The IAA One Minute Blog

When people have a transient ischemic attack (TIA) also known as a "mini stroke," they may not realize what is happening. TIAs occur for such a short duration that most people don't realize they had one, but it is important that they do. Insurance Administrator of America is here to help you learn all you need to know about TIAs.

What is a TIA?

A TIA is like a stroke in that it produces similar symptoms, but only lasts about five minutes and does not cause any permanent damage. TIAs can serve as a warning sign for an impending stroke. About 1 in 3 people who have a TIA eventually have a stroke and half of those occur within a year after the TIA.

Blood vessels carry blood throughout the body. When a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked for a short period of time, the blood flow to that area slows or stops. This lack of blood and oxygen often leads to temporary symptoms that can usually be caused by the following:

• Low blood flow at a narrow point of a major artery carrying blood to the brain.
• A blood clot in another part of the body breaks off, travels to the brain, and blocks a blood vessel in the brain.
• Narrowing of the smaller blood vessels in the brain blocks blood flow for a short period of time; usually caused by plaque.

In the case of TIAs this blockage is only transient (temporary).

TIA Symptoms

The warning signs of a TIA are exactly the same as a stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

These symptoms usually occur in the: head, face, arms, and legs. When you exhibit these symptoms call 911 immediately, do not wait to see if they go away.

Risk Factors for a TIA

Risk factors can be divided into two groups, those you can influence and those you cannot.

Risk factors you can influence:

• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Smoking
• Poor diet and lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Excessive alcohol intake

If you have any of these risk factors it is important to work with your doctor to manage them.

How to Control Your Risk Factors

Though a TIA may quickly come and go, it is important to remember that a stroke could follow. Here are some tips on controlling your risk of experiencing a TIA:

• Get regular check-ups with your doctor to monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol
• Don't smoke
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Eat a healthy diet and limit saturated fats and trans fats
• Exercise regularly
• Reduce stress

What IAA has to Say

It is very important that if you experience a TIA that you go to your doctor. A doctor can identify why the TIA occurred and recommend a course of treatment. IAA wants you to live an active and healthy life, so be proactive and use these tips to try and reduce your risk of experiencing a TIA. Remember, one call does it all!

Like this blog post on Facebook!

When you receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) in the mail, it may seem confusing. There are so many columns and numbers that seem impossible to decipher. Though it seems difficult, Insurance Administrator of America is here to reassure you that it isn't hard at all.

What is an EOB?

First, it is important to understand what an EOB is. An EOB is not a bill; it is information reviewing how a provider was paid for services performed on you or a family member on your insurance policy. When you receive the EOB, you should review it to determine if there are any billing discrepancies. There are times when a provider's office accidentally invoices your insurance company for services you did not receive. An EOB also shows the members' estimated payment responsibilities once the bill is processed. The information in a member's EOB can help them understand how their insurance benefits were applied to every claim reported to the insurance company.

Different Parts of an EOB

Insurance companies have their own versions of an EOB, but there are some parts that are universal. Here is some universal terminology to help you better understand what you're reading:

• Allowable Amount: The amount the insurance company and provider's office has agreed is the amount that will be paid for, for that particular procedure.
• Co-insurance: The percentage the patient owes for the procedure.
• Co-pay: The set amount of money a member owes for the procedure.
• Non-covered Charges: The charges the insurance policy does not cover in their contract.
• Deductible: The amount that has to be reached before the insurance company starts paying medical bills.

There are a number of parts to an EOB, but that should not deter you from trying to read and understand what they are:

1. Claim Summary Section: This section lists a provider, which is where or whom the services were rendered (name of doctor, clinic, laboratory). It also lists a unique claim number for each service and visit.
2. Payment Summary Section: This is where you will find the dollar amounts listed for charges submitted to the insurance company and out-of-pocket costs.
3. Claims Details Section: Where you find a claim's corresponding type and place of service, as well as a specific date when the service was provided.

Take an IAA EOB as an example:

• Enrollee, patient, and claim information is all grouped together on the right-hand side.
• The "Claim Summary" box (located right underneath the enrollee and patient information) details the patient's total responsibility and carrier payment.
• Code descriptions and explanations are grouped together at the bottom of the EOB.
• All information from "Date of Service" to "Plan Payment" flows smoothly, easy to decipher and understand.

Last Minute Tips

Here are some last minute tips to help get the most out of your EOB:

• If there is misinformation on the EOB, it might be due to clerical error or identity theft. Contact the insurance company immediately if you feel that is the case.
• Any amount or charges denied may be re-evaluated with additional information.
• You should keep an EOB for at least a year.

What IAA has to Say

When you receive an EOB in the mail, it should not be something you toss away. It should be something you look over and keep for some time. With IAA, you get an easy to read and comprehend EOB. With these tips and explanations from IAA you'll be able to understand any and all EOBs sent to you. Just think of IAA as your professor for Reading an EOB 101. Class dismissed.

Like this blog post on Facebook!

With the demise of the low cost, low benefit health plan, colleges are now dropping student health insurance for the 2012-2013 academic year. This situation stems from the 2010 healthcare overhaul. The overhaul was created to expand coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans, but it has eliminated some insurance options.

The End of the Limited Benefit Plan

Most colleges offer their students a "limited benefit plan," which covers health expenses up to a defined maximum benefit. Since these plans are capped, they are extremely inexpensive and very popular with students. These insurance plans are arranged by the schools and students pay the entire cost of the premium.

Since the Obama Administration has prohibited capping insurance payouts, premiums will dramatically increase. For the 2012-2013 school year, student health plans must cover $500,000 in medical expenses and by the 2014 academic year, benefit payments are "unlimited". Now colleges must choose between having their students see sharply rising premiums or dropping plans completely. Bethany College in Lindsborg, Ka. is one such example. The college offered a 12 month plan to its students this past academic year. The plan cost $445 while capping payouts at $10,000. The new rule would force students to pay more than $2,000. Now the college is no longer offering students health insurance.

The new rules will likely affect a broad range of colleges, particularly small ones. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that 60% of school's plans of $50,000 or less (and almost all other colleges) would have a payout cap they would have to do away with in 2014.

The Department of Health and Human Services claim that the original coverage would not even cover the first night of a hospital stay.

Students' Options for Health Insurance

With the future of student health insurance in limbo, here are some options that might be available to students:

• Parent's Employer Provided Plan: Many students are still covered under their parent's health insurance and so they won't be affected by any changes their college may be making. The PPACA has allowed children to stay on their parent's insurance until they are 26 years old. If you are about to start college, consider staying on your parent's plan.
• School Health Plan: There are still many colleges that are offering plans, but there will likely be a hike in premium costs.
• Individual Insurance Plan

When students are sitting down to choose a college, they may want to think about schools with a health plan they can afford. Parents should also think ahead and choose a family plan that covers their children for all medical emergencies and subsequent care.

Please Note: The United States Supreme Court is reviewing the constitutionality of parts of the Patient Protection Act. If they find the Act unconstitutional, schools may be able to offer their popular low cost insurance option.

What IAA has to Say

With this changing world of healthcare, Insurance Administrator of America understands that these changes can leave you confused and unsure of what to do. That is why IAA is proud to offer employers and their employees the best coverage possible. When you work with IAA, you get the customized service you need and deserve. Remember, one call does it all.

Interested in other blog posts about the PPACA? Click here and here to read more!

With summer on its way, women (and well groomed men) may start going to the local salon for manicures and pedicures. Though manicures and pedicures are certainly not restricted to summer, sandals are back in season and so women are likely headed to the salon to get their toenails done. While this seems like a fun way to spend an afternoon, there are potential health hazards.

Hazardous to Your Health

Believe it or not, the cosmetic industry is not required to adhere to the same sterilization regulations as hospitals and medical offices for tools they use. This has led to an increase in transmissible diseases in nail salons.

There are quite a few health risks associated with nail salons:

• Fungal Infections-Such as Athletes Foot and yellow fungal nails
• Bacterial Infections-Such as Staphylococcus and other organisms, mandating oral antibiotic treatment
• Viral Infections-Such as Plantar Warts and even Hepatitis B and C

Getting your finger and toe nails polished can be fun, but there are risks you need to consider before sitting down in the chair.

What to Look Out For

Don't be afraid to go to the nail salon, just be alert to what is going on around you. Here are ten warning signs to look out for:

1. Salon uses bottles with unmarked containers
2. Nail technicians cannot tell you what's in the products
3. The products have an unusually strong or strange odor
4. Skin is being abraded or cut
5. The salon is not clean
6. The instruments are not sterilized
7. Licenses for the salon and operators are not visibly posted
8. Skin or nails hurt
9. Gels do not come off easily in solvents designed to remove them
10. You see swelling or redness or other signs of infection

If you see or experience any of these things, don't feel embarrassed about leaving. There are plenty of nail salons that follow proper procedures.

Last Minute Tips

Here are a few tips that can help reduce your risk of getting an infection:

• Carry your own nail tools to the salon
• Clean your personal tools with rubbing alcohol every time you use them
• Tell the technicians about any cuts, medications or health conditions that may affect your treatment
• Manicures and pedicures should never be painful before or after treatment

Always remember that manicures and pedicures are for beauty, not for pain.

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America wants you to get in the feel of summer, but not at the risk of your health. No one wants to spend the summer fighting off an infection. With these tips from IAA you can get your nails and toes polished, but in a healthy and safe environment. Just think of us as your self-funded insurance nail technician.

Like this blog post on Facebook!

With spring comes a lot of fun outdoor activities: barbeques, picnics, nature hikes, etc. Then there is the one part of outdoor activities that isn't fun--those pesky bugs and insects. They can ruin a good time, which is why Insurance Administrator of America is here to inform you on which bugs and insects to look out for.

Those Terrible Ticks

Ticks are small spider-like parasites that fasten themselves to the skin and feed on blood. Ticks are dangerous because they can become infected from deer they've bitten. An infected tick means a risk of Lyme disease. Lyme disease symptoms can include:

• A red rash that starts small, but progresses in size over three to thirty days, often taking on a bull's eye appearance.
• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Body Aches

Antibiotics can cure Lyme disease, but it is important to catch it as early as possible so there is no permanent damage.

If you find the tick on you, remove the entire body because the longer it remains in your skin the greater the risk for Lyme disease. Use fine tipped tweezers to remove the tick.

Mischief Making Mosquitoes

Everyone always claims that they're "mosquito magnets" and they very well could be. Mosquitoes are attracted to some people more than others. There are 3,500 species of mosquitoes around the world and most don't bite humans, preferring other animals instead. Those who do enjoy feasting on humans can be attracted by:

• Sweat
• Alcohol
• Perfume
• Dark Clothing

While most people are just annoyed about the itchy red welts they can get from mosquitoes, there are other concerns as well. Mosquitoes can infect people with certain diseases, West Nile Virus being the main concern. Severe symptoms are fortunately rare, but can include:

• High Fever
• Neck Stiffness
• Disorientation
• Coma
• Muscle Weakness
• Paralysis

There are other mosquito transmitted diseases, such as Malaria and Dengue. Coupled with West Nile Virus, these diseases affect more than 350 million people world wide each year, leading to more than 3 million deaths.

Buzzing Bees

No one likes being stung by a bee and for some people it can even be life threatening. Here are some guidelines for handling bee stings:

1. Remove any stingers immediately: No need to scrape off bee stingers, just remove them. It's ok to pull stingers out with your fingers, brush them off or get them out any way you can. The longer the stinger remains in the body, the more severe the reaction will be.
2. If the victim is allergic to bees call 911 immediately. Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Symptoms of anaphylaxis can include: itching, redness, hives, and shortness of breath.
3. Take the victim to the emergency room if stung more than ten times or if there are stings inside the nose, throat or mouth.
4. Use Ibuprofen and ice for swelling.

Bee stings can produce different reactions ranging from temporary pain and discomfort to severe allergic reactions. Having one type of reaction does not always mean you'll have the same reaction every time you're stung.

What IAA has to Say

Summer is a time for fun and relaxation, not worrying about bugs and insects spoiling the party. Just remember to take care when drinking or eating outside. Also, tightly cover all trash can lids and food containers. With these tips from IAA  you can have your perfect outdoor party without the pesky bugs. Just think of us as your insect free party planner.

Like this blog post on Facebook!