medical

Everyday life can be stressful. There are pressures of personal, family, economic, and social responsibilities. Modern life encourages people to stay plugged in, turned on, and keyed up. Remaining healthy is a challenge. What happens when a health breakdown isn’t visible or outwardly obvious? What happens when the injury or illness is in the mind

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

I live in a metropolitan area with several renowned academic medical centers and high-quality community hospitals. When my mother was diagnosed with leukemia, she received top-notch care at a local university hospital’s cancer center. My father had open heart surgery at a facility with an award-winning cardiac surgery department. There’s a peace of mind associated

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

*NOTE: This article was originally published in 2017 and describes the 2017 ACA open enrollment process. It continues to be a valid resource for ACA open enrollment. Please refer to www.healthcare.gov or your state’s marketplace website for 2018 open enrollment information. The open enrollment dates for 2018 (2019 coverage) are 11/1/18-12/15/18.   My family and

In two weeks, I am leaving my job and leaping into the world of entrepreneurship! There are many things about this career move that have caused me anxiety, but my biggest worry has been health and dental insurance for my family. Because my husband is self-employed, we have always had coverage through my employer. We

A couple of years ago I saw a rheumatologist for a problem that developed in my fingers. After obtaining my history and performing a thorough physical examination, the specialist ordered 32 blood tests in an attempt to determine the cause of my problem. A month later I received a bill from the lab for $985.

During one of my dad’s more frustrating hospitalizations my sisters and I were having a very difficult time communicating with the doctors. We provided them with numerous examples of his confusion and disorganized thoughts. We had significant concerns about his mental status and ability to care for himself yet the doctors kept telling us he

My father had several chronic health conditions and was cared for by multiple physicians. In addition to his primary care physician, he saw a cardiologist for hypertension and heart disease, a nephrologist for end stage renal disease, a neurologist for dementia and unexplained weakness, and a psychiatrist for depression. When hospitalized, he was typically cared for

I dread open enrollment season. Every year I feel a little anxious about choosing health insurance for my family. Thankfully, we’re fairly healthy and we don’t visit the doctor often, but the future is unpredictable and it’s important to have adequate coverage. The decision is a binding one and can’t be changed until either the