Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts on Consumerism’
Is a health savings account (HSA) better than a 401(k)? You decide.
I have written about the virtues of HSAs before. But never did it become so clear to me that HSAs can be better than other retirement accounts such as 401(k) and IRA (I had a hunch, though). HSAs have been around since 2003; yet, in my opinion, the HSA is the most misunderstood, the most…
Read MoreCost, quality, and your healthcare—a story about relationships
Cost and quality—they’re always related right? Well, usually. Sometimes we buy the cheaper good or service when we’re looking to save money, understanding the trade off is often quality. We might buy a hamburger at a fast food joint for $2 instead of spending $10 at the local pub. The same goes when we’re buying…
Read MoreDon’t have an HSA? Here’s why you need one.
Since their creation as “tax-advantaged” accounts by Congress in 2003, the prevalence of health savings accounts (HSA) has been growing steadily despite the reality that the health insurance industry doesn’t like them. Even with the industry floating “Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt” (a.k.a. FUD-factor), consumers are starting to see the light when it comes to high…
Read MoreNot happy about your salary increases (or lack thereof) over the past decade? You might want to blame it on healthcare.
While many factors may be contributing to the lack of salary increases in America, have you considered that one of the biggest culprits might be the rising cost of healthcare? In the past decade alone, health insurance premiums for families have risen 73%, dramatically outpacing increases in family income (read more here about the study…
Read MoreFor mature audiences only
Just when you thought we were done talking about health savings accounts, here we are again talking about HSAs. We’ve outlined HSAs before, but new reports indicate that they may be more of a necessity than simply an added benefit. One thing we’ve spent a lot of time discussing is the use of HSAs as…
Read MoreIt pays to shop for healthcare, when you have the right tool
Could the controversial decision of three major hospitals save thousands of lives?
There’s been a lot of buzz around hospital systems lately—mostly about mergers and acquisitions and consolidations. But something else has been making headlines recently in the hospital system world: quality. More specifically, the industry is questioning whether or not the number of times a procedure has been performed is an accurate indicator of quality. Currently,…
Read More7 ways to take control of your physical and financial health in 2016
Happy New Year from the MyMedicalShopper Team! Yup, it’s 2016. And with a new year, comes new goals, and trends, and fads. If you’re looking once again to take control of your healthcare, we’ve got some easy ways to ensure you’re able to take control physically and financially. They’re easy. Really easy. We’re pretty certain…
Read MoreDespite law, healthcare price transparency remains murky in MA
If you’ve been keeping up with healthcare news this week, you may have noticed the headlines buzzing about the demand for price transparency or the lack thereof—even in states where it is required by law. The Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI), a non-profit, non-partisan organization—supported by Humana, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealthcare—made waves this week…
Read MoreDear Douglas White, price transparency can be stupid
Dear Douglas White, Last week, the team here at MyMedicalShopper read an article published by Kaiser Health News highlighting your frustration with healthcare price transparency, or the lack thereof. We’re writing this week to tell you not to lose faith! Our platform has already helped thousands of New Hampshire residents avoid surprise medical bills, and…
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