Amy Higgins You schedule a non-urgent surgery covered by your health insurance. You’ve been careful to make sure that the doctor and hospital are within your insurance network so that after your deductible is paid, your insurer will pay the balance. But then you get a $5,000 bill from the anesthesiologist. Turns out, he was … Read more
Marcus Pickett Traditionally, insurance coverage for mental health care has been less generous than that for medical and surgical care. Patients seeking coverage under their health insurance for what insurance companies usually refer to as “behavioral health” often are faced with a limited number of doctor visits per year, higher out-of-pocket limits and deductibles that … Read more
Marcus Pickett Workplace wellness programs, which provide incentives for employees who maintain healthy lifestyles, are becoming increasingly popular as companies try to stem rising health insurance costs. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the percentage of employers offering at least one wellness program increased from 58 percent in 2009 to 74 percent in 2010. Wellness programs are … Read more
Marcus Pickett A domestic partnership is generally defined as a long-term, committed and exclusive relationship between two non-married adults who are living together — excluding casual arrangements, such as roommates. Yet while domestic partnerships are fairly easy to define, officially demonstrating that such a partnership exists can be complicated. There’s no single standard for proving … Read more
Owning a pet can expensive. According to the American Pet Products Association, Americans spent more than $12 billion on vet care in 2009. But some breeds can rack up more vet bills than others. In October, pet insurer Trupanion, which bills itself as the fastest-growing North American pet insurer, released a list of the top … Read more
Health savings accounts (HSAs) are private individual accounts that allow consumers to save for medical expenses by contributing money to a tax-shielded account. Money in an HSA usually is used to pay for expenses that health insurance doesn’t cover. Who qualifies for HSAs? Your eligibility will be determined by a variety of factors. To get … Read more
Seeing the doctor can involve hours away from work. But what if the doctor were at your office? Employer-run workplace clinics (health centers at or near your office and staffed by health care professionals) can offer a variety of services, from preventive care to routine tests and vaccinations. The benefits to employees are clear — having a … Read more
Daniel Workman Just because you’re healthy doesn’t mean that insurers will approve your individual health insurance application. Based on a 2009 report from The Commonwealth Fund, 26 percent of adults age 19 to 64 were refused health insurance on the individual market or charged higher premiums over a three-year period even though they had no health problems. … Read more
Amy Higgins The inability to conceive can be exasperating to a couple wanting to start a family. But while frustration is common, it is not an unusual scenario. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every eight couples of child-bearing age is infertile. So when nature fails to produce the … Read more
Amy Higgins The federal health care reform law signed by President Obama in March 2010 will require most U.S. citizens and legal residents to have health insurance starting in 2014. These people will be required to purchase insurance or pay a flat-fee tax penalty or a percentage of taxable income, whichever is greater, according to the Kaiser … Read more
