A new federal rule requires health insurers to provide birth control, for free, to their policyholders. This is because birth control is considered to be preventative care. Employers who offer employer sponsored health insurance cannot opt out of this mandate. Some religious groups are upset about this. In August of 2011, a new health reform law was passed. This law included birth control into the category of preventative care. A previous law required insurers to cover all preventative health services at no cost to the policyholder. Essentially, this means that health insurance policies must offer all forms of prescription contraception … Continue reading →

We recently cancelled our health insurance policy. This is the sort of decision that can cause some people to feel a certain amount of regret. It is difficult to feel regretful about canceling insurance from a company that has inspired a website called “Sick of Blue Cross”. There was just enough time between when we got approved for health insurance, and when the policy actually “kicked in” for me to do some research about it. I went through the booklets that the insurance company sent me with a fine tooth comb. I called my dentist and my doctor, and directly … Continue reading →

Walmart will be making changes to its employee health insurance plans. It appears that this will enable the corporation to save money on health care. Unfortunately, the cost of health insurance will increase for employees, and it will be harder for workers to be eligible for it. Walmart might be a good place to shop for people who are looking for low prices. In my opinion, though, Walmart is not the best place to find employment. I’ve never liked the idea of the strange “cheer” that they make workers do every day before the store opens. I also don’t like … Continue reading →

We are all inundated with advertisements. Insurance companies have learned to be clever with the types of ads they produce. State Farm has created an advertisement that appears, at first glance, to be a magazine. It got my attention. I just got back from a week long vacation (that included a family wedding). It amazes me how many different forms of advertisements I have seen in that span of time. Most of the ads were unmemorable, and I forgot about them the instant they went away. The airline pilots rattled off a sales pitch to the passengers about a credit … Continue reading →

Recently, my husband and I finally got approved for health insurance. Surprisingly, we were able to find a policy that we actually could afford. This week, I learned that a free health clinic that is located in the town that we live in is about to open up. This made us both wonder. Do we really need health insurance? So far, the company that we purchased health insurance from has sent us information that describes what our dental insurance covers, (and all of the things that it is not going to cover). We have yet to get any specific information … Continue reading →

Most of us are living on a budget. When we spend money, it is usually for something that we want to get, or for something that we want to continue to have. Those of us who can afford it, however, are spending quite a bit of money on some things that we hope we will never have to use. That something is called “Insurance”. I think that insurance might very well be the only thing that works in this backwards fashion. Usually, you find something that you want, and you spend money in anticipation of enjoying whatever it was that … Continue reading →

I went for my very first acupuncture treatment today, and doing so had me wondering about health insurance and non-traditional forms of health care. Does your health insurance cover acupuncture treatment? Does the answer to that question influence your decision to pursue this kind of treatment? My decision to try acupuncture came shortly after an incredibly horrific week of allergy symptoms. I’ve written several articles and blogs in the past that describe a little bit about what I deal with when my allergies go haywire. It’s unpleasant, to put it mildly. I’ve already been through most of what Western medicine … Continue reading →

Since the Affordable Health Care Act was signed, there have been some changes that made it easier for some people to get health insurance. Those with pre-existing conditions cannot be turned away simply because of the pre-existing condition. In many states, insurance companies are offering more options for parents to get health insurance for their children. Despite these changes, there are still quite a lot of people who are having difficulty getting health insurance. My husband and I do not have the kind of employment situations that offer employer sponsored health insurance. We have tried to get health insurance but … Continue reading →

I live in California, and it has been raining for days on end. This is the most rain, and the longest rainfall for consecutive days, that I have seen in the five years that I’ve lived in California. This is the sort of weather that makes citizens of sunny California wonder if they need flood insurance. I am not a native Californian. I grew up in the Midwest, where what I think of as “real weather” actually happens. I’ve experienced rain that lasts for weeks on end, and loud and booming thunderstorms that knock out all the power for entire … Continue reading →