Category: Cost of Healthcare

Category: ACA and Policy, Cost of Healthcare, Health and Wellness

Why Bother With Health Insurance?

It’s Expensive, I Don’t Use It Much

As we were developing our recent Straight Talk posts that dealt directly with terminology, how health insurance pays for your health care, and how your out-of-pocket spending and your health insurance carrier’s spending relate to your premiums, another question kept coming up. This one came specifically from younger folks with health insurance. It went something like this: Read more

Category: ACA and Policy, Cost of Healthcare, Health Insurance

What’s the Deal with Copays?

Very recently on Straight Talk, I wrote a piece designed to help you understand your health insurance. This explained what all the words –deductibles, networks, claims, etc. – really mean. I also broke down who pays for what when a medical bill shows up. You might remember the three payment zones – the deductible zone, the coinsurance zone and the max out-of-pocket zone.

As soon as we published that piece, I heard this question: “So Mike, how do copays fit into all this stuff?” Read more

Category: Cost of Healthcare, Health Insurance

Want To See Something Cool? Watch This:

As my lovely bride of 35+ years will tell you, I’m a bit of a new-gadget person (that’s like saying Tiger Woods might have hit a golf ball or two in his time). I’ve always been fascinated by new technology and new ways of getting things done. So, as you might imagine, I have quite a collection of toys and apps. Would it surprise you to know I started computer gaming on home computers in 1981? Or that I’m still at it? Yep, last night was “Halo Night!”  That’s the reality of me. Read more