Gynecology

Flu Vaccine – coming to Bedford Commons OBGYN October 1, 2020!

Christina Haag, APRN

“Ouch, that hurt!  Why did you do that?!?” — that’s what my 5 year old daughter yelled at the nurse giving her the flu vaccine last year.

In the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to forget the flu season is just around the corner.  Or maybe you haven’t forgotten because you have seen signs advertising the flu vaccine at many national pharmacy chains.  I think I saw my first flu vaccine advertisement at the end of July, more than 2 months before the onset of the flu season!

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the flu vaccine every year for everyone 6 months of age and older.  It is especially important this year given the overlap of symptoms caused by COVID-19 and the flu.  Getting your flu vaccine is one of the best ways to protect against the flu.  Although the flu vaccine is currently available at many pharmacies, the CDC recommends waiting until late September to get vaccinated because getting the vaccine too early may cause reduced protection against the flu later in the flu season.

As we have been so focused on COVID-19, I think it is important to remember that last year, more than 410,000 Americans were hospitalized due to the flu and more than 24,000 people died from the flu.  Although wearing a mask can help prevent the flu, the best way to protect yourself is to get the vaccine.

At Bedford Commons OB-GYN, we will begin to offer the flu vaccine to our pregnant patients starting October 1, 2020.  We recommend the vaccine for all of our patients but due to a limited supply, we are only able to offer the vaccine in our office to our obstetric patients.  For our non-obstetric patients, we would recommend heading to your primary care or a local pharmacy to get vaccinated.

Click here for more information from the CDC about this year’s flu vaccine.

News & Events

Unexpected Medical Bills Don’t Make Good Surprises

Christina Haag, APRN

Understanding your high deductible health insurance plan

Remember the days of paying a $25 copay for every office visit and that was all you were personally responsible for?  With the increasing number of high deductible health insurance plans out there, it has become increasingly more confusing for patients to figure out what they will be responsible for in regards to healthcare costs.  We hear words like “subject to your deductible”, “preventative care”, “100% covered” with no clear understanding with what to expect when the bill ultimately comes in the mail.  I think the key is in understanding preventative care versus diagnostic care.

Preventative Care

Preventative care in gynecology includes the annual examination physical, lab tests, screenings and other services intended to prevent illness or detect problems before you notice any symptoms.  Because of the Affordable Care Act (passed in March 2010), most health insurance plans cover preventative care at 100% and often you won’t have to pay a cent.  It’s important to check with your health insurance plan to find out what services are included in preventative care as well as to make sure you are visiting an in-network provider.

Diagnostic Care

Diagnostic care involves treating a problem you already have, checking out new symptoms, or following up on abnormal lab tests.  When you receive diagnostic care, you may have to pay out-of-pocket with your plan until you have met your deductible and your co-insurance requirements.

Insurance in Action

That all sounds good, but in practice it can seem a little more confusing.  Let’s look at two patients’ examples to help to clarify.

Sue – During her yearly annual gynecology exam, Sue’s provider orders some lab tests, including a pap test to screen for cervical cancer.  Sue has never had an abnormal pap test.  The pap test is considered to be preventative.  Sue’s pap test comes back abnormal and requires additional testing for HPV through the laboratory.  Although the pap test is a preventative test, the additional testing for HPV is considered to be diagnostic because it’s being done because something was abnormal.  Sue’s visit would still be considered to be preventative care but the additional testing is diagnostic.

Julie – During Julie’s annual gynecology visit, Julie is asked about her periods.  Julie talks to her provider about her abnormal bleeding patterns.  Her periods are becoming heavier and sometimes she bleeds in between periods.  Julie’s provider is concerned about what might be causing the change in bleeding patterns.  To further investigate what is going on, Julie’s provider orders some lab tests and an ultrasound.  Because these tests are being done to follow-up on symptoms that Julie is having, these tests are considered to be diagnostic.  Part of Julie’s visit to her provider is considered to be preventative and part of her visit is considered to be diagnostic because of the symptoms she is reporting.

There are a million (probably more) health insurance plans out there and all plans have different coverage.  Please understand that 100% covered is not the same as 100% free of charge.  If you have specific questions regarding your healthcare plan, please call the number on the back of your insurance card to get more information.

For more information on health insurance in general, click here to watch a quick video.