MedjetAssist Medical Evacuation Review

By: Mr Credit Card

08/11/2010

Our next series of reviews will be on medical evacuation services. One of these services is MedjetAssist. Medical evacuation services are available in the event that you will need to be transported because of a medical emergency. MedjetAssist allows members to decide which hospital will be their final destination without any medical necessity clause.

Typically, domestic air medical evacuation can cost tens of thousands of dollars and nearly $100,000 if international. With MedjetAssist, if you are hospitalized150 miles or more from home, your medical transfer to the hospital of your choice will be taken care of. There are no transportation cost limitations and no pre-existing condition exclusions for the service.

MedjetAssist also provides a Physical Health Records service with the option of purchasing the MedFlash Device to store personal and medical information that can be accessed online as well. This service is an additional $29.99 for members.

MedjetAssist allows you to choose from the following types of memberships:

Domestic Membership Primarily for domestic travelers up to the age of 75. This is a new membership option for those that travel within the continental United States.
Regular Covers your trip home if you become ill or are injured while traveling domestically or internationally.
Expatriate Memberships are available for residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico living for extended periods in other countries.
Diamond The Diamond Membership offered by MedjetAssist is available to individuals between the ages of 75 and 85.
Collegiate This level of membership is primarily for students that are learning and living abroad.
Short-Term MedjetAssist offers short term programs for residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico up to age 75, with protection provided 24 hours a day during a selected travel period.
MedjetAssist Plus Program In addition to the benefits of our regular MedjetAssist membership, the Plus Program provides benefits that include the MedFlash for document storage, cell phones as part of the Communications Bundle, Personal Travel Advisories, cash advances up to $50,000 for immediate medical needs and specialty transport services.

Fees for Membership

The following chart indicates the annual and short term fees for membership with MedjetAssist.

Verdict

Medical evacuation services are especially beneficial for those that travel frequently and for those that have medical conditions that may require emergency evacuation. Compared to the cost of being airlifted, the fees for MedjetAssist are extremely reasonable. The optional PHR service is fairly inexpensive for members in comparison to other PHR services that are available.

Trip Mate Review

By: Mr Credit Card

08/09/2010

Trip Mate is a service that offers travel insurance plans that provide administrative services for claims, product design and underwriting. They also provide a number of benefits which include terrorism coverage without geographic or political restrictions as well as waiving the policy exclusion for pre-existing conditions, lost baggage protection and protection in case of injury or emergency cancellation of the trip.

Most notable for this series of reviews though, is that Trip Mate offers a Physical Health Records (PHR) service with its insurance called Global Xpi. Global Xpi allows users to store, access and update medical information securely once registered. Members are issued a Global Xpi card that allows sharing of information with a treating physician, pharmacist or health care provider.

There is no additional cost for the Global Xpi service if you purchase a Trip Mate travel protection plan. The PHR service is available for up to 90 days after you return from your trip.

Access to your vital information can help a medical provider to:

• review your medical history;
• alert the treating physician of drug allergies that could be life threatening;
• warn treating physicians of possible dangerous drug interactions by listing your current medications;
• allow physicians, previously unknown to you, to make a more accurate diagnosis and decisions regarding your care;
• help to prevent unnecessary testing by providing baseline medical information.
• better evaluate your current condition;
• contact your personal physician;
• contact your primary Medical Insurance Provider.

Besides, the PHR service, Trip Mate also travel insurance also includes 24/7 customer service, online claim reporting, first call customer care and a one call worldwide travel services network. Plans are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company.

Verdict

If you are looking in to travel insurance, you may want to take a look at Trip Mate. As far as PHR services go, this is probably more for those who specifically want the service only when traveling as it is only available for up to 90 days after you return from your trip. Those that need their health records updated regularly and shared with physicians and medical facilities will probably want to look into one of the other PHR services that are available for long term use.

The Politics of Wealth Transfer Weekend Ramble

By: Mr Credit Card

08/08/2010

It seems that everyone is commenting on a post on Yahoo that mentioned one of the regional Fed Bank’s study on how interchange fees and credit cards were transferring “wealth” from the “poor” to the “rich”. Which really meant that those who have poor credit or those who carried a balance were subsidizing those who paid in full and earned “rewards”. What the study failed to mention is whether folks who pay in full spend more, or what is the percentage of cards out there with annual fee (you know – those airline credit cards and folks like me who folk out $450 a year to carry the Amex Platinum Card – which by the way is less than everyone’s cable bills). Here’s my take on this, wealth transfer always happens someone chooses to spend money (very often unnecessary spending). Folks who expensive jewelery (which you might argue have no value to society) transfer wealth to jewelers!. Smokers transfer wealth to tobacco companies. Our addiction to oil transfers wealth to oil exporting nations. Our craving to goods at the lowest price regardless of quality transfer wealth to countries like China. Those of you who an iphone even though you may not actually need one are transferring wealth to Steve Jobs and his shareholders. You can choose to carry a balance (and the market merely provides what is in “demand”) or you can choose to pay in full. It’s your choice. I am glad to find that despite this study, it is comforting to know that folks who pay in full will continue to use credit cards. Heck, you can even earn cash back with debit cards!

The key to avoiding “transferring wealth” unnecessarily is to realize that money does not make one happy and to stop lusting for things and getting yourself into debt. It might also help if you take conventional advice with a grain of salt. Like the advice that “mortgage is good debt”. You do not need to follow this advice. For example, you can always your house for cash. You can figure ways not to get into student debt. Obviously, that involves a little bit of a sacrifice, but trust me on this, having debt that is not supported by sufficient income and cash inflow is the surest way to transfer wealth to your creditors.

At the end of the day, we all transfer wealth in some form. We need to eat, to have a shelter, and we need to enjoy life. But we all have some unique skills that can add value to society. If we can create that value and provide something that is in demand, then wealth transfer happens in our direction. Just as one should spend less than one earns, one should transfer less wealth externally that the wealth that we can generate for ourselves.

Another Big Reward Opportunity

By: Jason Steele

08/06/2010

Every so often, credit card companies release a really big sign up bonus offer. Sometimes the offer isn’t even very widely publicized or is of a targeted nature. Targeted rewards are ones in which you get a solicitation in the mail, or an email solicitation. While some targeted offers are only applicable to the person targeted, others are open to anyone who signs up with the correct link.

CititBank’s New American Airlines Sign Up Bonus Offer

I am hesitant to mention this offer, as it is targeted, yet there are enough reports out there to indicate that even non-targeted people can receive the big bonus if they apply with the correct link and are approved. How big is the bonus? Well, there is one offer for 50,000 miles at sign up when you spend $750, and another 50,000 miles if you spend $10,000 in six months. Other offers out there earn 75,000 miles. This post over at The View From The Wing blog seems to have the best information and links.

The best part about this offer is that it is on American Airlines. I accumulated a significant amount of American miles last year while churning was still permitted. Based on my previous experiences attempting to redeem miles on carriers like Delta and United, I was prepared to have difficulty finding award seats for three people, at lower levels, and in first class. To my shock and surprise, I really didn’t have many problems at all. It was like going back in time 10 years to an age when booking award travel was almost as easy booking revenue travel. Even the service on American was far superior to the frugal service on Delta, not to mention the gulag like demeanor that I last experienced on United.

How To Get Sign Up Bonuses

Even people who are not big spenders can earn a lot of miles and points with their credit cards through sign up bonuses. I have recently been reminded that not everyone goes all in for a good credit card bonus every time they see one, so I thought I would give some of my more novice readers a primer. First, don’t apply for every card you see with a sign up bonus. Your credit score will suffer a small, short term hit of around 3-5 points when you apply for a credit card. By itself, it is not significant, but applying for many new cards in a short period of time is not a good idea. Your credit score is an extremely valuable asset, allowing you to rake in these sign up bonuses, just don’t be too greedy or it will cause you some short term pain.

Which Cards To Apply For

The funny thing is that many people will apply for a credit card at a retailer like Target or Macys just to save 10% on their purchase that day. It is not worth it unless you are spending thousands of dollars. Think about it, your average airline card offers enough mileage for domestic award. While low award seat availability at most carriers means the award is not worth as much as it used to be, it still has a value of $300-$500 at the least. 100,000 American miles are easily worth at least $1500-$2000. Right now, I won’t bother to apply for a card that offers me a sign up bonus worth less than $500. It is not that $500 isn’t worth my hassle, as I have been known to make a lot more of an effort to save $50, it is that I know that I can only sign up for so many cards in a year without hurting my credit score, and there are enough cards with sign up bonuses worth more than $500 that I won’t bother with lesser offers.

PeopleChart Review

By: Mr Credit Card

PeopleChart is the next review of Personal Health Records services but is unique in many ways when compared. Specifically, PeopleChart includes almost all of the legwork that is required in collecting, adding and updating medical information.

How Does It Work?

The process of gathering and updating medical information requires very little work by the member. There is a 5 step process in collecting the information which includes the following:

Members request the records collection service online and fill in the provider address and information.
Peoplechart uses the Dr. Sleuth research service to verify the location of the medical record.
Peoplechart follows up with providers by phone and correspondence.
Peoplechart checks the national and state laws on ‘reasonable’ fees that are providers sometimes charge for photocopying medical records and on maximum allowable time for record delivery.
Peoplechart keeps you informed through the process and awaits your approval for any provider fees.

PeopleChart will also capture and read data electronically from various health care providers.

Next, PeopleChart organizes the records with medical record specialists that work on scanning, tagging, and categorizing the records. These tasks require knowledge of over 75 categories of medical records and expert assessment of each page. Then there is another process of quality-checking for accuracy. Each page is indexed and recorded along five categories, Record Provider, Author Date, Author Name, Specialization and Record Type.

After the information is collected and organized you decide which portion of your information you would like to share and with whom. You are able to grant access privileges for viewing, editing, and assigning information to others and what information you would like to share or keep private.

Other Benefits of PeopleChart

Members also have access to A.D.A.M. Health Encyclopedia for credible information about specific conditions, diseases, medications. The Call Center gives you and any authorized user 24×7 access to your medical records by phone. The Call Center will also distribute medical records.

Fees and Pricing Plans

There are two plans to choose from, the Individual Plan which is $24.95 per month and the Family Plan, which you can register up to 4 members for $64.95 per month. PeopleChart also offers a guarantee if you are not satisfied with the membership you can receive your money back within 90 days.

See the chart for Plan Features.

Verdict

PeopleChart is probably one of the easiest PHR services to use and practically does everything from collecting the medical information to distributing it to doctors and medical facilities. This is especially convenient for those that don’t want to deal with computers at all as well as those that don’t want the inconvenience of having to collect all of the medical records and information themselves.

The Bartlett by PEHR Tech Review

By: Mr Credit Card

08/05/2010

The Bartlett by PEHR Tech is another service for Personal Health Records which allows management of health information in a safe and secure place in case of emergency or if you need to share it with a doctor or medical facility.

How it Works

The Bartlett is a 1 GB USB flash drive in which customers connect to their pc and upload medical information onto. It is not web based, so the information is said to be safe from hackers.The Bartlett holds scanned documents like X-Rays and EKGs and is easy to use.

Here is an example of what you will see on The Bartlett

Information that can be included on the Bartlett:

Medical Alert page with allergies and critical info, you decide what goes there. This page is not password protected, so that emergency personal can have quick access to it.
Patient Information
Family History
Diagnoses
Surgeries
Other Illnesses
Medications
Allergies
Health Maintenance
Immunizations
Transfusions
Documents/Test Results
Journal/Filing Cabinet
Diabetes
Print Reports
Internet Links

Fees

The Bartlett flash drive is $39.95 and is silver with the PEHR logo on one side and the red EMS logo (Emergency Medical Systems) on the other side, thus making it highly visible for the emergency services.

If you prefer something different than the flash drive, you can also order the credit card version which fits in your wallet for $49.95 or the fashionable Jewelry Bartlett for $69.95 which can hang around your neck like a pendant.

Verdict

The Bartlett includes a few differences than other PHR services we have looked at. One is that there is no monthly or annual fee, nor is there any membership fees. All you pay is the fee for The Bartlett that you prefer. The other difference, of course is the opportunity to purchase The Bartlett as a flash drive, credit card style or jewelry pendent as well. The Bartlett would be worth checking into by those that prefer to not have their information online, or do not have internet access to manage it.

Overseas Checklist For Credit Card Users

By: Jason Steele

08/04/2010

With the summer travel season in full swing, this is another good time to remind readers about what they need to do to ensure that their travel plans go off without a hitch. I too will be traveling this summer, and this is what I am doing to prepare:

1. Contact your bank. Your ATM and debit cards should be your primary source of cash when you travel as credit cards charge plenty of interest and fees for overseas cash advances. Let your bank know where you are going and when. Include all countries where you will be visiting, even if it is just for a few hours or when you are just changing planes. In fact, even if you are considering a brief cross border trip, you will want to notify you bank. It is during these brief stops that you may have to use your credit card, especially in the event of a travel disruption or an emergency. That would be the worst time to have to sort out a fraud alert.

2. Learn What Your FTFs Are. FTF stands for foreign transaction fees. This is a complete rip-off that almost all credit card companies tack on to any transaction taking place outside of the United States. It has even been reported that this fee has been added to transactions made in dollars when dealing with foreign companies. The important thing is that not all FTFs are the same. They tend to vary from 1-3%, with the notable exception of Capitol One, which does not charge an FTF. You can bet I will be using my Capitol One card while my well worn Starwood Amex stays tucked deep in my wallet. Amex actually raised its FTF to 2.7% last year. Call it a matter of principal, but I refuse to pay this worthless fee.

3. Minimize Your Cards If you are like most people, you have a wallet filled with all sorts of credit cards, debit cards, store cards, and other various pieces of plastic. Now imagine that you have lost your wallet in another country. How much time do you really want to spend sorting that mess out over international long distance. I would leave all unnecessary cards at home such as your library card, Costco card, and Entertainment card etc. Bring along maybe just two or three credit cards and an ATM card. Leave one card in your hotel room, preferably in a safe with your passport.

4. Call your credit card companies Tell them that you will be out of the country. Like your bank, list any country you may step foot in, just to be safe. Interestingly, American Express now claims that you do not have to notify them, but Visa and Mastercard are very glad you did.

5. Keep your credit card company’s contact info Every credit card company usually has a collect call number that you can call from another country. Write these numbers down somewhere, perhaps in an email to yourself. In the event that a card is lost or stolen, a short, free telephone call should be all that is necessary to report it and request a new card be sent to you.

6. Decline Dynamic Currency Conversion DCC is a scam that some merchants will try to pull on foreign tourists. The pitch goes something like this, “would you like to charge this to your home currency?” It sounds innocent enough. They claim that the exchange rate is competitive too. Don’t do it! The exchange rate may actually be competitive, but they will also be tacking on a huge fee. To add insult to injury, you will also get the FTF tacked on by your credit card company. If you get any kind of pitch, decline it, and make a note on your credit card slip that you are declining FTF, as it may be difficult to tell if it was added in a foreign language. Save your receipt just in case.

7. Review your statements when you return Check to see if someone stuck a DCC charge on your bill. Also, make sure your credit card wasn’t skimmed or cloned, only to be used fraudulently. Remember that a smart fraudster will use the card for a few small transactions first before going for a big score. If you suspect that an FTF was charged inappropriately, or anything else is the matter, contact your credit card company immediately. They are usually very generous in resolving these kind of problems.

Finally, don’t be afraid. I have yet to have a serious problem with a credit card when traveling. Nevertheless, that is no excuse for not taking reasonable precautions when you visit other countries.

Access My Records Review

By: Mr Credit Card

Continuing with the reviews of Personal Health Records services with Access My Records which differs from the other PHR services as it is an electronic storage and retrieval service for medical and legal records . Medical records and legal information can be accessed from anywhere in the world online, through a phone call to one of the customer service operators that are available 24/7 or via fax.

How it Works

Members of Access My Records create a personal healthcare profile and are able to store, organize and update the records. Members are provided a password protected area in the website where they can add, update, delete and organize their personal and medical information. For members that do not have a computer or access to a computer there is the option of mailing updated information or calling one of the customer service operators to update the information. Records are stored in a 128-bit SSL database that offers the highest level of encryption security and cannot be altered by anyone other than the member that is logged in. The information is then available to doctors, hospitals and emergency personnel.

Additionally, there is an Emergency Medical Records login section which includes a personal identification photo; Emergency Contacts; Family Physicians; Allergies and Medications; Medical Conditions; Past Surgeries; Healthcare Insurance Providers; Healthcare Power of Attorney and Living Will.

Besides medical records, members are able to upload important documents such as a Will or Trust, Passport, Driver’s License, birth certificate and many other documents. Contact information for professional advisors such as attorneys and bankers can also be added. This information is kept in a separate area than the Emergency Medical Records file and can only be viewed by the member when they have entered their password and access ID code.

Members of Access My Records receive a membership card and key tag which includes the member’s name and ID code. There are also window decals for your car and home to alert and notify emergency personnel that you are a member of this service.

Information that can be included:
• Allergies
• Medical conditions
• Medications
• Immunizations
• Medical imaging reports
• Lab reports
• Past medical procedures
• Emergency contacts
• Family medical history
• Insurance information
• Medical directives

Fees

Members of Access My Records pay an annual fee of $30 for a single membership, $50 for a couple’s membership and $20 for children or family members living in the same household tied to a primary account.

Verdict

Access My Records is probably the service to choose for PHR if you are not able to access a computer as most of the other services involve USB Flash Drives. It is possible to update your information by means of the telephone and fax instead. This service will also benefit those that find it easier to store their information somewhere other than a flash drive or on paper. There is also the additional benefit of being able to upload almost any of your important documents that aren’t related to medical records as most other PHR services don’t provide this benefit. The annual fees for the service also end up being less than many of the other services for health records as well.

MedKey Review

By: Mr Credit Card

08/03/2010

MedKey is another provider of PHR services with their EMR on a Key which stands for Electronic Medical Records on a Key. All of your medical records and medical history is stored on a key that can be shared with doctors and medical facilities that need your information. MedKey offers one of the first ever portable USB flash drives to embed EMR software.

How it Works

You will receive the MedKey which you insert into a USB port on a Windows PC that is connected to the internet. Then, the MedBytes Software is installed from the key and stored on the MedKey USB Drive. You are then ready after installation, to start exchanging medical records with physicians, hospitals and healthcare providers. All records are stored on the MedKey USB Drive.

The MedBytes embedded software on the MedKey USB Flash Drive enables synchronization of all medical records with the User’s Healthvault account. CCD Medical Records stored on the user’s Healthvault account by health care providers or physicians can also be sync’d with the MedKey’s latest medical records to keep them updated.

The information that you can store on the MedKey includes the following:
• Emergency Medical Information
• Emergency Family Email Alerts
• Personal Health Information
• Add Family Members
• Medical Conditions/Visits
• Pre-Visit Questionnaire
• Medical/Personal Allergies
• Family Medical History
• Prescription Medications
• Non-Prescription Medications
• Complete Physician Records
• Continuity of Care Document
• Microsoft Healthvault® Sync
• Medical/Dental Insurance
• Surgical Procedures
• X-ray, MRI, EKG Clinical Links

Features of the MedKey

Some of the MedKey features include the ability to create, edit and store individual or multiple family members’ information on one flash drive. You are also able to update Medications, Allergies, Family History, Vital Signs, Medical Visits, Surgeries, Medical and Dental Insurance and ALL components of an EMR.

You also have the option of emailing family contacts in the event of an emergency and utilizing the Emergency Button for user-controlled medical data that may be needed by Ambulatory personnel

Fees and Subscription Plans

MedKey has three keys to choose from which are the Emergency MedKey, Individual MedKey and the Family MedKey. Below is a screen shot of the details of the three different keys and the fees involved.

Verdict

MedKey appears to be pretty straightforward for PHR services. You simply download and install and you have all of the medical information you would ever need in case of an emergency. The three different keys to choose from are not complicated either; you would merely choose whichever works for you and/or your family.

New Tricks And Traps Evolve

By: Jason Steele

08/02/2010

The CARD Act went into effect this year with the intention of ending “tricks and traps” that credit card companies had been building into their fine print. For example, payments would be due on Sundays or holidays when payments were not accepted. Payments would then be credited the next day, with all of the requisite interest, penalties, and late fees. I was a strong supporter of the CARD Act on these pages despite the criticism that credit card companies would find new types of tricks and traps. I knew that the CARD Act would only be a cure for the existing abuses of the industry, not a vaccination against future abuse. Like an especially malignant disease, the banking industry is destined to evolve new ways of defeating yesterday’s medicines.

The Latest Tricks and Traps

The Wall Street Journal has the scoop on how banks are changing to defeat the spirit of the CARD Act. They start out by citing the increase in annual fees. I have no problem with this as annual fees are not tricks and traps. Sure, I don’t want to pay them, but at least these fees are clear, honest, and up front, like the recent announcement of the increase in annual fee for the vaunted Starwood Amex. On the other hand, I am frankly surprised that they are offering corporate cards rebranded as “professional cards” in a blatant attempt to get around the CARD Act. The law excluded corporate cards from it’s provisions, but I did not expect that banks would exploit this loophole. It seemed as if maintaining two different sets of rules would be too onerous. I have learned my lesson and will never underestimate the capacity for financial institutions to find ways around the rules.

Another example is how the Discover Card is still making payments due on Sundays and holidays, seemingly in defiance of the CARD Act. Here is the money quote from a spokesman either without a soul:

“We were in compliance with the Card Act,” says Discover spokesman Matthew Towson. “The law states that if a creditor does not receive or accept payments on weekends or holidays, then the date is extended. But we accept payments seven days a week.”

A newspaper of record might say “It is unclear how they accept payments on Sunday when the postal service doesn’t deliver mail.” but I can just call that BS.

Life Imitates The Simpsons

There was a Simpsons episode where Bart envisions the future with Lisa as President. When she realizes that she must raise taxes, the following conversation occurs:

Lisa:        If I’m going to bail the country out, I’ll have to
raise taxes, but in my speech I’d like to avoid
calling it a, “painful emergency tax.”
Milhouse:    What about, “colossal salary grab.”
Lisa:        See, that has the same problem. We need to soften
the blow.
Milhouse:    Well, if you just want to out-and-out lie … [Lisa
doesn’t object] Okay, we could call it a, “temporary
refund adjustment.”

Later the guys at the bar react:

Moe:        Refund adjustment? Hey, sounds good to me.
Lenny:        Sure beats a tax.
Carl:        We love you, President Simpson.

Keep that in mind when you read this true story:

The Card Act also stipulates that issuers can’t jack up rates on existing balances unless a cardholder is at least 60 days late. But there is a creative maneuver around that: the so-called rebate card.

Citibank rolled out rebate-card offers to some of its customers last fall, offering to refund up to 70% of finance charges when customers pay on time. The problem: Rebate offers aren’t governed by the Card Act, and an issuer can revoke them suddenly and hit cardholders with high charges.

The net result is the same as raising rates—and because it is perfectly legal, customers have little recourse. “Rebates on finance payments may seem like a good deal, but you could end up with a very high interest rate suddenly,” says Mr. Frank, of the Center for Responsible Lending.

So just remember Citibank customers; It’s not a fee, its a Temporary Rebate Adjustment!

Lisa:		If I'm going to bail the country out, I'll have to
		raise taxes, but in my speech I'd like to avoid
		calling it a, "painful emergency tax."
Milhouse:	What about, "colossal salary grab."
Lisa:		See, that has the same problem.  We need to soften
		the blow.
Milhouse:	Well, if you just want to out-and-out lie ... [Lisa
		doesn't object] Okay, we could call it a, "temporary
		refund adjustment."