All Posts

Sunday, Dec 7 My annual exam is scheduled for tomorrow. So that my blood chemistry profiles can be reviewed with my PCP then, I went in Tuesday morning for lab work. Appointment was at 8:00 and I was back in my car at 8:15. That by itself is pretty darn good. Then I looked at my phone: “New test results available.” The MyChart message was sent at 8:12. How is that even possible? Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (16 results); Lipid Panel (6 results); Complete Blood Count

Google ‘most expensive hotels in the USA.’ Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find: Waldorf Astoria, New York - One Bedroom Suite, from $2,756/night Dupont Circle, D.C. - Penthouse Suite, $3,167/night The Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay CA - Ocean Balcony Suite, $3,196 Four Seasons, Surfside Florida - Ocean View Corner, $3,830 Not in your budget? If someone told you they routinely paid these rates locally for far more spartan accommodations, could you guess where they stayed?

That was the question caller ‘Rob’ asked earlier this week. First, what is COBRA? Buried in the massive Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 is a provision allowing individuals to continue their employer sponsored health insurance (at their own cost plus an admin fee) in the event of certain “qualifying events.” That simple ‘right’ became known as COBRA because apparently the laws’ hundreds of other provisions were just a tad less memorable; e.g., COB

November 16, 2025 Alert the media. This website has just been launched: https://www.30secondinsurancetips.com/blog OK. Now what?

Edward has an acute condition requiring on-going care. His health insurance company is one of those exiting the individual market at the end of the year. When selecting a new Plan, he'll want to make sure his Specialists are In Network. For each of the alternate Insurers under consideration, we showed him how to look up participating Health Systems (hospitals) and Providers (doctors), but I was curious if he had discussed this with his Specialist. Nope. So, for the hec

Sun, Nov 2, 2025 Extrapolating from a KFF chart HERE , roughly 322,000 Wisconsinites get health insurance through the ACA Marketplace. For them, the Annual Open Enrollment has just started (11/1) and continues through December 15 th , for a January 1 effective date. Click HERE to see the Insurers offering coverage in each county. Compared to last year, you’ll note there are still multiple, albeit fewer, options. A couple of carriers are just gone! Reported ad nauseum, th

Sun Oct 19, 2025 Medicare has made shopping for Part D Drug Plans . . . . . . . well, so easy, even I can do it! Start HERE . Check 2026 and enter your Zip Code. (If you already have an account, log in.) For demonstration purposes, check 'Medicare drug plan', then ‘Find Plans.’ On the next screen, most of you will check ‘I don’t get help.’ Next screen, check that you do want to see drug costs. That’s as far as I can take you, because now you have to enter very pre

Sun, Oct. 12. 2025 For years, reading scores for MPS students have been unacceptably low, while trending in the wrong direction. One might hope that after taxpayers approved a $252 million-dollar referendum to increase school funding and hired an energized new Superintendent, things will improve. Now substitute premium payers for taxpayers. And, ABC, HIJ, RST or XYZ Health Systems for MPS. Hospital quality metrics – like reading test scores – are available through multip

Sun, Oct 5, 2025 Five weeks ago, I teased two New (School) Year’s Resolutions. ( Tip # 689 ) Both were related to wellness, as perhaps the only thing any of us can do to control health care costs.* Having made it through September, here’s the reveal. First, I dramatically changed my diet using the Yuca App ( Tip # 691 ) to identify UPF’s when shopping and, I’ve eliminated alcohol. The pre-dinner ritual of washing down a few snacks (mostly UPF’s) with a cocktail or two h