Dental health is important in overall health, and fewer Americans opt for dental coverage as opposed to health insurance coverage, despite its importance.

While there is much to be excited about in the new health reform law, one critical piece of care is still going to be missing for millions of Americans: Dental care.   An estimated 132 million Americans are without dental insurance (compared to the 47 million without health insurance).

While many Americans perceive dental insurance as a luxury they cannot afford or oral health problems as a minor inconvenience, anyone who has ever had a toothache knows better.   Oral health problems can be painful, but they also have some big implications for the rest of our body.  For example. poor oral health can lead to heart disease.  In 2007, a young boy from Washington DC died after an infection from a molar spread to his brain, prompting outrage.

The Importance of Dental Coverage

Oral health problems are also a significant issue for employers and educators.  Studies tell us that over seven million days of work are missed every year in this country because of oral health problems.  Oral health problems are the leading cause of missed school days for children.  And oral health problems are a significant problem for older adults.  Many seniors are surprised to learn that Medicare does not pay for routine dental care.

States Cutting Dental Benefits

The truly bad news is that all these problems may become worse before they get better.  In response to budgetary woes, a number of states have cut dental benefits for their Medicaid populations in recent years.  For example, California no longer covers optional adult dental care under its Medicaid program (recipients can get badly needed care such as extractions).  While federal health reform expands eligibility for Medicaid, this may be challenging because so few dentists will see patients covered under the program.

The new law does provide subsidies to help adults obtain overall health care coverage.  Such subsidies indirectly could help Californians pay for dental treatment by lessening the financial burden of medical care, but with 132 million Americans without coverage for their teeth, there is still a long road ahead.

photo credit: Joaquin Villaverde

The rising cost of family health insurance has dramatically outpaced that of family incomes, as you can see in this historical graph.

The President really has his work cut out for him lately selling health care reform; it is hard for the average American to get excited about the new law when those who buy their own coverage are facing a 20 percent increase in their health insurance premiums.  Those covered by their employers (in the “group market”) have seen their rates rise as well.  If we have finally started to fix this mess why is health care getting more expensive not less?

So Why are Health Insurance Costs Going Up?

The answer is simple and complex at the same time.  At the most basic level, health insurance premiums are going up because the cost of health care is rising.  And during this recession people who don’t need a lot of care (the “young and healthies”) are opting to forego coverage, making the current pool of insured in the individual market older and sicker on average.  A slightly more sinister explanation is that insurance companies may be playing off consumer fears of health care reform, and trying to make strong profits before several provisions in the new law actually take effect.

But sticking with the most basic explanation for a moment, why do health care costs continue to rise?  The answer to this question is less simple.  Many experts believe our health care system continues to provide care that is excessive, ineffective or even unneeded.

(more…)

The growing trend of high-deductible health plans for employee health coverage could be a troubling sign that the quality of coverage through employers is declining.

The days of 100% health insurance coverage by employers are long gone. Employees all over the nation contribute nearly 20% to their employer-sponsored health care packages. For those employees who currently complain about the amount of their health care contributions, brace yourselves. Your employer may be looking to grab a higher-deductible health insurance option as a means for them to save a few dollars in a still-struggling economy.

A little high-deductible health plan history

Higher deductibles aren’t a new thing. Since 2003, high-deductible health plans have been working their way into the health care industry. Most have an average deductible rate of $1,200.00 for individuals and $2,400.00 for a family plan. The logic behind the high deductible is that it is supposed to serve as an incentive for people to make wiser choices for their individual health needs, and not run to the emergency room for every little ache of pain. For employers, the higher deductible rates mean lower premium costs, and this reasoning is catching on.

(more…)

Health and Agriculture have different goals in sight - one wants us to eat unhealthily, while the other - because of recent reforms - will want us to eat more healthy.

The next time you’re trying to decide which grocery store has the lowest prices, you might want to look at the waistline of its shoppers.  If the person in line behind you is very overweight, the store might just be a bargain, or so says a new study from the University of Washington. However, health care reform could mean a big change in the makeup of your grocery store. Why? Find out below.

The Relationship Between Health and Grocery Budget

The relationship between one’s grocery budget and waistline is complicated. Research shows that higher income people may have more free time to visit multiple stores, buy specialty foods, shop based on quality (not quantity), and prepare nutritious meals.  But research also shows that poor quality, high-calorie foods are cheaper.

This comes as no surprise to anyone who has ever eaten lunch at McDonalds from the value menu.  But we often don’t understand the reasons why high calorie, low nutrition food is so cheap. The reason is that our public policies are designed to support industries that produce high calorie foods in mass quantities.  Under the Farm Bill, the largest dollar amount of U.S. Department of Agriculture subsidies go to supporting corn. (For anyone who has ever followed the Iowa Caucus, it is immediately clear how powerful the corn lobby is in this Country).

Corn Syrup and Health

Lots of corn creates lots of high fructose corn syrup—which makes foods sweet and calorie rich for pennies on the dollar.  The USDA also subsidizes cotton, soybeans, rice and wheat.  Absent from that list is vegetables.

A map depicting levels of obesity across the United States. Notice that states with the most obese population are generally closer to the Corn Belt.

To help even out prices between our grocery stores and the difference between our waistlines, the U.S. may need to figure out a way to make healthy food cheaper, or unhealthy food become more expensive.  Some pundits have started to argue that the only industry powerful enough to take on the agriculture industry might be the health insurance industry.  Because the new health care reform law mandates health plans cover everyone, plans will have to cover the thin and healthy along with the obese and unhealthy. When that starts to mean even higher health care costs and a bite out of health insurance industry profits, we might see health insurance and “big ag” go head to head.

Long Term Care Insurance helps cover the costs of care after retirement.

Want to live a long and healthy life? Don’t answer too quickly. According to a new study, the healthier you are, the longer you live. The longer you live, the higher your expected medical care costs. A large part of this equation is the cost of long term care. The majority of baby-boomers believe as they advance into old age, Medicare will cover their long term care needs, including a nursing home stay. It doesn’t, and the annual cost of a nursing home stay is nearly $80,000. (more…)

Health Reform was a big topic this year.  After all, President Barack Obama stood in front of congress more than once to encourage bipartisan support for the measures.  In the end, the country was deeply divided in their opinions about the bill’s veracity, but few can deny that Health Reform – as described in HR 3590 - will have far-reaching effects for millions of Americans (for better or worse).

This list of the 10 Most Costly Conditions was taken from our consumer guide to Health Reform in 2010.

Among the extensive coverage of health reform (Google shows an astounding 4,100,000 results for the phrase “health reform bill”) there is very little in the way of consumer guides.  MedHealthInsurance.com sought to remedy that shortfall by publishing a consumer guide to health reform in conjunction with the Insurance Research Organization.  We hope this guide will help you better understand your options under the new bill, its timeline, and how it will affect you – no matter which walk of life you hail from.