In late September, I, and a bunch of other subject matter experts at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, spent a few mornings telling our producers and brokers (the people who help our clients find the right plan for themselves or their employees) all about what’s new from Blue for 2023 health plans. Read more
Since I was a little boy back in the 1960s, I’ve heard the stories over and over. You know, those family tales, the tribal lore that binds the older folks in your family with the younger ones. Tales you hear and, when you are younger, you just accept them. And then, as you get older, you really start to wonder about them. Read more
If you live in Louisiana long enough, odds are your life will be touched by cancer. Either you personally, or through the trials and tribulations of a loved one. I was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1983 and count myself fortunate to have survived the surgeries, the treatments and to be here, cancer-free since 1984. Read more
It’s a strange business, this health care stuff. I mean, what else do you use in your life that is so hard to predict? What else do you use or buy where you know so little up front about costs? Read more
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
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
