Now I admit that healthcare topics may not be the most interesting reading on the internet – for some people. But Ezra Klein is hosting the Health Wonk Review this week and boy, oh boy does he have a way with words! He kept it short, to the point, and most of all… entertaining.
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A Greener Earth, Fitter Employees and Lower Insurance Premiums
What if health insurance carriers teamed up with employers to improve employee health, lower the number of cars on the roads, and give employees a discount on their health insurance? What would it take to get people to participate? Here’s the idea: Let’s say a company has 200 employees, and offers health insurance to them,… Read more about A Greener Earth, Fitter Employees and Lower Insurance Premiums
Tax-Deductible Gym Memberships
The Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2006 is currently under consideration in the House of Representatives. Since we are big fans of maintaining health rather than trying to fix health problems after they develop, we think this bill would be a great addition to our myriad of tax laws. Basically, it would allow Americans to… Read more about Tax-Deductible Gym Memberships
Make Love Not Debt Talks Personal Finance
There is a LOT of talk about debt and personal finance over at Make Love Not Debt today. I wish I had the time to go through and read all of them, because there are some really interesting topics in this weeks edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. My favorite one is from InsureBlog… Read more about Make Love Not Debt Talks Personal Finance
Moral Support for Those Battling Breast Cancer
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we wanted to spread the word about the Y-ME hotline (1-800-221-2141). This is a grass roots support system, founded by Ann Marcou and Mimi Kaplan in 1978. The Y-ME website explains more about their mission and how they provide support and encouragement to those fighting the battle with breast cancer. … Read more about Moral Support for Those Battling Breast Cancer
Free and Reduced-Price Prescription Drugs
With more and more Americans going uninsured, and health insurance policies excluding coverage for prescription drugs, people are finding themselves footing the entire bill at the pharmacy, or worst still – going without needed medications because of the cost. Most people don’t know that pharmaceutical companies often have programs to provide medications free or at a reduced… Read more about Free and Reduced-Price Prescription Drugs
Insurance Mergers and Network Shrinkage Hurts Consumers
I have a good friend who is seven months pregnant with her first child. Her employer-sponsored health insurance is with PacifiCare, which recently merged with United HealthCare. Ever since her first prenatal visit in April, she has been seeing a nurse-midwife and an OB/GYN with whom she feels very comfortable. She had planned to deliver… Read more about Insurance Mergers and Network Shrinkage Hurts Consumers
Funding Health Care with Tobacco Tax
The governor of Oregon has proposed an $0.85/pack tax increase on cigarettes with the expected $150 to $170 million in revenue being used to subsidize health care for children in Oregon. I think this is a great idea, and one that could be implemented in every state to help with the health care crisis in… Read more about Funding Health Care with Tobacco Tax
Inexpensive Birth Control
Several years ago, I was working for a large company, and health insurance was something that I just took for granted. The only time I ever used it was to visit my gynecologist once a year, and to get my birth control prescription filled. I think I paid $5 or $10/month for my Rx. Once I… Read more about Inexpensive Birth Control
Can’t Afford Health Insurance? Don’t Eat Out.
I just read a news article about why people choose to eat out several times a week instead of cooking at home. I couldn’t help but notice the $30 tab that the article cited as the amount it would cost to cook a meal at home for TWO people. Is this a special-occasion meal, or do… Read more about Can’t Afford Health Insurance? Don’t Eat Out.
Primer for Your Weekend
The weekend is almost here, and many of us are ready to unwind after a long, stressful work week. There are so many ways to relax, which do you prefer? Drinks Mixed with Diet Soda Are More Intoxicating Researchers in Australia found out that when you drink alcohol with diet soda, the artificial sugars in the… Read more about Primer for Your Weekend
United Healthcare in a Tough Battle
After United Healthcare lapsed their contract with HCA, things got ugly. Dr. Craig Keyes, CEO of United’s Colorado division, was accosted and his house vandalized in July. HCA was was even attempting to get United Healthcare clients to switch to carriers contracted with HCA. Well now, Frontier Airlines, which is based in Denver, is switching… Read more about United Healthcare in a Tough Battle
Harvest Moon Health Wonk Review
Joe Paduda over at Managed Care Matters hosts this weeks HWR. He cut the fat and kept the list down to an all star list of 15 entries, each with a very helpful commentary. Ezra Klein discusses an idea by Jacob Hacker called Universal Insurance. An all-purpose insurance that covers health expenses, disability, or “whatever”. … Read more about Harvest Moon Health Wonk Review
A Very Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds version 3.2 is up over at RDoctor. There are some really great articles in this edition, so I recommend hopping over there for some amusement. It includes an article from the Colorado Health Insurance Insider that Louise wrote about Financial Incentives for Good Health. I really enjoyed an article about the overuse of antibiotics… Read more about A Very Grand Rounds
Colorado Businesses Pay More for Health Insurance, Especially Greeley
The Greeley Tribune reports that small businesses in Colorado pay more for health insurance than companies in other states, with Greeley paying Colorado’s highest health insurance costs. The article does a good job of attempting to explain this, but misses the point. A study of more than 650,000 businesses across the U.S. that had 50… Read more about Colorado Businesses Pay More for Health Insurance, Especially Greeley
We’ve Gone Pink
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a close friend that was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, Colorado Health Insurance Insider is sporting a pink monochrome throughout October to promote awareness. Many sites across the internet, especially within the blogosphere, have redesigned their layouts in pink to promote awareness of this disease. Breast cancer is the… Read more about We’ve Gone Pink
Ask Your Agent if This is a “Push Week”
I was at the gym the other day and I overheard a guy talking to his buddies about a plan he’d come up with. He said “Next week is a Push Week, so I wonder if you could buy a policy from me and we could just cancel it the next week. You’ll get all… Read more about Ask Your Agent if This is a “Push Week”
Personal Finance on The Oregon Trail
This week, Punny Money put together the best Carnival of Personal Finance I’ve ever read. If you’re like me and into personal finance, it’ll arouse some nostalgia from about 1984 and also give some very good reading about personal finance along the journey. This adventure from 1868 is a can’t miss and has a great… Read more about Personal Finance on The Oregon Trail
Another Use for Your HSA
Inside many Colorado Target, Wal-mart, Kroger, and Walgreens stores you’ll find walk-in clinics like MedPoint Express, MinuteClinic, RediClinic, and now SmartCare Family Medical Centers. These in-store clinics allow a fast and convenient option for those with a minor medical need, like an ear infection, and want quick treatment. The problem with these clinics, right now, is… Read more about Another Use for Your HSA
Uninsured American Children
There are currently 9 million uninsured children in the US. Census data shows that 70% of those children live in a home where at least one parent works full-time. The same data indicates that about two thirds of these children would qualify for government-sponsored health insurance if the parents were to apply for it. Uninsured people are… Read more about Uninsured American Children
HSA Usage
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that out of all the people with job related health insurance, only 4 percent are enrolled in an HSA qualified plan. “We don’t know yet whether workers and employers ultimately will embrace consumer-driven health plans in big numbers, but it certainly hasn’t been a tidal wave,” study co-author Gary… Read more about HSA Usage
Small Victory
Yesterday, we commented on the story of Jerry Ansley, who got the $2.5M mosquito bite and was about to lose everything because he had MidWest National as his health insurance company. Well, Jerry got a small victory today because he will get to keep his house. UNC Hospitals said it will give up its claim… Read more about Small Victory
Smoking Ban Reduces Heart Attacks
A study done in the 18 months after Pueblo, Colorado enacted its smoking ban in 2003 shows a 27 percent decrease in hospital admissions for heart attacks for city residents. The study was led by Dr. Carl Bartecchi, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. “Heart attack… Read more about Smoking Ban Reduces Heart Attacks
Panel Recommends Basic Health Insurance Plan for All
A federal advisory panel said Monday that Congress should take immediate steps to guarantee that all Americans have access to affordable health care by 2012. As a first step, the 14-member panel, appointed by the comptroller general of the United States, said, “A national public or private program must be established to ensure protection against… Read more about Panel Recommends Basic Health Insurance Plan for All
Who Likes Personal Finance?
For those of us who can’t get enough information on personal finance, the Canadian Capitalist has over 50 articles in the Carnival of Personal Finance. My favorite entry was from InsureBlog about how important it is to choose the right health insurance policy. Mid-West National Insurance Company sells its limited benefit, hospital indemnity plans under… Read more about Who Likes Personal Finance?