West Virginia has a low number of residents without health insurance, so DHI wanted to find out why. We interviewed Joylynn Fix, Director of Health Policy at the Offices of the Insurance Commissioner for the State of West Virginia. She gave the inside scoop on health insurance in West Virginia and what her agency does….

Last month we launched the two-part series, At Home Testing Kits. Just to quickly recap, home testing kits are like mini laboratories that consumers can purchase online or at their local pharmacy. They’re designed to diagnose various medical conditions. And when we say “various,” we’re not kidding. You can buy an at home testing kit…

Americans are feeling more blue and uncertain now than at any time in the past 20 years. And no matter who or what is to blame — whether it’s personal finances or the country’s political divide — what’s important to understand is that when people feel depressed and anxious, everything from work to family life…

This is part I of a two-part series. Come back next week for part II. What do pregnancy tests, STD tests, and blood tests have in common? Each one is available as an at home testing kit—meaning you can get a diagnosis for a disease or condition without stepping foot into a doctor’s office. For…

Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases are extremely devastating public health concerns. One reason they’re so concerning is that the only thing placing all of us at risk for developing dementia, loss of memory, loss of judgment and other cognitive problems is having a brain. All jokes aside, that makes 100 percent of the population at…

Telemedicine and telehealth — do you recall the first time you heard those terms? For most ordinary Americans, our guess is that you’ll say around March or April 2020. That’s when some mysterious, deadly illness started hitting U.S. shores. Suddenly, businesses were closed, toilet paper shelves were bare, and an app called Zoom rushed to…

April is Medicaid Awareness month, which is a good thing because who won’t need a quick medical check-in to treat the sting from our upcoming tax bill? (Kidding, kidding… I’ll show myself out!) But in reality, if you don’t have a private insurance plan (provided by your employer or one you purchased on your own)…

The Affordable Care Act democratized health insurance for untold numbers of middle and low-income workers. But at the same time, the landmark legislation introduced a world of “glitches.”   The Affordable Care Act Creates New Problems Julie G., a single mom of two kids, had a full-time job at a mid-sized company in Austin, Texas….

A fractured foot or leg can be a crippling injury for anyone. It’s not just a physical problem, either. A leg injury can be financially devastating, especially if it interferes with your ability to get to work or take care of your family. For many patients with a leg injury, recovery is a weeks-long process….

Do you purchase health insurance through your state’s health care marketplace? If so, your life could be getting a lot easier this year and next, thanks to new legislation. The American Rescue Plan reduces health care costs for millions of Americans. It’s part of the same stimulus package that was signed into law by President…

In chapter four of Decoding Health Insurance, writer Lauren Jahnke talks about employment-based health insurance. It may surprise you to read that half of Americans have employer sponsored health insurance.  The past 12 months have been tough for a lot of people because the pandemic caused massive unemployment. According to the Upjohn Institute, by June…

In chapter 3 of Decoding Health Insurance and the Alternatives, author Lauren Jahnke explains how private and public health insurance differ. One of the easiest ways to remember, she says, is that public insurance programs are available through government agencies. Most Americans don’t have public health insurance. They have a plan sold and administered by…

The Affordable Care Act of 2010, or Obamacare, as the bill is colloquially known, reformed health care policy in the United States as we knew it. While the Act continues to be amended to this day, its overarching goal is to increase access to health insurance. In chapter two of Decoding Health Insurance, Lauren Jahnke…

by Riki Markowitz When you look at some of the biggest challenges small business owners (SBOs) face today, from how to get a loan to navigating regulations and structuring partnerships, one challenge is often left off the list: many entrepreneurs lack experience. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. At some point, everybody is new at…

In the first chapter of Decoding Health Insurance and the Alternatives: Options, Issues, and Tips for Saving Money, author Lauren Jahnke homes in on the rising cost of health care in the U.S. It’s one thing to read about it. It’s a completely different experience to actually see how costs went from 6.9% of GDP…