insurance

Why Do Cellphones Get Cheaper But Hearing Aids Cost More?

Posted on 10/29/2012 by | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthIt’s a frustrating dilemma: Why have digital improvements helped us get a cheaper smartphone, TV or computer, but the same kind of technological advancements have only caused the price tab of hearing aids to soar — and for a population who can least afford it? It’s a question that New York Times writer Tricia Romano asked in a recent article titled “The Hunt for an Affordable Hearing Aid.” Romano is not an inexperienced hearing aid customer. She’s been wearing one …

Why Retiring Abroad Could Save You Money

Posted on 08/1/2012 by | Retiring Overseas | Comments

Money & Savings | TravelThis is a guest blog from Suzan Haskins. You can read her whole series on retiring abroad here.  In a previous blog post, I wrote about one of the key perks of living in Latin America – affordability. I wrote that you can live quite comfortably in Latin America on your Social Security benefits, despite the fact that those benefits have only risen 3.6 percent in the last three years. For a retiree in 2012, the average Social Security benefit is …

Survey Finds Auto Insurance Rates Higher for Low-Income Drivers

Posted on 06/18/2012 by | Money and Work | Comments

Bulletin Today | Money & SavingsYou may be a good driver but if you live in a moderate- or low-income neighborhood, you’re probably paying higher auto insurance rates than people who live in upscale parts of town, as much as $1,500 just for minimal liability coverage. Those are the disturbing findings of a new survey of four of the largest auto insurers in 15 cities. Between them, the companies hold half of all policies in the country. The Consumer Federation of America went to the websites …

The Takeaway: Health-Care Costs Rise Faster Than U.S. Inflation Rate

Posted on 05/21/2012 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsHigher charges by doctors, hospitals and drug companies have resulted in healthcare costs that have risen even faster than the rate of inflation, according to a survey released today by the Health Care Cost Institute, a nonprofit research organization in Washington DC. The study found that health care costs rose 3.3 percent in 2010 even though people actually used fewer services in many categories.  The average price of prescription drugs rose 3 percent; inpatient admissions cost 5.1 percent;  more and …

The Takeaway: Insurance Premiums Surged in 2011; Docs Admit to Overtreating Patients

Posted on 09/28/2011 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsWhat Goes Up … Must Go Up? Health insurance premiums may be slated to rise less next year than they have in over a decade, but perhaps that’s because 2011 saw unprecedented surges. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, annual premiums for some employer-sponsored family health insurance policies surpassed $15,000 this year, a climb of 9 percent over 2010; premiums for individual coverage rose 8 percent. Between 2009-2010, premiums for families and individuals rose just 5 and 3 percent, respectively. Because employers split …

Managing the Medicare Maze

Posted on 09/23/2011 by | Health | Comments

Personal HealthAre you 65, or fast approaching it? There was a wealth of knowledge for you in yesterday’s Life@50 University Session on Medicare. Some of the questions asked: What’s the difference between a traditional physical and the Medicare Wellness Exam? What’s the difference between supplemental and secondary insurance?

« Older Entries