefits billed by a chiropractor or acupuncturist?
Interdisciplinary community health teams. The law specifically includes doctors of chiropractic as potential members of patient-centered, integrative holistic teams whose purpose is to emphasize comprehensive, coordinated care.
The summary provided herein is an interpretation of publicly available information and is not a promise or guarantee of any outcome.
When you are injured in an auto accident, a major concern is how you will pay for the medical or chiropractic treatment you need. Your best option is to carry MedPay on your auto policy.
You may wonder:
What is MedPay? MedPay (“medical payments coverage”) is an inexpensive benefit offered as an add-on to your regular car insurance. For just a few dollars each month, MedPay coverage assures you and your passengers access to immediate medical coverage with typically no out-of-pocket expense.
Can I use my regular health insurance to cover my medical expenses from an accident? You can, of course — but with “regular” health insurance is your personal responsibility for a copay/deductible, pre-authorization requirements and provider network restrictions. Not to mention, you will be exhausting already limited health insurance resources, which you may need later in the year. With MedPay, you choose which doctor to see and what treatment to receive. MedPay covers all passengers in the car — some of whom may not have health insurance.
Will my automobile increase rates increase if I use MedPay? If you were not responsible for the accident, California Insurance Code §491 expressly prohibits any increase in your policy premiums. You cannot be penalized for using your MedPay benefits.
Why should my insurance pay if someone else caused the accident? Despite California law, people continue to drive without auto insurance. When someone else is responsible for the accident, you have no guarantee that that individual will be able to cover your medical expenses when the case settles months or years down the line.
Your focus after an accident is to recover as completely and quickly as possible. You’ve paid the premiums for your MedPay coverage so that it can be used when the need arises.
