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Town of Massena retirees happy with new health insurance plan

Jun. 24—MASSENA — Town of Massena retirees say they’re happy with a new health insurance plan that will kick in on Jan. 1. Zachary Zuckerman, a group benefits consultant at USI Insurance Services in Syracuse, outlined the new plan for the Massena Town Board, with several retirees in attendance. Among them were some who had served on a town committee that examined potential retirement health insurance plans. Mr. Zuckerman said he was no stranger to Massena, having worked with village officials as well as current Deputy Town Supervisor Patrick M. Facteau when he was the chief financial officer for the…
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Here’s why insurance experts suggest travel health insurance

When planning your summer vacation, insurance experts suggest you make your health coverage part of all that prep. PORTLAND, Ore. — Summer vacation has arrived and while you’re planning where to go, what to do and how much it will cost, insurance experts encourage you to also plan ahead when it comes to health insurance. Traveling in-state versus out of the country makes a difference, but there are some important basics to know no matter where you’re going to ensure an unexpected health event while on vacation doesn’t turn into a bigger financial problem. “It’s important to know before you…
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The high cost of giving birth even with insurance

Qthe burden of high health care costs and medical debt in the US is no secret. Medical debt affects one in five adults in the US, with an average burden of more than $20,000 for each medical debtor. As primary care physicians, we frequently witness the effects of these financial burdens, particularly for our older or sicker patients with expensive medical conditions. However, new research we published recently in the Journal of General Internal Medicine shows that medical debt is also common in a younger and healthier population: women who have just had a baby. In a sample of more…
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Friday Health Plans of Nevada taken over by state regulators

A district court judge has ordered that a health insurance company that covers 2,805 Nevadans be placed in receivership under the control of the state Division of Insurance. Day-to-day operations of Friday Health Plans will now be handled by the Division of Insurance. The insurer’s policies are still in effect and the court order, which was issued June 12, prohibits providers from denying health services. The Division of Insurance first requested receivership for Friday Health Plans on June 1 after it received “inconsistent financial filings” from the company. Friday Health Plans supported the move for regulators to take over its…
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Japan PM faces resistance to replacement of health insurance cards with digital ID

The Japanese government’s troubled My Number digital ID program has done little to quell concerns about incidents of mishandled personal data, particularly those related to disability certificates. The issue has sparked objections over to the planned replacement of health insurance cards next year with My Number IDs. Japanese doctors have taken the government to court to fight the mandatory replacement of health insurance cards, arguing it is expensive to implement. Part of that unease arose when some residents discovered their ID cards linked to unrelated personal information. This has intensified pressure on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has suffered a…
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Estate Planning: 5 Things to Consider

If you are preparing to draft your estate plan with your estate planning attorney, there are a variety of issues that you will need to think about before your documents can be finalized. We can help you stay on top of the latest news that affects your everyday life. Subscribe to stay up to date. (To subscribe to our blog click here). Prior to drafting your estate plan, we recommend that you give some thought to the following items: How do you want your money and assets handled if you die? Do you want any restrictions? If you are married,…
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Criticism continues against Gov. Pritzker’s move closing health care enrollment for immigrants

Backlash continued to rain down on Gov. JB Pritzker Wednesday following his decision last week to close enrollment for a state-funded health insurance program for immigrants under 65 as other Illinois officials highlighted that a bill is sitting on the governor’s desk that would allow the state to issue regular driver’s licenses for noncitizens. Though not connected, the two issues took center stage as Pritzker continued to push back against criticism from Latino lawmakers and immigrant advocates that his administration’s decision on the health insurance program was “immoral and fiscally shortsighted.” Pritzker has defended the move because program costs are…
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Those in poorer health give lower ratings for their health insurance

Photo: FGTrade/Getty Images Most people generally give their health insurance a positive grade, but according to a new KFF survey, those who are in poorer health tend to give lower ratings. The sicker they are, the less positively they feel about their coverage. About 81% of those polled said their health insurance was “excellent” or “good,” but there were discrepancies. Eighty-four percent of people who describe their physical health status as at least “good” rate insurance positively, compared to 68% of people in “fair” or “poor” health. People on Medicare also tend to rate their insurance more positively (at a…