During the fall and winter months, it's easy to get caught up in holiday planning and forget to take advantage of your insurance benefits. Every fall, individuals should direct their attention to outstanding healthcare needs and take full advantage of paid-up deductibles or available funds in flexible spending accounts.
When considering health care needs, people should also consider the best strategy for using their available health insurance plan benefits. Now is the time to take advantage of unused benefits to complete outstanding treatments or recommended tests or procedures.
Most health insurance plans have a deductible requirement -- a predetermined amount of health care expense that must be covered before the plan begins paying the majority of (if not all) remaining expenses.
If you're concerned about your heart health, Northwest Health Cardiology is accepting new patients at the Siloam Springs location. Call 479-215-3060 to schedule an appointment and discuss with the providers any cardiac tests or screenings you may need.
It's crucial to know how close you are to meeting your deductible -- or if you've already met it because once you reach that threshold, you have a limited window of opportunity to obtain health care services and have the bulk of that expense covered by your plan. Remember that a new year brings a new deductible.
The close of 2017 also affects individuals who have flexible spending accounts -- which are pretax dollars set aside primarily for health-related expenses. The Internal Revenue Service requires those funds to be spent -- or forfeited -- by Dec. 31.
If you have been putting off scheduling care, such as an annual checkup, allergy testing or knee-replacement surgery, it would be wise to check your deductible status and your FSA balance to see if there's money to be saved.
If you are in need of surgical services including laparoscopy, biopsy or a colonoscopy, Surgical Associates of Siloam Springs can help. Just speak to your provider or call 479-215-3040 to find out more about surgical opportunities that are available before the end of the year.
It is important to schedule services promptly so that there is enough time to have the test or elective procedure completed before the end of the year. Getting everything squared-away by early December will help ensure the services you receive are considered part of your 2017 coverage. Every health plan is different. It is important to know how your plan works so you can get the most from your benefits.
About Siloam Springs Regional Hospital
Siloam Springs Regional Hospital is a 73 licensed bed facility with 42 private patient rooms. It is accredited by the State of Arkansas Department of Health Services and The Joint Commission. Some services include inpatient and outpatient surgery, emergency medicine, medical, surgical and intensive care units, obstetrics, outpatient diagnostic services and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. With more than 40 physicians on the medical staff, Siloam Springs Regional Hospital provides compassionate, customer-focused care. SSRH is an affiliate of Northwest Health, one of the largest health networks in Northwest Arkansas. The facility is located at 603 N. Progress Ave. in Siloam Springs. For more information, visit NorthwestHealth.com.
Editorial on 11/08/2017