Coronavirus 101 – What it is and How to Prevent it

Now that Orange County has declared a local state of emergency, the coronavirus is on everyone’s mind. What is the coronavirus? Are there tips to help prevent contraction?

What is the Coronavirus?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (often referred to as COVID-19) is a respiratory illness. It’s highly contagious and spreads from person to person. It’s caused by a virus that was first identified in Wuhan, China where the outbreak began. 

As of today, there are over 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and over 3,400 deaths. That said, over 55,000 people have recovered from the virus, proving that it can be beaten. 

How does the Coronavirus spread?

According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), the main way this virus spreads is from close contact with an infected person. If someone who is infected coughs or sneezes, they produce respiratory droplets that contain the virus. 

The virus also spreads through physical contact. If the virus gets onto a surface that is then touched, it can spread. For example, if someone with the coronavirus sneezes into their hands and then touches a door handle to open it, the virus is now likely on that door handle. Anyone who touches that door handle has a risk of contracting the virus. 

What are the Coronavirus Symptoms?

There are three main symptoms of someone with the coronavirus:

  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath
  • Cough

How do You Prevent Getting the Coronavirus?

There are a few things you can do to help keep yourself healthy:

  1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. This can be difficult because you don’t always know if someone has the virus. However, if they are showing symptoms, it’s best to keep your distance. 
  2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. Even if you get the virus on your hands, it may not make you sick. It’s when you touch your face or eat with hands that have the virus on them that makes you more likely to get sick. 
  3. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Keep soap on your hands for at least 20 seconds, though longer is better. You need to give the soap time to kill the virus, which is why you can’t wash it off too quickly. 

What Else Should I Know About the Coronavirus?

There is currently no vaccine for the virus, even though companies are working around the clock to develop one. Many areas of the world have declared a state of emergency, and some companies are even having people work from home to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Even if your area doesn’t have any confirmed cases, start taking action now. Considering how fast the virus is spreading, there is a good chance it will be in your area soon. Start washing your hands often and avoid people who are sick if possible. If you or your loved ones start showing symptoms of the virus, seek medical attention quickly. 

This is also an ideal time to review your health insurance. If you think a new policy is in order, give us a call at (877) 600-7347. We look forward to helping you keep your family healthy and safe.

Courtesy of Cuselleration

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4 Reasons Why Health Insurance Will Be So Expensive in 2020

Why is health insurance so expensive? According to the Health System Tracker, the total health spending of a family of four with employer insurance coverage is about $22,000. Ten years ago, that number was closer to $15,000. 

So what is causing these rising costs? The healthcare system is very complex, so a lot of factors come into play. From a high level, here are just a few that are driving the rise. 

High Administrative Costs

The United States is a big country with a lot of people.  That naturally leads to a lot of companies to support those people, including health insurance companies, hospitals, and doctors’ offices. All of these companies have to work together, but that gets complicated. For example, a hospital system has to both negotiate and execute the terms it works out with each insurance company it accepts. That takes a lot of man-hours, which leads to high costs. 

It’s not just hospitals though – think about urgent care and doctors’ offices. Even though they usually have small administrative staff, they still need to spend time processing these insurance claims. That time costs the office money, which gets passed onto the patient and their insurance company. 

Specialists Cost More

The great thing about healthcare in the U.S. is the high number of specialists we have. If you live close to a city, you likely have the ability to choose which specialist you want to go to. For example, you may have access to 10 different cardiologists. That’s great, as Americans like feeling in control of who they go to for health care. 

There’s a downside to having so many specialists though. Doctors who focus on one thing are more expensive, increasing our overall healthcare costs. Someone has to pay the high fees these specialists charge, and those fees get passed onto the insurance companies and patients. 

Drugs are Expensive

Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars on research every year. They need to invest a lot of money up front to develop the next game-changing drug. When the drug finally hits the market, they charge high prices to recoup the upfront costs they had invested. That means both patients and insurance companies pay an arm and a leg for the medicine. 

Some entities, such as the Veterans Administration and Medicaid, are able to negotiate lower prices of drugs. Medicare doesn’t have that ability, and it costs Americans billions of dollars a year. 

People Live Longer

Perhaps the biggest driver of increasing healthcare costs boils down to this – we live longer. In 1919, the average lifespan for a female in the U.S. was 56 years old. By 1998, it was 79. 

As our society grows older, it makes sense we’ll need more and more healthcare. Our bodies break down and need modern healthcare to restore them. From drugs to surgery, the miracle of living today is our ability to greatly extend the lifespan of humans. The price we pay is in healthcare costs, which expand to impact both young and old. Maybe this trend will decrease if Americans as a whole started eating and exercising better, but it’s difficult to change the culture of such a big nation. 

Will health insurance be more expensive in 2020? Most likely. Nothing has changed in 2019 that shows the trend will reverse. The good news is you can improve your chances of getting a great, affordable plan if you pick the right partner. That’s where we come in.

Send us an email at info@partnersdirectins.com or give us a call at (877) 600-7347. We’d love to help you navigate the insurance world and help you get a great, affordable plan. 

Courtesy of Cuselleration

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