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Health Insurance
Reality Check: Working at Starbucks, Just For the Health Care
Health insurance has become an invaluable benefit — if an accident were to occur and you didn't have coverage, you could be paying off a mountain of medical debt for years to come. A Reuters article highlights just how important insurance is for Americans when considering employment opportunities, and profiles a mother of three in Texas who has taken a part-time job just for the medical benefits.
That's right, full-time real estate agent Lisa DeWaal spends the first four hours of her days serving coffee at a Starbucks before heading to her office.
Your Two Cents: Do You Have Health Insurance?
Big changes could be in the future for health insurance. Are you currently insured?
Your Two Cents: Do You Have Health Insurance?
I'm Asking: Do You Keep Up With Routine Dental Care?
Fresh off the news that dentists have noticed an uptick in client visits, a new study suggests many Americans forgo routine dental care because it is considered a "luxury item."
A consumer adviser for the American Dental Association warns (just like your mother!) that prevention is always cheaper than fixing problems later, so anyone attempting to skimp out on routine visits is only hurting herself down the road.
I happen to be a little compulsive about dentist visits and take advantage of my dental coverage every six months, but I know many people don't have coverage and struggle to make room in their budget for routine work.
7 Steps to Take When You've Been Laid Off
The economy has been shedding jobs at an accelerated rate, forcing many workers to be the bearers of bad news when telling their families they've been laid off. A lot of people haven't dealt with a layoff before and feel panicked entering new territory. Start the slideshow to see seven steps that will help you gain control after losing your job.
6 Things About COBRA Under the New Stimulus
As if having to search for a new job after a layoff isn't enough stress, jobless workers must consider how they'll get health care coverage without their old employers' plans. COBRA, short for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act passed by Congress in 1986, requires most group health care plans to provide a temporary continuation of coverage that an employee would typically lose after termination.
The downside to COBRA has been cost, but the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 calls for a 65 percent subsidy toward group health insurance premiums for laid-off employees.
Dentists and Deodorant Are Recession Bedfellows
There aren't many winners in this economy, so it's interesting to see which businesses are posting profits and getting it done despite the recession. It has become clear that hygiene is of the utmost importance as of late because dentistry and deodorant makers have been sitting pretty through the crisis.
Dentists attribute an uptick in client visits to a couple of patterns: People are grinding their teeth so much because of economy-related stress and need dental work because of it; those without dental insurance are putting off appointments to the point where they need serious work; and nervous employees with insurance are rushing to get to the dentist while they still have coverage.
I'm Asking: Have Your Healthcare Expenses Increased in 2009?
I feel lucky to have health insurance because I know that so many Americans are living without it. That being said, it really hurts when necessary expenses increase while our salaries stay the same. Updated healthcare packages typically come with the new year, and as the costs of those packages increases, it's only natural that employers pass them on to their employees.
News Flash: Nation Sees More Jobless Claims Than Expected
The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits went up by a larger than expected rate last week, according to The New York Times.
Claims for state unemployment insurance benefits increased to 478,000 in the week that ended Oct. 18, from 463,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said.
Should You Stick to Your Current Health Care Plan? Maybe
The most confusing part of getting my first job out of college wasn't getting used to the structured days, it was deciphering the health care plan options that were offered in my benefits package. Years later, the choices make a little more sense but they still aren't 100 percent clear, and one thing is for sure: health care is more expensive. Hewitt Associates estimates that total health care spending will cost eight percent more than it was last year, and not paying attention to whether or not your plan is best for you could mean you are spending more than necessary.
Some Prenups Expanding to Include Health Insurance Clauses
Prenuptial agreements are traditionally designed to dictate what will happen with a couple's finances in case of divorce, and now they're expanding to include some clauses for other money-related issues.
Health care is something that's already pushing some couples to the altar; in just the past year, seven percent of adults in the US married for health insurance. Insurance doesn't come cheap and it can be difficult to find good coverage that isn't very expensive — that's why some couples are designing prenups with a clause allowing for continued health insurance should they divorce.
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