The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits went up by a larger than expected rate last week, according to The New York Times.
Claims for state unemployment insurance benefits increased to 478,000 in the week that ended Oct. 18, from 463,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said.
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The most confusing part of getting my first job out of college wasn't getting used to the structured days, it was deciphering the health care plan options that were offered in my benefits package. Years later, the choices make a little more sense but they still aren't 100 percent clear, and one thing is for sure: health care is more expensive. Hewitt Associates estimates that total health care spending will cost eight percent more than it was last year, and not paying attention to whether or not your plan is best for you could mean you are spending more than necessary.
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Before the economy took a nosedive, health care was one of the hot topics of the 2008 presidential election. Having taken a backseat on the news front, it is still an issue for many families.
While many people are covered through work, some parents cannot afford to add their child on their health plan.
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Prenuptial agreements are traditionally designed to dictate what will happen with a couple's finances in case of divorce, and now they're expanding to include some clauses for other money-related issues.
Health care is something that's already pushing some couples to the altar; in just the past year, seven percent of adults in the US married for health insurance. Insurance doesn't come cheap and it can be difficult to find good coverage that isn't very expensive — that's why some couples are designing prenups with a clause allowing for continued health insurance should they divorce.
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New reports are claiming that by January 2010, state employees in Alabama will be charged $25 per month for insurance (that's normally free to state workers) if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater or if they are not making any process in slimming down — though how the progress will be measured is still being determined. This comes after insurance companies are finding that obese folks incur more medical costs over the course of a year than those who are not overweight.
Granted, Alabama is second only to Mississippi for having the most obese population in the country, but how do you feel about it?
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Many of you admit that you go to work sick because you're too busy to miss work, but for 46 million US workers it's not the workload that's keeping them from taking time off, it's that they don't have the benefit of paid sick leave. Advocates of proposed state bills mandating paid sick leave are hoping legislation would expand existing benefits and add new ones.
Come November, voters in 12 states, including California, Connecticut, Minnesota and West Virginia, will have the chance to share their feelings about proposed state laws that would enforce businesses to offer paid sick leave.
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In his article for The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Benjamin Brewer says that because of affordability issues, he's noticing fewer patients asking for elective procedures, scheduling preventive exams, and filling their prescriptions. Have you neglected anything related to your health because it was too expensive?
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Love isn't the only reason people decide to exchange vows, and a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that in just the past year 7 percent of adults in the US married for health insurance. These weren't fake relationships, rather most were couples that ultimately chose marriage when they may not have otherwise. Even if both individuals are working it's likely that for one reason or another — usually cost — one person's insurance is more appealing than the other.
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Adding to the onslaught of employer efforts that promote a healthy workforce, an office furniture maker has begun churning out "Walkstations." The machines move slowly enough that workers can walk while completing computer work, and while two miles an hour seems like a piddly amount, proponents of the device say it's beneficial.
This is the latest development in a flurry of health related office changes: Some employers are banning their workers from smoking, Japan's employers have introduced flab checks, workers with bad health habits are increasingly being charged more for health insurance, and it's becoming more common for workers to undergo annual screenings to evaluate overall health.
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As health insurance costs rise, many companies have started taking a more invested interest in its employees' lifestyle choices. Introducing discounted or free gym memberships are great perks that promote health, but there is a gray area when it comes to how deeply an employer should be able to influence employees' health choices.
According to LifeWire, there are at least 20 states that allow companies to ban the hiring of smokers, and one worker in Massachusetts has sued his employer for invasion of privacy after he tested positive for nicotine.
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