A new Urban Institute report predicts that more than 600,000 veterans will go without health insurance in 2017 unless there are policy changes to the Medicaid program. They point out that more than half of those veterans live in the 19 states that have not expanded Medicaid. “If Medicaid expansion decisions do not change between now... Read More

Paying for health care is hard on many Americans, but costs are especially high in retirement. That’s according to recent analysis by Fidelity Investments, released this week, which found a 65-year-old couple retiring this year will need about $260,000 to cover their health care. “The estimate applies to retirees with traditional Medicare insurance coverage,” Fidelity said in a press... Read More

The average retirement age in the United States is 63, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. If you are part of that trend, get ready to have your financial world turned upside down in your 60s. As you trade in your office keys and a steady paycheck for a pension (if you’re lucky), investment income... Read More

Anyone who’s reviewed their health insurance statements is well-acquainted with just how high medical bills can climb. Now, a new analysis from TransUnion found that consumers are increasingly being asked to shoulder the costs. Per the credit bureau, patients saw a 13% rise in both deductible and out-of-pocket maximum costs between 2014 and 2015. The average deductible for consumers in 2015 was... Read More

The 43 million Americans estimated to have medical debt on their credit reports could find some credit score relief should a new Senate bill come to pass. Five senators —Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.),  Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — introduced legislation late last week that would remove paid-off and... Read More

Despite the recent federal law requiring that most Americans buy health insurance or pay a fine, this mandated insurance coverage still fails to protect a significant percentage of Americans. A new Kaiser Family Foundation/New York Times survey challenges a narrative put forth by many policymakers — the notion that patients do not have enough “skin... Read More