High Deductible Health Plans Make for Better Consumers of Healthcare
In the recent article by Robert Pear in the NY Times, consumers are learning that their deductibles will be higher in the Affordable Care Act (italics added by this author). This act would be more appropriately named the Accessible Care Act because for most, it will make health insurance more accessible but not more affordable. […]
The Republican Slugfest
Last week’s NY Times article highlighting Republican’s continued efforts to mount legal challenges to the new healthcare law are embarrassing me as a Republican-leaning independent. For one, this ship has sailed. The opposition may have future victories in court but they’ll be minor in comparison to the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Act. The Affordable […]
Price Transparency in the Emergency Room
In a recent NY Times article, the costs in the ER were discussed yet again. This is an ongoing problem that shows the most expensive care is typically in the emergency room. It’s not really a new revelation but by highlighting the actual charges patients are receiving in their bills, it’s just as alarming (Coincidentally, […]
10 Things You Don’t Know About BuildMyBod
1. BuildMyBod starts the conversation about plastic surgery. BuildMyBod is a consumer-searchable database of plastic surgeon-provided pricing information on cosmetic procedures that customers want. The ultimate question every patient has that’s interested in cosmetic surgery is, “How much is it going to cost?” BuildMyBod allows them to determine cost prior to going in for a […]
Insurance Companies Looking to Embarrass President Obama
I’m one of the million consumers in California whose health insurance was cancelled over the past few weeks. When I received my cancellation letter, I thought it was just that – a cancellation letter and nothing more. But as I read on, the insurance company clarified that my current policy didn’t meet the minimum requirements […]
If you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it!
Who could have imagined back in 2010 that the title above would become a punchline? Even though I’m highlighting the President’s words with a sarcastic undertone, I want to clearly state that I think the Affordable Care Act (should’ve been named the Accessible Care Act because it won’t be more affordable), will be great if it […]
Price Transparency is a Must: NY Times and New England Journal of Medicine Agree!
If this is NOT your first time visiting this blog, then you know that I sound like a broken record when it comes to the importance of price transparency in healthcare. And if this is your first time visiting the BuildMyBod blog, then welcome to the world of promoting price transparency in healthcare! […]
Let’s Pile on Healthcare.gov…My Two Cents
Many articles have discussed the travails of the new Federal healthcare marketplace, healthcare.gov. You can find them here, here, and here, just to name a few. Essentially they all say that the Federal government was ill-equipped to handle a website of this magnitude. From what I gather, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services […]
CareCredit and Medical Credit Cards
As a consumer interested in various veterinary or medical services that are typically out-of-pocket, you may pay for those services with a credit card. But if you don’t have a credit card due to a less-than-stellar credit rating, you may have to turn to a medical credit card. These come in the form of iCare […]
BuildMyBod on CNBC!
Just a quick update, a feature on BuildMyBod will be aired on CNBC today! Check it out throughout the day. Here’s a quick peek: