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Wednesday, December 11, 2024

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Ohio's milestone moment for women in government; Price growth ticked up in November as inflation progress stalls; NE public housing legal case touches on quality of life for vulnerable renters; California expert sounds alarm on avian flu's threat to humans, livestock.

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Debates on presidential accountability, the death penalty, gender equality, Medicare and Social Security cuts; and Ohio's education policies highlight critical issues shaping the nation's future.

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Many rural counties that voted for Trump also cast ballots against school vouchers and to protect abortion rights, Pennsylvania's Black mayors are collaborating to unite their communities and unique methods are being tried to address America's mental health crisis.

Dual Special Needs Plans in NY can provide extra health care benefits

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Tuesday, November 19, 2024   

Some New Yorkers could see a host of benefits from Dual Special Needs Plan, which offer Medicare and Medicaid coverage for eligible consumers.

Up to 30% of the state's county residents had such plans in 2021. Along with preventive care, the plans also provide allowances for daily items like healthy foods and over-the-counter products.

Marian Cabanillas of UnitedHealthcare Community and State, said a dual plan with many benefits can reduce barriers to staying healthy.

"What we're trying to do is make sure we're breaking down those barriers and making sure people have access to all the basic benefits they need in addition to, like, the preventive care that they need and the things that kind of keep you going," Cabanillas outlined. "You've got to have shelter, you've got to have a place that you can pay for your electricity."

New Yorkers pay some of the highest health insurance rates in the nation. An Empire Center for Public Policy report showed the average premium for an employer-sponsored single coverage plan was more than $9,000. Family coverage is more than $26,000 dollars, and both costs exceed the national average.

Dual plans do not have co-pays for the many benefits they provide, though the services provided vary from plan to plan. Cabanillas stressed preventive care is the best way to lower health care costs.

"Putting off care, especially when it comes to like your annual wellness visits and things of that nature, can really leave you at risk," Cabanillas pointed out. "The earlier that we can diagnose and treat issues, you have a chance of having a better outcome."

Preventive care is linked to reducing risks for diseases and disabilities but some New Yorkers are not accessing care because they are uninsured. However, the state's rate of uninsured adults is well under the national average.

Disclosure: UnitedHealthcare contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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