Healthcare
How to Get Free COVID-19 Tests and Masks
With the recent surge of the fast-spreading Omicron-variant of COVID-19, it seems like every pharmacy you visit is out of tests, and every in-house testing facility features long lines and even longer waits for results. That is why the U.S. government has introduced...
Cancer Awareness, Detection, and Prevention
Cancer Awareness Most people know the effects of cancer, regardless of the type, on an individual and their family. Studies have found there is a 40 percent chance of developing cancer among men during their lifetime. This statistic likely does not surprise you. It...
Congenital Disability (Birth Defect) Prevention
Not all congenital disabilities (once referred to as birth defects) can be prevented. Still, risks can be reduced by making good choices before and during pregnancy, increasing the likelihood of having a healthy baby. Identifying Congenital Disabilities By using...
Five Ways to Get Healthy in the New Year
Have you ever seen a list of ways to get healthy in the New Year? Bet you have. There are lots of them. Most of them will tell you to start a new trendy and complicated diet, start working out every day, or otherwise completely change your life. This will be a...
But What is in the Build Back Better Bill?
The House has passed President Biden’s chief bill of legislation for his first term, the Build Back Better Bill, which features all sorts of improvements to citizens’ healthcare and childcare but also other more partisan agenda items, such as assistance...
Diabetes Awareness Through the Holidays
For the past 46 years, the United States has recognized November as National Diabetes Month to bring awareness to the disease. But now, as we exit the Thanksgiving holiday and begin thinking about consuming all the rich foods of the remaining...
OSHA Lays Out Rules of Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
There has been much speculation regarding President Biden’s vaccine mandate in the few months since it was announced. Still, now the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued rules regarding the rollout, as detailed in a recent NPR article....
The Fight to Hold on to ACA Enhancements in Congress
A recent CNN report detailed the current Congressional battle to hang onto temporary enhancements made to premium healthcare subsidies by the American Rescue Plan (ARPA). These additions to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed an additional nearly 3 million people to...
Why Get a Flu Shot with a COVID-19 Vaccine?
As flu season begins, many people are planning to get a flu vaccine. But does it matter if you have been vaccinated against the coronavirus? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend annual influenza...
Unvaccinated Pregnant Women Facing Increased Risk of Death from Delta Variant
COVID-19 deaths in pregnant women continue to rise as the total reached 171 maternal deaths from the disease in the United States with 22 in August alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as they urgently recommended vaccination for...
Suicide prevention month
Did you know that suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. States? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it absolutely is, totaling almost 50,000 deaths in 2019. Suicide and mental health issues are on the rise during the...
What is Long-Term Healthcare Insurance? And, is it Worth the Cost?
Most don’t like to dwell on the thought, but most of us will have to depend on others for our daily needs later in life. Long-term healthcare insurance is a tax-efficient way of saving funds for the specific purpose of meeting the long-term care costs not...
President Biden Makes Sweeping Employer Vaccine Requirement Pronouncement as Delta Variant of COVID-19 Strengthens
A recent article on CNN.com detailed the new vaccine requirements for certain key employers set-forth by President Biden amid the recent surge of the delta variant of COVID-19 in the U.S. The new rules apply to two-thirds of the American workforce including federal...
Recent Poll Finds Eldercare a Fast Growing Workplace Concern
A recent article on Benefits Pro details a Homethrive2021 Employee Caregiving Survey that found that two-thirds of respondents stated that expanding access to home-based care for the elderly is important. In fact, this ranks higher in importance to middle-class...
Are Health Savings Accounts Worth It? How to make an HSA work for you!
Let’s review why HSA’s exist and then at how they work. Then, we will show you how to take advantage of yours. So, why do Health Savings Accounts exist? Employers and individuals choose their healthcare and insurance companies from the metal tiers: Platinum,...
Is it illegal not to have health insurance?
Are there penalties for not having health insurance? To insure or not insure? The first of these questions is very easy to answer. No federal mandate forces you to have health insurance-so the choice is yours. If you are looking for the answer to this...
Employers mull health insurance surcharges for unvaccinated
Some employers may tack on health coverage surcharges for employees who don’t plan to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to an Aug. 5 blog post from Mercer, an asset management firm. The blog post likened the health insurance surcharge...
Can my health insurance plan be canceled at any time?
The emphatic answer is NO! UNLESS? UNLESS WHAT? In this article, we set out the grounds on which either you or your insurer can cancel your health insurance plan and the consequences. The good news is that you can change your current plan to meet a change of...
Are my health insurance premiums tax-deductible?
A simple question? -YES A simple answer NO? We explain who is eligible and how much you can claim. First, let’s briefly consider the purpose of health insurance and secondly the reason why since 2010, the federal government, through the Affordable Care Act...
Which is better, an HMO or a PPO Health Insurance Policy
A Health Maintenance or a Preferred Provider Organization? WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU? We begin with a brief explanation of the differences between these two types of health insurance plans, HMO and PPO, and then discuss some reasons for choosing one or the other. Each has...
I can’t pay my medical bill – What should I do?
If you are reading this article, you are probably worried about a medical or hospital bill that you will find challenging, or even impossible, to pay. It is no great comfort to know that you are not alone. Every year thousands of Americans find themselves in the...
Getting Infertility Coverage through the ACA Extension
As of mid-July, more than 2 million Americans have signed up for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act’s special enrollment period that the Biden administration put into place because of COVID-19. Illinois operates a partnership exchange with...
When should I take my child to the dentist for the first time?
The Why, Who, and When of that first visit. Will it be covered by the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (ACA)? Just about everyone can list a few reasons WHY good dental care is essential. As a parent, you are aware from your own experience, good or bad, how vital oral health...
Does my health insurance cover overseas travel?
When planning a trip abroad, a cruise, a job assignment, or even a permanent relocation, you need the security of knowing that your health insurance plan covers (and your dependents) should you get sick or injured. Many policies, including ACA-compliant plans, do not...
How Will My Lyme Disease Diagnosis Affect My Health Insurance?
Have you ever checked for ticks after going for a hike or walking through tall grass? If so, you’re probably familiar with the risks of Lyme disease – the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. Every year, over 30,000 people in America will contract...
What Are the Costs of Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s?
If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, you probably want to provide them with the best care possible. You might be wondering what types of care will be covered by Medicare and other health insurance plans, from in-home care to assisted living facilities to...
How Does My Health Insurance Change If I Adopt a Child?
First of all, congratulations! Adopting a child is a very exciting time in many parents’ lives. The decision to add a new child to the family also comes with a variety of considerations, including health insurance coverage. Rest assured that federal law requires your...
NEW COVID-19 Vaccines – Great News; but COVID Variants and Poor Choices by Governors may Erase all Gains and Extend the Pandemic
New vaccines and significant improvements in the implementation of delivering vaccines have dramatically improved the chances of managing the COVID-19 pandemic. As an ever-increasing number of us are being vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, it’s important to focus...
Private Healthcare Marketplace: What Are the Best and Worst States for Health Care?
The National Committee for Quality Assurance rated health plans in 2019. It looked at a variety of factors, including whether plans were NCQA certified, how satisfied patients were with plans, and how well plans covered and handled both preventative services and...
Top 5 Reasons Why Disability Claims Are Denied
Because filing for Social Security disability can be complicated, it’s not unusual for a claim to be denied at first; however, many of those who are denied initially go on to be successfully approved for benefits. To increase your odds of approval, it’s...
Special Enrollment Period & Coronavirus: What It Means for You
If you lose your employer-sponsored coverage because of a change in job during the COVID-19 pandemic — or if you can’t cover premiums for marketplace coverage because of an income loss — you might have some options. Find out more about how special enrollment...
Why Are Not All Drugs Covered Under Health Insurance?
Coverage for prescription drugs can be a complicated part of your health insurance plan. It’s common for a plan to cover at least some drugs, but few plans will cover all available medications. Much of the time, what you pay within your plan will depend on the...
How to Get Antidepressants without Insurance
Depression and anxiety are debilitating mental health conditions that affect every aspect of life. Symptoms can range from irritability and lack of motivation to severe depressive episodes that leave you feeling helpless. For about 10% of Americans over the age of 12,...
ACA Open enrollment guide-How long it takes to enroll?
Open enrollment only lasts about two months each year, give or take — it can be longer or shorter, depending on which state you live in. But even six weeks is more than enough time to compare plans, as well as apply and sign up for health insurance. Preparing ahead of...
Joe Biden’s Health Care Plan to Improve the Affordable Care Act
Health care is a policy issue that always seems to spark intense public debate. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which President Obama introduced in 2010, continues to receive scrutiny from both Republicans and Democrats. It emerged as a key issue in the 2020...
How Much Does it Cost to Give Birth if I Don’t Have Health Insurance?
Almost 3.9 million women in the United States give birth each year — and new deliveries don’t come cheap. Even for those who are lucky enough to experience healthy pregnancies, hefty expenses for prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care can (and often...
Health Care for African Americans
Almost 44 million American citizens are Black or African American, making up 13.4% of the U.S. population. This demographic experiences a long-standing and disproportionate burden regarding health and access to medical care in this country. And while the Affordable...
Make the Most of Open Enrollment in 2021
Open Enrollment for the 2021 insurance period is set to begin on November 1st, and while many people view as a chore, it’s worth taking the time to understand the process and weigh your options. Spending even just a few minutes doing some research can save you...
Does Life Insurance Cover Suicide?
Suicide is a serious public health issue in the United States, being listed as the tenth leading cause of death in the country in 2018, according to the CDC. It’s more common than homicide, and over the 20 years leading up to 2018, the rate of suicides in the...
Think Obamacare Health Plans Cost a Lot? That’s Not Always True
If you’ve lost your job during the pandemic, and with it your health insurance, you may think that Obamacare plans are too expensive and therefore not worth seeking. Or maybe you’re worried about whether the coverage will withstand legal challenges. Think again,...
Can You Cancel Health Insurance at Any Time?
Health insurance is one of the most important ways in which you can protect yourself, both from health risks and financial ones. It gives you peace of mind knowing that your medical bills will be covered should you fall ill. While the individual mandate part of the...
Does Health Insurance Cover Therapy?
Every year, millions of Americans seek professional help for mental health issues, yet there are many others who do not do so because of fear that they won’t be able to afford the bills. The costs associated with mental health (and indeed medical billing in...
MAKING SENSE: Finding the best deals on health insurance
So. Many. Choices. I’m Overwhelmed! Which is the BEST Affordable Health insurance plan? Should I use an Insurance Agent? Everyone searches for the BEST health insurance plans for themselves, their family, or business. But with hundreds of insurance...
What’s the Difference Between Term and Whole Life Insurance?
The two main types of life insurance are term life and whole life, and the price difference between these policies can be hundreds of dollars per year. Understanding who these policies are most suitable for as well as the benefits can help you make the best decisions...
5 Ways to Get Healthcare If You Lost Your Job Because of COVID-19
Whether you lose your job because of the recent pandemic or because your employer is simply shaking things up with a merger (or downsize), the financial blow to you and your family can be huge. It’s not just the loss of income and need to find another job; you...
Smoking and health insurance. All you need to know
Smoker or not, anyone applying for ACA-compliant health insurance (Obamacare) has to answer the question: Do you use tobacco? Does Smoking affect Health Insurance premium? For those who smoke cigarettes, cigars, a pipe, or chew tobacco, the answer is simple. For those...
Can I Still Go to the Hospital if I don’t have Health Insurance?
What happens if I go to the hospital without insurance? If you’re in good health, you might think you need not spend the money on monthly health insurance premiums. After all, insurance plans can be costly, and it’s hard to rationalize throwing your money...
Your Guide to Pre-Existing Conditions for Health Coverage and the Affordable Care Act in the Age of COVID-19.
On September 29, President Donald Trump and Former Vice President Joe Biden battled it out on the debate stage one-on-one for the first time. As millions of Americans tuned in with bated breath, the presidential candidates quickly discussed the Affordable Care Act and...
COVID-19 Health Insurance Options
How can I lessen the chances of being infected by COVID-19? What is the latest advice on COVID-19 protection? What are COVID-19 Health Insurance options? Three questions as we approach Open Enrollment (November 1st) for 2021 ACA (Obamacare) health insurance coverage...
Short term health insurance options
Short term health insurance. Do I have a choice? What are my options? If you are reading this article, you are probably without health insurance coverage. Possibly this is by choice, perhaps through oversight, but most likely because you have lost your...
Affordable Health Insurance Reduces Uncertainty in Minority Communities
It has long been clear that some groups in American society are at a disadvantage with healthcare. For these groups finding affordable health insurance that is feature-rich and useful has been a challenge. Since the beginning, cheap Health Care for African...
GOOD NEWS for Seniors w/Diabetes! Trump Caps Insulin Prices
Updated 3rd-August-2020 Under recently announced plans, Seniors enrolled in Medicare can choose policies that limit co-pays for insulin. President Trump endorses a deal designed to benefit a significant group of US citizens. Who is eligible for this...
Coronavirus Impacts on Pregnancy: COVID-19 Precautions
Last update on 26th-July-2020 COVID-19 is a NEW ‘flu-type’ respiratory disease. We emphasize the word ‘new’ because biologists and epidemiologists worldwide are still investigating the virus and how it spreads. Despite the enormous strides made in research techniques...
COVID-19: Wear a Mask? Why Does the Guidance Change?
Do I have to wear a mask? “Do I have to wear a mask?” … This is the easiest question to answer. It is your choice, but in some States and some circumstances, you will be breaking the law if you do not. The important issue is to rapidly reduce the...
Health Insurance Open Enrollment 2020
Finding affordable health insurance for you and your family can be difficult. Especially when you try navigating the health insurance marketplace by yourself. Truecoverage wants you to learn everything that you need to know about the health insurance open enrollment...
Defund the police. What does it mean? Where will it lead?
All fires, even the largest conflagrations, start with a spark and dry tinder. What was the spark, and what the tinder that set first Minneapolis, America, and now cities across the world aflame? Aflame with shared slogans, “Black lives matter”, “Defund the...
Covid-19 The risk of infection, by water droplets, by direct contact, by touching infected surfaces
Risk of catching Coronavirus from surface, airborne water droplets, and direct contact. Whatever the source of the COVID-19 virus it is a novel (new) form of the Coronavirus family about which we knew nothing (December 2019) and for which, bioscientists worldwide, are...
How to manage your mortgage (or rent) during the Coronavirus pandemic?
Manage mortgage during the Coronavirus pandemic? For most of us the largest single purchase in our lives, and the most important, is our home. To make the purchase, most of us need to borrow and use the home itself as security for the loan. The loan is usually...
How to manage credit card payments during Coronavirus pandemic?
You are probably reading this article because you have, like most of us, been caught up in the Coronavirus pandemic. Even the word itself contains the word ‘PANIC’. Our first advice is DON’T. Most of us will have two major concerns. Number one will be for...
How to manage student loans during Coronavirus pandemic?
Anyone who has a student loan knows just how complicated it can be. The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic does not make it any easier to navigate the almost limitless alternatives and you must be looking for ways to manage student loans during Coronavirus...
Trouble Paying Bills? Pandemic Money Management
There can be very few American families who are not financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and finding difficult to manage money during Coronavirus pandemic. The key to finding financial protection from Coronavirus is to recognize them and face them. The...
COVID-19- Balancing the harms! When will we be prepared?
Right now (early May 2020) state governors up, down and across the USA are making decisions about ending or at least relaxing the regulations introduced to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Balancing the harms The USA is not alone in facing the invasion of the COVID-19...
Social Isolation Impacts: Unintended Consequences
Much has been written and said about the impact of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic is having and will continue to have on the world and national economies. All of us are experiencing changes to our way of life, some of which will become the ‘new...
Getting America Back to Work Safely. The COVID-19 Unknowns
When Donald Rumsfeld, then Secretary for Defense, introduced the idea of “known unknowns” when appearing before a Senate committee in 2002, he was referring to weapons of mass destruction. WMD proved to be largely fictitious. In 2020 COVID-19 has been...
COVID-19 Info 3: Economic Impact payments. Am I entitled?
What is Economic impact payment? Payments being made by the US Government to most US residents to reflect the financial impact that COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is having both on families and the economy as a whole is called economic impact payment. The payment is worth...
How to manage the stress during the pandemic? Don’t worry about worrying
If you are reading this you probably already thinking to yourself “How will you manage the stress during the pandemic?”. You have probably already read articles by ‘experts’ with titles such as Coping with stress, Stress management strategies or Manage stress and...
COVID-19 treatment-Humana and Cigna agree to waive costs
Early last month President Trump announced that tests for COVID-19 infection would be included in the ten Essential Health Benefits (EHB) specified in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). NOW, two major health insurers HUMANA and CIGNA have come forward with an ADDITIONAL...
COVID-19 Self-Isolation: How to Keep Family & Friends Safe
The suggestions in the article are guidance for all members of a household where one or more members are self-isolating in order to minimize the possibility of spreading the COVID-19 virus to the wider community. Individuals should self-isolate if they have symptoms...
Social distancing, quarantine, isolation, What do they mean? What should I do?
It may seem very simple, but for individuals confronted by a threat such as COVID-19 there are, broadly, three conditions: – I am not infected (I don’t want to be infected) I might be infected (I don’t want to infect others) I am infected (I need to be certain...
Health Insurance after Termination: Use COBRA Insurance?
What is COBRA health insurance? First, what does it stand for? COBRA stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, now that’s out of the way, So What does COBRA do? COBRA is the federal legislation which ensures that employers who offer group health...
Special Enrollment Period-SEP: Qualify? Household Changes
Health insurance plans which are compliant with the Affordable Care Act are intended to run from January 1st until December 31st without change. This rule is designed to make it impossible to change a plan in mid-year to cover additional risks or to avoid paying...
Special Enrollment Period-SEP: Qualify? Health Insurance
Health insurance plans which are compliant with the Affordable Care Act are intended to run from January 1st until December 31st without change. This rule is designed to make it impossible to change a plan in mid-year to cover additional risks or to avoid paying...
Joe Biden, building on Medicare. The public option
For most of us healthcare, both for ourselves and our loved ones whether juniors or seniors, is one of our highest priorities. Our politicians, whether Republican or Democrat, recognize this and put healthcare, (as represented by the Affordable Care Act, or...
Free Coronavirus tests-President Trump and Top insurers agree
In a welcome announcement on March 10th 2020 Vice President Pence made public the offer by major Health Insurance Companies to ‘waive all copays on coronavirus testing in all their benefit plans’. Last week Medicare and Medicaid, on instructions from President Trump,...
COVID-19 Info 2: Save Others by Taking Care of Yourself
COVID-19-Prevention and Treatment We all know that prevention is better than cure so we will deal with PREVENTION first. Prevention of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) nor a specific anti-viral...
COVID-19 Info 1: Taking Care of Yourself Helps Everyone
The contents of this item are drawn from the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publications concerning the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is described as a flu-like disease, for which there is currently no approved...
Does President Trump really want to repeal the ACA (Obamacare)
When he introduced the 2020 federal budget President Trump re-emphasized his intention to repeal the Affordable Care Act, known more popularly to most of us as ‘Obamacare’. Perhaps that is the issue! Trump and Obamacare! The Affordable Care Act is irrevocably...
Medicare for all who want it: Pete Buttigieg’s healthcare plan
Healthcare policy was the central issue during the 2018 mid-term elections which led to the democrats winning a majority in the House of Representatives. Among the leaders in the race for nomination for the democratic candidacy the common theme is, ‘affordable...
