Nov. 1 is the beginning of open enrollment — the period when people can sign up for new health insurance plans in the health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many private employers hold their annual enrollment periods at the same time. On this date, millions of people all over the country … Read more
The United States health care system is complicated. While most developed countries have some form of universal health coverage, Americans get health insurance through a patchwork of different sources — workplace health plans, private insurance, and a variety of government programs. One of the biggest patches in that quilt is Medicare. This public health insurance program provides coverage for retirees and … Read more
One quirk of the U.S. health care system is the way it ties health insurance to the workplace. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 55% of Americans get their health insurance through an employer — their own or a family member’s. The biggest problem with this arrangement is that if you lose your job, you lose your … Read more
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), most Americans over 65 will need long-term care services at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, most Americans don’t have a good way to pay for them. A 2020 survey by Genworth Financial found that professional long-term health care costs thousands of dollars per … Read more
Think for a minute about all the things you did when you woke up this morning. You probably got out of bed, walked to the bathroom, cleaned yourself up, brushed your teeth, got dressed, made yourself some breakfast, and headed out the door to go to work. These activities of daily living are so routine, … Read more
Americans are used to paying high costs for health care. Even for those who have health insurance — and as of 2019, there are still millions who don’t — it doesn’t cover everything. However, many people assume that once they reach age 65 and start receiving Medicare benefits, it will cover all their costs. After all, we’ve … Read more
Americans are spending a bigger share of their income than ever on health care costs. According to a 2018 report by the Economic Policy Institute, workers in the bottom 90% of the income scale had to pay 6.8% of their income for an employer-sponsored family health plan in 1999. By 2016, that number had climbed … Read more
In 1996, 10.6 million American children — roughly one out of every seven kids in the country — had no health insurance, according to a report from the Census Bureau. For kids from low-income families, the numbers were even worse; nearly one out of four poor children were uninsured. By 2015, according to a report … Read more
When you first sign up for Medicare, be prepared for some sticker shock. Because you’ve been paying Medicare taxes all through your working life, you may have assumed that once you retire, all your health care costs will be covered. It can come as a rude awakening to learn that all those taxes you paid only … Read more
In 2014, a woman wrote to Consumer Reports with a problem. She said her husband was able to get health insurance at his job for $130 per month, which was about 4% of their monthly income. However, adding her to his plan would have raised the cost to $415 per month — more than 12% … Read more
