The good news is that the Supreme Court's thumb's up for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act could be a big gift to anyone looking to retire early. The bad news is that the nation may have trouble affording it if a lot of people take advantage.
Forget cigarettes: The big public health boogyman now is obesity. The idea that our growing waistlines pose a hefty threat to our financial well-being is gaining momentum, and all signs point to this trend having a big impact on public opinion and public policy.
Couples retiring this year can expect their medical bills throughout retirement to cost 4 percent more than those who retired a year ago, according to an annual projection released Wednesday by Fidelity Investments.
Millions of baby boomers have watched long-term care expenses decimate their parents' finances, and realized they needed better plans for their own golden years. Could asset-based long-term care insurance policies be the solution?
New research shows that forcing smokers to look at scary warning labels doesn't make them less likely to buy cigarettes. In fact, it may make them more likely to. Are anti-tobacco advocates wasting their money and effort on a pointless campaign?
Two Republican senators unveiled a Medicare overhaul Thursday that features an accelerated transition to private health insurance for many seniors, a gradual increase in the eligibility age, and higher premiums for middle-class and upper-income retirees.
There's a persistent assumption going around about what happens after one retires -- your spending shrinks. Sure, your house may be paid off by then, and you may be able to ditch some work-related expenses. But that's not the full picture.
Nearly everyone is feeling the pain of high health care costs. Between 2003 and 2010, the cost employers paid for family coverage rose 50% and employees' share of the tab increased 63%. That's money siphoned away from the rest of the economy.
If you're very sick and not very wealthy in America, your best move may be to flee the country -- because you'd be better off in any other first world nation. Otherwise, expect to pay through the nose and possibly wind up deep in debt, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund.
A record number of Americans %u2014 49.1 million %u2014 are poor, based on a new census measure that for the first time takes into account rising medical costs and other expenses. The numbers released Monday are part of a first-ever supplemental poverty measure aimed at providing a fuller picture of poverty.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women: 12% will develop it at some point in their lives, and at that point, the health battle begins. But those women often must fight one a second front as well, dealing with the multiple threats cancer poses to their financial well-being.
In this economy, people aren't just cutting out luxuries, nearly half of Americans are skimping on necessities like medication and doctor visits -- drastic actions that could be dangerous to their health.
Among the many ideas legislators in Washington have proposed for reducing federal spending is raising the age at which Americans qualify for Medicare benefits from 65 to 67. On the surface, that makes sense. But scratch the surface and the numbers show it to be an $11 billion blunder.
Last month, new regulations were issued under the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) requiring insurance companies to make choosing a plan simpler. Specifically, the new rules require insurers to publish forms providing "clear, consistent and comparable information" about the health-care plans they offer.
On New Year's Day, you had plans -- promises to get your finances in order in 2011. Today, check your financial pulse: Where do all those good intentions stand? Ask yourself tough questions then take action. The experts tell you where to begin.