Recently, my wife went to the doctor with stomach issues. The doctor recommended a simple diagnostic test called a HIDA scan. We have an HSA high-deductible health insurance plan with a $6,450 deductible, meaning we would be paying for the procedure out-of-pocket until our deductible was met. Before my wife left the doctor’s office, she...
Benefit advisers must innovate or see their business escape into the hands of someone more ambitious and harder working. That was the consensus of a panel, called “Disrupting the benefits status quo through simplicity,” last week at the Benefits Forum & Expo, hosted by Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit Adviser. The panel consisted of Adam Berkowitz, founder...
Two patients visited the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s emergency department in recent months. Each was charged $4,328 for a Level 4 facility fee, the second most severe charge. Though the charges were identical, the hospital expected to recoup the full amount, $4,328, from the UnitedHealthcare-insured patient and just 13 percent, $544.19, from the one insured...
Living in a small town in America has its pros and cons. The pros? Wide-open spaces and simpler living, a neighborly connection to the people around you, and being surrounded by nature, which soothes the soul. The cons? However, there’s little access to the conveniences of urban life.
