the government and health care
What the 2025 Big Beautiful Bill Means for Medicaid Patients
In July 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, often called the “Big Beautiful Bill.” It included large Medicaid cuts, the health program that low-income people, children, older adults, and people with disabilities depend on. If you are on Medicaid, or if you help a loved one who has it, the changes could…
Read MoreHealthcare Costs: Where does your state rank?
Healthcare costs vary widely across the U.S., with some states spending nearly twice as much per person as others. A recent analysis by Steno Health, using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), ranked the states with the highest and lowest healthcare spending. But high spending doesn’t always mean…
Read MoreMedicare Marketing Can Be Shady. Here’s How To Protect Yourself.
Medicare marketing can be aggressive, misleading, and sometimes downright shady. Learn the basic Medicare marketing rules and protect yourself.
Read MoreHow To Manage Covid-19 Medical Bills
If you get Covid-19, medical bills may be the last thing on your mind. But if you need treatment, be prepared for your Covid-19 costs.
Read MoreHigh-Tech Healthcare: Is it right for you?
Everywhere we turn, we can see the impact of technology. “There’s an app for that!” we hear. But is high-tech healthcare right for everyone? For much of our lives, that’s just fine. I’m okay with an app keeping track of who shows up at my front door or the choices I make for watching TV.…
Read MoreWhat You Need To Know About Covid-19 Testing
Covid-19 testing can be confusing. Read about the different types of Covid-19 tests and when to use them.
Read MoreTax Time! Can You Deduct the Cost of Your Patient Advocate?
(Updated in 2020, regarding Tax Year 2019) I’ve spent most of the weekend working on my income tax filing. Yeah. You know. The fun never ends. Then the lightbulb moment arrived when I realized that you, the reader of this blog, might be interested to know whether there is a tax benefit to hiring an…
Read MoreSo What Are You S’Posed to Do With Those Hospital Prices?
In the category of “be careful what you wish for…” Well-meaning policy people have now created a monster. We can name this monster “Good Start,” but it’s not a very useful monster – yet. That monster rears its ugly head in the form of the new law that became effective January 1, 2019 that requires…
Read MoreDid You Get Something That Looks Like a Medicare Card in the Mail?
The envelope says its from Medicare. The card inside looks very official. It’s got your name on it, and a bunch of numbers and letters that don’t look at all familiar. But – can you trust it? Is this new Medicare card for real? Can you use it with your doctor and other medical needs?…
Read MoreBlack Box Warnings May Save Your Life
This often comes as a major surprise for patients: that when a prescription drug is known to be effective, and is approved by the FDA for some patients, that doesn’t mean it’s effective and safe for all patients. It’s true that some people may be allergic, or the drug might have been prescribed to treat…
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