By Dana Kuhn; The Huffington Post ~ Sep 16, 2016
The rising costs of health care are affecting financial bottom lines for families all across the country – especially those confronting expensive, chronic health conditions. To make matters worse, a misguided federal policy is now preventing charities – one of the only lifelines these families have left – from helping to access the care they need.
The Economist – Sept 13, 2016
“DRUGS have been marketed at such extraordinarily high prices that many people will simply not be able to afford them,” wrote a top cancer doctor in a scathing editorial in the Washington Post. That was in 2004. More than a decade later, the cost of drugs in America is still soaring—the most recent uproar was sparked by the price of Mylan’s EpiPen allergy medicine, which has jumped by about 600% since 2007.
By Mike Sorrentino; MarketWatch ~ Sep 13, 2016
Visit a clinic, and you assume that a doctor will prescribe medicine to make you healthier, not sicker. Talk to a CPA, and you expect to lower your tax bills instead of increase them. Hire a lawyer to write your will, and you take it for granted that your wishes will be carried out rather than ignored.
The piece of mind that comes from working with licensed professionals is predicated upon legal and ethical standards that require them to act in your best interest. However, when it comes to advice on retirement investments, no such standard existed until recently.
By Jonathan Guyton; The Wall Street Journal ~ Sep 13, 2016
Jonathan Guyton is principal at Cornerstone Wealth Advisors Inc., a fee-only advisory firm in Minneapolis.
Over 30 years ago, Congress offered the following “deal” to most American workers: Any wages you save for retirement won’t be taxable until you withdraw them later. My, did we take them up on it, via IRAs and 401(k) plans, to the tune of over $10 trillion, extrapolating to today.
By Diane Cardwell; The New York Times ~ Sep 13, 2016
Robert E. Allen, who as chief executive and chairman of AT&T for almost a decade presided over major reorganizations of the company as the telecommunications industry remade itself in the late 1980s and ’90s, died on Saturday in Chatham, N.J. He was 81.
Todd Campbell; The Motley Fool ~ Sep 04, 2016
Medicare is a critical healthcare safety-net for seniors and the premiums for Medicare Part B and Part D could jump significantly in 2017. Will Medicare recipients suffer premium-itis next year? Read on to learn more about how premiums for Part B and Part D could impact you in 2017.
ATTENTION ALL “GRANDFATHERED AT&T EMPLOYEES:
In the coming days you will be receiving mail from AT&T regarding open enrollment for 2017. There are changes impacting you. PLEASE READ YOUR MAIL!!
Monte Baggs,
V.P. TelCo Retirees Association, Inc.
Any questions you may have, please call us toll free at 1 877- 348-3526.
Thank you,
TelCo Retiree Membership Committee.
P.O. Box 669 Spring Valley, CA 91976-0669 * Phone 1 877-348-3526
By Maurie Backman, TMF; USA TODAY ~ Aug 29, 2016
We all worry about money — spending too much, not having enough. But for most of us, it’s not just a fleeting concern. According to a 2016 study by Northwestern Mutual, 85% of U.S. adults suffer from financial anxiety, with 28% actively worrying about their finances at least once a day
By Sy Mukherjee; Fortune ~ Aug 29, 2016
According to a new study.
Americans are not shy about their frustrations with the U.S. health care system—but in two new analyses, it’s the sickest patients who pay the price.
Researchers from the Commonwealth Fund, a non-profit health care firm, found patients with the most medical bills are also paying some of the highest out-of-pocket medical costs.
By Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., Wall Street Journal – Aug 26, 2016
To whom it may concern:
As the CEO of Mylan, maker of the world-famous EpiPen, it gives me great pleasure to address you, via email from an undisclosed location, concerning the pricing of our product.
As you may know, my father is a U.S. senator from West Virginia, where the state motto is “Montani semper liberi.” It means “mountaineers are always free.” Indeed, they are. But pharmaceuticals aren’t—especially EpiPen.