Issues

• What is "Assignment of Benefits?"

  If you find yourself at a hospital, you’ll usually have to sign a bunch of paperwork before you receive care. Buried in that paperwork, you are likely agreeing to something called “assignment of benefits.” But, what is ”assignment of benefits?” Which benefits? To whom are you assigning them? Let’s break it down.

• Mandates

  What's a mandate? Here's a hint: it raises your healthcare costs. We'll define NC's healthcare mandates and tell you why you care about them.

• Surprise Bills or Balance Bills

  Have you ever been to the emergency room at a hospital, thought you were covered by your insurance and ended up with a bill that didn’t seem quite right? There’s a pretty good chance that you have.

• What is an Association Health Plan?

  Association Health Plans (AHPs) allow small businesses to join together to purchase group health insurance coverage for their employees. They do this by joining an association which then partners with a traditional health insurer to provide health insurance coverage for the entire group.

• What is a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM)?

  A Pharmacy Benefit Manager, or "PBM" is a company that administrates prescription drug programs for payers like your insurer.  Their job is important to keeping patients safe and controlling the costs of prescription drugs.  

• What is Telemedicine or Telehealth?

  Telemedicine or telehealth is the use of technology to deliver health related services including diagnostic and therapeutic over a distance.  This can include something as simple as a phone call or email, but it can also include more complicated equipment that transmits biometric data to a physician from a distance.  

• What is CON (Certificate of Need)?

  One perennial issue down at the NC General Assembly is CON or Certificate of Need repeal.  CON is an idea that has been around in the U.S. for decades as a way to control skyrocketing health care costs via government regulation. But like so many roads that are paved with good intentions, this one may have taken us to the wrong place – higher costs.