Terms to know when it comes to benefits, coverage and insurance.

Part of what makes the Healthcare industry so confusing is all the jargon and terminology. So as our goal is to clear the confusion, we take to our Instagram stories regularly, asking our followers what terms leave them scratching their heads. We do much more than just answering questions on our stories, so if you aren’t already following us, check out @healtheebyhbg on Instagram. We have compiled a few terms and their definitions into one place for those of you looking for clarification. 

Premium is the amount you must pay your insurance company for coverage. This amount is determined based on various factors depending on the type of insurance you purchase. For example, what’s impacting your car insurance premium will be different from your medical insurance. A general rule of thumb for most health-related insurance plans is these five main factors; age, tobacco use, location, type of plan, and the number of people the plan covers. With HealthEE by HBG, you pay this monthly or quarterly.

Prior Authorization, otherwise known as preauthorization and pre certification, is a requirement by health plans for the patient (you) to obtain approval for a health care service or medication before it can be provided. This occurs when the insurer wants to evaluate whether or not the care is medically necessary.  

Policy vs. plans– the insurance policy is the set of rules in place regarding the limits and regulations of your coverage. The insurance plan is the roadmap for your health, considering the policy. In other words, the policy affects what is available within your plan. 

The deductible is the amount you pay before your insurance company steps in. This amount is dwindled by your premium payments. Once you pay the deductible amount through your premium payments or paying for doctor’s visits, your insurance company steps in. A low deductible means your premium prices will be higher, but chances are you will meet your deductible quicker, whereas a high deductible will lower your premium payments. If you don’t go to the doctor, this could be the right choice for you; however, in the case of an emergency, you may be footing the bill on your own.

An IUA or initial uninsurable amount 

An IUA is an amount you pay per a specific medical event before your expenses become sharable. For example, our Common Sense health share plans which can be found here, have IUAs that members are responsible for paying – but have no deductibles.

We could write a novel with how many terms exist within Healthcare and insurance, but we hope these terms bring clarity to your relationship with your coverage. Suppose you have further questions or other phrases you would like clarified. In that case, our Ask Evan advisory team is made up of real people at your disposal to answer questions, provide support, and give you coverage and confidence on your benefit purchasing journey. Click here to schedule a free, noncommittal call with an advisor today. 

Preventive screenings

You never know what life is going to throw your way. The unknown can make life exciting, but when it comes to your health, don’t live your life not knowing what’s happening under the surface. It’s easy to think, you know, to say you know your body and you would know if something was wrong. But, unfortunately, assuming you know and proactively checking are two very different practices. As much as we think we know our bodies, Sometimes they are loud when something is wrong (like when your stomach grumbles when you’re hungry or you feel pain when you fall), and sometimes our bodies are eerily quiet, and you don’t know there is an issue until it’s too late. 

That is why it is essential to get preventive screenings consistently. Preventive screenings are an excellent tool for knowing what’s happening inside your body. If you are at high risk for a condition, knowing so can help you to take steps to protect your health and delay or, in a perfect world, alleviate the situation altogether. A prime example of using preventive screenings as a tool to better your health is by getting a carotid artery screening. Strokes are often called the silent killer as they have no symptoms, but by getting a carotid artery screening, you can take proactive steps to know whether or not you have the possibility of a stroke. Preventive screenings are all about giving you the power to know your body. 

October is always a good reminder to get screenings done especially considering the length we discuss and remember all who we have lost to breast cancer. But preventive screenings are not limited to testing for cancers such as breast cancer. Health professionals most commonly screen for the following conditions:

  • High blood pressure
  • Breast cancer and cervical cancer in women
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Osteoporosis
  • Obesity
  • Lung cancer
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm

Our mission here at HealthEE by HBG is to give you power over your health through access and education. Still, another vital aspect of utilizing that power is getting tested. Please don’t put this off. Our medical plans cover preventive care. Get screened today. 

Who and What is an Ask Evan?

We’ve all been trapped in a loop of “press 3 if you’d like to speak with a service provider” and “stay on hold for the next available representative.” With each awful hold song, you get more and more frustrated just to have a real person at the end speak as if they were a robot themselves and just want you to purchase whatever it is they are selling- whether or not it’s the right option for you.

When HealthEE by HBG was born, our mission was to create something that provided access and education to all; that’s what the extra EEs are for; we want to help everyone everywhere. So while our team of insurance experts set out to find the best value and packages for you, Evan Armstrong cultivated our Ask Evan support team. But he does much more than simply provide support for HealthEE customers. Instead, Evan is an advisor and educator whose goal isn’t to sell you a product or make a commission but to problem solve with you in real-time to uncover how you can get the most out of your insurance. 

No premeditated scripts or robot voices telling you to repeat your name and date of birth over and over, just a conversation. Evan and his team define success as leaving callers with a peace of mind they didn’t have when they picked up the phone. “I’m not trying to convince anyone to buy anything,” Evan told me. “I’m here to provide clarity and walk you through the options available.”

A call with Evan or one of his team members is more casual in tone. The Ask Evan team isn’t purchase-driven, they are focused on ensuring you have the knowledge you need to make the best decision for you and your family.. Where ever before, have you had a representative in your corner who would speak with you one-on-one about your health and lifestyle? Then using that conversation, tell you honestly that while they have an array of coverage options available based on your needs, the right coverage lies elsewhere. Evan and his team value you and your health above all, and if we don’t have the benefits for you, we will tell you so and direct you in another direction. 

Evan was once a carpenter with many of our customer’s exact needs and concerns today. Before the pandemic, he was the help behind voluntary benefits and has had years of experience assisting consumers with insurance needs. However, for him, what makes HealthEE by HBG different from his prior experience is the unbiased nature of his conversations with callers and the joy Evan finds in truly helping someone when they call. He says, “My position at HealthEE is quite different from any previous position. As much experience as I have selling, I really don’t like selling. Being able to present someone’s options clearly, and having no real motivation to push them toward any decision makes it much more rewarding.”

Where did HealthEE by HBG come from?

The world can’t turn without people. Not the people in the big offices high above the world or, in the case of the pandemic, hidden away in their home offices. Sure those people get the ball rolling, but it’s your delivery person, grocery clerk, nurses, and teachers who are on the ground making it all happen -despite how often they are under-appreciated and unprotected by the same world they are fueling. This underserved segment stepped into the spotlight due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The rest of the community finally recognized them as “essential.” We praised their efforts by clapping out of our windows, making signs, and raising them as heroes in the public eye. However, these grandiose gestures of support only go so far. Here at Healthy Business Group saw a gap, not just in the market but in our society, to protect and provide access to the underserved overworked, part time and gig workers of America. We saw how businesses around the country would have crumpled without their part-time employees, yet those same essential workers had the least access to insurance and benefits. The same people we crowned heroes, more often than not, could not afford to go to the doctor. How can that be? There must be a better way.  

Healthy Business Group went to work creating that better way. Crafting a space for everyone and anyone to have access to essential benefits and insurance coverage. That space took the form of the online store now known as HealthEE by HBG. Founded on the concept of Health for Everyone, Everywhere with the goal of being the Amazon of healthcare, HealthEE by HBG is your one stop shop, a marketplace of benefits at your fingertips. As a group of industry veterans, Healthy Business Group’s team has sought out the best value for your benefits from cost to services to flexibility. 

In order for HealthEE by HBG to truly be for everyone everywhere the Healthy Business Group team knew they needed a new kind of support team. This is where Ask Evan and his team come in. The Ask Evan team functions as dedicated advisors and educators to all. “I’m not trying to convince anyone to buy anything,” Evan, the head and namesake of the Ask Evan team told me, “I’m here to provide clarity and walk you through the options available.”We encourage and welcome you to schedule a call for free, no strings attached with an Ask Evan advisor to learn more about your own insurance needs and what options are available to you.

HealthEE by HBG has provided access to approximately 125,000 individuals in its first year of operation, but we aren’t stopping there. In the next year, we expect to provide half a million more people access to HealthEE by HBG by partnering with 50 organizations across the country. The HealthEE by HBG benefit store has changed healthcare for the better. 

Access to health (for) Everyone Everywhere

With one in ten people not having health insurance in the United States, I think it’s safe to say we have an access problem within the industry. But what does it mean to have real access to healthcare? It’s more than just being given a single option, take it or leave it. It’s more than being trapped for a year paying for coverage you don’t understand. 

Here at HealthEE by HBG, access means two things, education, and freedom. First, you should control your health and be free to choose how much coverage is right for you—space in selecting the range and longevity of the coverage. Only want benefits while you are between jobs, waiting to join your partner’s plan, or enduring a waiting period for a new job? Then, you can use HealthEE by HBG. More than just the power of choice, with our advisors on the Ask Evan team, you have access to guidance and education to understand better why you need what you need. We’ve taken something as guarded and confusing as healthcare and turned the conversation to ease and possibility. With Ask Evan in your corner, no question is too small. Your dedicated advisor will take you step by step through how the process works, yes, but also have a casual and honest conversation about your lifestyle and health needs. Once you understand what you need, you can enter our online marketplace and add your coverage to your cart. 

Having access is a power in itself. In our first year, HealthEE by HBG has provided this power to 125,000 members through association partnerships within real estate, logistics, teachers, healthcare, and a myriad of other industries. You can also wield the power of access by scheduling a call with our ask Evan team here or browsing the original online store that started it all here.

Sweet as Apple Pie

I grew up in a huge apple pie family. It could be the middle of July, but if the family was getting together, grandma made at least two pies for the occasion. As yummy as they are, apple pie isn’t the healthiest of recipes, so I scoured for something a bit more health-conscious that still gave me the same warm and cozy feeling as apple pie. 

Baked Cinnamon apples 

Difficulty level: Easy 

Ingredients:

  • 6 Apples 
  • 1 cup Old fashioned oats
  • 2 tablespoons of Coconut oil (melted)
  • 2 tablespoons Honey 
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon (I always fudge this with a little extra for good measure)
  • ½ teaspoon Ground ginger 
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ cup Pecans (chopped) 
  • Optional – Apple cider 

Step 1: Core your apples & preheat your oven to 400

First, slice the top of your apple to create a flat surface. Next, take a sharp knife and carefully cut out the center of your apple. The goal is to get the seeds and make an apple bowl, if you will. You can squeeze a little lemon juice on top to prevent browning. 

Step 2: Grease an 8×8 oven-safe dish with cooking spray or coconut oil 

Step 3: Time to combine your oats, pecans, and spices. Add in melted coconut oil and honey. Now stir.

Step 4: Place your cored apples on your dish, pour in your oat mixture as evenly as you can and press the filling towards the center of the apples. 

Step 5: Pour water (or apple cider) into the bottom of the baking dish, cover the apples with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. For extra flavor, baste the apples with cider every 10 minutes. 

 

Step 6: Uncover the apples for the last 5 minutes. 

The apples should be fork tender when cooked, let cool and enjoy!

 

*Recipe via thecleaneatingcouple.com