Tag Archive for premiums

Save Money & Be Healthy

Starting tomorrow, we’ll pay LESS for health insurance premiums–that’s according to (believe it or not) an insurance company, Kaiser, who cites a government report as its source and apparently believes it. Under “Obamacare,” rates will vary among states but will be overall lower than current rates.  If that’s true, and if all Americans will have affordable access to health care (a healthy nation is a strong nation!), why is that one group of legislators trying to kill the plan?*

Read the article for yourself in KHN News.

*[Note: I’m still soliciting members for my new political party, the Coffee Party, where our motto is “We are the caffeine to wake up America.”]

 

 

Medicare Care & Cost for 2013

Medicare will be more user-friendly this year.  The Affordable Care Act addressed several problems the older generation was having with the program.  In 2013, these provisions kick in.

One is free preventative services (including help to stop smoking) to make us healthier.  Also, we’ll get a much clearer summary of benefits (larger print, understandable language, definitions of terms used). It will contain other useful information, as well, like how to read it and report what we feel is fraud.  Next, the “donut hole” that people who use the prescription drug plan have been facing shrinks.  It will take another seven years to close, but at least it’s getting smaller.  In addition, mental health coverage is increasing.  If you go to a psychiatrist, for example, your co-pay will be less, and many of the prescriptions he writes for you to treat your mental disorder will now be covered.

Of course, with all the improvements to the program, we’ll have to pay a little more this year.  Our premiums will increase by a few dollars per month.  However, I think those few dollars added up for a year will be a small amount compared to what I would have had to pay for the added services, meaning I’ll save money and get better care.  I like that idea.