New year, new chance to live well. Experts share simple ways to enjoy your happiest, fittest, and most prosperous year yet. December 24, 2013 at 02:13AM
Scary Symptoms You Can Relax About | Health and Burn Weight
Weird lumps, bumps or rashes? Chances are you're just fine. November 23, 2013 at 02:13AM
10 Winter Health Myths Busted | Health and Burn Weight
Want to cozy up to better health this winter? First, shake off these common cold-weather health myths. November 19, 2013 at 02:13AM
Surprising Causes of Winter Depression | Health and Burn Weight
If you're down in the dumps this time of year, a lack of sunlight may not be the main problem. November 19, 2013 at 02:13AM
21 Holiday Health Mistakes | Health and Burn Weight
Why is it so hard to stay healthy during the holiday season? November 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
Holiday Gift Guide: Feel Good Gifts | Health and Burn Weight
Great gifts you can feel good about giving this holiday. November 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
9 Signs You're Headed for a Holiday Meltdown | Health and Burn Weight
Here are nine signs you could be headed for a holiday meltdown, and how to stop the implosion before it happens. November 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
5 Healthy Christmas Treats to Make With Kids | Health and Burn Weight
Cookies, popcorn, and other kid-friendly holiday treats are often loaded with fat and sugar. Ditch the store-bought varieties for simple recipes you can make together. November 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
11 Holiday Health Hazards to Avoid | Health and Burn Weight
Check out these top holiday health risks and what you can do to avoid them. November 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
I Started Running at Age 45 | Health and Burn Weight
If you're sedentary or overweight, you tend to develop type 2 diabetes at an earlier age than you would if you excercised and lost weight. Gerald Bernstein, MD, is an endocrinologist with a family history of the disease. He knew that exercise can help delay the onset of diabetes and started running in his mid-40s. He wasn't diagnosed until he was 65; many of his family members were diagnosed in their 40s. November 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
I Was Sinking Into a Diabetic Coma | Health and Burn Weight
Deborah, 57, thought she had strep throat, but she was sinking into a diabetic coma. She didn't know that high blood sugar that's left untreated can cause diabetic ketoacidosis or diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome; both are life threatening. November 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
Inspirational Holiday Quotes and Sayings | Health and Burn Weight
Motivational quotes on Christmas, life, love, and health. November 04, 2013 at 02:13AM
25 Ways to Fight Holiday Stress | Health and Burn Weight
Do you get stressed-out around the holidays? These 25 expert tips will help you relax and actually enjoy the holidays. November 04, 2013 at 02:13AM
10 Foods That Fight Holiday Stress | Health and Burn Weight
These foods that can slash stress, curb anxiety, and help you make it to the New Year emotionally unscathed. November 08, 2013 at 02:13AM
31 No-Stress Holiday Entertaining Tips | Health and Burn Weight
No need to run yourself ragged over the holidays. Try these tips for simple, elegant holiday entertaining. November 07, 2013 at 02:13AM
How to Make the Most of Your Health Insurance | Health and Burn Weight
If you're a regular reader of Health, then you already know that prevention is essential to good health—not just eating right and exercising, but staying on top of checkups and screenings to stop illness before it starts. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to make that easier, by obligating most insurers to cover a wide range of preventive health services at no cost to you. (Not insured? Starting in 2014, the ACA will require everyone to have health insurance or pay a fee.) "Ideally you will look at your doctor as your partner in wellness rather than someone who treats disease," says integrative medicine specialist Robin Miller, MD, co-author of The Smart Woman's Guide to Midlife and Beyond. Learn what you've got coming with this helpful guide.
1. Lots of preventive care is now free...
Under the ACA, you won't pay out-of-pocket costs or deductibles for many preventive-care visits, screenings and tests, including annual well-woman visits, contraception and regular mammograms. (For the full list, visit healthcare.gov/prevention.) Most plans, including those in the new health-insurance marketplaces, must offer 100 percent coverage if you use an in-network provider.
2. ...but you'll need to read the fine print.
Not every service is covered for everyone; some (like screenings for colorectal cancer) are only for those in a particular age or high-risk group. Also, in certain cases, the details of what's included are left to the discretion of the insurer, so it's key to check your plan. For example, if your doctor recommends another screening after your mammo, you may have to fork over a co-pay or coinsurance for the follow-up. And while all methods of birth control are covered, your particular brand might not be.
3. Your plan may be different.
Some of the ACA's rules don't apply to insurance plans that existed before March 23, 2010. Those plans are grandfathered, and if they don't make significant changes, they don't have to provide all the ACA benefits, including offering preventive care for free. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 36 percent of people who are insured through their work are in a grandfathered plan as of 2013. If that applies to you (and even if you just started a job, it could), the informational materials should clearly state that it is a grandfathered plan.
November 06, 2013 at 02:13AM
1. Lots of preventive care is now free...
Under the ACA, you won't pay out-of-pocket costs or deductibles for many preventive-care visits, screenings and tests, including annual well-woman visits, contraception and regular mammograms. (For the full list, visit healthcare.gov/prevention.) Most plans, including those in the new health-insurance marketplaces, must offer 100 percent coverage if you use an in-network provider.
2. ...but you'll need to read the fine print.
Not every service is covered for everyone; some (like screenings for colorectal cancer) are only for those in a particular age or high-risk group. Also, in certain cases, the details of what's included are left to the discretion of the insurer, so it's key to check your plan. For example, if your doctor recommends another screening after your mammo, you may have to fork over a co-pay or coinsurance for the follow-up. And while all methods of birth control are covered, your particular brand might not be.
3. Your plan may be different.
Some of the ACA's rules don't apply to insurance plans that existed before March 23, 2010. Those plans are grandfathered, and if they don't make significant changes, they don't have to provide all the ACA benefits, including offering preventive care for free. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 36 percent of people who are insured through their work are in a grandfathered plan as of 2013. If that applies to you (and even if you just started a job, it could), the informational materials should clearly state that it is a grandfathered plan.
November 06, 2013 at 02:13AM
Secret Natural Ingredient: Fennel | Health and Burn Weight
This versatile herb freshens your breath, soothes winter coughs, even slims your stomach. October 17, 2013 at 02:13AM
How Depression Can Make People Lose All Perspective | Health and Burn Weight
Some people with depression may not be able to talk about it. Get expert advice on the warning signs of depression. October 24, 2013 at 02:13AM
How to Help Someone Who is Suicidal | Health and Burn Weight
Get expert advice on how to tell if someone is a suicide risk and the things you should say. October 22, 2013 at 02:13AM
4 Questions to Ask Your Doctor | Health and Burn Weight
Ask these key questions to get more out of your health care provider. October 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
4 Easy Ways to Get Healthy Today | Health and Burn Weight
These simple tips can make a huge difference to your health. October 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick | Health and Burn Weight
These simple tips will help you stay healthy all year. October 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
Instant Energy Boosters | Health and Burn Weight
Instead of chugging another cup of coffee, try these all-natural energy boosters to jump-start your day. October 11, 2013 at 02:13AM
How Friends Save Our Lives (And Waistlines! And Sanity, Too!) | Health and Burn Weight
Between your gal pals, the ladies in your Zumba class, online buddies and work chums, you probably have even more friends than you realize. And that's significant: "Having lots of ways to connect is important, especially during midlife, when women are bogged down with balancing work and family, and can use all the support they can get," says Irene S. Levine, PhD, a psychologist in New York City and author of Best Friends Forever. Three groups of friends share stories about how they got each other through times of crisis, bolstering their bonds along the way.
My friends helped me survive cancer
When a doctor told Katya Lezin in 2011 that she had ovarian cancer, she assumed the worst and considered the diagnosis a "death sentence." After breaking the news to her husband and her three teenage children, the Charlotte, N.C., college adviser phoned her closest friends: Lorrina Eastman, a 46-year-old psychologist and mom of three, and writer Lisa Zerkle, 46, also a mother of three.
Katya: "Lorrina assured me that we'd be in this together and spelled out ways she'd help, like arranging for meal donations and planning a carpool to get my kids around. It took such a load off my mind. That week, Lorrina ordered bracelets from the American Cancer Society that said 'Courage'—they symbolize ovarian cancer awareness—and gave them to friends and family, which helped my kids feel bonded with everyone in my support network."
Lorrina: "The news left me numb. Katya's like a second mother to my children."
Lisa: "The chemo sessions were going to run up to 10 hours long. I made a schedule so friends could sign up for two-hour slots to wait with Katya. I also delicately turned away well-intentioned acquaintances when she felt like being alone."
Katya: "I'd get incredibly nauseous or totally loopy from the drugs, but Lisa's chemo-buddies idea was a highlight of my cancer journey. When friends overlapped between shifts, it turned into a big gabfest. At the end of the regime, one friend even said, 'Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm sad that your chemo is over.'"
Lorrina: "Sometimes Katya was so sick, and helping her family was the best thing we could do for her. I went to her daughter's winter concert at school and picked up a birthday cake for her youngest. Toward the end of her chemo treatments, she was exhausted but decided to run the annual Race for the Cure anyway. I ran with her—for support, and to make sure she didn't collapse. It turned out to be an empowering experience."
Katya: "As we crossed the finish line, I began sobbing. It was cathartic."
Lisa: "Classic Katya—she turned her experiences into a book, But I Just Grew Out My Bangs! A Cancer Tale.
Katya: "I'm nearing my two-year cancer-free mark, and I'm optimistic. In March, Lorrina and other friends organized a big birthday party for my 48th. I was 'kidnapped' for the day and taken from one fun activity to another, like a scavenger hunt. They've also planned three different weekends away for my husband and me. It's like I tell my kids, 'Life is not about how you act at Disneyland, it's how you act when things aren't going your way.' My friends have always been wonderful in good times, but I've been blown away by how they came through in the bad."
We lost 148 pounds together
Cincinnati high school teacher and mom of two Cheryl Buccino, 46, vowed to lose weight after hitting 209 pounds a couple of years ago. She found inspiration right across the hall: fellow teacher Natombi Simpson, 43, a mother of one who'd once weighed 248 pounds but seemed to be getting smaller and smaller by the day.
Cheryl: "It took months to ask how she was doing it. "
Natombi: "I knew how it felt to be bigger than you wanted to be. I knew I could help her."
Cheryl: "Natombi was hyped up about Weight Watchers, so I joined, too. She'd text me things like 'Tell me what you ate for lunch.' At the end-of-year school cookout, we brought our own salad and angel food cake."
Natombi: "It was never a competition! Having her to share successes and setbacks with made losing much easier. I got Cheryl—who swore she couldn't clap in time to music—to try Zumba. And she helped with my body image: Even after I'd lost a lot of weight, I stuck to baggy clothes. She got me to try more fitted ones."
Cheryl: "One day Natombi twirled around in the hall to show me her jeans—a size 8, down from a 22. We were jumping up and down."
Natombi: "I've lost 93 pounds! Inspiring Cheryl keeps me motivated still."
Cheryl: "I've lost 55 pounds and feel years younger. If I screw up and overeat, I start fresh the next day, no guilt—something Natombi taught me."
My best friend saved my life
Public-affairs manager
Kelley Cone, 47, and at-home mom Denise Hus, 48, met while cheering on their sons at high school basketball games in Midland, Mich. In March 2011, before a joint vacation, Denise got a painful cough that wouldn't go away.
Denise: "Kelley kept bugging me to get it checked before we left for Florida. At school, she spotted me and yelled, 'I'm going to drive you to Urgent Care myself if you don't take yourself.'"
Kelley: "I figured that with antibiotics and rest, she'd be good to go."
Denise: "At Urgent Care, a chest X-ray revealed a suspicious shadow. The doctor told me to go for a CT scan. The results showed an aortic dissection—a tear that could lead to a fatal rupture. I sat with my husband, Mike, in shock while ER nurses and doctors rushed into the room. I kept repeating, 'Is this really happening? I feel fine.' They scheduled me for open heart surgery the next day."
Kelley: "When I got the call from Mike, I didn't believe it. It was freaking scary. But then I was relieved that I'd nagged her that morning."
Denise: "I was most worried about my three boys. It helped knowing that Kelley was preparing their meals and distracting them with activities. She kept my spirits up, joking that this was the last trip I was going to get out of! The surgery went fine. My doctor told me my cough was actually unrelated to the aortic dissection—it was just a blessing that I had gotten it checked out. My heart would never have withstood a flight. Kelley saved my life—something I shared when I spoke at an American Heart Association 'Go Red' event."
Kelley: "I don't want credit; any friend would've done the same. I still turn it back on her, like during a toast when our families go on spring break. I'll say, 'What would we do without you here?'"
October 09, 2013 at 02:13AM
My friends helped me survive cancer
When a doctor told Katya Lezin in 2011 that she had ovarian cancer, she assumed the worst and considered the diagnosis a "death sentence." After breaking the news to her husband and her three teenage children, the Charlotte, N.C., college adviser phoned her closest friends: Lorrina Eastman, a 46-year-old psychologist and mom of three, and writer Lisa Zerkle, 46, also a mother of three.
Katya: "Lorrina assured me that we'd be in this together and spelled out ways she'd help, like arranging for meal donations and planning a carpool to get my kids around. It took such a load off my mind. That week, Lorrina ordered bracelets from the American Cancer Society that said 'Courage'—they symbolize ovarian cancer awareness—and gave them to friends and family, which helped my kids feel bonded with everyone in my support network."
Lorrina: "The news left me numb. Katya's like a second mother to my children."
Lisa: "The chemo sessions were going to run up to 10 hours long. I made a schedule so friends could sign up for two-hour slots to wait with Katya. I also delicately turned away well-intentioned acquaintances when she felt like being alone."
Katya: "I'd get incredibly nauseous or totally loopy from the drugs, but Lisa's chemo-buddies idea was a highlight of my cancer journey. When friends overlapped between shifts, it turned into a big gabfest. At the end of the regime, one friend even said, 'Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm sad that your chemo is over.'"
Lorrina: "Sometimes Katya was so sick, and helping her family was the best thing we could do for her. I went to her daughter's winter concert at school and picked up a birthday cake for her youngest. Toward the end of her chemo treatments, she was exhausted but decided to run the annual Race for the Cure anyway. I ran with her—for support, and to make sure she didn't collapse. It turned out to be an empowering experience."
Katya: "As we crossed the finish line, I began sobbing. It was cathartic."
Lisa: "Classic Katya—she turned her experiences into a book, But I Just Grew Out My Bangs! A Cancer Tale.
Katya: "I'm nearing my two-year cancer-free mark, and I'm optimistic. In March, Lorrina and other friends organized a big birthday party for my 48th. I was 'kidnapped' for the day and taken from one fun activity to another, like a scavenger hunt. They've also planned three different weekends away for my husband and me. It's like I tell my kids, 'Life is not about how you act at Disneyland, it's how you act when things aren't going your way.' My friends have always been wonderful in good times, but I've been blown away by how they came through in the bad."
We lost 148 pounds together
Cincinnati high school teacher and mom of two Cheryl Buccino, 46, vowed to lose weight after hitting 209 pounds a couple of years ago. She found inspiration right across the hall: fellow teacher Natombi Simpson, 43, a mother of one who'd once weighed 248 pounds but seemed to be getting smaller and smaller by the day.
Cheryl: "It took months to ask how she was doing it. "
Natombi: "I knew how it felt to be bigger than you wanted to be. I knew I could help her."
Cheryl: "Natombi was hyped up about Weight Watchers, so I joined, too. She'd text me things like 'Tell me what you ate for lunch.' At the end-of-year school cookout, we brought our own salad and angel food cake."
Natombi: "It was never a competition! Having her to share successes and setbacks with made losing much easier. I got Cheryl—who swore she couldn't clap in time to music—to try Zumba. And she helped with my body image: Even after I'd lost a lot of weight, I stuck to baggy clothes. She got me to try more fitted ones."
Cheryl: "One day Natombi twirled around in the hall to show me her jeans—a size 8, down from a 22. We were jumping up and down."
Natombi: "I've lost 93 pounds! Inspiring Cheryl keeps me motivated still."
Cheryl: "I've lost 55 pounds and feel years younger. If I screw up and overeat, I start fresh the next day, no guilt—something Natombi taught me."
My best friend saved my life
Public-affairs manager
Kelley Cone, 47, and at-home mom Denise Hus, 48, met while cheering on their sons at high school basketball games in Midland, Mich. In March 2011, before a joint vacation, Denise got a painful cough that wouldn't go away.
Denise: "Kelley kept bugging me to get it checked before we left for Florida. At school, she spotted me and yelled, 'I'm going to drive you to Urgent Care myself if you don't take yourself.'"
Kelley: "I figured that with antibiotics and rest, she'd be good to go."
Denise: "At Urgent Care, a chest X-ray revealed a suspicious shadow. The doctor told me to go for a CT scan. The results showed an aortic dissection—a tear that could lead to a fatal rupture. I sat with my husband, Mike, in shock while ER nurses and doctors rushed into the room. I kept repeating, 'Is this really happening? I feel fine.' They scheduled me for open heart surgery the next day."
Kelley: "When I got the call from Mike, I didn't believe it. It was freaking scary. But then I was relieved that I'd nagged her that morning."
Denise: "I was most worried about my three boys. It helped knowing that Kelley was preparing their meals and distracting them with activities. She kept my spirits up, joking that this was the last trip I was going to get out of! The surgery went fine. My doctor told me my cough was actually unrelated to the aortic dissection—it was just a blessing that I had gotten it checked out. My heart would never have withstood a flight. Kelley saved my life—something I shared when I spoke at an American Heart Association 'Go Red' event."
Kelley: "I don't want credit; any friend would've done the same. I still turn it back on her, like during a toast when our families go on spring break. I'll say, 'What would we do without you here?'"
October 09, 2013 at 02:13AM
14 Health Products You Probably Don't Need | Health and Burn Weight
The messages can be seducing: Lose weight without trying. Build muscle without lifting a finger. Wake up flawless. Check out these 14 products that promise, but probably won’t deliver, a healthier you. October 05, 2013 at 02:13AM
10 Best Big Cities for People With Asthma | Health and Burn Weight
In this slideshow we take a look at the 10 best big cities to live in if you have asthma, as ranked by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Is your city on the list? September 30, 2013 at 02:13AM
6 Things You Need to Know About Insurance | Health and Burn Weight
Here's what the Affordable Care Act means for your family's health insurance coverage. October 02, 2013 at 02:13AM
How to Optimize Your Health Insurance Plan | Health and Burn Weight
Q: Its open enrollment season for health insurance. What should I compare policies on to make sure I get the best one for the price?
A: Generally, you want to look at price, coverage, and ease of use. Clearly, affordability should weigh heavily in your decision, but don't let that be the sole criteria. "Costs are much more than premiums," says Leslie Fried, director of the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment and director of policy and programs for the National Council on Aging.
If you have a preferred doctor, make sure he or she accepts the plan you're considering, says Frederic Riccardi, director of Client Services at the Medicare Rights Center. Also, look at the prescription drug costs in the plan and whether the drugs you take are actually covered, the deductible you have to pay before benefits kick in, and the overall amount you can be expected to shell out in any given year.
If youre in good health and single, you can save money by picking a low-cost, high-deductible plan that will cover you mainly for major procedures. However, if you go to the doctor a lot or have kids, dont make the mistake of picking a cheap policy only to later discover that it only covers major injuries or catastrophic illnesses. In the new Insurance Marketplace, established as part of the Affordable Care Act, the Platinum Plan offers the highest premium with the highest coverage. The Bronze Plan offers the lowest premium but also the least amount of coverage, with the individual paying 40% of medical services, says Fried.
On the coverage front, find out what services and procedures are included—as well as which treatments are excluded. Then, figure out how you would fare in a typical year, based on your expected use of benefits, the premiums, co-pays, and prescription drugs you may need. For instance, if you take specific medications, you might choose a plan with higher premiums if the drug costs were low enough to offset it.
Finally, check how easy it is for you to access benefits: How do you submit claims? Is phone or online assistance readily available? And whats the process for seeing specialists or consulting doctors of your choice? Weigh all three of these areas—cost, coverage, and ease of use—on what your likely medical needs will be for the upcoming year, then go with the plan that has the best fit.
And open enrollment happens every year, it's important to review your coverage every year. "If your health status changes, you're going to want to revisit your choices," says Fried. October 02, 2013 at 02:13AM
18 Key Facts About the Affordable Care Act | Health and Burn Weight
Don't have health insurance? Here's how the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) will change that. October 01, 2013 at 02:13AM
How Much Will My Health Insurance Cost? | Health and Burn Weight
Finding health insurance that doesn't crush your household budget may soon get a little easier thanks to the new health insurance marketplaces, or exchanges, operating in every state.
But how much will a good health plan set you back? And do you qualify for a federal tax credit to lower your monthly premiums?
You can find out what your costs and potential savings might be when you submit an application for health insurance through your state marketplace. (Open enrollment in the health insurance exchanges, a centerpiece of the health reform law known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, runs from October 1 through March 31, 2014.)
But if you just want a rough estimate before diving into the exchange, you can try one of the online calculators that have popped up on the web, including some state marketplace websites.
“I think its a first good place to get started,” said Regan Hunt, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health, a Louisville-based nonprofit coalition working to ensure access to affordable health care. “Some people really like to do their due diligence and their research before getting online to go shopping,” she said.
However, the calculators are limited in what they can tell you, she added. How you define your household size, for example, or your estimated earnings after a job loss could affect the numbers.
“Your final premiums and costs may differ from the estimates, perhaps significantly, depending on where you live and the coverage you select,” cautions HealthCare.gov, the federal governments website for health reform information.
Hunts advice? Try several calculators to see if theres much difference in the answers you get. “Dont just stick with one.”
Four Calculators to Try
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundations Subsidy Calculator
HealthCare.gov directs consumers to The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundations subsidy calculator . Enter your state, an estimate of your 2014 annual income, whether you have access to employer coverage, the number of people in your family, including the number of adults and children, and whether anyone is a smoker.
The calculator can tell where your household income ranks as a percentage of the federal poverty level, whether you would qualify for Medicaid and, if you qualify for coverage through the marketplace, what your annual premium might be and the size of the federal tax credit you may receive to offset your costs. Itll tell you the premium and cost-sharing amounts for a “silver” plan and compare those estimates to what you might pay in a “bronze” plan. It also tells you the most you would pay out of pocket.
If you have kids, the calculator will advise you about other coverage options, such as the Childrens Health Insurance Program.
eHealth Inc.
At eHealth Inc. , the parent company of online health insurance site eHealthInsurance, you can find out whether you may be eligible for the premium tax credit based on your household size and income level.
Just plug in a few pieces of data and the calculator spits out the amount of the tax credit you may receive based on a typical plan in your state. It also tells you the penalty you would pay in 2014 if you chose not to remain uninsured.
GoHealth
Or you can try GoHealth , another online portal for health insurance, which calculates your premium and tax credit using your zip code, income, age and family size.
SHOUTAmerica
The nonprofit group SHOUTAmerica, through its educational initiative Young Americans for Affordable Healthcare offers a tool for figuring out how health reform will affect young adults insurance costs in 2014.
Use it to ballpark your cost after any applicable premium tax credit. You can also learn about other health insurance options. For example, young adults under 26 may be eligible to stay on their parents health plan, and adults under 30 can buy a “catastrophic” health plan with a lower premium but higher out-of-pocket costs. October 01, 2013 at 02:13AM
But how much will a good health plan set you back? And do you qualify for a federal tax credit to lower your monthly premiums?
You can find out what your costs and potential savings might be when you submit an application for health insurance through your state marketplace. (Open enrollment in the health insurance exchanges, a centerpiece of the health reform law known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, runs from October 1 through March 31, 2014.)
But if you just want a rough estimate before diving into the exchange, you can try one of the online calculators that have popped up on the web, including some state marketplace websites.
“I think its a first good place to get started,” said Regan Hunt, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health, a Louisville-based nonprofit coalition working to ensure access to affordable health care. “Some people really like to do their due diligence and their research before getting online to go shopping,” she said.
However, the calculators are limited in what they can tell you, she added. How you define your household size, for example, or your estimated earnings after a job loss could affect the numbers.
“Your final premiums and costs may differ from the estimates, perhaps significantly, depending on where you live and the coverage you select,” cautions HealthCare.gov, the federal governments website for health reform information.
Hunts advice? Try several calculators to see if theres much difference in the answers you get. “Dont just stick with one.”
Four Calculators to Try
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundations Subsidy Calculator
HealthCare.gov directs consumers to The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundations subsidy calculator . Enter your state, an estimate of your 2014 annual income, whether you have access to employer coverage, the number of people in your family, including the number of adults and children, and whether anyone is a smoker.
The calculator can tell where your household income ranks as a percentage of the federal poverty level, whether you would qualify for Medicaid and, if you qualify for coverage through the marketplace, what your annual premium might be and the size of the federal tax credit you may receive to offset your costs. Itll tell you the premium and cost-sharing amounts for a “silver” plan and compare those estimates to what you might pay in a “bronze” plan. It also tells you the most you would pay out of pocket.
If you have kids, the calculator will advise you about other coverage options, such as the Childrens Health Insurance Program.
eHealth Inc.
At eHealth Inc. , the parent company of online health insurance site eHealthInsurance, you can find out whether you may be eligible for the premium tax credit based on your household size and income level.
Just plug in a few pieces of data and the calculator spits out the amount of the tax credit you may receive based on a typical plan in your state. It also tells you the penalty you would pay in 2014 if you chose not to remain uninsured.
GoHealth
Or you can try GoHealth , another online portal for health insurance, which calculates your premium and tax credit using your zip code, income, age and family size.
SHOUTAmerica
The nonprofit group SHOUTAmerica, through its educational initiative Young Americans for Affordable Healthcare offers a tool for figuring out how health reform will affect young adults insurance costs in 2014.
Use it to ballpark your cost after any applicable premium tax credit. You can also learn about other health insurance options. For example, young adults under 26 may be eligible to stay on their parents health plan, and adults under 30 can buy a “catastrophic” health plan with a lower premium but higher out-of-pocket costs. October 01, 2013 at 02:13AM
5 Proven Ways to Reduce Your Medical Bills | Health and Burn Weight
Few people realize that in the murky world of medical billing, there is often room for negotiation. If youre paying providers from your own pocket—because you have no insurance, have maxed out your insurance, or are seeking treatment out-of-network—its worth asking for a discount on services. Hospitals and doctors will sometimes consider accepting less than the full list price—after all, they routinely give substantial discounts when the payer is Medicare, Medicaid, or an insurance company. Even with an overdue bill, the provider may be persuaded to be flexible. Here are some bargaining strategies you can try.
1. Pay today. Go to the billing office and offer to pay with cash or by credit card on the spot. “I would try for a 20% discount,” says Larry Gelb, CEO of CareCounsel LLC, a health-care advocacy firm. “Often they will be obliging because they have a big incentive to get it settled rather than to go through a long, drawn-out collection. If you tie it to a little bit of a hardship story, you will increase your chances.”
2. Disclose your family income. You may be uncomfortable volunteering information about how much money you make, but if youre facing, for example, a $10,000 bill from a specialist, it might help to explain that your family of four lives on an income of $50,000. “Compared to the person with a net family income of $250,000, the health-care provider will look at those two people very differently,” says Marty Rosen, a former Aetna U.S. Healthcare executive and a cofounder of Health Advocate, a provider of health-care advocacy services to businesses and individuals. This is not a good strategy, Rosen notes, for families in an upper-income bracket.
3. Pile on the compliments. “A lot of doctors really respond to schmoozing,” says Laura Valentine, director of client services at CareCounsel. When she approaches billers on behalf of a patient, she appeals to doctors egos with a bit of flattery. She suggests saying something like, “I really wanted to have my cancer treatment here because my friends and colleagues all say youre the best and the brightest. But I have limitations on my pocketbook. Is there any type of discount or anything that you can do?”
4. Use Medicare rates to your advantage. Finding out what Medicare pays doctors and hospitals to perform a specific medical procedure will take a bit of research, but it is a gambit professional patient advocates frequently use. To do it, read carefully, because these steps are complicated: First ask your doctors office for the procedures CPT code, which stands for “Current Procedural Terminology” and is a code set developed and maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA) to ensure uniformity in describing medical, surgical, and diagnostic services. Next, go to the AMA websites CPT search engine to look up the Medicare payment for that procedure in your geographical area. (For example, the CPT code for one type of breast reconstruction surgery is 19361. Searching for the state of New York and the city of Manhattan, with the five-digit CPT code 19361, turns up a Medicare payment of $1808.76 for the procedure.) You can use that information in negotiating your non-Medicare rate, which you should do before the procedure. “Whatever you can do up-front is the best,” advises Valentine.
Not only will you have more bargaining leverage pre-procedure, but then, should anything change during or after the procedure, the hospital will also have a record that they cooperated with you before and will more likely be willing to cooperate again. For both hospital and doctors bills, a reasonable offer would be 25% above the Medicare rate, suggests Nora Johnson, the vice president and director of education and compliance for Medical Billing Advocates of America. If you are thinking about negotiating a hospital bill, however, consider hiring a professional advocate, since hospital bills are considerably more complex, Johnson adds.
5. Use your emotional state to your advantage. You may be feeling a lot of stress, but calling an administrator from the hospital an idiot is not going to get you very far. Instead, say something like, “I am just so frustrated right now. My spouse is ill, and Ive been trying to deal with my health plan, but I really want to make sure you get paid too.” Chances are, “because of human nature, they will try to help you, unless you get someone who is very hard,” says Valentine. September 27, 2013 at 02:13AM
1. Pay today. Go to the billing office and offer to pay with cash or by credit card on the spot. “I would try for a 20% discount,” says Larry Gelb, CEO of CareCounsel LLC, a health-care advocacy firm. “Often they will be obliging because they have a big incentive to get it settled rather than to go through a long, drawn-out collection. If you tie it to a little bit of a hardship story, you will increase your chances.”
2. Disclose your family income. You may be uncomfortable volunteering information about how much money you make, but if youre facing, for example, a $10,000 bill from a specialist, it might help to explain that your family of four lives on an income of $50,000. “Compared to the person with a net family income of $250,000, the health-care provider will look at those two people very differently,” says Marty Rosen, a former Aetna U.S. Healthcare executive and a cofounder of Health Advocate, a provider of health-care advocacy services to businesses and individuals. This is not a good strategy, Rosen notes, for families in an upper-income bracket.
3. Pile on the compliments. “A lot of doctors really respond to schmoozing,” says Laura Valentine, director of client services at CareCounsel. When she approaches billers on behalf of a patient, she appeals to doctors egos with a bit of flattery. She suggests saying something like, “I really wanted to have my cancer treatment here because my friends and colleagues all say youre the best and the brightest. But I have limitations on my pocketbook. Is there any type of discount or anything that you can do?”
4. Use Medicare rates to your advantage. Finding out what Medicare pays doctors and hospitals to perform a specific medical procedure will take a bit of research, but it is a gambit professional patient advocates frequently use. To do it, read carefully, because these steps are complicated: First ask your doctors office for the procedures CPT code, which stands for “Current Procedural Terminology” and is a code set developed and maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA) to ensure uniformity in describing medical, surgical, and diagnostic services. Next, go to the AMA websites CPT search engine to look up the Medicare payment for that procedure in your geographical area. (For example, the CPT code for one type of breast reconstruction surgery is 19361. Searching for the state of New York and the city of Manhattan, with the five-digit CPT code 19361, turns up a Medicare payment of $1808.76 for the procedure.) You can use that information in negotiating your non-Medicare rate, which you should do before the procedure. “Whatever you can do up-front is the best,” advises Valentine.
Not only will you have more bargaining leverage pre-procedure, but then, should anything change during or after the procedure, the hospital will also have a record that they cooperated with you before and will more likely be willing to cooperate again. For both hospital and doctors bills, a reasonable offer would be 25% above the Medicare rate, suggests Nora Johnson, the vice president and director of education and compliance for Medical Billing Advocates of America. If you are thinking about negotiating a hospital bill, however, consider hiring a professional advocate, since hospital bills are considerably more complex, Johnson adds.
5. Use your emotional state to your advantage. You may be feeling a lot of stress, but calling an administrator from the hospital an idiot is not going to get you very far. Instead, say something like, “I am just so frustrated right now. My spouse is ill, and Ive been trying to deal with my health plan, but I really want to make sure you get paid too.” Chances are, “because of human nature, they will try to help you, unless you get someone who is very hard,” says Valentine. September 27, 2013 at 02:13AM
15 Tips for Saving Money on Prescription Drugs | Health and Burn Weight
Medication can cost a bundle. Here's how to save money on prescription drugs. September 27, 2013 at 02:13AM
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