What Does Florida Health Insurance Offer For Chronic Wound Treatment?
Wounds that are difficult to heal can dramatically reduce mobility and quality of life.
Chronic wounds may even lead to amputation and untimely deaths.
That makes the threat from wounds that seem to never heal a very serious problem.
Inadequate circulation often contributes to such hard-to-heal wounds among people with diabetes and among senior citizens.
Both of these groups are increasing substantially as the U.
S.
baby boomers approach retirement age and nation levels of obesity rise alarmingly.
Why Is The Need For Chronic Wound Treatment Greater In Florida? The problem appears to be more urgent in Florida, which has a high percent of diabetics.
Florida had 1,073,149 adults with diagnosed diabetes in 2004.
Florida residents with diabetes have already suffered 5,277 lower extremity amputations and diabetes contributed to the death of 11,322 people in Florida in 2003.
Even among Florida residents who have not been diagnosed as diabetic, 82.
4 percent of the adults are overweight or obese and are prime candidates to become diabetic.
In addition, Florida had a larger percentage of people over 64 than any other state, according to 2005 U.
S.
Census Bureau results.
Across the U.
S.
, the number of people over 64 is projected to double during the next 25 years.
The fastest growing group is over age 84.
We're on track for one in five Americans to be over age 64 by 2030, which adds up to 72 million seniors.
With this shift toward an aging population, it's becoming increasingly important to pay attention to exactly what health care you have access to through your Florida health insurance coverage.
Such large aging and diabetic populations mean that Florida has a higher than average need for chronic wound treatment, but some of the treatments that have been shown to be the most successful are rarely available through primary care doctors.
Access to specialty centers depends not only on having health insurance in Florida, but also on having an insurance plan that offers in-network rates for treatment in the highest-rated centers.
Does Florida Offer Specialty Care For Hard-to-heal Wounds? One such center in Florida has been recognized for excellence in the specialty of chronic wound healing.
Wellington's Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine received the Center of Distinction Award for outstanding clinical results.
It was also commended for achieving high rates for patient satisfaction over the past year.
This center provides advanced healing techniques beyond what is typically available through doctors' offices.
The center achieves a high rate of wound healing by combining various treatments, such as debridement, dressing selection, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, patient education and special types of shoes.
Does Your Florida Health Insurance Cover Specialty Centers? Because Florida health insurance comes in the form of hundreds of different plans from a variety of insurers, it's important to research which centers, doctors and hospitals are available through your plan.
You may have a plan that includes coverage for providers outside the regular network, but you would have higher out-of-pocket expenses to receive treatment from them.
If you need treatment from an out-of-network provider, you may incur excessive charges that could interfere with your treatment.
While your health is still good, check out which of the providers that have been recognized for excellence are considered in-network with your Florida health insurance plan.
It is much easier to change to a more comprehensive plan, that could save you money in the long run, while you're still healthy.
Chronic wounds may even lead to amputation and untimely deaths.
That makes the threat from wounds that seem to never heal a very serious problem.
Inadequate circulation often contributes to such hard-to-heal wounds among people with diabetes and among senior citizens.
Both of these groups are increasing substantially as the U.
S.
baby boomers approach retirement age and nation levels of obesity rise alarmingly.
Why Is The Need For Chronic Wound Treatment Greater In Florida? The problem appears to be more urgent in Florida, which has a high percent of diabetics.
Florida had 1,073,149 adults with diagnosed diabetes in 2004.
Florida residents with diabetes have already suffered 5,277 lower extremity amputations and diabetes contributed to the death of 11,322 people in Florida in 2003.
Even among Florida residents who have not been diagnosed as diabetic, 82.
4 percent of the adults are overweight or obese and are prime candidates to become diabetic.
In addition, Florida had a larger percentage of people over 64 than any other state, according to 2005 U.
S.
Census Bureau results.
Across the U.
S.
, the number of people over 64 is projected to double during the next 25 years.
The fastest growing group is over age 84.
We're on track for one in five Americans to be over age 64 by 2030, which adds up to 72 million seniors.
With this shift toward an aging population, it's becoming increasingly important to pay attention to exactly what health care you have access to through your Florida health insurance coverage.
Such large aging and diabetic populations mean that Florida has a higher than average need for chronic wound treatment, but some of the treatments that have been shown to be the most successful are rarely available through primary care doctors.
Access to specialty centers depends not only on having health insurance in Florida, but also on having an insurance plan that offers in-network rates for treatment in the highest-rated centers.
Does Florida Offer Specialty Care For Hard-to-heal Wounds? One such center in Florida has been recognized for excellence in the specialty of chronic wound healing.
Wellington's Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine received the Center of Distinction Award for outstanding clinical results.
It was also commended for achieving high rates for patient satisfaction over the past year.
This center provides advanced healing techniques beyond what is typically available through doctors' offices.
The center achieves a high rate of wound healing by combining various treatments, such as debridement, dressing selection, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, patient education and special types of shoes.
Does Your Florida Health Insurance Cover Specialty Centers? Because Florida health insurance comes in the form of hundreds of different plans from a variety of insurers, it's important to research which centers, doctors and hospitals are available through your plan.
You may have a plan that includes coverage for providers outside the regular network, but you would have higher out-of-pocket expenses to receive treatment from them.
If you need treatment from an out-of-network provider, you may incur excessive charges that could interfere with your treatment.
While your health is still good, check out which of the providers that have been recognized for excellence are considered in-network with your Florida health insurance plan.
It is much easier to change to a more comprehensive plan, that could save you money in the long run, while you're still healthy.
