Understanding Health Insurance

Roughly 40 million Americans have no health insurance, private or public, and the number has grown steadily over the past 25 years. Who are these children, women, and men, and why do they lack coverage for essential health care services? How does the system of insurance coverage in the U.S. operate, and where does it fail? The first of six Institute of Medicine reports that will examine in detail the consequences of having a large uninsured population, Coverage Matters: Insurance and Health Care, explores the myths and realities of who is uninsured, identifies social, economic, and policy factors that contribute to the situation, and describes the likelihood faced by members of various population groups of being uninsured. It serves as a guide to a broad range of issues related to the lack of insurance coverage in America and provides background data of use to policy makers and health services researchers.

A comprehensive guide to health insurance claim processing that contains pertinent information on common health insurance plans, and coding systems, reimbursement issues, and step-by-step instructions for HCFA-1500 claim completion. CD-ROM in text and accompanying workbook provide additional opportunities to apply material and practice in completing HCFA-1500 forms. Contains new information regarding ICD-10-CM and HCFA reimbursement issues.(key words: health care insurance, HCFA-1500, Insurance claim form)

Many Americans believe that people who lack health insurance somehow get the care they really need. Care Without Coverage examines the real consequences for adults who lack health insurance. The study presents findings in the areas of prevention and screening, cancer, chronic illness, hospital-based care, and general health status. The committee looked at the consequences of being uninsured for people suffering from cancer, diabetes, HIV infection and AIDS, heart and kidney disease, mental illness, traumatic injuries, and heart attacks. It focused on the roughly 30 million-one in seven-working-age Americans without health insurance. This group does not include the population over 65 that is covered by Medicare or the nearly 10 million children who are uninsured in this country. The main findings of the report are that working-age Americans without health insurance are more likely to receive too little medical care and receive it too late; be sicker and die sooner; and receive poorer care when they are in the hospital, even for acute situations like a motor vehicle crash.

Prepare for a successful career in medical billing and insurance processing or revenue management with the help of Green's UNDERSTANDING HEALTH INSURANCE: A GUIDE TO BILLING AND REIMBURSEMENT, 2020 Edition. This comprehensive, inviting book presents the latest medical code sets and coding guidelines as you learn to complete health plan claims and master revenue management concepts. This edition focuses on today’s most important topics, including managed care, legal and regulatory issues, coding systems and compliance, reimbursement methods, clinical documentation improvement, coding for medical necessity, and common health insurance plans. Updates introduce new legislation that impacts health care. You also examine the impact on ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS level II coding; revenue cycle management; and individual health plans. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

This combination textbook and workbook, explains each phase of the medical claim cycle, from the time the patient calls for an appointment until the financial transaction for the encounter is completed. Coverage includes types of insurance payers, basic coding and billing rules, and standard requirements for outpatient billing using the CMS-1500 claim form. It also emphasizes legal aspects related to each level of the medical claim cycle and the importance of the medical office employee, showing their responsibility for and impact on successful reimbursement. 3 separate chapters offer coverage of the basic concepts of medical coding.A comprehensive overview of the CMS-1500 claim form with step-by-step guidelines and illustrations thoroughly covers reimbursement issues and explains the billing process.Includes detailed information on various insurance payers and plans including Medicare, government medical plans, disability plans, private indemnity plans, and managed care.Stop & Review sections illustrate how the concepts presented in each chapter relate to real-life billing situations.Sidebars and Examples highlight key concepts and information related to the core text lesson.A companion CD-ROM contains sample patient and insurance information that readers can use to practice completing the accompanying CMS-1500 claim form, as well as a demonstration of Altapoint practice management software. Features completely updated information that reflects the many changes in the insurance industry.Contains a new chapter on UB-92 insurance billing for hospitals and outpatient facilities.Includes a new appendix, Quick Guide to HIPAA for the Physician's Office, to provide a basic overview of the important HIPAA-related information necessary on the job.

Numerous case examples illustrate fundamental topics such as cost containment, health insurance, primary care, and physician and hospital payment. In addition, this book does a superior job linking policy issues to the practice of medicine. The second edition features a brand new chapter on payment in managed care.

Health Insurance is a Family Matter is the third of a series of six reports on the problems of uninsurance in the United Sates and addresses the impact on the family of not having health insurance. The book demonstrates that having one or more uninsured members in a family can have adverse consequences for everyone in the household and that the financial, physical, and emotional well--being of all members of a family may be adversely affected if any family member lacks coverage. It concludes with the finding that uninsured children have worse access to and use fewer health care services than children with insurance, including important preventive services that can have beneficial long-term effects.