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assistive technology

Overview Assistive technology enables people to live healthy, productive, independent, and diagnosed lives, and to participate in education, the labor market and civic life. Assistive technology reduces the need for formal health and support services, long-term care and the work of caregivers. Without assistive technology, people are often excluded, isolated, and locked into poverty, which increases the impact of disease and disability on a person, their family, and society. Who can benefit from assistive technology? People who most need assistive technology include: people with disabilities older people people with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and stroke people with mental health…
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Ballooning cost of insuring undocumented immigrants complicating Illinois budget negotiations

CHICAGO — The $49.6 billion budget Gov. J.B. Pritzker introduced in February estimated the cost of a program that provides state-funded health insurance to adult immigrants who are in the country without legal permission at $220 million. [–Just three months later, that estimate has grown fivefold, swelling to $1.1 billion and threatening to blow a hole in the Democratic governor’s proposal for the budget year that begins July 1, the first of his second term. [–At the same time, revenue flowing to the state appears to be slowing, putting further pressure on Pritzker and the Democratic-controlled legislature as…
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Remarriage and Estate Planning – Rickard & Associates

If you are getting remarried, it is essential to understand your spouse’s inheritance rights. 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). Before you get married for a second or third time, you want to be aware of the rights your spouse will have to your estate and vice versa. You may want to work with an attorney to draft a prenuptial agreement, prior to exchanging vows. Then, you want to be familiar with the intestacy laws in your…
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Does My Health Insurance Cover International Travel?

Planning an international trip can be downright exhilarating, and that’s especially true if you’re traveling to far-flung locations you’ve never visited before. Whether you plan to relax the day away on a tropical beach, visit archeological sites and ruins you’ve read about in school, or splurge on a culinary-themed getaway for foodies, there’s so much to look forward to – and to prepare for. But there’s more to trip planning than putting together a packing list and an itinerary. You should also make sure you’re adequately covered for a range of emergencies and health issues that could occur, as well…
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CLHIA: Dental care program could impact private coverage for employees

CLHIA: Dental care program could impact private coverage for employees | Insurance Business Canada Life & Health CLHIA: Dental care program could impact private coverage for employees Worry expressed that the program could lead to employers dropping coverage Life & Health By Mika Pangilinan As the government gears up to launch a national dental care program, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) has warned that small businesses might not find it worthwhile to provide dental benefits to some employees. With the Liberals set to spend $13 billion over the next five years to provide uninsured low- and middle-income…
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The individual health insurance exchange in 2023

The year 2023 marks the tenth year of operations for the US health insurance exchanges since they launched as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2014. The individual market has remained fluid during this time, with insurer participation, pricing, and plans changing from year to year. Consumer participation increased by 25 percent to approximately 16 million from 2020 to 2022, coincident with extended enrollment periods and enhanced subsidies implemented under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended through 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. We have collected and analyzed data from every health insurance exchange…
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How I Recovered from Over $500,000 Worth of Medical Debt

A sudden diagnosis of heart failure in an otherwise healthy 28-year-old person is challenging to accept. Spending the next months grappling with questions like “Will he be able to go back to work?” and “How will we make payments on our mortgage?” was difficult. We were married just three years prior, had children, and were shocked to see a huge medical bill show up for the unexpected diagnosis of a chronic health condition. Pulling together and working hard to make big decisions, we were able to pay off $500,000 worth of medical debt and put ourselves on the path to…