– From an article by John Murawski, Raleigh News and Observer Juanita King, an 81-year-old grandmother, logged nearly five weeks at WakeMed Hospital since October after her breathing became so labored she had trouble walking.Weakened by a failing heart and obstructed lungs, she was at her Clayton home less than two weeks before returning to WakeMed for another round of [...]
Ron Gaskins, Associate Director of the Northwest Community Care Network, is completing a Doctorate of Health Administration from Central Michigan University. Within healthcare reform there has been significant discussion regarding hospital readmissions. This has become a key indicator for not only the health of patients but the quality of care at transitions. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has [...]
By: Chris Fitzsimon, NC Policy Watch 210 billion – amount the Affordable Care Act will reduce the federal deficit over the next ten years (Congressional Budget Office, presentation of Duke Health Systems CEO Dr. Victor Dzau, NC Spin Health Care Forum, March 20, 2011) 2,640 – average amount in dollars that families in North Carolina who make less than $100,000 [...]
Brian Raleigh is President and Founder of TruWealth Strategies and TruWealth Capital Management. Q. My brother-in-law says I am probably overpaying for my Life Insurance and should get an Insurance Review. Is this true? A. You may be paying 30 percent to 70 percent too much for your life insurance and here’s why. The life insurance industry has a [...]
Avoidable medical errors added $19.5 billion to the nation’s healthcare bill in 2008, according to a claims-based study conducted by Millman, Inc. on behalf of the Society of Actuaries (SOA). The report lists the 10 most expensive errors in healthcare settings. Pressure ulcers – the most frequent type of expensive error– were most often preventable, the authors wrote. Most of [...]
Dori J. Wiggen, an accredited attorney with Veterans Affairs is a partner with Wiggen Law Group PLLC in Durham, where she practices law with her husband. I’ll never forget my first meeting with Jimmy and his wife, Alice. Jimmy, a veteran of WWII, had a recent illness that caused him to need around-the-clock care. Alice had been caring for Jimmy with help [...]
Seven Tips for Choosing a Health Plan Choosing the right health coverage has never been easy, and the health reform law has made things more complicated. Besides sorting through differences in premiums, deductibles, and copayments, new provisions in the law that could impact your coverage need to be considered. The following tips may help clear away the confusion: 1. Check [...]
Do you wonder how you will pay your medical expenses? Do you need more money for things like prescription drugs, electricity bills or food? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions and you have Medicare, help may be available. Medicare Savings Programs assist low-income Medicare beneficiaries with out-of-pocket expenses associated with Medicare. The Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program [...]
Susan Wainscott, LTCP A Long Term Care Insurance Professional If you are part of the baby boomer generation (born between 1944 and 1964), you already know how important it is to save for your retirement. Little remains of the security our parents once enjoyed through company and state pensions. Today, the responsibility for retirement savings has shifted from employers to [...]
By Raymond C. Richard, the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Pinnacle Benefits Group, a national distributor of health and life insurance products. Medigap policies, commonly referred to as Medicare Supplement Insurance, is private insurance designed to help fill the gaps in Medicare Part A (Hospital Coverage, Skilled Nursing Facility, Hospice and Home Health Care), and Part B (Doctors [...]
