Tensions Increase Between the President and Congressional Republicans: After last week's health care reform summit, which displayed deep rifts between both Democrats and Republicans, the President sent a letter Tuesday to Congressional leaders. In the letter, the President offered to incorporate a handful of Republican ideas into his bill including the expansion of health savings accounts; increases to Medicaid reimbursements to doctors; the implementation of undercover investigations to combat fraud in the Medicare system, and increases in funding for grants to states to explore alternatives to resolve medical malpractice lawsuits.

Republicans rejected his proposal, calling his bill "unsalvageable," and asked him to listen to the American people and start the process from scratch.

        

See the latest press release for Michael Kortz.

Michael Kortz Insurance Agent Featured San Clemente Health Insurance Agent Receives Prest... February, 2010 @ 1888PressRelease.com

        

Today a select group of health insurance professionals completed a year-long educational program and received the prestigious Health Insurance Professional (HIP) designation .

        

Is Guaranteed Issue health insurance coming to California?

Technically, California already has a form of guaranteed issue health insurance through its Major Risk Medical Insurance Program. However, this program provides a very limited health insurance benefit and is quite expensive. The fact that it insures ONLY sick people makes that no surprise.

Personally, I am against the Obama healthcare plan. More goverment is never a good thing. However, his healthcare reform includes a provision for guaranteed issue health insurance, which I am in favor of. This means insurance companies would have to accept everybody, not just healthy people. This in turn would spread the risk among a large pool of people, which keeps the costs predictible.

This would be a good thing for Californians who currently do not qualify for underwritten health insurance.

Call Michael Kortz for all of your health insurance questions at (949) 226-8390.

        

If you are interested in a reasonably priced HMO, Health Net has a product called its Health Net Salud product.

Call me to find out more (949) 226-8390 or visit health insurance information.

        

Anthem Blue Cross, despite their impending rate increase, continue to provide the broadest range of individual medical insurance for residents of California. On April 1st they will roll out their Premiere Portfolio of Individual Health Insurance plans. Smoe key features of the plans:

• Unlimited doctor office visits with predictable copays, before the deductible
• A broad range of preventive benefits to focus on keeping members healthy
• Annual routine eye exam
• Generic, brand and specialty drug coverage
• $7 million per member in lifetime benefits

These plans look similar to Anthem's Solutions small group plans, which I really like. Call me at (949) 226-8390 if you would like more information. 

        

Health insurance giant Anthem-Blue Cross has decided to delay their much publicized rate increase. Upwards of 700,000 California residents, many of which live in San Clemente, Orange County, California, were set to have their rates increased as much as 39%. But a large public outcry, especially during this time of health care reform discussion, has caused Anthem Blue Cross to postpone their price increase from March 1st until May 1st.

Anthem will be notifying existing policy holders of the postponement on February 16^th via prerecorded phone calls, and in writing through the mail. The letters will lay out exactly how much each policy’s premium is scheduled to increase. Currently Anthem Blue Cross policy holders will be pleased to hear of this good news.

 

There is good news for those looking to obtain new coverage too. They have the opportunity to lock in their rate before the price increase.  This means that despite scheduled increases averaging 25% effective May 1st, new policy holders will have their monthly premiums guaranteed at the lower levels. To apply for coverage or receive a price quote, Michael Kortz can be contacted by calling (949) 226-8390 or visiting his website www.tfp8.com

 

        

        

Check your dental bill!

I've seen many, many errors on my clients' dental bills lately. When comparing the fees charged by the dental office against the fees in the schedule of benefits, there were huge differences in the amounts. Surprise, surprise... the errors weren't in the patient's favor.

I'll have more on this in the very near future.