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• SWARTZBAUGH-FARBER & ASSOCIATES, INC.
• YOUR DENTAL HEALTH
scaredy cat! ENVISION YOUR top 3 fears scaredy cat! KEEPING YOU
HEALTH CARE
timing is everything
mary drueke-collins
THE ANNUAL
open enrollment period for health insurance purchased on the individual market is HERE and now is the time to act! For 2017, the open enrollment period runs from November 1, 2016 through January 31, 2017. The individual market includes policies purchased through the health insurance marketplace (www.healthcare.gov) and those purchased directly from insurance companies. As a reminder, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), if you are a legal resident of the U.S. and don’t have health insurance, you will probably have to pay a fine. In 2016, the penalties for not having health insurance are the maximum of $695 per person or 2.5% of your household income for each person not having health insurance. (At the writing of this article, the IRS had not yet released the 2017 penalties.) If you are self-employed, your employer does not offer coverage, or if you would like to see if you can obtain lower cost coverage, open enrollment is your time to do so. If you are eligible for premium tax credits (lower premiums) and cost sharing assistance (lower copays, deductibles and out of pocket expenses), you will need to apply for coverage through the Marketplace. Both Nebraska and Iowa utilize the federal marketplace, which can be accessed at www.healthcare.gov. You might be eligible for premium tax credits if you meet certain conditions: your employer does not offer you a medical plan that meets ACA requirements, you are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare and you make less than four times the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). In 2016, the FPL is $11,770 for a one-person household and $24,250 for a four-person household. If you are purchasing your plan through the individual market, there are critical dates within open enrollment you need to know: • November 1, 2016: Open enrollment begins. If you would like to enroll in a health plan or change the health plan you had in 2016, you can make those changes now. Any plan changes or new enrollments will be effective January 1, 2017 at the earliest. • December 15, 2016: This is the last day for enrollments to be effective January 1, 2016. • December 31, 2016: If you had coverage in 2016, this is the last day for the 2016 plan. Most carriers automatically renew 2016 plans as of January 1, 2017, but there might be changes to the benefits. • January 15, 2017: This is the last day to apply for coverage for an effective date of February 1, 2017. • January 31, 2017: This is the last day you can apply for 2017 coverage. If you apply on this day, your coverage will probably begin on March 1, 2107. For most people, open enrollment is the ONE time a year to enroll in health insurance through the Marketplace or the individual market. Generally, if you miss open enrollment, you cannot enroll in coverage again until open enrollment 2018. Some individuals may be eligible for a ‘Special Enrollment Period’ (SEP). A SEP occurs if you lose coverage or experience a change in your family structure, such as losing employersponsored coverage, getting divorced/married, having a baby/adopting a child or losing coverage through your parents’ plan on your 26th birthday. You have 60 days after a SEP to enroll in individual market coverage. If you are purchasing your health insurance this year on the individual market, make sure you review your options during open enrollment. Timing is everything - this could be your one chance this year to get health insurance! For more information, please contact your trusted advisor at Swartzbaugh-Farber – ‘Client Centered – Client Advocates™’. This material is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or tax advice and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified attorney, tax advisor or plan provider. Securities Offered through M Holdings Securities, Inc., a Registered Broker Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Swartzbaugh-Farber & Associates, Inc. is independently owned and operated.
AND UP AT NIGHT! HALLOWEEN and the activities associated with it is just behind us. ‘Tis the season of ghosts, goblins and make believe fears. While we all may stephanie vondrak d.d.s.
enjoy these fantasies and diversions, there is nothing enjoyable about facing our real fears, many of which are deeply embedded and disempowering. Imaginary threats are one thing, there is a true-to-life threat loudly looming in many bedrooms, just as invisible and deadly as any imaginary “spook” yet very real, very serious, and incredibly disuptive. This noisy disruptive boogie-man is your undiagnosed and untreated sleeping disorder, known as sleep apnea! In my experience, individuals report Three Common Fears as to why they suffer without seeking help: Fear #3: The Sleep Study! The thought of sleeping in a strange bed hooked to wires and probes is enough to prevent many from seeking help. How to cure this Fear… Many dental-health professionals do as we do at Vondrak Dental, offering a simple in-home sleep study equipment called the Watch Pat. This small device wraps around your wrist like a watch and records your sleep from the comfort of your cozy bed. Cost effective and easy, your dentalcare team can communicate the results of your home sleep study in conitnuous collaboration with your physician, avoiding the need for further testing. Fear #2: The Diagnosis!What does Sleep Apnea mean? Sleep Apnea is diagnosed by recording the number of pauses in breathing (hypopneas) or cessations of breathing (apneas) that occur during sleep every hour throughout the night. The number of events (pauses or stopping breathing) then determines the severity of the diagnosis, Mild, Moderate or Severe Sleep Apnea. Effected individuals are exhausted upon waking often struggling to find the energy to get through each day. Likewise, the body of an undiagnosed apneic is under severe stress increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer as well as depression, decreased sex drive, inability to lose weight and more. Fear #1: Number One Scary Idea, The Cpap Machine!The conversation in my office usually goes something like this…”Mr. Jones, I am concerned by the damage (wear) I see on your teeth. Tell me, how do you sleep at night?” His reply: “Terrible. I am always tired.” My response, “Sorry to hear that, but I may be able to help. The damage on your teeth and your exhaustion is likely related to a sleeping disorder called Sleep Apnea. The good news is we can send you home with our Watch Pat machine, test you and make you a sleep appliance so you can breathe and feel rested.” His response: “Great! As long as I don’t have to wear a Cpap…I will do it!” Sleep Appliances like the one pictured here are designed to prevent your lower jaw from falling back maintaining a patent (open) airway during sleep. Each appliance is custom made and monitored for several months to ensure maximum medical improvement. If you are concerned you or someone you love may have sleep apnea, please contact our office.
*Look for our ad in this issue of mQUARTERLY Dr. Stephanie Vondrak is board certified by the American Academy of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine to treat patients suffering from Sleep Apnea with sleep apnea appliances. 59
mQUARTERLY • NOV/DEC/JAN 2016/17