USA TODAY fact checked whether masks can put a person’s oxygen intake below OSHA’s required levels and found that cloth and surgical masks are unlikely to cause a dangerous drop in oxygen intake since they are not tight-fitting. Kelli Randell, an internist and medical adviser at Aeroflow Healthcare, told Health.com that using any mask for a long time has not been shown to cause carbon dioxide to build to a toxic level in otherwise healthy people.
Dr. Jessica Madden, Neonatologist & Medical Director of Aeroflow Breastpumps, Joins the Conversation Regarding the Safety of the Coronavirus Vaccine While Trying to Conceive
“We do know that there are not any associated risks with getting other vaccines while trying to conceive,” says Dr, Madden. It’s a myth that vaccines—and specifically the coronavirus vaccines—cause infertility. Dr. Madden points to the Texas Tech’s Infant Risk Center’s explanation of how the COVID vaccine works, which helps to explain that the mRNA vaccine does not actually contain any live virus like some other vaccines do. That’s why, she says, “it’s biologically and physiologically implausible that it could affect fertility.”
A majority of Millennials and younger workers say they don’t understand the health benefits they pay for. A recent 2021 survey from Voya financial found that 33% of employees don’t understand the benefits they are personally enrolled in. And if we’re just talking about Millennials and other young workers, that number jumps to a whopping 54%. Employees’ health insurance literacy can also directly impact their productivity and the relationships they have with their employers. And as recent graduates begin their careers, those first few working relationships are imperative to their professional growth and financial stability.
Amanda Baethke highlights the fact that some of the most vulnerable people currently left without coverage under the Affordable Care Act are pregnant women of low-income status. Helping these women should be a top priority.
The decrease in adult socialization and loss of support system in addition to other regular household expectations can contribute to postpartum depression and anxiety. According to a recently released report by Aeroflow Healthcare, 56 percent of new moms said they had family and friends stay with them to help out. Still, 48 percent said they struggled with postpartum depression and 39 percent with social support isolation. Postpartum depression, a serious mood disorder, affects 1 in 7 women and can last for months if left untreated, according to the American Psychological Association. Black women specifically, who are already at greater risk of postpartum depression, are also at higher risk for childbirth complications, premature birth, and death during and after childbirth.
What the heck is a deductible? Is coinsurance the same as copay? And why do I still owe the rest of this bill? Health insurance can be a confusing jumble of jargon, but understanding just a few key terms– and how they work together– can demystify your medical bills, and help you make informed decisions about your health care.
If you find yourself confused about what you’re paying for health care (and why) the infographic below shows how some example claims might affect your insurance across a given year. Below that, we’ll dig a little deeper into those examples, as well some common insurance terms you might come across, and get you on your way to understanding health insurance.
Understanding Health Insurance
What Is a Deductible Anyway?
Before we get into the examples, let’s make sure we’re on the same page with a few key terms:
Premium – This is the monthly payment you make to your insurance company in order to have insurance, whether you use it or not. Think of it like your subscription to health insurance!
Your premium will depend on your coverage options and, if you get your health insurance through your workplace, a portion of it is likely paid by your employer.
Deductible – Your deductible is the amount of money that you have to pay for health services before your insurance provider begins to pay its portion. (Some preventive care, like your annual checkup, is not subject to your deductible. This means your insurance plan will pay some or all of the cost even if your deductible has not been met.)
Your deductible is not the same as your out-of-pocket maximum; you will still have to pay a portion of your medical costs after your deductible has been satisfied.
Your monthly premium does not count toward your deductible!
Copay – A copay (or copayment) is a fixed amount that you pay for covered health services. For example, if an office visit costs $100 and you have a $20 copay, your insurance plan would pay the remaining $80. If that office visit instead costs $150, your copay would still be only $20, and the plan would pay $130.
Paying your copay probably won’t contribute to paying down your deductible, but it will likely count towards your out-of-pocket maximum!
Coinsurance – Your coinsurance is the portion of the cost that you pay for covered health services after your deductible has been met. Unlike copay, which is fixed, coinsurance is based on a percentage of the cost.
Keeping with the above example, if a procedure costs $100 and you have a 20% coinsurance, you would pay $20 while your health plan covered the remaining $80. However, if that procedure costs $150, with coinsurance you would now pay $30, while the plan covered the remaining $120.
Out of Pocket Maximum (OOP) – This is the most amount of money you’ll pay for covered health services in a given plan year. This will include all of your coinsurance payments and, depending on your plan, possibly what you’ve paid toward your deductible, but will NOT include your premium. After your OOP max. is met your health plan will pay 100% of the cost for any covered services or benefits!
In-Network vs. Out-of-Network –
In-network just means that your healthcare provider (i.e. your doctor, hospital, clinic, etc.) and your insurance company have negotiated the amount of money that the insurance company will pay for a given service.
An out-of-network provider has no such agreement on price, so you may be responsible for more–or all–of the cost. Additionally, payments towards out-of-network costs may not count towards your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum, and you may even have a completely separate deductible/OOP max. for out-of-network care!
How Does My Insurance Affect My Medical Costs?
Let’s use some examples to show how all of this works together. To start, we’ll say you’ve got an insurance policy with a deductible of $2,000 and an out-of-pocket maximum of $5,000. This plan has a coinsurance of 20%.
Now imagine you come down with a respiratory illness, so you schedule a visit with your doctor. Between all of the tests and medications the bill works out to $300.
Since you haven’t hit your deductible, you would owe the entirety of the $300. But that payment brings your remaining deductible down from $2,000 to $1,700 and your OOP max. down to $4,700.
Later that year, you take an unfortunate spill while hiking and break your arm. Between the hospital bill and the x-rays the total works out to $3,500.
First, you would pay the remaining $1,700 on your deductible. With the deductible covered, you now only owe a 20% coinsurance for the rest of the bill. Of the remaining $1,800, you pay $360 (your 20% coinsurance), while your provider pays the leftover $1,440.
Your remaining deductible is now $0, and your OOP max. is at $2,640.
Note: For some policies or services a coinsurance may be assessed before deductible is met. In those cases, the coinsurance payment does not contribute to paying down the deductible.
Now this turns out to be an unlucky year, and you discover that you’ll need knee surgery. After all is said and done the cost will be a whopping $20,000.
Your deductible is met, so you would only owe your 20% coinsurance. That would usually work out to $4,000 (20% of $20,000) BUT… you’ve only got $2,640 remaining on your out-of-pocket maximum!
You pay $2,640 and your insurance provider covers the rest of the $17,360.
Any further covered services during this plan year would be paid 100% by your insurance provider!
Conclusion
Now you should have a basic idea of how your insurance coverage will affect your medical costs, as well as how your medical costs will affect your insurance obligations. Of course, the specifics of your coverage will depend on the details of your insurance policy. With this understanding, you should be able to make a more informed choice when selecting what health services and products are right for you!
If you’re ever unsure if one of our products is covered by your insurance, Aeroflow will gladly help you find out where you stand on your deductible and which brands best fit your coverage!
The job market has been competitive for the last several years, and the coronavirus pandemic has only made it more so. These days, more interviews are being conducted online. We wanted to provide some tips from our HR team, as well as some best practices for video interview set-up and lighting. We hope you find these useful!
Interview Tips from Megan Hoeh, PHR Corporate Recruiter
- Research the company before you apply. This is one of the easiest ways to impress a recruiter and make an impact. Being informed demonstrates to us that you are passionate and strategically looking for your next career, not just another job. So read the job description thoroughly and do a brief search before applying to any job.
Typically you will apply online and then a recruiter will prescreen your application. If you are identified as a qualified candidate, we will reach out to you for an initial phone screen. If the phone screen goes well, you will be scheduled for a face to face interview with the hiring manager for the position. Some positions may require multiple interviews or panel interviews depending on the department. If you are determined to be the most qualified candidate and accept the offer then we will begin the onboarding process, which includes a background check.
Don’t be afraid to get creative and use power or action verbs whenever possible to make your resume stand out.
Megan Hoeh
PHR Corporate Recruiter
To make your resume stand out, use a reverse-chronological format filled with keywords. Before you apply for a job, review the job description, and compare the keywords in the job description to your resume and make edits to your resume to ensure you list all the keywords of areas where you have experience. Also, get creative and try to use power or action verbs whenever possible as opposed to generic verbs or a weak, passive voice.
Recruiters love to see data that supports your accomplishments. If you have saved the company money, increased sales, or took a record number of calls, let us see those numbers. As tempting as it may be, don’t use a template for your resume, use it as a guide to create a unique resume. A simple bullet style resume is best because it is easily read and typically does not cause formatting issues. Your resume can be more than one page, but no more than two and should only include 10-15 years of relevant work history.
Get familiar with the STAR interview method. Most interviewers are going to ask you behavioral-based questions and are looking for you to respond with a STAR answer. STAR is an acronym that stands for the Situation, Task, Action and Result. You can easily find sample interview questions online if you want to practice at home, but try not to sound rehearsed during your interview. Try to anticipate what you may be asked and formulate responses but don’t develop scripted responses. If you have a gap in your resume or have changed careers frequently, be prepared to speak openly and honestly about any concerns an interviewer may have.
Video Interview Best Practices
- Because the pandemic has moved meetings online for many organizations, including those that involve recruiting and hiring, it’s important to know how to prepare for a video interview. The key is to minimize distractions. You don’t want your interviewer’s attention pulled away from your well thought-out, articulate responses. The best way to ensure you maintain as natural interaction as possible is to maintain good lighting, a strong audio connection, and position the webcam at eye level so you’re not looking up at or down on the interviewer.
The best position for your webcam light is behind your computer, at an indirect angle. You’ll want the light to be soft; a harsh light will cause distracting highlights and shadows.
Thomas Mims
Photographer
Good lighting will help you look your best. Photographer Thomas Mims advises that “the best position for your webcam light is behind your computer, at an indirect angle. You’ll want the light to be soft; a harsh light will cause distracting highlights and shadows. A lamp with a lampshade will do the trick. If your workspace faces a window, try hanging a sheer white curtain over the window to diffuse the natural light.” Below you’ll find some examples of how much lighting and camera angle can impact the overall impression you give to the interviewer.
By Marshall Staton, Director of Human Resources at Aeroflow Healthcare
May is Global Employee Health & Fitness Month, and while it’s always an important month to observe, it’s absolutely crucial this year. Like so many other organizations coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, many of Aeroflow’s employees are currently working remotely, often while caring for young children. Sleep schedules have been disrupted, social connection is more difficult to come by, and physical fitness takes a backseat to more immediate concerns. Most gyms and workout facilities are closed and it can be difficult to find ways to stay active while still adhering to social distancing and safety guidelines. During this challenging time, it’s critical that we prioritize employee physical and mental health. I wanted to provide some tips and resources (as well as a couple of team challenges) that will hopefully make this all a bit easier!
At-Home Fitness Tips
- Do what feels good. Take this time to focus on YOU and what type of movement makes your body feel better, not worse. For example, you may not be able to run for 30 minutes if your body hates that. But maybe take a short walk around the neighborhood and come back inside and lay down on the floor and stretch.
- Reach out to your HR team to see what resources are available. For example, if your company works with local gyms to provide discounted memberships or other perks, check with those gyms to see if they have online programs available. At Aeroflow, our HR team has worked hard to make sure we’re available to employees who have questions and concerns.
Lean on me! I want to be a support system for you guys! I would love to hear about what you’ve been doing, answer any questions about exercises or injuries that I can, give you ideas or teach you when you need me! If anybody wants to do a zoom workout I would love that, or if you want, just send me pics or videos of your progress…PLEASE!
- Keep a log for yourself! It is so rewarding to look back and see that you’ve done physical activity 10+ days in a row (hopefully 30!)
- Set a goal, whatever that may be for you; running, planking, push ups, to touch your toes…ANYTHING, this is all about you!
- Start a collaborative playlist with friends or coworkers to encourage each other to keep moving. Check out the Active Aeroflow playlist for inspiration!
Free Online Wellness Resources
- Gold’s Gym is offering free access to their library of online workouts as well as their app that has over 600 audio and video workouts. Just visit the website to find out more or go here and enter the code FIT60.
- Peloton is offering access to their App for free for 90 days. You don’t have to have their equipment to use it.
- 30 Days of Yoga Series is streaming on Youtube.
- OrangeTheory has launched an at-home series.
- Planet Fitness is hosting “Home Work-Ins,” free classes that are streamed live on their Facebook page daily at 7 p.m. EST.
- 24 Hour Fitness has made some home fitness routines available for free now to help you stay fit and healthy at home.
- YMCA has launched Your Y At Home, a collection of online activities from YMCAs across the US to help maintain a healthy mind, body, and spirit.
- CorePower Yoga is streaming live yoga classes for free on YouTube.
30 for 30 Challenge
What better way to encourage some healthy competition than a team fitness challenge! This year, we’re asking employees to participate in 30 minutes of physical activity, every day, for 30 days. Each team must track what they do each day, either by taking a photo or writing down what activity they completed. Our fitness challenge is totally voluntary, just something to help employees feel more connected to one another and motivated to keep active. If it’s not in the company budget to include a prize, competing for bragging rights is always fun too!
Photo Challenge
A photo challenge is another good way to engage employees during Employee Health and Fitness Month. Above, you’ll see the winner of our first photo competition, in which we asked employees to show us their work-from-home set up.
Aeroflow Employees! To be entered to win our health and fitness photo challenge, share your photo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn and use the hashtag #myaeroflowremote before May 15th. Don’t forget to tag @aeroflow_healthcare. Please note: account privacy settings can limit which photos appear with the hashtag so please also email your photos to Amber Lundquist.
This month, our photo competition is all about health and wellness. We’ve asked employees to share a picture of how they are focusing on physical or mental health for a chance to win a prize.
Work From Home Survival Guide
Finally, I wanted to share a handy image with some tried-and-true tips for staying sane while working from home.
Information provided on the Aeroflow Healthcare blog is not intended as a substitute to medical advice or care. Aeroflow Healthcare recommends consulting a doctor if you are experiencing medical issues or concerns.
Conversations around healthcare and value are intensifying. Progressive DME providers are evaluating how to shift business strategies from commodity trades to strategies that produce value. In doing so, they may question how to accomplish value creation when the products dispensed are not unique and the price is set (indirectly) by the consumer.
Value can be thought of as an equation where there is an amount of quality compared to the cost. In the current DME environment, cost is inflexible as the reimbursements, from agencies like CMS, have reached rate floors. With pricing at its minimum, the only alternative is to increase quality.
When we define quality, we use terms like access, patient experience, safety, and outcomes. The core definition of quality should be always be centered around patient experience. It begins with the patient’s ability to locate the equipment and service needed. It is important to leverage existing relationships with hospitals and facilities to highlight them as part of the value-proposition, especially in times of pandemics and other crises. Do facilities have the ability to dispense the equipment prior to discharge in a consignment setting? Does the practice have a local office where patients can access the equipment? Is there a local drop-ship agency that can assist with delivering mail-order items efficiently?
Part of successful patient management involves going beyond the outcome metrics and building a patient experience plan. Patients go to doctors and hospitals to feel better. By acknowledging that there is a mental component to the equipment provided, practices can shift to ensure patients not only receive the device they need, but feel better afterwards. By implementing patient satisfaction surveys and routinely revisiting them, the provider can modify their processes and procedures to ensure the patient receives the most benefit.
Technology has achieved huge advancements over the past few decades and they largely benefit individual practices. By leveraging EHR systems, the patient receives quicker, more accurate treatment. As more facilities shift to EHR platforms, DME providers can expect to be required to integrate. Tools like electronic patient records and electronic contract management systems can be leveraged to assist our partner communities through automation. Payers look for providers that can respond to requests expeditiously and having easy access to information is a huge benefit. Imagine participating in a discussion with the customer and having all of the relevant information at your fingertips. The result is quicker resolution and higher overall satisfaction.
The creation of value in DME will become increasingly crucial as time goes on, especially as we’re faced with the current pandemic and the possibility of other natural disasters. It is important that providers and health plans discuss what this looks like. With reimbursements at unsustainable lows, it is vital that providers create strategies to create value and be more vocal about the benefit of their products and services.
Medically Reviewed by Michelle Worley, RN
CPAP, BiPAP, and Ventilator machines are all designed to help patients with breathing disorders. You may have questions about these types of equipment such as how are they different and which one would be best for you. Your physician will chose a device depending on your diagnosis and breathing needs.
CPAP (Continuous Airway Pressure) Machines
CPAPs are most commonly used for obstructive sleep apnea treatment. Pressurized air is forced down the airway to keep the airway open and free from obstruction. This prevents sleep apnea from occurring.
The level of pressure delivered by your CPAP machine depends on how hard your airway is to open. This is usually determined during a sleep study and then prescribed by your doctor. Some machines will adjust to whatever pressure is necessary to ensure you are always breathing. These type of machines usually start at a lower pressure and react to your breathing patterns to ensure the airway stays open.
BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) Machines
BiPAP is a more complex type of sleep therapy machine that is used when CPAP can not be tolerated, the airway can not open adequately with a CPAP, or when a patient has central sleep apnea.
BiPAP is different than CPAP because it has two pressures, one for inhalation and one for exhalation. In order for patients to be placed on a BiPAP, a physician must prove the patient needs it for insurance to approve coverage.
Ventilator Machines
Ventilators are used for patients that can not breathe on their own or when someone suffers from a severe respiratory disease. Life support ventilators can be used 24 hours per day when a patient suffers from a neuromuscular disease or has experienced a severe traumatic accident that has left them unable to breathe on their own.
Sometimes patients are also placed on ventilators for short term use in acute settings such as hospitals when they are severely sick.
In the home setting, ventilators are also used non-invasively (with a mask) when patients have severe COPD. For this situation, it is only used during the night similarly to the CPAP and BiPAP.
There is a common misconception that ventilators are large pieces of equipment for bed-bound patients. However, there are options like the Trilogy Ventilator or Astral, that are small and mobile. By only weighing 11 pounds with a compact design patients are still able to maintain their freedom.
Insurance Covered CPAPs & BiPAPs
Depending on your needs, you may qualify for these devices through your insurance. If you have sleep apnea, we can supply the proper CPAP supplies prescribed by your physician. Simply fill out this form.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, we don’t have much scientific research telling us whether pregnant women are more susceptible to the coronavirus — or whether they’re more likely to come down with more serious symptoms. Dr. Jessica Madden, an Ohio-based pediatrician and medical director of Aeroflow Breastpumps adds “One small study that compared pregnant women who came down with coronavirus with others who came down with it found that they generally weren’t any sicker … which is slightly reassuring,” She also pointed to a recent case study looking at nine women who had coronavirus during pregnancy whose babies were born healthy and symptom-free — although she stressed again that the available research is just pretty darn thin.
We’re excited to introduce the newest addition to our clinical staff, Amira Mouad, CPO. She is a Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO) who has been practicing for 5 years. Amira will be helping Aeroflow provide the best possible educational resources for our Maternity Compression patients.
What is a typical day in the life of an Orthotist?
Generally, I evaluate, design and fit orthotic and prosthetic devices. Patients are referred to our facilities by physical therapists and physicians of varying specialties. A formal evaluation is performed, including a thorough assessment of the patient.
A device design is constructed, and the fabrication of the device takes place once insurance has been verified. The patient is seen for an in-person fitting of their custom device. Follow-ups are scheduled at predetermined intervals to evaluate efficacy, overall fit and function, and changes in medical history which may prompt a redesign.
What kinds of conditions do you treat?
As a CPO, I primarily work with patients who may have movement disorders, skeletal deformities, and limb loss. We typically provide stabilizing or corrective devices to support or replace extremities. Common conditions include plagiocephaly, craniosynostosis, scoliosis, low muscle tone, spasticity, foot drop, various levels of limb loss, and a myriad of other conditions.
How has the field changed since you started practicing?
In the last five years, I have witnessed incredible advancements in technology. Manufacturers are constantly updating the end-user interface, providing patients with more user-friendly applications and options for independent manipulation of settings.
Our evaluation and shape capture techniques have evolved greatly over the last decade. As 3-D printing, computer-animated design, and central fabrication take precedence in our field, shape capture by iPads and scanners are favored over casting in some circumstances.
As our field continues to grow alongside related healthcare fields, our documentation requirements are also becoming more stringent. Insurance companies are increasing their demands for appropriate documentation to justify medical necessity.Measuring outcomes and reporting these measures is also becoming more common practice. This is an incredibly important aspect of our field to aid in research grants and prove the efficacy of our treatments.
What are some of the most common misconceptions you hear about with Orthotics in general?
I think a lack of knowledge and general unawareness of the field drives many misconceptions. We are not merely fitting “off the shelf” devices, but rather performing thorough evaluations and aimed at addressing patients’ needs. We take a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach alongside other members of the healthcare team.Together we ensure the patient is receiving a device to meet their needs and proper access to other professionals who can aid in their treatment plan success.
What is your favorite part about working with patients?
My favorite part of working with patients is finding solutions to their problems. It may be providing a device to reduce pain or restore mobility, cosmetically improving a visual deformity, getting someone up and walking again, or simply discussing treatment modalities offered by allied health professionals that can help them meet their goals. My job is extremely gratifying!