insurance

(updated 8/7/20) My rising junior moves into her off-campus apartment in 2 weeks. I have been reflecting on her first move-in day two years ago. Like most freshmen parents, we had spent a lot of time shopping for twin XL sheets, storage bins, a micro-fridge, and various other items to furnish her room away from

It’s hard to believe, but 2018 is almost a wrap! I know this is the season for holiday celebrations, self-reflection, and goal-setting, but as a professional health advocate, I am always thinking about your health. Here are my top 4 healthcare tips as you prepare for 2019.     [bctt tweet=”Tip #1: Schedule your annual

When I had gallbladder surgery 2 years ago, I was a full-time physician working for an academic medical institution in a large metropolitan area. I had great health insurance. I went to the Emergency Department for severe abdominal pain and was in the operating room early the next morning. Thankfully, all went well, and I

In Part 1 of this series, we learned that individuals are responsible for an increasing proportion of their health care costs. We also learned that there are numerous barriers that prevent one from comparison shopping for health care, including a lack of cost transparency, significant variability in cost between facilities, limited health literacy, and concerns

Are you a comparison shopper? When purchasing a pair of shoes, a washing machine, or a new car, do you browse various online sites in search of the best price? A December 2016 Pew Research study revealed that eight in ten American consumers shop online and that the primary reason is the ability to compare

If you have insurance through your job, your open enrollment season has likely ended and you have chosen (actively or passively) a health insurance plan for 2018. Congratulations! Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment season is winding down and I am sick and tired of reviewing insurance plans. My husband and I have less than

Less than 4 weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia’s new policy to deny Emergency Room visits later determined not to have been an emergency. At the end of last month, it was reported that Anthem, the parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has implemented

There are two extremes among my family and friends–those who go to the Emergency Room for paper cuts and those who would wait until their pinky finger was literally hanging by a “thread” before seeking medical care. I say this in jest, to some extent, but we all know people who fit into one or

My father was college-educated and had no obvious difficulty understanding medical advice in his earlier years. However, when he began to develop dementia there was a very noticeable change in his intellectual capacity. When I accompanied him to doctor visits, I noticed that not only did he struggle with understanding his instructions, he was also

There have been numerous changes to the way health care is delivered in the United States. Regulatory agencies, electronic medical records and insurance companies have altered the way physicians practice medicine. One of the unfortunate consequences has been the erosion of the doctor-patient relationship. Many patients don’t trust their doctors anymore. With less time for