Men’s Health & The Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act is affecting multiple groups of people in different ways. As June is Men’s Health Month, this gives an opportunity to shine a light on how men can potentially be affected by the ACA. It’s critical to begin by examining various categories of men’s healthcare, such as heart health and HPV- a not so common topic in men’s healthcare, to learn what to expect.

Heart Health
One of the most prominent issues is heart health. As heart disease is the leading cause of death among not only men, but women too, it’s important to proactively maintain heart health. There are numerous forms of the disease and results can range from heart attacks, heart failure and other serious, dangerous issues.

HPV
Men’s Health Magazine released an article discussing HPV in men. “A new study has found that more than two-thirds of healthy American adults have been infected with at least one strain of human papillomavirus (HPV), but a “delicate balancing” act across 109 different strains frequently renders the sexually-transmitted disease dormant and harmless.” 

It’s important to familiarize yourself and the men in your life with current healthcare news. As we continue to discuss related health issues in men, it’s vital to learn throughout these discussions how the Affordable Care Act affects your healthcare coverage, cost and care. To learn more visit www.anylabtestnow.com/aca.

What Everybody Ought To Know About HSA Funds

Have you asked yourself, “What exactly can my health savings account be used for?” The term “qualified expenses” can be vague, but is defined by the IRS to include medical care, prescription drugs, and payment for long term care. Let’s break it down.

HSA Resources explains in detail exactly what counts as a qualified expense in this extensive list. Some expenses to point out include:

  • Ambulance

  • Annual Physical

  • Blood Tests

  • Diabetic Supplies

  • Diagnostic Devices

  • Doctor’s Fees not covered by insurance

  • Laboratory Fees

  • Physical Examination

Utilizing your HSA funds is a resource that many people forget about. It helps you manage you and your family’s healthcare budget while taking control of your health.

Visit www.anylabtestnow.com/aca to learn more!

Budget For Your Family’s Health

The way you managed your family’s healthcare budget has changed now that the Affordable Care Act is in action. It’s always a difficult task managing your family’s health, not to mention the cost that goes along with that. Maintaining your health savings account will help you to do just that.

Health savings accounts are funds set up by employers, but completely owned by you. You can deposit pre-tax money to pay for medical expenses that are considered qualified by the IRS. (See Publication 502 for specifics). The money is available as needed and is available on a HSA debit card or through reimbursements. You must have a High Deductible Health Plan and you cannot be covered by any other insurance plans to allow for contributions.

Your family benefits in multiple ways:

  • HSAs can be saved for future healthcare needs and if not used, can be passed on to heirs.

  • The unused money in the account earns tax-free interest.

  • Money deposited into your HSA reduces your taxable income.

HSAs give your family options when dealing with medical expenses. Lab tests are covered with HSAs and we accept HSA debit cards. Due to our upfront pricing, you can manage your lab testing budget easily. Visit www.anylabtestnow.com/aca to learn more.

Manage Your Health Savings Account (HSA)

Now that the Affordable Care Act has gone into effect, managing your health savings account (HSA) is important to pay attention to.

Healthcare.gov defines Health Savings Accounts as such: “A medical savings account available to taxpayers who are enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan. The funds contributed to the account aren’t subject to federal income tax at the time of deposit. Funds must be used to pay for qualified medical expenses. Unlike a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), funds roll over year to year if you don’t spend them.”

You are able to use your HSA for any family member listed as a dependent on your taxes. A “qualified medical expense” can mean various things. This includes medical and dental expenses which can consist of the costs of diagnoses (lab tests), cure, mitigation or reduction of pain and costs for treatments.

To learn more, the IRS Publication 502 explains in greater detail. These things can add up if not properly managed. Knowing costs upfront is vital to managing your healthcare budget along with your HSA. We help to fill one of those holes due to our wide selection of lab tests with upfront pricing. You know exactly how much your test is before you get it done. This saves you many headaches and helps you to manage your HSA in its entirety.

Visit www.anylabtestnow.com/aca to learn more.

Deadline Is Here: Are You Enrolled?

Here’s a friendly reminder that the deadline for Open Enrollment for coverage in 2014 is here. Today is the last day to enroll, which means you may miss your window of opportunity for health insurance coverage this year if you haven’t signed up on the exchange by the end of the day. The next Open Enrollment period is November 15, 2014 for coverage to begin January 1, 2015.

If you have chosen not to have health coverage in 2014, you may face a penalty, but not if you enroll by today, March 31.  For other important dates and details about 2015 Open Enrollment, see here.

Taxes & the Affordable Care Act

Tax season is underway; which means you should start thinking about the tax implications on health reform when it comes to the Affordable Care Act.

If you’ve purchased insurance through the health insurance marketplace, you may be eligible for a refundable tax credit. Fox 23 reports that when taxpayers were signing up, the option was available to estimate their 2014 income to see if it was possible to qualify for credit and have it applied in advanced to the cost of premiums. If this is the case for you and your family, it’s important to actively inform the particular exchange you purchased your insurance through of any changes in your situation throughout the year such as having a child or a salary increase.

Make sure you understand what this means for your taxes, especially if you haven’t enrolled in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and are planning on it. Don’t forget that the deadline is March 31, 2014. Many people think the deadline has already passed, but there’s still plenty of time! Taxes are due just shortly after the 31st and it will be helpful to know exactly what to expect. To learn more about the Affordable Care Act visit our microsite at www.anylabtestnow.com/health-care-reform-and-you/.

Be Crystal Clear When It Comes to Your Policy

Imagine heading to take your semi-yearly cholesterol check and as you go to pay, you are quickly told that your plan only covers a test once every two years. When you are used to your tests being covered twice a year, that’s not a fun situation to be in, which is why it’s so important to make sure you are crystal clear on what the Affordable Care Act covers in your plan when it comes to lab testing.

Preventative Care Services are available at no additional cost to you through the ACA, but some details about that can become a little fuzzy and confusing. Based on your particular insurance policy, some lab testing services may no longer be covered or covered the way they may have been in the past. It’s necessary to double check with your provider so that there aren’t any surprises!

When the time comes and you need a lab test, keep in mind that we are your affordable solution to Take Control of Your Health® and keep your premium costs as low as possible. We WILL help you in the long run when it comes to your health and your wallet.

What’s Up With Health Care Reform?

ANY LAB TEST NOW®’s Health Care Reform & You Education Site

Are you frustrated with keeping up to date with health care reform? Prepare to be educated in the simplest way. We are dedicated to keeping you in the loop on everything you need to know about the latest changes in health reform, so we’ve created our micro site with you in mind.

With ANY LAB TEST NOW® it will be easier to help you Take Control of Your Health® and manage your health care budget. Lab testing is a big part of medical costs and we’re here to help you proactively handle your health by providing direct access to lab testing services. To do so, we have partnered with AmeriDoc Telemedicine Services. This will help you get a lab test, call the doctor on your schedule, receive a consultation with a certified physician over the phone, be able to upload your test results into your personal medical profile and pick up your prescription within hours, helping you save time and money. Learn more details at AmeriDoc.

Chocked full of useful information including articles, visual information, tools and additional resources compiled by industry experts and leaders, ANY LAB TEST NOW®’s Health Care Reform & You Education Site will make your life a whole lot easier.

 Check it out and let us know what you think or if you have any questions.

See How We Can Make Your Life Easy When It Comes to the Affordable Care Act

We’re getting excited for Thanksgiving, which is making us extra thankful! We are thankful for you and for our ability to help guide you through the Affordable Care Act. ANY LAB TEST NOW® is now acting as your right hand man when it comes to affordable healthcare. Want to know why? Because we make your life a whole lot easier by making the lab testing process simple, convenient and extremely affordable.

Be prepared because as the new year starts, so does the new health care reform. This means that you will be responsible for managing more of your health care budget. Lab testing can take up a large part of that budget… which is where we come in.

Tests have to be done in order to properly diagnose, so it’s inevitable, but it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg anymore. ANY LAB TEST NOW is where you can afford your testing. Check out more details and how we can help you here. We shared what we are thankful for, now let’s hear it from you! What are you most thankful for this season?

Be a Quitter

Once you commit, never quit, right? In this case, WRONG!

Join us at ANY LAB TEST NOW® as we celebrate The Great American Smokeout on November 21st to encourage smokers to QUIT! Quit just for the day, or use this day to make a game plan to quit all together.

Did you know that smoking is the number one preventable cause of death? Tobacco use cannot be ignored any longer! Especially now more than ever, because the Affordable Care Act allows insurance companies to charge tobacco users up to 50% more for their monthly premiums. Check out this link to learn more.

This is the perfect time to take a cotinine or nicotine test to give you a chance to look back for several days on tobacco usage. If you’re an employer rewarding tobacco free employees or a parent concerned about your child; this is the test for you! Go to your nearest ANY LAB TEST NOW® to set up your test and get ready for The Great American Smokeout!

Challenge: Create a timeline for your goals, smoking related or not! Use The Great American Smokeout as your start date, and become a healthier you!