Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Regions Health Group is the best source for cost effective and affordable healthcare for individuals, self- employed and small businesses and their employees. As the price of health insurance continues to increase, we can provide options that can lower your cost.

If you are uninsured, under insured or feel you are paying too much for health insurance, we can help. We offer customized solutions that can improve your coverage and reduce your cost.

With the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, there are additional benefits now available with individual health plans. These include: No lifetime limit on benefits; children can now stay on their parents plan to age 26; children that are part of a family plan are now issued on a guaranteed basis with no pre existing condition limitation; wellness and preventive benefits are now covered at 100% with $0 out-of-pocket expense. This coverage includes the cost of an annual physical, various health screenings such as Type II diabetes, HBP & Cholesterol as well as colorectal screening (colonoscopy) for adults 50 and above and much more. These benefits are now included in all major medical plans that have been issued on or after September 23rd, 2010. If you have purchased your plan before September 23rd, 2010 you need to check with your Carrier to determine if your plan has been updated to include these new benefits.

Regions Health Group can deliver affordable guaranteed issue coverage for people who have been unable to buy health insurance for conditions such as heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis and more.

Health Savings Accounts, otherwise known as Medical IRA's, offer a great way for people to lower their healthcare cost as well as reduce their taxes and save for retirement. An HSA works in combination with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). The concept is to pay the smaller healthcare expense from the funds you contribute to your health savings account on a tax deductible basis and the larger expenses are covered 100% once the deductible has been met. In 2011, an individual can contribute up to $3050 and a family up to $6150 into their HSA. An individual contributing $6150 into their family HSA paying a 25% federal tax rate will save $1537 in taxes which in turn can be used towards their premium lowering the actual cost – HSA's are a win – win.

The use of supplemental products can help lower an individual's health insurance premium by marrying high deductible health plans with supplemental products, specifically critical illness and accident protection. In the event a person were to suffer a heart attack, stroke, be diagnosed with cancer as well as other covered critical illnesses or an accident the critical illness or accident policy would pay a lump sum benefit upon occurrence or diagnosis to the insured for a specified amount of $10000 or higher. This benefit will most often cover 100% of the deductible, co insurance and assist with other out-of-pocket expenses the insured may incur. Increasing a health plan deductible from $2500 to $10000 can reduce the premium up to 40% which is a great way to lower premium cost and use part of the savings to pay for the supplemental premiums.