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A couple of years ago, I had a cold for about four months. I thought I had somehow caught five colds in a row, which I thought was no big deal, because they were just colds after all.

But then I started dropping a lot of weight while eating a lot of chocolate cake. My hair started falling out, and I had the shakes so bad that my handwriting—which I used to be proud of—became illegible. My short-term memory stopped working. it was difficult to have a conversation, because by the time I neared the end of a sentence, I had already forgotten what I was talking about.

Things were bad, but I had no health insurance, which I thought meant that the only thing to do was try to ignore it, and hope that whatever was wrong with me would go away on its own. Each new symptom added another few hundred dollars to the imaginary doctor’s bill in my head, which meant that as things got worse, I had more incentive to pretend that I had some sort of temporary bug that would eventually go away.

Then one day, I got up to go to work— at the time, I had a part-time job copyediting product labels and PowerPoint presentations—but I couldn’t make it out the door. about halfway through my morning shower, I started panting, and my heart was beating out of my chest. it was as if I had just run a mile, when I had actually just walked 20 feet from my bed to the bathroom. There had been signs before this incident: The day before, I found myself so nauseous and out of breath during my four-block walk to work, that I turned around and went straight back home. 

It took near-complete incapacitation for me to bite the bullet and go to the doctor. it turned out that I have Graves disease, a congenital, autoimmune hyperthyroid condition that I’ll have for the rest of my life. Missy Elliot, George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush also have it. Graves disease affects every cell in your body, so it gets bad if it goes untreated. but it’s very manageable as long as I take my pills, see my endocrinologist and get a blood test every six weeks.

As a freelancer, I still don’t have health insurance. but at this point, I’ve gone to a bunch of doctors, and have learned some things along the way about getting health care without health insurance. The more I know about the health care system, the less I do stupid things like get so sick I can’t function anymore.

1. Doctors aren’t just for the insured.

If you don’t have health insurance, the immediate reaction is not to go, and to chew on a couple of echinacea pills and hope for the best. I thought of health insurance as some kind of entry card to the entire health care system, but it doesn’t work that way. Plain old cash can get you through the door too. A trip to a doctor costs around $150–$200, or about the price of a nice dinner.

If you’re too broke to go for nice dinners, then look for community health clinics, like Ryan-NENA in New York City, which has a sliding scale for people without health insurance. I used to go there for routine check-ups when I was a student, and they were very nice. I don’t remember getting a bill for more than $5. If you’re skirting the poverty line, which is an annual income of $10,890 for a single person, then you might qualify for Medicaid, and you should definitely apply.

The other thing to keep in mind is that unless it’s a true emergency (severed limbs, heart attacks), don’t go to the emergency room. go to an urgent care clinic for things like broken bones, pink eye, and other non-life threatening illnesses, or a private walk-in clinic. They’re more pleasant, faster, and much, much cheaper. Call ahead to ask how much, but they usually fall in the $150–$200 range to see a doctor. I went to one in San Francisco, and they were the ones who ended up diagnosing my illness. Last time I had a tear in my cornea, I went to this place in Manhattan.

Sometimes specialists don’t cost much more than a generalist, depending on what you need. The endocrinologist I go to in New York charged $300 for the initial consultation, then $175 for each visit afterwards. While general practitioners are accessible and great, it’s nice to have a specialist who knows a lot about my disease. If you’ve had insurance before, you may have heard that you need a “referral” before going to a specialist. That’s insurance provider bureaucracy, and you don’t need one if you don’t have a health insurance company to answer to.

2. Always ask for a discount at the moment when you are handing over your debit card.

Even if you’ve made a huge deal since the moment you walked into the doctor’s office that you don’t have health insurance, they often won’t give you a discount unless you ask for one, point-blank. If you’ve called ahead to make sure they give discounts, be sure to ask again at the counter. It’s up to their discretion, but the discounts I’ve gotten have been around 20 percent off. and since I go to doctors pretty often, I’ve had a chance to test this out. when I’m too shy to ask for a discount, I usually end up paying more.

The trick is to remember that you’re making them do less work because you don’t have health insurance. They don’t have to pay an administrator for filling out insurance paperwork. They don’t have to wait for the insurance company to send a check. They don’t even have to send out a bill. when the office gives you a discount, they’re not just being nice: You’ve saved them from doing a lot of work, and deserve one.

3. Blood tests are very expensive, but they also offer big discounts.

I really hate needles, but the thing about blood tests that scared me the most was the bill. before I got the right diagnosis for my illness, I went to a doctor who ran $1,200 worth of blood tests. They were all the wrong ones, and told me nothing useful, but I still had to pay for them. it was horrible. I didn’t know that discounts existed, so I didn’t know to ask for them.

These days, I still have blood tests every six weeks, but my doctor gives me a form to fill out called the “Patient Financial Assistance Application,” which I send to Quest Diagnostics, a testing company. I declare my income, and depending on how much I’m making with my footloose and fancy-free freelance job(s), I fall into either the 50 percent off bracket, or the 75 percent off bracket. Instead of paying around $400 every six weeks, I pay around $100.

4. Drugs can be really, really cheap. Don’t assume that you can’t afford any medicine at all without health insurance. 

As with everything else on this list, it all depends on what you have and what you need to treat it, but if the patents on your drugs have lapsed, the generic version will be dramatically cheaper. I got a prescription for alprazolam (generic Xanax) for anxiety related to a spike in hyperthyroid symptoms, and a bottle of 30 pills cost $20. Cheap.

5. Medical tourism isn’t as sketchy as it sounds, and it is less sketchy than just being sick for years.

You know how health care costs so much more in America than anywhere else in the world? That’s a huge topic that can and should be talked about, but here’s how it played out for me. After getting a blood test that showed that my thyroid levels were completely out of whack, I was told that before I could start treatment, I needed to take two more tests. Large machines and radioactive liquids were involved. That sounded expensive.

I called a specialist to ask how much it would cost without health insurance. They estimated that it would be $3,000 to $7,000. not just expensive, but prohibitively expensive.

I’m from the Philippines, and my cousin is a doctor there, so I called him. he was appalled at the price that I was quoted, and told me to go to the Philippines to get these tests. Here’s why: Each of those two tests cost $20. For a total of $40, or the price of a cheap meal for two in the U.S. and—just to give you some perspective of relative prices—$40 is the price of a nice meal for two in the Philippines. Add the price of a ticket, some doctors fees ($14 per visit) and a trip to the beach, and I spent maybe $2,200. My doctor was the head of endocrinology at a big hospital there, and was educated in the U.S. she was, by far, the most capable and knowledgeable doctor I’ve dealt with so far. The experience was easy, pleasant and safe. There was even a man playing a grand piano in the lobby of the hospital.

There are risks (and probably some discomfort) to going abroad, sight unseen, to get medical treatment, so do your research. but with limited access to health care and rising costs in the U.S., medical tourism is something that millions of people do each year. I suggest involving your doctor in the U.S. Mine wrote down exactly which tests I needed to come back with, and I called my endocrinologist in the Philippines before booking my tickets to make sure that all the logistics worked out. If you don’t have a connection in another country, there are whole associations dedicated to facilitating medical tourism, and there are a couple of hospitals who have made their name treating foreigners, like Bunrumgrad Hospital in Thailand.

Everyone’s health care experience is going to be different, but the aim of this is to demystify the health care system enough to help you start using it. just because you don’t have health insurance, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to get sick. Remember that you have options.

Aurora Almendral is a freelance writer in New York. she loves economics and has a coral named after her. Photo: Shutterstock/ampyang

A vacation refreshes the mind helping to refresh the mind and soul. Everyone at least or maybe more than once applies to a vacation together with his family.
qandatravel.com/cheap-family-holiday-travel-insurance-go-an…

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, May 23, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –A recent Asda Finance e-survey on British attitudes to holidaysfound that 64% of Brits, whether going abroad or staying in the UK,opt for relaxation as the number one ‘must-have’ requirement whenthey are looking to book.(i)

to help those looking for a holiday that combines the three Rs -Rest, Relaxation, and Romance – Asda Finance has compiled a list offive of the best three R destinations.

Whether you are hoping to have a relaxing getaway in the UK, or tohead off somewhere a bit more exotic this summer, we know that whatthe majority of Brits are after is rest, relaxation and romance.

with this in mind we have pulled together our top five destinationswhere it is possible to experience the three Rs in style.

obviously for those jetting abroad they should not forget to makesure that they have travel insurance before they go. If you aretravelling last minute you can buy Asda Travel Insurance with yourmobile phone. all the relevant travel insurance details are sent toyou via text message, but remember that you still need to be in theUK when you make the purchase.

If you are planning a holiday in the UK this year or just a weekendaway, an Asda Annual Travel Insurance policy will provide you andyour family with cover for any pre-booked trips of two nights ormore.

Five of the Best Destinations for experiencing the three Rs:

Goa is an Indian beach paradise that is synonymous with rest,relaxation and romance. It has lots to offer visiting couples as itis both a party beach and a honeymoon hotspot.

the perfect romantic city break destination makes for a relaxingtrip. why? Well it is easy to get to from the UK for a start. Exploreall that Paris has to offer – the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, NotreDame and more.

3. Lake District, UK

the Lake District is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful spots inthe UK. It is perfect for relaxation and romance. If you like freshair, long walks and cosy pubs, the Lake District is ideal.

with over 150 canals and more bridges than you can imagine, Venice isa great place for a romantic and relaxing get away. while the majortourist sights can get busy, particularly when the cruise ships arein, wander a few blocks back from St. Mark’s Square and you can findyourself living like a local, relaxing and taking it easy with acoffee or glass of wine.

Country pubs, secluded beaches, scenic walks and laid back villagesmake Dorset a great destination for some of the 3 Rs. Whether it is aromantic stroll along a beach you are after or a relaxing sailingexperience from Poole, you can find what you are looking for inDorset.

Notes to Editors

(i)Asda Insurance Research (Nov 2011).

about Asda Travel Insurance

Asda Travel Insurance is sold and underwritten by ACE European GroupLtd, a leading global insurer protecting over 7 million people in theUK.

— Unlimited medical expenses — 20% online discount — Single Trip or Annual Holiday Insurance — A choice of 3 cover levels — Worldwide or European Travel Insurance

Asda Financial Services ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representativeof ACE European Group ltd. this means that Asda Travel Insurancepolicies are sold, administered and underwritten by ACE EuropeanGroup ltd who is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial ServicesAuthority (FSA), reference number FRN 202803. full details can befound on the FSA’s Register by visiting www.fsa.gov.uk/register/home.do or by contacting the FSA on 0845 6061234.

Contacts: Asda Financial Services 02070821194

SOURCE: Asda Financial Services

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, inc., all rights reserved.

When it comes to travel insurance claims, Hannah Yun was about as sure as anyone that hers would be successful.

She’d bought a gold-plated “cancel for any reason” policy for a trip to South Korea. When her boyfriend proposed and she decided to call off the trip to start planning her wedding, she thought that collecting a check would be just a formality.

Travel Guard, the company she’d purchased the policy through, turned down her claim on a technicality. Yun, a college student in Salt Lake City, had originally told the company that her plane ticket had cost $1,090; she’d actually paid $1,092.50.

Denied because of a $2.50 price difference? You bet.

“It just doesn’t make sense,” says Yun, a refrain that I hear often. Complaints about seemingly arbitrary rejections cross my desk at regular intervals. No surprise: Travel insurance is a $1.8 billion-a-year industry, according to the US Travel Insurance Association, an industry trade group. and it has been growing steadily, from $1.3 billion in 2006 to $1.6 billion two years later to the latest figure, from 2010.

It’s no shocker in another sense, too: the travel insurance business is generally profitable, the occasional volcanic eruption or tsunami notwithstanding, and critics say that the only way it stays that way is by rejecting most claims, particularly the expensive ones. That’s difficult to prove — or disprove. the industry insists that its rejection rates are low. about one in six policyholders will file a claim on their insurance, according to the association, and fewer than 10 percent of those claims are denied.

Yun was among that unhappy minority. When I asked about her claim, Carol Mueller, a vice president at Travel Guard, said that the company had reviewed the case carefully and that according to its records, Yun had claimed — and repeatedly verified — the $1,090 ticket price.

“The full cost of all nonrefundable prepaid trip arrangements is insured at the time of purchase,” she told me. “Ms. Yun did not insure her full trip cost as listed on her itinerary at the time of her insurance purchase, and that was the criterion for her denial.”

Seriously? the rejection seems absurd to the average traveler, until you take a little time to understand how the travel insurance business works. I’ve spent the past year studying it, in part because I’ve been hearing about so many policy rejections. I should also note that my website attracts a fair number of sponsorships from travel insurance companies and sellers of insurance. Consider this my disclosure. I’d like to think that it doesn’t affect the fairness of my coverage, but I’m sure that you’ll let me know what you think once you’ve finished reading.

To understand why a travel insurance company does the often confounding things that it does, you have to know more about the actual policies and talk with insiders who are familiar with the claims process. Travel insurance policies are set by underwriters, the entities that take on the risk of insuring you on your vacation. for example, Travel Guard is underwritten by the National Union fire Insurance co. of Pittsburgh, and that company gets to tell Travel Guard how to word its policies. the verbiage doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

Take trip interruptions, for instance. When you buy a policy, your travel agent might tell you that you’ll be covered if your trip is interrupted. but the policy itself will strictly define the terms.

For example, an interruption can be covered if it’s caused by an “unforeseen” circumstance. a sample Travel Guard policy defined that as the sickness, injury or death of an insured person, or of an immediate family member, traveling companion or business partner. “Injury or sickness must be so disabling as to reasonably cause a trip to be canceled or interrupted,” it adds.

Few travelers bother to read that language before buying a policy. Slightly more will review it when they need to make a claim, but it’s still a considerable minority. even when their claim is turned down, they try to appeal it by referring to their travel agent’s promises or arguing with the rejection letter without knowing what their policy actually says.

Dan Skilken, who runs the travel insurance website TripInsurance.com, says that insurance companies play it by the book when a traveler files a claim. they consider the facts of the claim at face value; if the policy covers it, they cut a check. if it doesn’t, they won’t. “The reason for a denial is usually pretty simple,” he says.

It was in the case of David and Mary Phillips, who bought a $387 policy through Allianz Global assistance for a recent cruise to Brazil. Unfortunately, they ran afoul of one small detail: Neither the cruise line, Azamara, nor their travel agent had told them that U.S. citizens must have visas to travel to Brazil. as a result, they were denied boarding on the boat, and they lost their $6,739 cruise.

David Phillips, a retired doctor in San Mateo, Calif., was upset about his ruined vacation and even unhappier that Allianz rejected his claim. but the Phillipses’ insurance policy is clear: It doesn’t cover trip interruptions that result from visa or passport problems.

To claims adjusters, such denials are as obvious as the quickest way from their cubicle to the water cooler. but to outsiders such as Yun and Phillips — and me, too — they’re not.

Which brings us back to Yun, who had every reason to believe that her insurance company would pay for her cancellation, no questions asked. Travel Guard seemed surprised that she hadn’t bothered to review the details of her policy; if she had, she wouldn’t have wasted her time with a claim.

“We’ve listened to all the calls with Ms. Yun, and while there were three opportunities when she could have corrected the total cost of her trip, this did not happen,” says Mueller, the Travel Guard representative. Still, Travel Guard agreed to make one of those high-level exceptions to its rules and honored the claim.

Mueller was quick to add that I should let consumers know that they ought to read their policy carefully and make sure to fill out their paperwork correctly.

I agree. but maybe some travel insurance companies need to spend a little more time talking with their customers outside the claims process, if for no other reason than to understand why travelers are so disappointed when their policy doesn’t work as expected.

Christopher Elliott is ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the co-founder of the Consumer Travel Alliance. his column runs weekly at seattletimes.com/travel.Contact him at chris@elliott.org

Let's recognize that the way to honor motherhood is to respect and support a woman's decision about whether she is ready to be a parent. That means making sure that every pregnant woman, regardless of her ability to pay, has health care insurance …
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RH Reality Check (blog)

The regular spending budget will be the cornerstone to a audio money system and is also a necessity for peace of mind for you personally as well as your family members. Usually there are some primary policies to observe when building your spending budget that will make the full procedure a snap. the suggestions down below will indicate you ways for making a spending budget that’s ideal for your needs.Assemble details about what things you concentrate on essential to purchase just about every thirty day period. Create down this list of one’s expenditures. Include things such as foodstuff, attire, gasoline, utilities and insurance coverage premiums for your autos and property. as soon as you have accomplished your list, get each product and decide on a realistic estimation of exactly how much you may invest out of your paycheck. To start with, preserve your categories uncomplicated and include extra lines if you want to keep a unique eye on a particular area of shelling out.

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by Jill Cassidy – Apr. 19, 2012 05:21 PM The April 8 Compass Points column about travel insurance prompted a number of responses. One was from JP, a Peoria resident who had a frustrating experience when his trip was canceled.
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The fate of health care reform legislation is still up in the air, resting with the US Supreme Court, which is expected to rule on the law's constitutionality in late June. But today's news about health insurance isn't about the justices; …
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As one approaches retirement, it is increasingly important to have some sort of protection from major medical bills. did you know that while you are still employed, you may be eligible for a Health Reimbursement Arrangement?

Health Reimbursement Arrangements, popularly known as HRAs, allow employers to legally reimburse their employees with tax-free money for qualified health care expenses and health insurance premiums. Depending on your employer, they may continue reimbursing you during your retirement years under the Retirement HRA. The Retirement HRA is allowed by the Internal Revenue Code under Section 213(d) which delineates the qualified expenses that can be reimbursed by an HRA Account.

What are The Qualifications to Participate in The Retirement HRA?

You are qualified to participate in the Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement if you had a balance in your Additional Security Benefit (ASB) plan that converted to a Retirement HRA on July 1, 2005. you are also eligible to participate if you’re a communication participant working for a participating employer. your participation starts on the very first day your employer places funds in your HRA retirement benefit plan.

How does An HRA for Retirees Work?

Your employer will continually fund your HRA Account. The amount that your employer contributes is determined by your employer. It will also depend on what was agreed to between both parties. The balance of your account grows via the contributions placed by your employer and through investment earnings. The retirement reimbursements are available for qualified medical expenses once you reach retirement age and have fully stopped working.

Qualified health care expenses for retirees include co-payments, deductibles and health insurance premiums. for retirees older than 65, they can use their HRA retirement account to pay for Medicare part A, B and D as well as Medicare Advantage plan premiums.

How does The Funding for HRA Retirement Accounts Work?

It is your employer who will solely fund the HRA retirement account. The contribution rate for each hour worked is established under the collective bargaining agreement between employers and employees. you have to take note that this type of account does not allow employee contributions. Meaning, you get tax-free money but contributions are not tax deductions. you will simply rely on the contributions that your employer deposits for your balance to grow.

When can you Use HRA Funds?

Once you turn the retirement age of 62, you are allowed to use the HRA funds to pay for qualified medical expenses stated under Section 213(d) of the IRS Code. these reimbursements should not be used if your medical expenses are paid by any other health insurance coverage that you have.

To be eligible for retirement, you should be 62 or older and must have ceased industry employment. The reimbursements can only be received by the retiree once a claim is filed. A claim form should be completed along with an itemized receipt for the qualified health care expenses.

When will Coverage end?

HRA retirement coverage ends once your employer decides to terminate or amend the retirement benefits. Coverage also stops once you have depleted the funds in your HRA Retirement Account.

By Wiley Long – President, eCAHealthinsurance.com – California’s best online health insurance agency specializing in California Individual Health Insurance plans.  We have personal advisors to help you with your California Health Insurance needs.  Get online California Health Insurance quotes, apply online, and Save!

The agency overseeing Massachusetts' landmark health care law has begun enrolling thousands of legal immigrants into the subsidized insurance program after the state's highest court ruled that state lawmakers unconstitutionally denied the benefit to …
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