Health Insurance

  Christine Cooper, the CEO of aequum LLC and the Co-Managing Member of Koehler Fitzgerald LLC, a law firm with a national practice along with Jack Towarnicky an ERISA/Employee Benefits compliance and planning attorney, having over forty years of experience in human resources and plan sponsor leadership roles joins eHealth Radio and the Healthcare and Legal Channels. Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guests Christine Cooper & Jack Towarnicky discuss the following: Christine, will the No Surprises Act protections against balance billing save workers money? Jack, surveys show a majority of Americans are concerned about medical bills.  Won’t the No Surprises Act eliminate those concerns? How can employers help alleviate “financial fragility” when it comes to the medical expenses their employees are not prepared to pay? How could health care consumerism potentially transform future health care coverage? What resources and services are available to help participants in a health plan defend against receiving unreasonable or excessive medical billing?
  Christine M. Cooper, CEO and Member, aequum LLC Christine M. Cooper is the CEO and Member, of aequum LLC. A patent lawyer recruited to Koehler Fitzgerald LLC in 2016 because of her large law firm experience and IT skills, Christine was quickly elevated to a member of Koehler Fitzgerald LLC and leads the health care practice. Christine is the CEO of aequum and is dedicated to assisting and defending plans and patients. Jack Towarnicky Member, aequum LLC As an ERISA/Employee Benefits compliance and planning attorney, Jack has over forty years of experience in human resources and plan sponsor leadership roles. This includes twenty-five years as the leader of a Fortune 100 corporation’s benefits function. While serving in those roles, Jack and his team won a multitude of individual, team and corporate recognitions. In 2020 Jack joined aequum and provides plan drafting and compliance services to employers and plan sponsors. About aequum Founded in 2020, aequum LLC serves third-party administrators, medical cost management companies, stop-loss carriers, employer-sponsored health plans and brokers nationwide to protect plan participants, improve employee satisfaction with their health care plans, and generate plan and participant cost savings. aequum helps patients defend medical balance bills and brings savings to employer-sponsored health plans by providing administrative and other services to its partners. In addition, its sister organization, Koehler Fitzgerald LLC, provides legal advocacy to plan participants. Website: https://aequumhealth.com  Social Media Links: Facebook: https://facebook.com/aequumbykoehlerfitzgerald Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/aequumllc/about Twitter: https://twitter.com/aequumhealth   

    Jack Towarnicky, an ERISA/Employee Benefits compliance and planning attorney, having over forty years of experience in human resources and plan sponsor leadership roles joins ehealth Radio and the Healthcare and Legal Channels. Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Jack Towarnicky discuss the following: What’s your best advice for workers when it comes to “Surprise” medical bills? As an employee benefits expert, what advice can you offer employees that is most beneficial regarding their employer-sponsored health plan? I thought you had to enroll in a health plan with a high deductible to be eligible to contribute to a Health Savings Account. Is this true? Let’s say my employer offers two different PPO options, one with a $600 deductible and the other is HSA-capable with a $1,400 deductible. Why would I sign up for the higher deductible option? Given that the employer spend is usually the same for all coverage options, why would they offer HSA-capable coverage?  Jack Towarnicky Member, aequum LLC As an ERISA/Employee Benefits compliance and planning attorney, Jack has over forty years of experience in human resources and plan sponsor leadership roles. This includes twenty-five years as the leader of a Fortune 100 corporation’s benefits function. While serving in those roles, Jack and his team won a multitude of individual, team and corporate recognitions. In 2020 Jack joined aequum and provides plan drafting and compliance services to employers and plan sponsors. About aequum Founded in 2020, aequum LLC serves third-party administrators, medical cost management companies, stop-loss carriers, employer-sponsored health plans and brokers nationwide to protect plan participants, improve employee satisfaction with their health care plans, and generate plan and participant cost savings. aequum helps patients defend medical balance bills and brings savings to employer-sponsored health plans by providing administrative and other services to its partners. In addition, its sister organization, Koehler Fitzgerald LLC, provides legal advocacy to plan participants.     Website: https://aequumhealth.com  Social Media Links: Facebook: https://facebook.com/aequumbykoehlerfitzgerald Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/aequumllc/about Twitter: https://twitter.com/aequumhealth 

    Laura Adams, a Senior Analyst with USInsuranceAgents.com, who is a nationally recognized finance and insurance expert joins eHealth Radio and the Health News and Health Insurance Channels. Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Laura Adams discuss the following: What should listeners do to protect their finances if they don’t have health insurance? If you’re thinking about leaving a job with health insurance to become self-employed, what steps should you take to get coverage? Are there any changes in 2022 for health savings accounts (HSAs) we should know? What’s the difference between an HSA and a flexible spending arrangement (FSA)? If you have an HSA, what happens to it if you become unemployed, uninsured, or change jobs? What are some tips to get the most from your health plan? Laura Adams, MBA, is one of the nation’s leading finance, insurance, and small business authorities. As an award-winning author, spokesperson, and host of the top-rated Money Girl podcast since 2008, millions of readers, listeners, and loyal fans benefit from her practical advice. Laura is a trusted source for national media who frequently seek her practical advice on various finance topics for TV, radio, online articles, and print publications. She’s been featured on most major news outlets, including ABC, Bloomberg, CBS, Consumer Reports, Forbes, Fortune, FOX, Money, MSN, NBC, NPR, NY Times, USA Today, US News, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and more. Her mission is to empower consumers to live healthy and rich lives by making the most of what they have, planning for a secure future, and making smart money decisions every day. She received an MBA from the University of Florida and lives in Vero Beach, Florida. Website: https://usinsuranceagents.com Social Media Links:Facebook: https://facebook.com/usinsuranceagentsLinkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/lauradadamsTwitter: https://twitter.com/usinsuranceagts

    Christine Cooper, the CEO of aequum LLC and the Co-Managing Member of Koehler Fitzgerald LLC, a law firm with a national practice. Christine leads the firm’s health care practice and is dedicated to assisting and defending plans and patients joins ehealth Radio and the Healthcare and Health News Channels. Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Christine Cooper discuss the following: aequum was launched nearly a year ago. During that time aequum successfully resolved 6,000+ claims – saving over $31 million (97.2%) of disputed charges. What drove the formation of aequum and demand for your technologies and services that support health plans with medical billing? What is “Surprise Medical Billing” and how does it impact our healthcare system? What led to federal legislation and the significance of the No Surprises Act (NSA)? What medical services and claims are protected by NSA? When will the rules and provisions of the NSA take effect? What strategies can employer-sponsored health plans and their members take to prepare? Christine M. Cooper is the CEO and Member, of aequum LLC. A patent lawyer recruited to Koehler Fitzgerald LLC in 2016 because of her large law firm experience and IT skills, Christine was quickly elevated to a member of Koehler Fitzgerald LLC and leads the health care practice. Christine is the CEO of aequum and is dedicated to assisting and defending plans and patients. About aequum Founded in 2020, aequum LLC serves third-party administrators, medical cost management companies, stop-loss carriers, employer-sponsored health plans and brokers nationwide to protect plan participants, improve employee satisfaction with their health care plans, and generate plan and participant cost savings. aequum helps patients defend medical balance bills and brings savings to employer-sponsored health plans by providing administrative and other services to its partners. In addition, its sister organization, Koehler Fitzgerald LLC, provides legal advocacy to plan participants. Website: https://aequumhealth.com  Social Media Links: Facebook: https://facebook.com/aequumbykoehlerfitzgerald Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/aequumllc/about Twitter: https://twitter.com/aequumhealth 

    Dr. Lara Goitein, MD, a Harvard trained physician specializing in intensive care and lung medicine joins eHealth Radio and the Healthcare and Health News Channels. Her professional interests include quality improvement in healthcare, end-of-life care, the training of new doctors, physician burnout, and improving communication with patients and families. Her new book is The ICU Guide for Families: Understanding Intensive Care and How You Can Support Your Loved One. Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Dr. Lara Goitein discuss the following: You worked as an ICU doctor for twelve years in several different hospitals. But in the past several years you’ve transitioned to practicing mostly in your other area of expertise, as a specialist in lung diseases, as well as in hospital quality improvement. Do you miss practicing ICU medicine? Did you like it? Why did you write this book? What are examples of some of the practical ways people can help their loved ones when they are admitted to the ICU? Are there commonalities in the way family members cope with the stress of an ICU admission for a loved one? As you point out, family members are often desperate for information about their loved one’s condition. But they sometimes find it difficult to know when and how to communicate with the doctors in the ICU. Do you have any advice? How is ICU medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic different? Family members are sometimes asked to make very tough decisions on behalf of patients who are not awake or otherwise able to make decisions on their own behalf. This includes decisions about withholding or withdrawing of life support. In your book you offer some suggestions for how to approach these decisions. Could you talk about that? Lara Goitein, MD, is a Harvard trained physician specializing in intensive care and lung medicine. She founded a clinician-directed quality improvement program at a Santa Fe, New Mexico, hospital and is President-Elect of the Medical Staff. Her professional interests include quality improvement in healthcare, end-of-life care, the training of new doctors, physician burnout, and improving communication with patients and families. She is an editorial board member and frequent writer for the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, and also writes in the lay press, including the New York Review of Books. Her new book is The ICU Guide for Families: Understanding Intensive Care and How You Can Support Your Loved One (Rowman & Littlefield, Dec. 1, 2021).     Website: https://medicalexplainer.com 

    Charles Merritt, the CEO and Co-founder of Buddy, which provides on-demand accident insurance to empower Americans to fearlessly lead active lives joins eHealth Radio and the Health News Channel. Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Charles Merritt discuss the following: Tell me a little bit about Buddy and who it’s for. If I already have health insurance, does it still make sense for me to get Buddy? How does a person actually go about getting insured through Buddy? What are the steps? What happens if a policyholder is injured? What would they do and what can they expect? What does Buddy’s accident insurance cover and what does it NOT cover? SUMMARY: Buddy can cover your kids without an adult having to be on the policy, perfect for when they go to soccer camp or on a trip, even out of the country! Buddy provides on-demand accident insurance for active people, from casual hikers and cyclists to amateur athletes and globe-trotting adventurers. It was founded by Charles Merritt, Jay Paul and David Vogeleer of Virginia after they saw mountain-biking friends get injured and have to start GoFundMe’s to cover costs before high deductibles kicked in. Customers pay only for the coverage they need, no more, lasting anywhere from a single day to a full year. It was this novel approach that led Outside Magazine to call Buddy one of the top outdoor innovators in 2019, and for Investopedia to name it among the five best personal accident insurance companies for 2021.     Website: https://buddyinsurance.com Social Media Links: Facebook: facebook.com/buddyadventureinsurance  Twitter: twitter.com/iambuddystweets  Instagram: instagram.com/iambuddysgrams LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/iambuddy

    Srulik Dvorsky, the CEO and Co-founder of TailorMed, a leading financial navigation technology company that helps patients remove financial barriers to care joins eHealth Radio and the Health News Channel. Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Srulik Dvorsky discuss the following: What is TailorMed and what was the driving force behind founding the company? What unique need is TailorMed solving for patients and for health systems? What is the importance of price transparency in healthcare for the patient? For a health system? How is TailorMed improving patient experience? What is TailorMed doing to fight inequities in healthcare and level the playing field? How has the patient's financial burden impacted providers, particularly at a time when COVID-19 has led to a drop in patient volume? Srulik Dvorsky is the co-founder and CEO of TailorMed, the leading financial navigation technology company that helps patients and healthcare providers remove financial barriers to care. After serving as the primary caretaker for several family members following a cancer diagnosis, he started TailorMed with a personal mission to leverage technology to remove barriers to care. He brings to the company more than a decade of experience in the medical device industry.   Website: https://tailormed.co Social Media Links: Facebook: facebook.com/TailorMed.co   Instagram: instagram.com/tailormed.co

    Susan Null, principal at Systemedic, Inc. a nationally recognized medical claims advocate based in New York joins eHealth Radio and the Healthcare and Health News Channels. Null and her company use their decades of experience detecting medical billing errors, inconsistencies, and unethical practices along with their hands-on coding and billing knowledge to ensure that consumers pay only for legitimate medical expenses. Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Susan Null discuss the following: What is a medical claims advocate? Why do people seek out your services?  Why are those services needed? What services do you provide as a medical claims advocate? When someone receives a medical bill, what steps should he/she take to ensure that the bill is correct? Given the Covid-19 healthcare crisis, are there any specific billing issues that people should be concerned about? Sue Null is a principal at Systemedic, Inc. and brings more than 30 years’ experience in marketing and client service to the table. She has spent the last 14 years providing front-line support to the company’s medical billing and advocacy clients, focusing on negotiating with insurers and medical facilities and spearheading communications with insurance companies on behalf of her clients. As the daughter of and sister to a general surgeon, pathologist, and orthopedic surgeon, Sue brings a lifetime of inside exposure to medicine, an insight used every day as she advocates for her clients. Her BA from the University of Pennsylvania, along with her early-career experience in public relations and marketing, provide the framework for advocacy efforts.       Website: www.get-meducated.com Social Media Links: Facebook: facebook.com/SystemedicInc  Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/systemedic-inc  Twitter: twitter.com/SystemedicInc

    Jan Dubauskas, Vice President and Senior Counsel at HIIQ, a leading developer and distributor of affordable, web-based individual health insurance plans and ancillary products joins eHealth Radio and the Health Insurance and Health News Channels to discuss the importance of Open Enrollment.   Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Jan Dubauskas discuss the following: What is open enrollment for benefits and what are the key dates? What kinds of health insurance plans are available under open enrollment? What happens if I decide not to enroll in a health insurance plan? How does one learn more about available health insurance plans if they do not have one supplied by their employer? What are 2 or 3 things consumers should look for when selecting a health insurance plan? Jan Dubauskas is Vice President and Senior Counsel at Health Insurance Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ:HIIQ), a leading cloud-based technology platform and distributor of affordable individual and family health insurance and supplemental plans. Ms. Dubauskas has more than ten years of experience managing legal and compliance for life and health insurance carriers. Prior to joining HIIQ in February 2019, she served as General Counsel for IHC Specialty Benefits, Inc., a member of The IHC Group whose carriers provide individual and supplemental health insurance. At IHC, she managed many of the company’s operations including legal and compliance and regularly interacted with both federal and state agencies. Ms. Dubauskas previously served as General Counsel and Secretary for Oxford Life Insurance Company, an insurance carrier focused on providing life, health and annuity products to the senior market. Ms. Dubauskas earned her law degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University where she was a Pedrick Scholar. She achieved the LOMA designation Associate, Insurance Regulatory Compliance (AIRC) certificate and is a licensed life and health insurance producer in Arizona. She is a renowned expert and has been on Fox News and quoted in top publications.     Websites: hiiq.com | agilelifeinsurance.com | agilehealthinsurance.com Social Media Links: Facebook: facebook.com/healthinsuranceinnovations  Twitter: @HIIQInc

    Jan Dubauskas, Senior Counsel and Vice President at Health Insurance Innovations, focused on the eCommerce division, where the company provides direct to consumer solutions joins eHealth Radio and the Health Insurance and Health News Channels.   Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Jan Dubauskas discuss the following: Who is HIIQ and how do you differ from insurance companies? What are some of the challenges people face in getting the right health insurance? What solutions/products do you offer? What should the average person think about when looking for health coverage? What’s next for HIIQ? Ms. Dubauskas is a licensed attorney with more than 10 years of experience managing legal and compliance for life and health insurance carriers. As Senior Counsel and Vice President at Health Insurance Innovations, Ms. Dubauskas focuses on the eCommerce division, where the company provides direct to consumer solutions. She previously held roles as General Counsel for a health insurance company, and as General Counsel and Secretary for a life insurance company.     Websites: hiiq.com | agilelifeinsurance.com | agilehealthinsurance.com Social Media Links: Facebook: facebook.com/healthinsuranceinnovations  Twitter: @HIIQInc