Health

Rebates on Home Healthcare Products

December 9, 2007 By Shannon Christman Leave a Comment

Taking care of another person, even someone you love, can be stressful on your emotions, your body, and your (or the other person’s) pocketbook. Even if you have great insurance for medicine, the cost of incidentals – everything from blood pressure monitors to incontinence products – adds up.

Drugstores and grocery stores sometimes offer one-check rebates on these products, but such rebates provide reduced costs only on single purchases and only on things bought at a particular store. In contrast, The Caregivers Marketplace, owned by healthcare marketing company Hamacher Resource Group, works with manufacturers and retailers (such as Kmart) to offer regular rebates to people who buy products for aging or ailing dependents. Free online enrollment (here) allows caregivers to submit receipts for eligible products purchased at any store. Rebate amounts range from $0.25 to $20.00 per product, but most are $1.00. The number of rebates per person per product and per person is unlimited (unless you’re claiming you’ve purchased more than you could possibly use), but you have to purchase at least five products before you can submit receipts. The organization also sends members a newsletter about issues that face caregivers.

Though the program is marketed toward those who care for aging relatives and the rebate form asks what illness the person for whom you are caring has, rebate eligibility is not limited to those caring for someone else. Many of the products are mobility or home diagnostic products, but others are products anyone might use – Nature Made vitamins and Cottonelle wipes, for example. The Caregivers Marketplace came to my attention when rebates for diapers became available. (Unfortunately, they’re for Huggies diapers, a brand our family doesn’t use.)

I confess I haven’t tried the program. I don’t have enough receipts to submit. However, I could not find any complaints about it from those who do use it. If you buy a lot of non-medicinal healthcare products, check out their list of items on rebate – it may be worth your time.

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The Great Secret to Cheap Dental Care

November 29, 2007 By Marilyn Brodeur 78 Comments

Within the US and Canada there are over 60 dental schools which provide inexpensive dental treatment. With locations all over the US from Louisville, New York City, Ft Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Omaha, and Chapel Hill it is very likely there is a school nearby. As a dental student, I’d like to reveal some factors to consider when choosing to get dental work done at a school.

Insurance

Dental schools accept most insurances. It is still a good idea to call the school ahead of time to be sure there are no problems. Going to a school may be a good option if the regular dentist drops insurance coverage.

Expert overseers

When I started dental school, I was surprised to find that celebrities exist in the dental profession, and many of them are my professors. My “cavity professor” frequently speaks at conferences and publishes in journals. A couple of professors at my school were recently recognized for a new innovation in tooth whitening. These are the people who oversee every step of patients’ treatment at the school.

Inexpensive

Cleanings, crowns, root canals or even veneers are cheaper at dental schools. I’d estimate that treatment is about half as expensive as a regular dental office. Students are good resources for learning about the best values offered at the school. Ask them if there are any procedures that are particularly cheap at the school. Perhaps tooth whitening kits are particularly inexpensive. It depends on the school.

Work with students

I may be a little biased, but dental students are cool. Your typical dental student is a 20 something-year-old studying for classes and working to become a good dentist. Don’t underestimate what your student knows how to do. They are trained to do crowns, fill cavities, and even put on veneers. Dentistry is continually changing with new advancements, and schools are very good at updating their curriculums so students know the most up to date techniques.

Possibility for absolutely FREE work

To become licensed as dentists, students must pass the National Board exams. This consists of working on patients that have a specific type of cavity under the supervision of a Board examiner. If you qualify as a National Board patient, your student will love you and fix your teeth for free.

When you decide to get work done at a school, expect it to take a while. Here’s why:

A couple appointments

Because students are so closely monitored, it normally takes 3 appointments until patients begin treatment. Also many schools suffer from faculty shortages. Appointments that take 1 hour at a regular dentist office could take 3 hours because the student is waiting for a professor to check their work. Bring a book or something because you might be alone in the chair while the student is waiting for a professor. Sometimes schools even offer evening clinic sessions which offer greater flexibility for patients.

Slow, perfectionist students

Hey, we are learning here. Students practice on manikins, plastic teeth, and each other before they are let loose on real human beings. When practicing, good clinical results, not speed, are graded. Students are competent at performing the procedures – we are just slow.

No assistants

Normally students are working solo. So you may be asked to help make the process go faster. Maybe write some numbers or hold the suction in your own mouth.

Think it over. If you don’t mind spending some extra time at the school you can get a great bang for your buck.

Image courtesy of completosinmallo

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Here is a list of all Dental Schools in the country courtesy of wikipedia (thanks Kelly in comments)

Alabama
University of Alabama School of Dentistry, Birmingham, Alabama

Arizona
Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health
Mid-Western University school of dentistry (fall 2007)

California
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, Loma Linda, California
UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles
University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, Calif.
University of Southern California USC School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California

Colorado
University of Colorado Denver School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, Colorado

Connecticut
University of Connecticut Health Center School of Dental Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut

District of Columbia / Washington, D.C.
Howard University College of Dentistry

Florida
Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, Ft. Lauderdale
University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Florida

Georgia
Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry, Augusta, Georgia

Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, Chicago, Illinois
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois

Indiana
Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana

Iowa
University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa

Kentucky
University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Lexington, Kentucky
University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, Kentucky

Louisiana
Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, New Orleans, Louisiana

Maryland
University of Maryland Dental School of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, founded as the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery

Massachusetts
Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston

Michigan
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, Michigan

Minnesota
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

Missouri
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry

Mississippi
University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry, Jackson, Mississippi

Nebraska
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Creighton University School of Dentistry, Omaha, Nebraska

Nevada
UNLV School of Dental Medicine also known as the University of Nevada at Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine

New Jersey
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Dental School

New York
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, New York City
New York University College of Dentistry, New York City
State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York

North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry

Ohio
Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Columbus, Ohio
Case School of Dental Medicine of the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Dentristy, Oklahoma City

Oregon
Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry, Portland, Oregon

Pennsylvania
Temple University School of Dentistry, Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico School of Dentistry, San Juan, Puerto Rico

South Carolina
Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine, Charleston, South Carolina

Tennessee
University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, Memphis, Tennessee
Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, Nashville, Tennessee

Texas
Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School

Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, Virginia

Washington
University of Washington School of Dentistry, Seattle, Washington

West Virginia
West Virginia University School of Dentistry, Morgantown & Charleston, West Virginia

Wisconsin
Marquette University School of Dentistry, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Medicare Basics: What You Need to Know

November 27, 2007 By Jeffrey Strain Leave a Comment

By David John Marotta and Beth Anderson Nedelisky

Many seniors look forward to saving on medical insurance costs by enrolling in Medicare at age sixty-five. However, navigating the Medicare system is not for the faint of heart. Medicare is an alphabet soup of plan choices. Currently Medicare is organized as parts A through D.

Medicare Part A provides hospital insurance to seniors. For the majority of seniors who have paid into the plan, enrolling in Part A comes at no cost. Part A covers hospital stays, home health care services, and hospice care. However, if you just need a check up, you’ll need to resort to Part B or Part C to help with those costs.

Part B helps to cover doctor’s services, some outpatient care, and routine preventative services. However, unlike Part A, you’ll have to pay a monthly premium to buy the coverage. The costs of Part B are dependent upon your yearly income. In 2008, seniors will pay $96.40 per month if they were married filing joint and reported $164,000 or less in income. Monthly premiums climb as high as $238.40 if you report lots of income in retirement.

In some cases you will have to pay the $135 deductible plus 20 percent of the remaining costs.
However, unlike Part A, Part B may require you to first pay the $135 deductible before Medicare will pick up the tab. For other services, Medicare will cover 80 percent of your medical costs, requiring you to pay the other 20 percent. Still in other cases, you’ll wind up paying both the $135 deductible plus 20 percent of the remaining costs.

Don’t try and save a few bucks by skipping Part B coverage. If you fail to enroll in Part B at age 65, you’ll be slapped with a 10% penalty for each year you delayed enrollment.

Your Part B insurance will provide you with some free services such as a flu shot, diabetes and cancer screenings, and ‘Welcome to Medicare’ physical exam. If you take advantage of these services you may avoid more costly and more dangerous conditions.

Most seniors sign up for the Original Medicare plan, a combination of Parts A (hospital insurance) and B (medical insurance). However, if Uncle Sam’s doesn’t provide you with sufficient coverage, you may be better served by a private insurance company offering a Medicare-approved insurance plan.

Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage Plan, includes coverage for parts A and B through private insurance companies. The plans are usually offered in the form of a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Your premiums, co-payments, coinsurance and deductibles will vary based on your specific plan benefits. And, although offered by private companies, Medicare Advantage Plans are approved by Medicare.

Choosing a Part C plan may mean you already receive prescription drug benefits. If your prescription drug coverage is deemed “creditable” by Medicare, you won’t have to pay an additional premium for the Medicare prescription drug plan, also known as Part D.

Part D, the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, is the newest of all the Medicare programs. However, Medicare does not provide the insurance directly. Instead, each state has contracted with insurance providers to offer the drug coverage. If you are a senior, you must decide if you should sign up, and then which plan you should purchase.

Most states offer at least 40 different drug plans. Premiums average $28 per month, depending on the level of coverage and the types of drugs covered by the plan. If you are enrolling in the Original Medicare or don’t already have “creditable coverage”, you’ll need enroll in Part D, or face a penalty. If you fail to enroll at age 65 but decide to enroll at a later date, you’ll pay a 1% penalty for each month you delayed enrollment.

The costs of Part D vary, and if you don’t think you will need the coverage you should find the lowest cost Part D to avoid the penalties. That way, if you need the coverage later, you won’t be stuck with premiums inflated by penalties. You can always change providers at a later time, if you decide different coverage suits your situation better.

If your income and assets are low enough, you may be able to save money on your Medicare costs. This assistance is done through your State Medical Assistance and is often called Medicaid. Call even if you aren’t sure if you qualify. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to get the telephone number for other states.

The initial enrollment period begins three months before your sixty-fifth birthday and ends three months after your birthday. Be sure you enroll to avoid unnecessary penalties.

You can get more information by visiting Medicare or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

David John Marotta and Beth Anderson Nedelisky work at Marotta Asset Management, Inc. of Charlottesville which provides fee-only financial planning and asset management.

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Finances For Artists: Insurance and Legal Concerns

November 7, 2007 By Jeffrey Strain 1 Comment

By David John Marotta

For those working in the arts, financial planning is artistic freedom. You can be an artist and also eat well if you don’t avoid the subject of financial planning all together. After you have your cash flow and career planning in place, you also need to address your insurance and legal concerns.

First, shop smart for health insurance. Consider opening a Health Savings Account. One of the worries when you are self employed is health care, especially the worry of a medical emergency that will swamp your family’s finances. If you are in relatively good health and you don’t smoke and you don’t abuse alcohol or drugs you should lean toward covering your own medical expenses out of pocket and having a very high deductible health insurance in case of an emergency. This is exactly what a Health Savings Account was designed for.

To protect you against catastrophic medical expenses, Health Savings Accounts are coupled with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). However, to qualify as a HDHP, insurance deductibles must be a minimum of $1,050 for individuals and $2,100 for families.

The good news is HSA-eligible HDHP premiums are only a fraction of the cost of a traditional medical insurance plan. A study by the Galen Institute found that the majority of HSA-eligible plan participants pay premiums of less than $100 per month. Try comparing that to the premiums for most insurance plans which average $335 for individuals and $906 for families – per month.

Qualified expenses may also include items which may or may not count toward your deductible. This means that you may be able to use pre-tax money to pay for vision and dental costs like contact solution and teeth cleanings.

The higher your deductible the less expensive the insurance will cost. I recommend you get as high a deductible as you can, probably in excess of $5,000, and put your savings toward building up the balance of your health savings account until it is larger than your deductible. Anything you don’t spend one year carries over to the next year. You need medical coverage to protect you and your family in an emergency, and a Health Savings Account is the first place to look.

The next step is to get your documents in order. There are five very important documents to make sure that you have readily accessible. First you need a will so that your partner and children are taken care of in the event of your death. Second, you need a living will so that someone else can make decisions about your life if you can’t. Third, you need a power of attorney that authorizes some one to manage your finances if you are sick or disabled. Fourth, you need to compile a directory of basic information for anyone who needs to take over handling your finances in an emergency. And fifth, you need an annual collection of financial statements both for yourself and also for those helping you with financial planning. This collection of documents will help you track your finances.

These yearly financial statements should include a net worth statement, an asset allocation analysis, the cost basis for all taxable investments, the past year’s performance, your current income and a copy of the first two pages of your tax return. Pulling these documents together is difficult the first time, but updating them every year thereafter is much easier and will help you visualize your progress.

Also, if you have children you should have some life insurance. Don’t hesitate to buy the minimum life insurance you need. I recommend that you buy low cost term life insurance and invest the difference. You should also look at disability insurance and an umbrella policy.

You will need to know some tax basics. You also have to understand when taxes and tax reporting is due. If you have income you must make estimated quarterly tax payments. Our tax code is ridiculous, burdensome, and stupid beyond measure. But it doesn’t need to make sense and they will still send you to jail and take away your house for not understanding it.

The IRS also doesn’t care if you send them too much money, so you need to understand how to take every possible deduction. Good record keeping is the key, and potentially your weakness.

The artist can take a number of unique tax deductions. Expenses that are tax deductible are those that are 1) incurred in connection with your trade, business, or profession 2) ordinary and necessary and 3) not lavish or extravagant under the circumstances.

You cannot know what qualifies simply from that description. Only by looking at the actual IRS legal cases can you determine what qualifies and what does not. You need a supportive CPA to help you through this process. More than just helping you fill out the forms, they should be proactive in their tax planning and advice.

Life’s many and varied financial responsibilities put a lot of stress on all of us, but they are easier for the analytic to address than the artist. Hopefully this two part series has given you some practical advice to begin to manage the financial challenges you are facing. Remember, if you need help, ask. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors is one of many helpful sources of competent fee-only financial advisors.

David John Marotta works at Marotta Asset Management, Inc. of Charlottesville which provides fee-only financial planning and asset management.

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How Living A Cluttered Life Can Cost You

October 17, 2007 By Ann Hartter 12 Comments

At some point, we’ve all done it: during the middle of a move or the week of finals. Somehow, everything gets shuffled. Some of us make it a way of life. But something not very many people consider is how fiscally irresponsible it is to live surrounded by clutter.

The obvious sums spent when living cluttered is in replacement costs. If you need it, know you have it, and can’t find it due to sheer masses of disorganization, you will need to buy another. Things I’ve found myself replacing include hole punches and rulers, glues, the right kind of clicky pen, and reams of paper. I have lost entire reams of paper in my home. I’ve seen on my desk receipts for things purchased last week re-purchased today, solely because once these little pieces of hardware waltz through my front door, they end up swallowed in the mess. Thus, the replacement begins.

Alternatively, there are the non-replacement costs. I just know there are coffee filters somewhere in the pile on the kitchen counter, but I just don’t have the time to find them to make my own coffee. Instead of buying more coffee filters when I hit the grocery, I turn left and grab a steaming bubbly cup of joe from a barista.

Some of the more obscure financial implications are involved with health. Our physical and mental beings can be so bombarded by disorganized buildup, we end up spending money we’d never have to. Physically we are exposed to dust, mites, and germs that thrive in the multitude of dark corners we provide for them between crumpled pieces of paper, a pile of shoes, the unfolded laundry, and the errant sock. Many have developed strong immunities to some of the airborne assaults. But others are missing work due to mysterious infections that creep out from the closet or under the bed, or those gripped by allergies or asthma are buying costly medications on a regular basis. On top of all of this, clutter is frequently both a trip and fire hazard. Implications here to the physical being ranges from stubbed toes to emergency room visits to, in an extreme projection, death.

The psychological factor of clutter is the most detrimental. Our brains are designed to categorize and place into the background much of what we see. Clutter is generally an ever-shifting entity, and the impact on the mind is a shortened memory due to the constant struggle to process. Next is a perpetual list of things-to-do, and since clutter is a habit, that list is as fluid as the ebb and flow of tides. Third, clutter can form blockades, preventing us from reaching certain goals, like the pencil sharpener in the corner, the jewelry box, or the coffee machine. In any of these cases, the result is stress. Stress makes us less efficient, more likely to make spontaneous decisions, and tempts us to take the easy, usually more expensive road out, like the drive-thru breakfast.

No one suffers from just one of the above symptoms. These things build on each other and feed off of one another. If you’re replacing things, taking the convenience route, and building medical expenses, you’re stressing about money, therefore working more, but less efficiently, and having less time to dedicate to that clutter causing the problems in the first place. Toss it all? Financial waste may be what’s holding you from that extreme measure. What then? Anything you choose to do that will end your clutter will very likely be an expensive move. Purchasing the appropriate tools, hiring help, taking time off of work, and trashing it are all viable and reasonable options. So, however, is the status quo. Just know, if you choose to plug on as you are, just how and where your pennies are slipping through the cracks.

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How Nudism Can Save You Money

September 6, 2007 By Guest Writer 36 Comments

By Nathan Powers

Nudists (or “naturists” as some prefer to be referred to), have been the brunt of many a joke for many years. However, the truth of the matter is that living a nudist lifestyle may actually be far better for you, physically, ecologically and economically.

That dirty word – “Laundry”

Let’s start with the obvious. Nudists tend to wear as little clothing as possible, usually nothing at all, as often as possible or whenever conditions allow. Most live in climates that are tropical enough to maximize this opportunity. Wearing less clothing means washing less clothing and washing the clothing that they own less frequently, requiring the repair and replacement of clothing less often. They also tend to have less of a wardrobe, requiring less storage space. So here, we are seeing a saving in money spent on laundry detergents, gas and electricity to operate a washer and dryer, replacement clothing and repair costs, home closet or storage space. We also see less chlorine, phosphates, ozone and carbon dioxide pumped into the environment as well as a reduction in health issues related to exposure to the chemicals needed for properly washing clothing. (Chlorine bleach is one of the deadliest chemicals we can expose ourselves to).

Cooling Down

Since for practicality reasons, most nudists live in either tropical or subtropical regions, many homes and businesses in those regions have some form of air conditioning. Nudists can save money and as in the case of laundry, the environment, by being able to turn up the thermostat a few degrees and allowing the natural cooling system provided in our bodies to do it’s job. Also, if things get a little too hot, it is very easy to simply jump in a cool shower or hose off for a second or two with having to take the time to get undress and redressed. Besides, who wants to throw those sweaty clothing back on right after a shower.

Health Costs

There are other bonuses as well. It has recently been found that exposure to natural sunlight is far healthier to the human body than attempting to hide from the sun altogether. Regulated exposure to natural sunlight lets the body naturally produce all of the Vitamin “D” it needs to ward off a host of deadly and debilitating diseases, cancers and conditions, including MS, ALS, osteoporosis, breast, ovarian, prostate and brain cancers. (source) Even more recent reports indicate that almost all sunscreens are completely ineffective in reducing the deadliest forms of cancer, melanoma (source). Several reports indicate that the ingredients used to manufacture sunscreens are actually more harmful that the cancers they purport to prevent. However, by balancing the ratio of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, combined with an adequate amount of Vitamin “D”, incidence of melanoma has shown to be reduced by around 40% (source). It is therefore better to gradually expose the body to the sun, slowly building up our body’s own natural sunscreen, melanin, being careful not to get sunburned in the process.

The bottom line is that nudists can save a ton of money by not buying sunscreen, simply exposing themselves to natural sunlight in appropriate amounts; there by creating Vitamin “D” for free and by simply eating a diet that balances omega 3 acids. This can be done through supplement or through adding fish, flax or kiwi fruit to their diets. The real savings come from not having to pay medical bills for treatments for all of the conditions.

Stuff

Nudism is often referred to as the “Great Equalizer”. When people are naked around other people, it is difficult to tell if a person is the president of a bank, or a school janitor. Consequently, nudists tend to be far less “class-conscious”. Nudists are typically less likely to want to keep up with the Joneses, realizing that not only do clothes not really make the man, but neither do homes, cars, boats etc.

More Health – Less Stress – More Money

Studies have also found that children raised in nudist homes tend to be more socially developed (and often more intelligent) than those raised in “textile” families. Nudists generally feel that they have nothing to hide. That attitude permeates the rest of their psyche as well, so they tend to be less stressed out and more sure of themselves. We have probably all heard about the health problems produced by living under stress. Nudists save money by not having to treat as many stress related disorders. (source – pdf format) Also, by being more self confident, and supposedly better educated, they are more likely to get better jobs, making more money.

Society

Those same group of studies indicated that children raised in nudist homes are less inclined to become burdens to society. They are less likely to become involved in early sexual or drug experimentation or to commit crimes against society. This is partially because they are not as materially oriented and because they are already familiar with the looks and workings of the opposite sex. In general, nudity allows them to be more open and honest in their family life, which is expressed in how they relate to others in general. Nudists save money by not having to bail their children out of jail, take them to the doctors to treat sexually transmitted diseases or help them raise unwanted grandchildren (as frequently). If all families raised their children with the same attitudes as nudists, we would all be able to save money by having to pay less in taxes to support fewer children of unwanted pregnancies, drug addicts, juvenile delinquents, vandalism, etc.