Posts Tagged ‘lisa zamosky’

5 Signs That it Might Be.

by Lisa Zamosky

When does having health insurance offer you no greater protection against financial ruin than having none at all? This isn’t a riddle or some joke with a witty punch line. This is a serious question that all health care consumers need to ponder. The sad truth is that any health insurance – even a “good” plan — can leave you high and dry when you are most in need. But there are at least five insurance plan characteristics that are almost sure to fail you every time. The only thing worse than not having health insurance when you really need it is to find out you’ve been paying your hard-earned money for a plan that never had much of a chance of helping you in the first place. (more…)

by Lisa Zamosky

Drug prices, like everything but your salary, are going up. According to a 2009 article in the Wall Street Journal, the prices for about a dozen of the most popular brand name drugs increased by double digits in the first quarter of 2009 from just one year before – this, in the midst of the worst economic crisis we’ve seen since the Great Depression!

As a result of growing pharmaceutical costs, which have outpaced inflation, the Kaiser Family Foundation found in a survey conducted last year that 30 percent of Americans did not fill a prescription for medicine and 20 percent were cutting pills in half or skipping doses.  I expect those numbers are even higher today with unemployment rates topping 10% and health insurance benefits going away for so many people.

Many people delay a trip to the doctor or a medical procedure out of a need to save money. Not great, but most often not life threatening. However, skimping on doses of medication you take to manage a chronic condition can quickly become dangerous. Still, so many people today are faced with steep drug prices and diminishing wages, making it very difficult to continue to pay for needed medications.

Times are tough, but fortunately there are a number of ways to cut costs on prescription drugs, including accessing programs aimed at offering those in need free or reduced cost prescriptions. If you’re struggling to pay for your medications, here are a few ways you may be able to catch a break. (more…)

Take Advantage of Health Benefits Before the Year Ends

by Lisa Zamosky

As the year comes to a close, so does the chance to use health insurance benefits that run on a calendar year cycle. In order to get the most for your money, it’s important to evaluate where you are with items like your annual deductibles, preventative services, and health savings accounts before the year is over to make sure that you’ve used all the services and benefits to which you are entitled. (more…)