Ask Colleen King

Health insurance is on everyone’s mind these days–either you don’t have it, can’t get it and want it, you’re upset about what you are paying for it, or you turned on the daily news and there it is, the topic is right in your face again. A Health Savings Account (HSA) is an account that [...]

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This article was put out by the Associated Press on July 4 and it brings out a lot of points that people aren’t aware of within the European health care systems. You know, the ‘free’ ones that everyone thinks we should go to. Well, I’ve tried to edit it down a bit because it’s long, [...]

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Health insurance remains one of those things that most people still find confusing. For group health insurance, disclosing your health history helps determine the rates your employer gets. For individual health insurance, it determines not only rates, but whether or not you will even be accepted! Focusing on individual health insurance, all carriers ask about [...]

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Here is another term in Health Insurance, both Group Health Insurance and Individual Health Insurance that people don’t always understand. I would have posted this sooner, but it’s been a busy month! (“Help, I don’t understand!”) Coinsurance might be easier read with a hyphen; co-insurance. This is one of the three main questions people should [...]

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It’s getting to be that time of year when the four years of college (or five, or six) is about to wind up. At last. That tuition bill is going to be gone and the kid(s) will be out of the house. Then it occurs to mom and dad (not usually to the new grad) [...]

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A couple of months ago I did an article on COBRA coverage: how it works, and why you should or shouldn’t take it. Now that there’s a subsidy of 65% for people involuntarily terminated after September 1, 2008, the picture changes somewhat. Depending on how much the 35% you have to pay is, that 65% [...]

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It’s so nice to have people that keep you on your toes. Health Insurance questions abound when you ask for topics for this blog. Thanks to Lisa Nicole Bell again, www.adivinebook.com for this one. The plus for you, the consumer, whether it’s for individual health insurance of group health insurance is that the rates are [...]

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A few weeks ago a delightful young woman asked me about health insurance, and what was good for a young professional or new grad, or people in general under 35. This answer is for you, Lisa Nicole Bell (http://wwwadivinebook.com). You really need to check her site out, she has a lot to offer in these [...]

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Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are a great way to pay for your health care when you have a qualified high deductible health plan. One big benefit is that any money you deposit into your HSA is deductible on your federal tax return. It’s also deductible on some states’ returns (but not in California, just yet.) [...]

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There aren’t too many things more complicated that the collection of Medicare Advantage plans available to our Medicare population. There used to be Medicare HMOs and Medicare Supplements. Well Medicare Supplements are still around and serve a great purpose; they work similarly to a PPO health insurance plan because you can go to any doctor. [...]

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