You’d do your homework before buying a car or even a coffee maker, right? Shopping for insurance isn’t much different. Here are some helpful hints. The time has come: Open enrollment through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance Marketplace runs from November 15th to February 15th, 2015. If you haven’t bought insurance before, or it’s been a while, it might […]

It only took 20 minutes to sign up her 63-year-old mother for coverage she could afford. The Healthcare.gov website has gotten all the attention — for better and for worse — but when Ruma Salhi needed to find health insurance for her mother, she just picked up the phone. “I wanted to talk to a real, live person,” says Salhi, […]

The MNA is working with Michigan health systems to protect nurses and patients, even as Governor Rick Snyder stalls on meeting about statewide standards. On Wednesday, registered nurses from the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) held a press conference in front of Governor Rick Snyder’s office to discuss Michigan’s ability to safely care for an Ebola patient and demand a state […]

Her story demonstrates how critical health insurance is for many people — and disproves the myth that small companies aren’t going to provide employee insurance under the ACA. For Emily Todebush, going without health insurance simply isn’t an option. In early 2013, the 29-year-old was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system […]

Saving big money was just the beginning of the good news. In November 2013, I struck gold — literally. I found a Gold plan on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace that saves me $900 a month on my premiums for the same coverage. With 2015 open enrollment starting on November 15th, it’s a good time to take a look […]

Study released by the University of Michigan shows how Michigan may set an example for other states.

Wisconsin woman who couldn’t get insurance without Obamacare urges everyone to remember who supported the law on Election Day. Jenell Larson is a healthy 61-year-old woman who could not buy insurance at any price due to a single illness in her 30s — an illness that was treated successfully. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare, she […]

A little advance planning will make insurance enrollment or renewal a breeze. November is going to be a big month! After Election Day on November 4th, the next date to remember is November 15th — the day open enrollment through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace begins. If you’ve already bought health insurance through the ACA marketplace (aka Obamacare), you […]

Legislation would safeguard not only the life of the mother, but also the health of the mother in a problem pregnancy. There are many troubling aspects to the Michigan law requiring women to buy a special insurance rider to cover abortion services, but the most upsetting to me is the fact that there is no exception for the health of […]

Even with insurance, some people can’t afford treatment or preventive medications. Advocates are working on solutions. Imagine being diagnosed with HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, and being reassured that with treatment there’s no reason for the quality or length of your life to be diminished. Then imagine being told that the drugs you need to start taking right […]

It’s not just about health insurance. It’s about reimagining the way we deliver care. If I could only tell you one thing I saw at TEDMED 2014, it would be this: Health reform goes far deeper than the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That isn’t news to me, but it was gratifying to see some of the leading minds in health […]