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Medicare For All: What Does That Really Mean?

Good question. Not sure anyone really knows the answer. The truth is very few people understand what Medicare is and how it works. This includes current and future recipients. If you watch much television, you see a myriad of commercials describing Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplemental pans. What are those plans and why would you… Continue reading Medicare For All: What Does That Really Mean?

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HSAs: What’s the Best Account for You?

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are often described as a tax-advantaged account that can be used as a means to assist individuals and families with high deductible health insurance plans manage current medical costs. More recently, however, the benefits of using HSAs as a supplemental retirement plan has become more widely identified as an attractive financial… Continue reading HSAs: What’s the Best Account for You?

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High Deductible Health Plans: Is the Landscape Changing?

The introduction of high deductible health plans in 2003 drastically changed the employer sponsored health care plan landscape. A change in the tax code encouraged employers to experiment with offering these plans. In addition to reducing costs to employers, the idea behind these plans was that by educating employees and have them bear increased costs… Continue reading High Deductible Health Plans: Is the Landscape Changing?

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Want to Know How to Stay Healthy? Ask the Government

This week, the federal government, through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has published its Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAG) second edition. These guidelines (the first study was unveiled in 2008) describes what constitutes physical activity and its relationship to health and well being. According to the report, “Approximately 80% of US adults and… Continue reading Want to Know How to Stay Healthy? Ask the Government

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Midterm Elections and Preexisting Conditions: Confused?

To say the least. Preexisting conditions and the ability to access and keep health insurance is one of the most, if not the most, critical issues on Tuesday. It may be the most important provision of the Affordable Care Act. The ACA, however, and other protection for preexisting conditions that came before it, could be… Continue reading Midterm Elections and Preexisting Conditions: Confused?

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HSAs: Health Care or Retirement Savings?

That depends. When HSAs became available in 2004 as a complement to high deductible healthcare plans, the premise was that individuals and families could make tax-deductible contributions and use the funds to pay unreimbursed medical expenses. With the increase of high deductible health plans as an option, and in many cases the only option for… Continue reading HSAs: Health Care or Retirement Savings?