To combat cost increases that are expected to top 7% this year, many employers are looking at consumer directed health plans for savings. More than half of employers surveyed recently by the National Business Group on Health are increasing the percentage of plan costs paid by employees while 4 out of 10 have increased their [...]
You don’t have to sacrifice taste to keep your heart healthy. There are some good-for- your-heart foods that just might surprise you.
People often equate price with quality, believing that a higher price gets you a superior product. In the case of prescription drugs, however, that belief could be leading you to spend more money than necessary.
Most doctors are trained to make patient-care recommendations without regard for cost. This can be a problem. Such was the case for one physician’s patient who returned for his next visit without having gotten tests and medications the doctor ordered. “I couldn’t afford them,” the patient said, embarrassed. Had the doctor known, he could have [...]
5 tips to avoid money squabbles with your partner Figure out what’s important. Make a list of short- (less than three years), medium- (three to 10 years), and longterm (10-plus years) financial goals. Rank the goals. Create a plan to achieve them, and get started.
If you are like me, you are looking back at 2011 with amazement. Where did the year go and how did 365 days go by so quickly? At least I had an excuse. For the sake of accurate healthcare reporting, and a severe case of arthritis, I personally tested the quality of the area medical [...]
It is not uncommon for employers to provide special terms to departing executives regarding their group health coverage that they do not generally offer to rank and file employees. Common examples include a period of remaining on active coverage status even after employment responsibilities have largely ceased (for instance during any period in which the [...]
While FSAs are still one of the most popular benefits offered by employers, having to exhaust the funds in these accounts at the end of every plan year to avoid losing them continues to be a big deterrent.
In the next 15 months, six of the top 10 drugs used by Americans will face generic competition. Nearly 15 million consumers take Lipitor for cholesterol, the anti-clotting drug Plavix and Actos for diabetes. Others include Nexium, Advair, Diskus, Seroquel and Cymbalta, which will go to generic form in July of 2014.
A total cholesterol number below 200 is desirable, but there’s more to the complete picture. When it comes to HDL or “good cholesterol,” the higher the better. Men should aim for 40 or above, women 50 or above. An LDL (“bad cholesterol”) under 130 is the target for most people. But that can drop to [...]