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  • Here's What to Consider When Shopping for Health Insurance

    If you are new to the dizzying world of health insurance or considering a new plan, you may be confused by how the Affordable Health Care Act impacts your choices. Below are a few factors to consider when shopping for health insurance and creating a choice that's best for you: The costs for most premiums are expected to rise about six or seven percent. This is roughly the amount that it has been rising over the last few years. Coverage for dependents is increasing because of the part of the law that allows dependents up to age 26 to be covered under their parents' health care plan. While benefit costs will rise, what you receive for that will decrease. For example, some companies are lowering dependent subsidies, raising co-insurance rates and actually phasing out benefits. The bottom line is that everything that a carrier is allowed to legally change is fair game. There will be more focus on wellness programs and incentives for pursuing a healthy lifestyle. For example, employees who complete a biometric screening may receive an incentive for doing so. Other incentives may be tied to improvement of health risks like obesity, high blood pressure or smoking. Some of the largest employers also offer "rebates" for employees who partake in healthy lifestyle choices. There is a movement toward account based plans. These could include health reimbursement or health savings accounts. The way these work is that the employees keep a normal health plan but have a higher deductible and pay for their out-of-pocket expenses from a separate employer generated account. Another trend gaining some momentum is toward defined contribution plans. This is where employees are provided funds each month that they can use toward a plan of their choice. The healthcare plan overhaul provides for more free preventive health benefits for women. These might include contraception counseling, breast-feeding support and supplies, HIV screens and annual wellness visits among others. The maximum pretax amount that people can set aside to pay for health care costs will be limited to $2,500. Prior to 2013, there was no cap although many employers set it at $5,000. However, the average contribution is about $1,600 so most people will not be affected by this. Selecting a plan will be more transparent and should be a little easier than in the past. For example, insurers need to give a common cheat sheet for consumers. This is to allow you to evaluate plans in an apple-to-apple situation. The information will offer a coherent summary of benefits and coverages. In the past, because each insurer's forms were different, this was difficult to do. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Shopping for Health Insurance Coverage Is As Easy to Going to the Mall

    As America's health insurance and medical fields gear up for complicated changes to related industries, private insurers are starting to invest in a new approach to connecting with possible enrolling members. New reports show that insurers are looking at creating "pop-up retail locations" in order to provide more access to new customers who will be entering the health plan coverage market because of provisions in the Affordable Care Act recently passed by the Obama administration. These reports cite UnitedHealthcare, a large multi-state insurer, which is estimated to have created over 1,400 retail locations, including stores and kiosks, in its coverage areas, to make shopping for health insurance coverage accessible. Consumer Concerns It's likely that you will take this news in a variety of ways. For some, the retail presence of insurance companies is just another harbinger of what is considered a 'giveaway' to insurance companies, where the new state health coverage exchanges and other parts of the Affordable Care Act will basically push individuals and families toward purchases. Also, consumer advocates for seniors sometimes point to the idea that retail locations can push a particular insurance option on the elderly, where they might be better served by getting informed about the range of options that are available to them. The Human Touch Regardless of the above concerns, a lot of consumers will see retail locations as a key piece of overall health care reform, albeit one that was in no way mandated by the government. Part of what retail health insurance locations can be for you is simply a place for asking questions and getting convenient answers. During the past decades, where health insurance was primarily sold via mail, phone and Internet, getting any kind of customer service for basic information on your policy involved long wait times and a lack of key face-to-face interaction. Giving customers retail locations means providing you a place to ask questions, voice concerns, and even to vent frustrations. And, for many who do pay for health insurance coverage, this is a very valuable resource. What Questions Do Enrolled Members Ask? Many of the top questions for health insurance members involve cost vs. value. Even for those who are insured, medical bills can be extremely expensive, and in some cases, customers don't feel they are getting what they deserve for their money. We have even detailed cases where out-of-pocket patients end up paying less than those who are insured! Other common questions involve health insurance company policies and basic elements of a health insurance plan, such as a deductible, annual or lifetime maximum, and other value or cost elements. With retail locations, some enrolled members may be able to attain a faster answer for these sorts of questions. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Online Healthcare Pricing Comparison Site Benefits Families

    We are seeing more evidence of consumers like you becoming more frugal about the health care you receive - and it's not just because of the down economy. We battle all sorts of extreme challenges in just keeping health care affordable, from the sky-high price of medical services in general, to blizzards of confusion over out-of-network charges, insurance denials for the insured, and much more like nonsensical medical bill errors. Now, there are online healthcare pricing comparison sites that you may want to explore and use to comparison shop for more affordable health care, before you step foot in your doctor's office. Many are free for consumers, allowing you to browse for nearly any kind of health care or dental services, from regular family practice to specialist offices, in much the same way that you do for, say, hotels or other goods and services. How It Works This kind of 'match-making' site works on this principle: doctors like to anticipate costs, as well. They can do this by compiling groups of single new patients and pricing the incoming visitors in bulk: that means that uninsured patients who need to pay out of pocket can enjoy some of the same price benefits as those whose insurance companies have an existing contractual arrangement with a provider. Online comparison sites assist to fulfill the void of "service transparency," the idea that patients should know ahead of time what they will be paying or can expect in their general geographical area. In a world where providers typically bill insurers first and shift costs to patients later, too many patients just don't have any real clue about the final 'invoice total' that they will see in a mailed medical bill. As we often point out, this kind of 'mystery pricing' would never be tolerated in any other industry, and it should be part of our medical industry either. By bringing the power of the Internet to medical shopping, these third party sites are helping to change the cumbersome and often unequal relationship between patient and provider. Need Dental Work? Another demand is for price transparency in dental services, before you visit and receive the estimate of an anticipated procedure. Many of the thousands of individuals who would either go without care or wait for annual 'free dental clinics' where they are available, can now choose a third option: seeing up-front prices for a cleaning or other visit. Sites such as these provide a valuable service for its users. We'll continue to keep an eye out for other resources that will surface. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Who Owns Your Doctor's Practice?

    More and more consumer advocates are sharing with American families new trends in the U.S. health care industry. There is a growing awareness that who owns your doctor's practice can have an impact on what you pay. It's a good idea to look closer into how this phenomenon can affect your wallet. Changing the 'Place of Service': What's in a Name? In many cases, patient interactions that happen in a doctor's office don't change when that office gets bought out by a hospital or other care network. The same doctors are still there, and they operate the same way. What changes, though, is the way that services are billed, first to the health insurer or entitlement program, and then to you. New reports have found that both government entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and many private insurers, are simply willing to pay more for services provided by large medical networks than they are for the work of single doctors' offices. Consumers aren't the only ones who see this as a little unfair; doctors who have worked hard to maintain independence can also get pretty bitter about the fact that a reimbursement amount can change based on what kind of medical business is doing the billing. Intuitively, it would seem that this difference in incentive will continue to cause many doctors to sell out their practices to medical networks, maybe even under duress in some cases. At the Front Desk: Checking Your Patient Financial Responsibility Some of those who counsel individual patients on their rights would recommend simply asking the practice staff what you will have to pay, for example, when a medical business changes hands. But in many cases, this isn't enough because the change isn't always apparent or staff members may inadvertently neglect to advise you. For instance, your doctor's office is now owned by an outpatient hospital campus. Prior to this, you received a bill only for your doctor's fees. After the changeover, however, you also incurred a bill for a facility fee. While it appears medical and office staff do their best to inform patients of increased or additional fees before and after a place of service changeover, some do not. For example, you ask your doctor's office if your upcoming procedure will be covered under your normal co-pay. Yes, it is. Then, you receive a bill that is up to ten times what you were quoted plus not just one but multiple bills. To the objective eye, this looks like deceptive pricing, and no other industry would permit this - costs that double or triple in the blink of an eye. Much of the problem, however, has to do with the lack of information available to the public, and the way that third-party payers almost always stand in between the doctor and the patient. It's important you become educated, not just about changing place of service status, but on issues like timely filing, health insurance denials, and all of the other complicated issues that can cause providers to simply push through revised medical bills with big red numbers at the bottom, and your name on the envelope. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Will Your Online Review Result in a Fine From Your Doctor?

    Some battles over consumer free speech are having a dramatic effect on the law around medical privacy, at least in America, where thorny, complicated legislation raises all sorts of questions about what a doctor, a patient or an insurer can say in public. The latest scrutiny of laws like HIPAA relates to the simple practice of a patient posting something that they liked, or didn't like, about a doctor's office, online. Careful What You Sign In many cases, the source of these legal challenges are the forms that you sign when waiting for service at your doctor's office. Hidden in some of these forms, often in fine print, are legalese rules governing 'disclosure' or, in other words, effectively muzzling you on what you can and can't say as it relates to your medical visit experience. These agreements aren't a big deal unless you decide you want to submit an online review. When a negative review goes out, you may encounter an unexpected retaliation. In some shocking cases, providers have been known to threaten to sue patients with some going a few steps further as recently aired in the media. The charge? Breach of contract. Patients Fight Back Patients who see 'fees' attached to their bills for public reviews that they have posted are not likely to pay up, and it seems that many of these cases are going straight to court, often in the form of counter-suits against a provider. It's likely that local courts will look favorably on the patient's right to express thoughts about providers with little regard for restrictive prior agreements on paper, especially since there's a good case to be made that these forms are signed under a specific kind of duress. But the issues do raise further challenges, about who can say what, and when. Now there's the question, batted around in law offices and other venues around the country, about whether a provider's response to one of these reviews might also violate medical privacy laws. The eventual result is a situation where people just aren't sure what's allowed and what's not. And free speech experiences are fundamentally squashed. Read the fine print in any contract or consent form that a doctor's office wants you to sign. If you don't understand or don't agree with any portion, talk with your doctor before your exam. Continue to communicate proactively with your medical provider so that you will receive the care and service you deserve. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Protecting Yourself From Health Care Fraud

    It's no secret that most Americans pay a lot for nearly any kind of medical care, but a close look at factors that are driving higher health care prices in the U.S. reveals more about why medical care is so expensive these days. One factor that you may not think about is protecting yourself from health care fraud and how it impacts you. The Cost of Fraud Reports from health care experts show that Americans may be paying up to $80 billion per year because of health care fraud. That's out of 2 trillion dollars spent annually, including a federal Medicare program that is estimated to be worth about $450 billion, with 44 million beneficiaries on the books. Government entitlement programs contribute quite a bit to the problem - not necessarily because of the programs themselves but because of the abuse by disreputable providers. Because of the unique reimbursement rules for these programs, many dishonest providers are able to simply bill Medicare and another government entitlement program, Medicaid, for services and goods that were never actually provided to patients. What is the Government's Response? Even though the government has been prosecuting more medical companies and practices, and has recovered over $10 billion for Medicare since 2009, it continues to be a huge problem. With all of the loopholes and opportunities for fraud in the current system, this issue is not going away anytime soon. As the federal government and state governments scramble to identify health care fraud and convict fraudulent operators, it's important that consumers get involved in the struggle as well. What Can You Do to Protect Yourself? One action under your control is to carefully read and review your medical bills. It's important that you know what services your medical bills are representing and why each item costs as much as it does. Surveys have found that one in five patients don't understand the descriptions of procedures on a medical bill, and many never question these kinds of charges. As a result, health care fraud remains rampant. Always take the time to go over the details listed and call providers if anything on your bill is less than clear. Don't settle for a non-itemized bill: demand that providers show in clear terms what charges represent and why they were billed. This kind of vigilance not only helps your financial bottom line, but it also protects the community at large from a greater threat of systematic health care fraud. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Employers Can Give Their Employees Peace of Mind and Control Costs

    Studies show that anywhere from 30% to 80% of medical bill charges could be erroneous. So, it is crucial that healthcare consumers know the foundation of how medical billing and reimbursements work. This will root out the errors and increase the savings to the employer as well as the patient giving peace of mind and control costs. The Problems of Offering Health Care Coverage For those who are self insured, healthcare expenses are usually about 40% to 60% of the profit of the company. Most TPAs (Third Party Administrators) do not have the incentive, inclination or the time to scrutinize every claim submitted on behalf of the company. The TPA gets paid no matter how big or small the bill is. For small or medium size businesses, you may be struggling to provide health care coverage for your employees. As the prices for healthcare insurance increase, it may even become impossible for you to offer coverage at all. Or if you can, you might have to decrease benefit coverages, drop or decrease retiree benefits or increase how much your employees have to pay for the healthcare insurance plan. A Way to Contain Costs The reason healthcare premiums go up each year is because the medical expenses of your employees increase. To keep those expenses down, you can install a defense against medical billing errors, overcharges and even fraud. In fact, healthcare fraud (according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services or CMS) is estimated at 3% to 10% making the money lost this way a truly staggering sum. The defense you can install is to have a medical bill advocate on call to review the bills of your employees. Medical bill advocates are trained to decipher what can be incredibly confusing medical and hospital bills. For example, overcharges can include duplicate services, fees for procedures that were not necessary and gross overcharges for services. The difference in what hospitals charge can be staggering. In fact, one study done in Northern California dramatically illustrates this issue. In the study, bills for patients who had undergone appendectomies within a certain time period were studied. The study was careful to make sure similar treatments including the length of the hospital stay, were in the focus group of medical bills. The price charged for appendectomies in the same part of the country ranged from $1,500 to over $180,000. The average cost was about $33,000. Offering the benefit of reviewing the medical bills of your employees prior to paying them will help contain medical costs and help your employees as well. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • How Do You Know If You Are Due a Refund on Your Medical Bill?

    If you are one of the thousands of American patients owing huge sums of money to a hospital or your doctor, add another kind of problem to the list: reports from communities around the country show that it can often be extremely difficult to get your money back if you are due a refund on your medical bill from your doctor's office or other healthcare provider. Did I say "overpay"? How does this happen? Medical bill overpayment, like many other kinds of clerical errors, can often be attributed to the unnecessary complex 'triangular' billing arrangement between a provider, a patient, and that patient's health care insurer. Over the years, most American consumers have become convinced that getting insured is the right way to go to avoid high health care costs and risks of medical bankruptcy. Paying out of pocket for medical care has become impossible for the vast majority of Americans, and so, many of us, by various means, have lined up to sign onto a policy from a health care insurer in our state of residence. With consumer directed health care plans and high deductibles, though, that is no longer the case. In many cases, consumers overpay on medical debt because they get an obsolete bill from their provider. The bill that they got from the provider does not show submission to the insurance company, which may have happened in the interim. Nor does it show any payment. However, in many cases, the provider billed late, or the insurer paid late, or both. Patients who don't understand the complicated dance of health care finance often open their wallets before questioning a bill, only to find that money tied up in red tape when they iron the issue out. Another example is when your provider does not verify your insurance benefits prior to your visit. You arrive to your appointment and may be expected to pay your deductible and or co-pay, at the time of service. The medical office's staff may ask you if you have a co-pay. You don't know exactly and hand over your card. There may be an amount listed on your card but it may not apply for the physician type you are visiting. The staff person may then take that amount and tell you if it is less, you will receive a refund. The foolproof way is to actually verify the benefits with your insurance carrier. While forward thinking practices are doing this, many are not. Making Overpayments Right It can be great news to get an updated letter from your health care provider stating that, in fact, your insurance has paid your bill for you. The trick can be getting back that money that you already paid to your doctor's office. One big problem is the use of inferior billing services. Providers may sign up for automated accounts receivable and accounts payable finance without asking the tough questions about how they are represented by this specialized office. In some cases, the finance company doesn't treat accounts payable with the same care that they do the other side of the operation. Companies can be aggressive in collecting money from patients but very slow to dole it back out if there has been a mistake. Stories of patients waiting months to get medical refunds often show up in the news when these discouraged 'creditors' turn to their local media for help. When the news reporters have to show up to get a check in the mail, there's something wrong. What can you do to protect yourself? Consumer advocates suggest always checking the explanation of benefits form or EOB from your insurer and make sure that it matches the bills that you got from a provider. And, know what your co-pay, deductible and coverage is before you show up at your doctor's office. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Avoid Financial Disaster by Paying Attention to Your Small Medical Bills

    By Medical Bill & Claim Resolution (MBCR) | Submitted On August 05, 2012 Some of the best advice applies universally to all medical bills - small and big. This includes the necessity of line items, issues like out of network costs, facility charges, and many other parts of today's complex medical billing world. But here's another kind of tip that can help a specific type of debt situation. It's one that often affects those who get a false sense of security from owing just a little bit of money to a medical office or other business. Stay On Your Toes One critical piece of advice to take to heart is to pay attention. Even the smallest amount of overdue debt can balloon into massive amounts of money when the collections process isn't fully understood, the accrual of interest is added to the original debt, or other factors. "Growing Debt" Issues So, how does your small dollar medical charge become a giant drag on your finances? It usually happens when the borrower simply decides not to pay anything and lets the bill lapse into collections. When third-party collectors receive this account, they may be able to add certain types of charges. This includes additional fees for filing the debt in a legal office, as well as other fees related to documentation of the existing debt. Any costs that involve trying to shoe-horn the borrower into a local court can also show up on your credit. Then, there is the issue of 'communications costs' related to overdue bill notices, phone calls and more that may be charged. Essentially, creditors may be allowed to "up" the original debt amounts according to how much time and effort they spend trying to reach the borrower and negotiate a solution. You may believe you only owe the original amount. Add to this the collection agency may report your tiny account to the credit bureau. This results in a negative impact to your credit rating and a lengthy dispute process to have the debt removed from your credit report. Remember this when small dollar claims for co-pays, deductibles and other expenses come in the mail, and you could be saving yourself from additional debt and heartache. When it comes to handling various types of debt, and medical accounts in particular, staying out of the loop and waiting till the last minute is almost always a poor choice. (Senate Bill 2149 - Medical Debt Responsibility Act 2012: A bill currently in review to exclude medical debt from consumer reports that has been in collection and has been fully paid or settled.) MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Affordable Care Act Provides Protection for Patients

    By Medical Bill & Claim Resolution (MBCR) | Submitted On July 22, 2012 As you may know, the Affordable Care Act is cracking down on the way tax exempt or nonprofit hospitals can collect from their patients. One of the new rules indicates that these entities will be required to tell all of their patients about available charity and financial assistance. Reporters in the healthcare field often point out that to date, even non-profit hospitals have not always treated patients fairly by telling them what they qualify for when they show up to receive healthcare services. As a result, many American families are mired in healthcare debt. Reports of the new laws also offer some of the most common advice for you to protect yourself from unfair or excessive medical debt. Always Talk to Providers One of the critical steps to take is to always ask up front about available charity and financial assistance programs - regardless of the facility's tax exempt status. It's a great idea to ask about health care costs, and detail payment options, before you sign up for any given course of treatment. But beyond this, dialogue with the provider is also a key to keeping medical bills from showing up on credit reports. It's true that even with the best back channel dialogue, some hospital administrators will still send bills to collections, but having an open communication with the provider will prevent this in the majority of cases where reasonable financial offices simply ask you to keep in touch about your debt and pay to the best of your ability. Make Sure You Are Covered and Know the Extent of Your Coverage Essentially, the Affordable Care Act is seen as a positive-negative to a portion of consumers, but for the vast majority of citizens, who want healthcare coverage to protect themselves from debt, the new law is a good thing, and not a burden. The only downside is that those who do not have healthcare coverage must look for a policy in order to prevent penalties and additional taxes. However, others may choose to forego coverage and pay their healthcare costs out-of-pocket despite penalties. When comparing your options, be sure to also make use of the following provisions that are included in the law: a disclaimer stating that the cost of the healthcare policy must not exceed 8% of family income a rule that those 26 and under may stay on a family health insurance plan rules preventing health insurance companies from dropping patients due to pre-existing conditions state health-care exchanges that will provide access to more affordable policies Look for the above aspects and more to be implemented in your state of residence. Take advantage of these new provisions to get the healthcare coverage you need to avoid high amounts of medical debt in the future. By being proactive about your health care, health insurance status, and financial health, you could save thousands of dollars without sacrificing quality of care. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Medical Fraud: A Big Dollar Concern

    By Medical Bill & Claim Resolution (MBCR) | Submitted On July 14, 2012 With reports about identity fraud making waves throughout the news media, it's especially important for those looking at the American health care industry to consider a specific kind of identity fraud that can be especially expensive for victims. Medical fraud is commonly defined as any kind of identity theft that facilitates the use of insurance or medical information which allows for an unauthorized individual to get access to medical insurance, medical care or other services, or that in some cases, allows for false billing or funneling money directly from the victim to the fraud perpetrator. Learning more about it can help you avoid medical bankruptcies or other problems. The Numbers on Medical Fraud Although it may be more obscure than other types of fraud, for instance, credit card fraud, some reports estimate that medical identity theft affects almost two million people in America each year, with an overall monetary impact of over $40 billion. Experts also estimate the costs of medical fraud per victim at over $20,000. That means that this kind of fraud can destroy the budgets of many American consumers or families who become victims of this type of identity theft. Common Scenarios Experts suggest that some identity thieves pursue medical fraud in order to get insurance coverage through illegitimate means, while others may be looking to get their hands on prescription drugs that they will sell on the black market. But although these kinds of situations can hit consumers or families out of nowhere, other reports suggest that in many cases of medical fraud, there's a gray area: the victims of these kinds of fraud may have let their family members misuse their medical information or otherwise been complicit in fraudulent claims or other types of identity theft. Medical fraud is just one way that the average American family can find itself bogged down in medical debt or otherwise trapped in eternal debt cycles. In order to prevent these kinds of nightmare scenarios, it's important to safeguard identity information and do regular credit checks and basic financial monitoring. You can also get help from third party medical advocates that understand the health care system and how to fight various kinds of financial challenges to make sure that you and your loved ones are not taken advantage of by a system that often generates extremely high costs. Talking to these types of agencies and organizations can help you gain a better idea of how to prevent medical fraud, unfair denials or bills, or any other financial struggle that could have been avoided through good documentation and vigilance. Get the facts and protect yourself against medical fraud and unfair medical debt for a better financial future. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

  • Does Your Hospital Engage or Outrage You?

    By Medical Bill & Claim Resolution (MBCR) | Submitted On June 15, 2012 AHA Updates Hospitals on New Responsibilities As the administration's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or PPACA continues to be implemented across the country, non-profit hospitals are looking at what they must do to comply with aspects of this law. The American Hospital Association is giving hospitals guidelines that will illustrate their responsibilities to patients. Many of these revolve around transparency for costs and other consumer protections that assist you to know more about the financial outcomes of your care. Financial Counseling and Patient Education One of AHA's guidelines is that hospitals should inform patients about how the facility bills for different kinds of care. This is typically called financial counseling or patient education, and it's a major part in preparing the average American family for any kind of medical treatment that they seek. The non-profit provider, which is often the most prominent and largest provider in a local community, can be considered a kind of public service, regardless of the fact that many non-profits adopt many 'for-profit' types of administrative strategies and policies. The bottom line is that non-profits (and actually providers) have a responsibility to be up front with patients from what they will pay for a contracted doctor, nurse or other medical service provider, to extras like anesthesia, medical supplies or medical equipment. Financial Assistance Policies Another aspect of the Affordable Care Act that is in place to protect you is a mandate for non-profit hospitals to provide financial assistance to patients and have policies posted in a visible manner. This involves looking at the income and assets of a given patient and how that person can benefit from any available charitable funding or other source of assistance. Generally, financial assistance is supposed to be provided by the hospital within its overall billing structure, as a way to anticipate a patient's less likely ability to pay. Clearer Medical Collections Another aspect of these changes relates to what happens when a bill does get sent to collections. Some of the other guidelines provided to non-profit hospitals have to do with establishing a consistent policy for late payments and non-payment of medical bills. This will ensure that patients know they are being treated fairly in terms of medical collections, at least, in relation to the common policy. These straightforward consumer protections are good news for the average American family that struggles with high hospital bills whenever someone becomes ill or needs significant care. Stay informed about how federal, state, and local government groups are slowly working towards comprehensive health care reform, resulting in greater protection for you. MBCR understands the challenges in receiving a medical bill and successfully resolving a health insurance claim issue. Learn more at www.medicalbillandclaimresolution.com.

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