If there is one thing we learned from 2020 it’s that having adequate health insurance is not a luxury but a necessity. A close friend of mine who was in otherwise good health found himself hospitalized for several months this fall with Covid. Without health insurance this type of hospital [...]
In my columns I often advise people to take the time to plan for the unforeseen. This week I have a personal story about something that happened to me last week that will hopefully serve as motivation to some of you as well. One week ago Friday I took my [...]
Last Wednesday I discussed the Medicare Advantage programs and today we finish with the Part B Supplemental (or Medigap) coverage. By the way, Open Enrollment began yesterday and you have until December 7 to apply for a change of plan. If you have not, I suggest you set up your [...]
I love October in the Midwest. In my opinion, it has the best weather of the entire year. The air is drier and the evenings are great for sweaters or sweatshirts. After some hard frosts, our allergies may be less intense. We experienced Americans, 65 and older, also have another [...]
Last week, some family members and I drove to northern California and back. Never doing things the easy way, we drove 1900 plus miles in the first two days, enjoyed two days with extended family members, and drove 1900 plus miles on Friday and Saturday. Like the terrible joke about [...]
For many of us struggling with the continuing growth of health-care costs, the fear of an unforeseen medical expense occurring is ever-present. This past fall, my oldest son fell while on the dreaded monkey bars and broke his arm. Aside from the pain of seeing my first-born injured, the pain [...]
Trying to stay fit might be hazardous to one’s health! In late March, trying to perform exercises directed by my trainer, I suffered a complete thickness tear of my left supraspinatus tendon. That is the shoulder muscle that allows us to raise our arms out to the side. The experts [...]
There are two sides of the coin of living longer. We often want to live longer to have great relationships with our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You know, those youngsters with whom we can conspire against our children? But then we don’t want to outlive our enjoyment either. When I can [...]
Once again, the health care debate has heated up in this country. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get political. In fact, I think the inflammatory rhetoric from all those in power has caused us to lose sight of some basic economic principles that govern all industries, including health care. [...]
I have not written on the topic of disability lately, but there may be a new way to protect against its long term financial ravages. As of January 1, 2015, Treasury and the IRS have published final regulations (79 FR 26838) allowing a defined contribution retirement plan (think 401k) to [...]
