May 19, 2012
Although you may not want to think about the state of your finances, there is no getting away from the fact that money is an essential part of everyday life. This article is full of tips that will help you get your finances under control.
Be sure to include your post tax income. For starters, include all after-tax money that you get each month from your salary, alimony, child support, rental income, or other sources. Make sure your expenses are less than your income on a monthly basis. A great way to consolidate many bills into a smaller payment is by getting personal loans and these loans are typically desired because they offer a much lower rate of interest. You can imagine how much money you will save by consolidating higher interest loans into a personal loan with a lower rate.
To make this process effective, you should compose a detailed listing of your expenditures. You need to also include quarterly and yearly payments. Some of these expenses may be home improvement and repair costs, or car maintenance and registration payments. You need to also write down other, smaller things that you pay for daily or weekly, such as child care or grocery shopping. You should make sure that your list is as comprehensive as possible to ensure you have a true picture of what you spend.
There are always things you can eliminate from any budget. One easy thing you can do is bring coffee from home instead of stopping for expensive lattes on the way to work. Seek out anything similar to this that you can get rid of without difficulty prior to putting together a lasting financial plan.
See what improvements you can make to help you lower your utility bills. Windows can be a weak link in your homes armor by letting out heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. Make sure your windows are properly insulated. An on-demand hot water tank is a good way to reduce spending. Have a plumber come out and fix any leaky pipes you have to help lower your monthly water bill. Be sure to run your dishwasher only when it is full, so you can make the best use of it.
If you can, purchase new energy efficient appliances. These energy-saving appliances help you save on your utilities. Also, when you are not using something, unplug it. You can save both money and energy by doing this.
Some home improvements pay for themselves over time with the reduction in utility expenses. For example, replacing your roof and installing new insulation prevents you from losing energy for both heating and cooling because of insufficient structural materials.
Try to save money by being careful with appliances. Even though you are spending money to repair or replace items, you will see a savings in the long run.
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May 11, 2012
This is a guest post by Carol Parker, content manager at Drugsdb.com. Carol holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy.
These days, getting sick can be a costly business, especially for those who can’t afford medical insurance. Not only does a person have to worry about paying the consultation bill from the doctor, but the cost of prescriptions seems to skyrocket each time you need to have them filled.
The good news is that there are many ways to save money on your prescriptions. Although they may require some effort on your part, the savings will be well worth it.
Why you should try to save money on your prescriptions
There is no doubt that the economy is in a very tight spot at this time. Because of this, it is important for a person to try and save as much money as possible on disposable purchases, especially where prescription medications are concerned. Money saved on prescriptions can definitely be put to better use elsewhere in our already overstretched budgets. By researching and finding ways to cut down on prescription expenses, it is possible to reduce their cost substantially. The good news is that there are many ways in which a patient can reduce the cost of their prescriptions.
The following are my top 10 tips to save money on prescription drugs:
- Always inquire about generic options which may be available. Many brand-name medications have generic substitutes which are required by law to contain exactly the same ingredients as the brand name medicines. Whenever you receive a prescription from your doctor for medication,make sure to ask about the possibility of generic alternatives available. The end result could be as much as an 80% savings on the cost of your prescription.
- Find out if you qualify for Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs). Certain pharmaceutical companies have put PAPs in place for those who earn below a certain wage or who simply can’t afford any form of medical insurance. PAPs may include assistance in the form of savings cards, assistance with co-pays or levies, and coupons which can be redeemed against the price of certain medications.
- When possible, fill all of your prescriptions at one pharmacy. By having all of your prescriptions filled at one pharmacy, you will not only save time (and gas), but your pharmacist will get to know your particular prescriptions. This will come in very handy should you develop any allergies or unpleasant side effects from any of your medication.
- Consider the possibility of splitting higher-dose pills. It is a known fact that there is often very little difference in price when it comes to different dosages of pills. A 50mg pill will often cost almost the same price as the same pill in a 25mg dosage. Find out from your pharmacist if the medication you are using comes in different doses and if it is safe to split the larger-dose pills or not. It is important to note that some pills are not safe to split, but your pharmacist will be able to give you reliable advice in this regard.
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May 11, 2012
Q. Im 66 and started to collect Social Security, but Im afraid to retire from my full-time job because then my wife will have no medical coverage. She is 50 years old and has her own sewing business with no medical insurance. Private plans are way too expensive to purchase. Is there anything we missed, or is she destined to become one of the millions of uninsured?
MP
A. This is a common dilemma facing many in retirement, and often there is merit in delaying retirement to provide health coverage. Just going without coverage would be a mistake.
The eventual cost of medical bills could be disastrous for both of you, said Jody DAgostini, a certified financial planner with AXA Advisors/ RICH Planning Group in Morristown. The No. 1 reason for bankruptcy in the United States is from mounting medical bills.
Your first option is to delay your retirement for as long as you are able and willing to work. With life expectancy ever increasing, DAgostini said, it would benefit you to continue to work and save towards this goal.
Perhaps you could shift to a reduced schedule, but enough to maintain the health coverage for the family, she said.
Another possibility, but a short-term one, would be to continue the coverage for your wife through COBRA. This would provide your wife with up to 18 months of coverage after you terminate employment, but it will be more expensive than what you are currently paying.
After you exhaust COBRA, you would be guaranteed coverage under the 1986 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), she said. If your wife has a pre-existing illness, however, this might be the best route. She would be able to keep the same level of insurance.
Another option would be for you or your wife to get a part-time job that provides health benefits.
Some jobs such as being a bank teller or a school bus driver might fit in with her schedule and her business and may have health insurance benefits, said Shelley Parish Nord of Insight Financial Services in Flemington.
Another avenue to explore is health insurance coverage through a group such as your religious affiliation, a fraternal organization, an alumni club or professional association, Nord said. She also said AARP offers some options for those over age 50 and under 65.
Finally, although some private plans are expensive, there may be a high-deductible private policy that would at least cover the large insurance bills that might be incurred through an extended medical situation, even if you had to pay for routine care out-of-pocket, Nord said.
DAgostini said if your wife has even one employee, she may find small group health insurance, which would be less than the individual rates.
Whatever you do, dont let your health coverage lapse, she said.
Karin Price Mueller
E-mail your questions to askbiz@starledger.com.
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May 7, 2012
The General Medical Council (GMC) has called on GPs to invest in better technology and open their records to pharmacists, after a study found mistakes or omissions in 4.9% of GP prescriptions.
The one-year PRACTICE study, carried out by pharmacists, examined nearly 1,800 patient records for over a 12 month period looking for mistakes in prescribing.
One in five patients who were taking medicines had been given a prescription with an error in it. The most common of these errors were ‘incomplete information on the prescription’ (31%), dose errors (17%) or timing errors (11%).
There were also 55 monitoring errors in the records, the most common of which was a ‘failure to request monitoring’ found in 70% of cases.
Whilst fewer than 4% of the errors were judged to be severe, errors were found to be significantly more common in older patients and in those receiving five or more drugs.
Time pressures during GP consultations are thought to be to blame, along with complex computer software that makes it easy to select the wrong dose or incorrect dose. Martin Astbury, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said:
“We are calling for every GP practice to have a pharmacist on the premises dedicated to patient safety.”
Seperate research by GP magazine has found that more than half of GPs had experienced ‘inappropriate demands’ from local NHS managers to send fewer patients to hospital.
Under the efficiency drive to save £20bn by 2015, doctors have been asked to review how many patients they refer and investigate how many of their patients attend Aamp;E departments.
One GP said the scheme had become a ‘huge waste of time that could be better spent treating patients rather than meaningless government box-ticking.
GP performances affect patients with health insurance as well as those being treated on the NHS. Private medical insurance will only kick in after a referral from your GP. For more information about how this works, read our Medical Insurance FAQ.
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May 7, 2012
6pm 5/1/12: Police Officer Files Lawsuit
Officer Hit Directing Traffic
UPDATE 5/1/12 @ 7:30 pm
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — A police officer hit by a car while directing traffic is now suing several insurance companies after he says the companies have all denied him coverage.
Detective Charles Aaron Cook and his lawyer filed the lawsuit Monday in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit targets the defendant for negligence but also the officers insurance for not providing medical coverage or workers compensation.
On Dec. 17, 2011, Cook was directing traffic at Trace Fork Shopping Center along Corridor G when he was struck by a car. The driver tried to take off but was stopped by officers. The woman claimed she didnt see Cook.
Since then, Cook has racked up tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills for his recovery.
Hes incurring medical expenses at a pretty rapid rate, attorney Ben Salango said. Just an MRI is more than he makes in a month, and so right now hes forced to incur those medical expenses on his own.
Adding to the pain, the woman who hit him has minimal insurance coverage, which was not nearly enough to cover Cooks injuries. To add insult to injury, Cooks claim was rejected by his insurance company and he was also denied workers compensation.
Basically its workers comp and the medical insurance company are both pointing the finger at one another, Salango said. So he was left with no choice other than to file a lawsuit.
The city of South Charleston wouldnt comment on camera. However, the city manager told us Cook wasnt working at the time of the accident and view his role as a private contractor.
Even though Cook was wearing his uniform and had his cruiser with him, he was off duty and even being paid by THF Realty group, which owns the shopping center.
I know all these private companies — no one wants to pay, Cook said. Theyre just pointing a finger at each other. Its almost been six months, and Im the only one whos been paying.
Theyre trying to rely on every loop hole they can find to get out of paying what they should be paying, Salango said.
Its left a gray area of whos to blame and who should pay for an officer who was just trying to do his job.
THF Realty only has property insurance and doesnt employ anyone full time in West Virginia to have medical insurance.
City leaders admit theyve worried about a situation like this happening and are leaving the decision of who pays up to a judge.
Cook says hes had to forgo some of his needed therapy since the insurance companies wont cooperate.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
UPDATE 12/22/11 @ 12:45 pm
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — A woman has been charged after she hit a police officer with her car over the weekend.
South Charleston Police Detective Aaron Cook was hit while directing traffic in the Trace Fork Shopping Center on Saturday.
According to court records, Zoe Shavers has been charged with failure to exercise due care, which is a misdemeanor.
She paid a fine.
Cook suffered injuries to his leg, but he is expected to make a full recovery.
UPDATE 12/17/11 @ 7:30 pm
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — A South Charleston police officer was hit by a vehicle while directing traffic.
West Virginia State Police say it happened about 6:15 Saturday on Trace Fork Boulevard at the four-way intersection near the Mens Wearhouse store.
They say a woman driving a blue Acura MDX hit Detective Aaron Cooks leg.
He was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. State Police say his ankle or leg may be broken.
The woman who hit the detective may face charges.
The entrance to the Trace Fork Shops off Corridor G was shut down but has now reopened.
Police say this should be a reminder that when you’re out in congested holiday traffic, you need to be extra cautious.
Its the holiday season where everybodys in a rush,” Lt. GE Amburgey of the South Charleston Police Department said. “Weve had officers out here for several years trying to get it to flow as best they can, but it does get backed up, so if they could just use patience, maybe stay off the cell phone when they come through the intersection, it would help.
ORIGINAL STORY
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — A police officer has been hit by a vehicle while directing traffic.
911 dispatchers say it happened about 6:15 Saturday on Trace Fork Boulevard near the Mens Wearhouse store.
They say a South Charleston Police officer was hit and is being transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The entrance to the Trace Fork Shops off Corridor G is shut down.
We have a crew at the scene.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
Posted by admin under Medical Insurance | Comments (0)
May 6, 2012
“Travelers like primary medical insurance because it makes the claims process faster,” says Squaremouth CEO Chris Harvey. “However, it will not provide any better medical care and can sometimes be more expensive.”
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May 5, 2012
Worldwide Medical Insurance News: Study finds genetic systems disrupted in autistic people
01/05/12 18:43
Expatriates could soon be able to discover whether or not their child is likely to develop autism, following a study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that identified the genetic systems that tend to be involved in the disorder.
Previous investigations have found that a variety of genes are responsible for the neurodevelopmental syndrome among different people with the condition, which has made it difficult to ascertain the common DNA shared by individuals with autism.
Being able to do so could help medical experts tell whether or not a youngster has autism, which might determine if they require assistance with international health insurance policies to enable them to reach their full potential.
However, the new study, which was published in the journal PLoS Genetics, has shown the range of biological markers associated with autism appear to be involved with specific mental processes.
This can explain the large spectrum of the disorder, as well as similarities autistic people share in their behavioural patterns.
Scientists at the university intended to discover the impact rare genetic mutations had on the condition, as well as more commonplace DNA variants among the population, to discover the relationship between various biological risk factors.
Rather than testing solitary genes, they looked into collections of these substances to understand the pathways that could be involved in autism.
To the surprise of the experts, they discovered the variations and mutations are typically found in specific functional groups.
It is thought this could pave the way for large-scale scans in the future that could enable an early diagnosis of the condition, which is particularly important if children with the neurological disorder are to reach their full potential in adulthood.
Furthermore, the groups of genes discovered are particularly active in the first year of a humans life, dealing with processes such as sensory perception, memory and learning.
It is believed autism is significantly more commonplace than had previously been thought, with as many as one per cent of all people having the condition in certain regions.
Expatriate Healthcare specialise in providing international health insurance. Make sure youre protected.
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May 5, 2012
Private Medical Insurance: New research could cut pancreatic cancer deaths by 15 per cent a year
New classifications of drugs could be used to treat aggressive pancreatic tumours, Cancer Research UK has claimed.
Severe pancreatic cancer kills four out of every five people diagnosed with the disease in a year or less following diagnosis.
However, a new study published in the Nature journal, has found that the spread of the cancer was largely caused by a gene being switched off and drugs are being tested that can switch it back on again.
A study of lab mice found a gene known as USP9s normally prevents cells from dividing without control in the body, but this gene becomes ineffective in pancreatic cancer cells.
This is because other proteins and chemicals become attached it, preventing it working as it should do.
We suspected that the fault wasnt in the genetic code at all, but in the chemical tags on the surface of the DNA that switch genes on and off, and by running more lab tests we were able to confirm this, Prof David Tuveson, from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, explained.
Drugs which strip away these tags are already showing promise in lung cancer and this study suggests they could also be effective.
Dr David Adams, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, added that the study strengthens researchers understanding of how cells work and the role they play in both the spread and prevention of certain types of cancers.
Pancreatic cancer is the fifth biggest killer of all cancers and more than 7,800 people are diagnosed with it in the UK each year.
It is believed that the findings of this new study will help to reduce the annual death rate by as much as 15 per cent.
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May 3, 2012
Private Medical Insurance: Stoke sufferers feel neglected in after care
According to a new report, many people who have suffered a stroke feel abandoned after they have been discharged from hospital.
The Stroke Association says its review found thousands of people who are recovering from a stroke and are unhappy with the level of after-care they received from their local health authority.
Jon Barrick, of the Stroke Association, said that more needs to be done to help sufferers cope with their condition
Many stroke survivors tell us that after all the effort to save their lives, they then feel abandoned when they return home, he said. The NHS and local authorities are failing in their responsibilities.
The Department of Health admitted that improvements need to be made to drive up standards and it is an area which it will focus its attentions on.
Phil Gray, chief executive of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, added that the body was concerned about what happens to stroke survivors after they have been discharged from hospital.
He believes that a lack of investment means many people go without the required aftercare and something must be done about it.
More people than ever have survived strokes in recent years because of new life-saving treatments and better access to scans.
Currently, it is estimated that there are more than one million stroke sufferers living in the UK, 300,000 of these have to manage with moderate or severe disabilities.
Every year around 150,000 people suffer a stroke. The majority of these are aged over 65 but the condition can strike anyone, including normally healthy children and babies.
It is one of the key reasons people take out private medical insurance.
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May 3, 2012
Local teachers made the news last week when a healthy representation appeared before the Moffat County School Board to seek common ground regarding the rising cost of medical insurance premiums.
Plenty of discussion is tossed around when costs associated with running a school district are being negotiated. Employees are compelled to seek worthy remuneration for their efforts while management attempts to find cost-cutting measures intended to “ease” expenses.
Some segments of society see teachers as people who can’t make it at a “real” job so they get into teaching. They work nine months of the year and have three months off every summer, go to work at 8 in the morning and are done by 3:30.
What a life – how much do they need to be compensated, anyway?
Others see educators as a group of people who make sacrifices to try and influence the future by teaching children.
These people know any teacher who arrives to work at 8 and leaves at 3:30 doesn’t last very long, and when they come and sit in a classroom and see the reality teachers face every day, they understand what drives the weakest of the profession out into the “real” world for a “real” job.
First-rate wage and benefits were designed into the school budget long ago in a spirit of attracting teachers and families to rural Moffat County to become a stable part of the community.
But, it seems as though there is a disconnect in our district between those who make budgetary decisions and those who, in good faith, teach children every day and have made a choice to live in Craig partly because of the salary and benefit package.
Some years ago, the school district adjusted administrative salaries upwards to attract and maintain excellent leaders. Some might think the same should happen for classroom teachers.
Teachers are increasingly seen as a cost on a spreadsheet to be solved by managing the numbers and finding solutions such as increasing (“adjusting”) premium rates.
Full disclosure: I do not take part in the districts medical insurance coverage for my family because of the expense.
Fourteen years ago I moved to Moffat County and the consensus among professionals I spoke with was that Moffat County teachers were taken care of and if I was a good teacher, I would find this a great place to settle down, raise a family and become part of a community.
I love this profession and hope to stay in Moffat County for the remainder of my career, but as education becomes more like a business, I’m not seen as a dedicated veteran as much as an expense and a less experienced (expensive) teacher might certainly “improve” the budgetary outlook.
Teachers who strive each day to make learning fun and effective, get kids engaged, deal with the emotions of children, and challenge the best and brightest students should have confidence that those in positions of leadership and oversight are looking out for them.
I hope this is what’s still happening in our district.
Click here to have the print version of the Craig Daily Press delivered to your home.
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May 3, 2012
Overseas Medical Insurance News: People have poor knowledge of male cancers
30/04/12 14:47
Male expatriates ought to make themselves familiar with some of the forms of cancer they could face, so they can get the issue treated through international healthcare providers as quickly as possible.
According to Orchid chief executive Rebecca Porta, men are not encouraged to visit the doctor as much as women.
Furthermore, females are very used to acknowledging the importance of self-checking, she remarked, arguing this is not the case for men.
Research by Orchid has revealed males have a greater knowledge of breast cancer than they do about prostate or testicular cancers, the specialist remarked.
In recent-years awareness may have increased due to high-profile public figures discussing their own battles with tumours, she noted.
However, Ms Porta said: We have still got a long way to go.
Orchid claims everyone should have some knowledge of the symptoms and sign of testicular, penile and prostate cancers, pointing out early diagnosis and treatment could ultimately save mens lives.
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