What Medical Aid Brokers Do

A medical aid broker is basically someone who sells medical insurance. This is not the beginning and end of their function, however. They are people with in depth knowledge of the industry and they have the expertise to offer guidance and advice to people who need it.

If you are in the market to find a new medical aid plan, consulting with a professional medical aid broker would be a good idea. Not only can they help you with your decision making process, but they can save you a lot of time and effort by doing research on your behalf.

A Basic Function Breakdown

A medical aid broker can assist you in the following ways:

Gather information on different medical aid options from various companiesAdvise you on how to work out your budget to provide for monthly premium paymentsOffer guidance on what kind of cover would be best suited to you and your medical requirementsGo through your health status as well as your family medical history to determine the type of cover you could most benefit fromDeal with all paperwork regarding signing up for membership with a certain medical aid companyLiaise with different companies on your behalfGive you valuable information and advice that can inform your decision making process

It is more than just a selling process for a broker. If you find the right one, you will have found a valuable asset who can assist you in making an informed decision regarding which medical aid package to go with. Remember that you do not have to pay for the services of a broker; they are paid by the company that employs them. So basically you have valuable information and services at your disposal that won't cost you anything.

How To Find A Broker

You can do an online search to find medical aid brokers. Try to look at independent companies instead of those that provide medical aid themselves. In those cases, their brokers will only provide you with information regarding their company's products and you won't have a realistic view of what else is out there.

It is important to sit down and speak to a broker face to face before making a decision. The relationship you have with them is as important as their knowledge and expertise. You do not want to end up with a broker who is only interested in the sale but who has your best interests at heart. The best way to make this deduction is through a personal meeting.

This doesn't mean you have to meet every broker you find listed. You can start by emailing enquiries and perhaps create a short list based on your feeling from this correspondence. A phone call to the shortlisted brokers would help you narrow it down even further to maybe two or three brokers you would like to sit down with.

What You Need to Know About HIPAA Exams: 3 Things

Any organization that deals with personal health information either through direct contact with patients or through indirect contact with medical records is required by law to provide some type of training about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). If you own a business that has access to private health information it is crucial and that you and your employees can be up to date on all things related to the HIPAA guidelines. Violations of HIPAA can result in fines for you and your employees and sometimes even in a civil lawsuit.

The easiest training program to provide your employees with HIPAA training is to partner with an online exam and training course. Choosing an online program has several advantages. The online exam can be taken anywhere with an internet connection, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at their own convenience. Once they have passed the exam, your employees can then print their own certificates for display in offices and other places.

Before choosing an exam provider or training program, there are a few things you should know about exams. A reputable exam provider will have these three things included in their training materials and they will appear on the exam:

1) HIPAA history. This includes information like when HIPAA was enacted, what problems it set out to address, who helped to put it into place, and how have the healthcare and insurance dealt with HIPAA since its start.

2) HIPAA privacy rules. A huge part of HIPAA regulations deals with the privacy of personal health information. Any reputable exam will cover these in great detail to make sure the exam taker has a solid grasp on the material. Even the slightest violation in HIPAA privacy rules can result in major fines so it is crucial to understand these rules. In addition to understanding privacy rules in general, a quality exam will check the rules as their pertain to different aspects in the industry whether it be health insurance providers, direct healthcare providers, or medical records processors.

3) Other HIPAA requirements. These are outlining requirements put in place by HIPAA to ensure compliance. These are just as crucial as the privacy law. One example is that HIPAA requires at least one person on staff be held responsible for HIPAA compliance within an organization. Another example is that those involved in direct care with the patients must tell patients of their rights of their personal health information. This must be done before any information is obtained. Rules like these should be covered in any reputable HIPAA exam.

Once you have begun your search for an exam and training provider, make sure they cover at least those three fundamental elements of HIPAA. There is no point in having your employees go through a training program, wasting precious time and money, if you are not completely certain the HIPAA exam will test them on crucial information about HIPAA regulations and compliance. Think of exams not as a chore, but as a reassurance and investment back into your healthcare organization. Not only will HIPAA exams help you stay in compliance and avoid violations, but patients will be happier and feel more secure knowing that all employees having taking a certification HIPAA exam. When explaining the privacy rules to the patients, take that moment to reassure them that every employee in the organization has passed a HIPAA exam meaning their personal health information is 100% safe.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Exams website.

What You Will Learn From HIPAA Training and Exams: 4 Points

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is responsible for governing the access, use, storage, and exchange of health information of patients. This act was enforced as a federal law in1996 by the United States Congress. It aims to prevent misuse and violations regarding private medical information. HIPAA lays down several rules and regulations to achieve this purpose and healthcare employees must comply with them.

There are several healthcare organizations that deal with health information of patients and they are required to comply with all the guidelines. Healthcare employees need to know these guidelines in order to comply with them. Hence HIPAA training and exams are essential as it is a step in preventing misuse of health information.

Here are four points you will learn from HIPAA training and exams.

• The training covers all the policies and procedures of HIPAA. It also includes computer classes as these days most hospitals and healthcare facilities store patient information on computers. You will also learn about the penalties that result due to non-compliance. Awareness will help you do your best to avoid these penalties.

• HIPAA training and exams can either be undertaken in a classroom setting or through the online medium. The online medium offers convenience and flexibility and can be completed as per your own schedule. Most employers and employees prefer it today because it can be done anywhere and at anytime. All you need is a computer and internet connection. The classroom based training is good when there are a large group of employees to be trained. Then a trainer can be arranged to come to the job site to conduct classes.

• Once the course is done, you will be given an exam to test your knowledge on the subject. You have to attain a minimum percentage of marks to be able to successfully pas it. Once you do, you get a certificate which proves that you are well versed in the rules and regulations of the act and have completed the training. In the unlikely event of you failing the exam, you will have to undertake the training and exam all over again.

• The health care providers have to make sure that their policies are complimentary to the HIPAA guidelines. The must also make sure that their employees are complying with them. HIPAA training helps the employees understand their responsibilities and avoid violations. As it has been seen, most of the violations are not intentional, but unintentional. They usually occur due to lack of knowledge. The main objective of HIPAA training and exams is to enable employees to understand the rules, and to be aware of their responsibilities.

One of the main topics covered in HIPAA training is the security policy. Healthcare organizations are required to employ adequate security safeguards in order to protect confidential medical information. These safeguards include use of passwords, encryption, firewall, and so on. Training enables employees to know these safeguards and enables them to protect medical records better.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Exams website.

Why Is It Essential for Healthcare Employees to Undertake HIPAA Exams and Get a Certificate

Healthcare organizations like hospitals, clinics, laboratories, pharmacists, and so on deal with private patient information on a regular basis. The employees of these facilities are involved in the access, use, maintenance, and exchange of such information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enforced to prevent the misuse of this private information. Therefore, all healthcare employees who deal with patient information are required to undergo training, take the HIPAA exams and obtain a certification. The healthcare providers are responsible to proper adequate training to all their employees according to their job requirements.

It's not only the doctors and nurses who will need to comply with the rules and regulations of the act, but also employees working in laboratories, human resource agencies, medical insurance agencies, medical transcriptions agencies, and so on. Therefore, a getting a HIPAA certification is useful and it results in better compliance and lesser violations.

This article talks about why it is essential for healthcare employees to undertake HIPAA exams and get a certificate. Here are five points.

• The topics covered in the training are regarding HIPAA security and privacy rules, rules and regulations of HIPAA, penalties to non-compliance, authorization, policies for electronic storage and transfer of patient information, to name a few.

• These days there are hardly any paper records. All patient information is stored, processed, and transferred electronically. Therefore, several safeguards need to be employed to avoid misuse. HIPAA training will train the employees about the various safeguards and transaction and code sets that need to be followed when sharing confidential health information of patients.

• After you complete your training, you will be given an exam to check if you have really understood all the provisions of the act. Only on successfully passing this exam you will be given your certificate. Getting a HIPAA certification is very beneficial as will be able to do your job better and be safe from violations and penalties.

• HIPAA training is an ongoing process. The HIPAA policies and rules and regularly reviewed and amended and hence employees need to be up to date with these new changes. In view of these, a refresher course is made available for those employees who already have been certified. This will help then know the most recent changes and continue to comply with them.

• HIPAA often organizes inspections in the healthcare organizations so ensure compliance. To avoid complications, it is beneficial to have certified employees because there will be no issues with compliance then.

The law does not make it compulsory for healthcare employees to have a formal HIPAA certification. However, it is always advisable to be prepared in advance than be sorry later. Certification will ensure that you can handle your work responsibilities in an adequate manner. You will understand the importance of protecting the privacy of patient information and strive to maintain it. Your employer will value you and the patients will trust you as they know you are competent to handle their private information.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Exams website.

Tips to Be Successfully Compliant With HIPAA

Most healthcare organizations know what HIPAA requirements are. However, considering recent regulatory and enforcement changes brings to the importance to be successfully compliant. Today, we will present ways that will ensure that a healthcare organization's preparation for compliance with HIPAA is proper and effective.

Assign a Compliance Officer

If your organization has been categorized as a covered entity, you will need to designate a compliance officer to make sure that your policies and procedures are in compliance with those required by HIPAA. Your Compliance Officer must be completely aware of what is expected of the role. Overall, they play an essential part in deciding what regulations the covered entity should follow and have to be prepared to answer questions that may be asked by the OCR about HIPAA compliance. Also, the Compliance Officer must keep you updated with the new regulations rules that are created because the healthcare organization may be required to adopt them.

Adopt Appropriate Policies and Procedures

One of the main advices to consider when being HIPAA compliant is to establish policies and procedures that restrict the physical access to electronic information systems. Covered entities must provide policies for examining activities in information programs that contain ePHI and especially when transmitting electronically records. Therefore, records of the system activity such as access reports and audit logs have to be reviewed regularly as well as reports, monitoring and violation logging must be documented. It is essential for the covered entity to terminate electronic sessions and to provide encrypting of ePHI.

Train Employees on HIPAA Compliance

Most covered entities have been offering HIPAA rules training to employees for some years. Nevertheless, being aware of recent regulations and enforcement alterations, we may conclude that it is important to ensure organization's HIPAA training is up to date. According to the HIPAA rules, all covered entities are required to deliver training to its employees in order to make sure that operational activities are carried out in compliance with HIPAA. Furthermore, workforce that is not properly educated on HIPAA compliance can cause a data breach, which will most probably bring to incorrigible damage to any organization's reputation.

Define a Contingency Plan

Another important precaution for successful compliance with HIPAA is to define a proper Contingency plan. It should include policies and procedures for reacting to an emergency or other event that causes damages to the systems, containing ePHI. The specifications of the Contingency plan comprise data backup plan, disaster recovery plan, emergency mode operation plan, testing and revision procedures and data analysis. Specifically, the backup plan needs to be tested repeatedly to ensure it is properly working.

Implement Security Software

Healthcare organizations are recommended to install appropriate security software in order to reduce the risk of data violations and to ensure data security and automate regulatory HIPAA compliance. Therefore, most covered entities look for options that will solve security configuration management and will provide continuous monitoring to detect incident problems. It is extremely beneficial for them to use software that monitors and records access and all user activities in information systems, containing ePHI.

There are a lot more tips to help you meet HIPAA compliance requirements. That is only a brief summary of many of the major points. If you consider you are a covered entity, you really need to keep updates with recent regulations as they apply to your specific organization.

Jen Watts covers topics on HIPAA compliance and network monitoring. He recommends using desktop monitoring software to help with following the HIPAA's Security Rule requirements.

Your Prescription for Health: Provincial Drug Insurance Options

Canadians are privileged to have access to universal health care coverage - from annual physical check-ups to emergency medical services, and more. Provincial health plans include coverage for medications you require while you are hospitalized; however, prescription drugs needed outside of an inpatient care setting are not covered.

In order to assist Canadians with the cost of their prescription drugs, each province has a variety of drug insurance program options available to its residents. The program for which you qualify will depend on a few factors including your age, income level, employment status, and whether you are part of other private insurance plans. Here is a quick overview of each province's drug insurance coverage.

British Columbia - Drug insurance in British Columbia (BC) is available through the BC Pharmacare programs. BC residents under the provincial health plan are eligible for the Fair Pharmacare program, which sets your coverage level depending on your income and establishes an appropriate per-person deductible based on that information. Under Pharmacare, there is a variety of other plans including one for people in Licensed Residential Care Facilities, for children living at home with disabilities requiring prescription care, and for victims of Cystic Fibrosis and HIV/AIDS. There are also plans for individuals receiving income assistance and for those with mental health issues.

Alberta - Residents of Alberta are eligible for the Alberta Health and Wellness Prescription Drug Program, which is available to all who are registered with the provincial health care plan. Low-income families can receive subsidized rates on their coverage. There are plans for people under 65 and for seniors, as well as for children of limited income families. Among the specialty programs are plans for those with rare diseases and for patients under palliative care.

Manitoba - Like BC, Manitoba drug insurance coverage is provided to all eligible residents, with the deductible being based on one's income level. To qualify for Pharmacare, you need only be a Manitoba resident who is registered with the provincial health plan, and do not have existing drug coverage from other government programs.

Saskatchewan - Residents of this province have access to drug coverage through the Saskatchewan Drug Plan. All residents of Saskatchewan who are registered under the provincial health plan and do not receive other government assistance for prescriptions are eligible for the Saskatchewan drug insurance program. The program offers a range of options depending on your needs and income level. Programs are available for low income families, and a special program offering reduced costs is available for seniors.

Ontario - The Ontario drug insurance system offers several different coverage options. The Ontario Drug Program (ODP) provides prescription drug coverage to residents who are 65 years of age or older, living in a long term or special care home, or receiving home care or income assistance. For those residents who do not qualify for ODP, the province offers the Trillium Drug Program, which provides assistance to anyone who is registered with the provincial health plan and does not receive 100% prescription drug coverage under an existing group plan. This plan uses an income-based deductible.

Quebec - All residents of Quebec who do not receive drug coverage from other insurance providers are eligible for the Quebec drug insurance program, Regie de l'assurance maladie du Quebec (RAMQ). Premiums for the plan are determined based on income. In Quebec, you must register for either a private prescription drug plan, or for the public health plan by law.

New Brunswick - New Brunswick drug insurance is available through the New Brunswick Prescription Drug Plan, which provides coverage to eligible residents. There are ten separate plans in the program, offering coverage to seniors, people living with illnesses such as Cystic Fibrosis and HIV/AIDS, patients in care facilities, and children in specific circumstances including those with special needs.
Nova Scotia - Residents of Nova Scotia, who meet the eligibility requirements, can qualify for Pharmacare. The Nova Scotia drug insurance plan is available to individuals receiving income assistance, seniors covered by Medical Services Insurance, and low-income cancer patients. There is also a program for patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Prince Edward Island - Drug insurance coverage in this province is available through the PEI Drug Programs to residents who meet eligibility requirements. Residents who are 65 or older are eligible for PEI Medicare, while low-income families and their children, people on welfare services, as well as patients with Diabetes or Multiple Sclerosis can apply for the coverage.

Newfoundland/Labrador - Newfoundland drug insurance covers both Newfoundland and Labrador residents who meet the eligibility requirements for the program. The Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program is available to residents who qualify for benefits through the Department of Human Resources and Employment, Food Bank recipients, seniors, and select residents who cannot afford prescribed high cost medications. There is also coverage for people with Cystic Fibrosis and Growth Hormone Deficiency.

Yukon - The Yukon drug insurance program provides assistance to a range of residents via several plans. Pharmacare is available to seniors 65 and over and their spouses 60 and over, as well as extended benefits as needed. There is a program for families with children, living under limited income. Drug coverage is also available to those with certain chronic illnesses.

Northwest Territories - You can obtain Northwest Territories drug insurance if you are a resident and if you meet the eligibility requirements. Drug benefits are extended to senior citizens as well as to people facing diseases that are part of the Specified Diseases list. Drug benefits are available through the program to people of Métis descent not otherwise covered.

Nunavut - Residents who meet eligibility requirements can receive Nunavut drug insurance via the Nunavut Health Plan's prescription drug program. Senior citizens, residents who receive income assistance, and individuals facing certain illnesses or conditions are also eligible.

Private drug insurance plans are often available through an employer and should be a person's first choice. There are other nationally-run prescription drug programs that are offered to First Nations members, veterans and current military members, refugees, government employees, and various other groups. For most Canadians, one of the available options, from private to public, will make prescription drugs affordable.

John Martin specializes in family medical insurance and is the content provider for http://www.familymedicalinsurance.ca/.

Will Medicare Cover More Mental Health Prescriptions In 2013?

Medicare Is Increasing Mental Health Prescription Coverage

It seems to be finally dawning on the Medicare folks that good mental health is part of good health. There is some good news. Medicare drug coverage will increase coverage on some mental health prescriptions. This should reduce out-of-pocket costs for many beneficiaries. There is also some bad news. Plans can choose how to implement their drug coverage, and not everybody will be able to maximize their benefits.

Your Individual Plan May Not Increase Coverage!

It is very important to review your coverage each year. It is also important to compare various Part D and Medicare Advantage plan health plans on the market. It may be possible that another plan could save you more money because of changes. It may also be possible that your current plan is the best one for you. However, in this case, what you do not know actually can hurt you!

Find Out What Mental Health Drugs That Various Plans Cover

I would like to outline some simple steps you can take to learn more about mental health service changes. Here is a basic summary of my suggestions.

Check your current benefitsIf you are not satisfied that your current insurer provides the maximum coverage for your own situation, check out other plans in your area,You can compare coverage online, with a phone call, or by visiting your local pharmacy or a certified Medicare agent.

Use Online Comparison Tools

It has been made fairly simple for beneficiaries to compare drug plans these days. You have a variety of information sources and ways to check on your benefits. If you are already enrolled in a plan, you can review the documents they sent you for next year. Most insurers also have online tools that help you figure out which drugs are covered, and at what level they are covered at. The official government website at Medicare.gov also has a variety of tools that can help you.

Use Your Phone

I understand that some seniors are still not comfortable using the Internet. While more and more senior citizens have computers and smart phones these days, not all of them do. In this case, it is still prudent to get information. I would advise these folks to pick up the phone and call their current carrier to find out if their own medications will be covered. If they are not covered, it is also time to call around and see if another insurer will provide better drug coverage for your own individual situation.

If you do not know who to call, consider these two suggestions. You can call Medicare at this easy to remember phone number: 1-800-Medicare

Visit A Local Pharmacy or Agent

You may also visit your local pharmacy. A lot of well known pharmacies bring in licensed and certified insurance agents to explain a variety of products. Your own pharmacist may be able to tell you when these or scheduled or who to call to find out about a seminar or visiting agent in your area.

At NoMedical.net we discuss a variety of health coverage topics, including Medicare and health insurance. Learn more about changes to Medicare Mental Health Coverage here.