… Bail Out bill passed last week, is a provision known as the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requiring employers to equally cover mental health costs in their health coverage plans. The provision states that financial requirements and treatment limitations for mental health care, if covered, cannot be any more restrictive than those put on the group plan’s other medical and surgical benefits. What that could mean is that employees …

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… court ruled that the debtor’s student loan was nondischargeable and that the debtor’s mental illness was not enough to qualify as a hardship.

The details of the bankruptcy case:

The Chapter 7 bankruptcy debtor is a 35 year old, married man with two children, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  His wife was employed as a bank office manager earning $42,000 per year.  The debtor was not employed and had not worked since 2006.  In 2005 the debtor was diagnosed with …

Tags: Bankruptcy Bipolar disorder Mental health

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According to an article in the Star-Telegram, Texas Health Resources is implementing its third round of job losses this year.  More than 100 Texas Health Resources employees have suffered job losses this year, including 23 workers at the Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.

The article said:

“The layoffs, announced to employees on Sept. 8, are an attempt to adjust the company’s work force to changing demands for patient …

Tags: Health care Texas Health Resources United States

Permalink: /medical_bills/texas-health-resources-implements-more-job-losses/

… forces on Capitol Hill continue to hash out details regarding a national plan of attack for rising health care expenses, local governments are looking to find ways of their own to help their residents cope with the current healthcare and economic crisis.  CBS 11 reported today that Forest Hill will begin offering free prescription drug discount cards.  Forest Hill City Manager, David Miller, explained the need for the program, “Whether or not an individual had prescription coverage, this …

Tags: Capitol Hill Health care National League of Cities Prescription drug United States

Permalink: /lawsuits/health-care-relief-through-city-of-forest-hill/

According to a story by the Star Telegram Dallas- Fort Worth ’s job losses grow as Texas Health Resources lays off 49 healthcare workers throughout Texas. Texas Health Resources, which operates 13 hospitals and employs more than 18,000 people, says the layoffs were caused by a drop in the number of people seeking medical care because of the economic recession. According to Texas Health Resources, people are delaying non-urgent medical tests and elective surgeries because of rising …

Comment author: Health

Permalink: /job_loss_unemployment/texas-health-resources-lays-off-49-healthcare-workers/

… is suing Turbine Airfoil Designs, Inc. a Texas company, for allegedly not paying employees’ health insurance premiums for five months despite the fact that the company was deducting a portion of the employees’ paychecks for health insurance.  Because of the company’s failure to pay the insurance, Capital BlueCross retroactively canceled coverage, leaving many employees with tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid medical debt.

The article said:

“The civil suit, which names …

Permalink: /medical_bills/companys-failure-to-pay-health-insurance-leaves-employees-swimming-in-medical-debt/

… Census Bureau figures states that Texas leads the nation in the percentage of residents without health insurance.  More than 1 out of every 4 Texans are without health insurance, a total of 6 million residents and Texas leads the nation in the numbers of children who go without health insurance.

The article said:

“…Texas had the nation’s highest percentage of children under 18 without coverage – 17.9 percent. Nationwide, the percentage was 9.9 percent.”

Lack of health …

Tags: Bankruptcy Health Uninsured in the United States

Costs of out-of-pocket health care projected to increase.

As if the current crisis of rising healthcare costs weren’t enough to stress most of us, the Employee Benefits Research Institute announced the results of a study regarding the savings that a person will need upon retirement to pay for expenses not covered by Medicare and Medicaid.  The results are different for men and women, because of longevity issues.  …

Comment by Jacob Decker: … right information. Health care in this country should take …

Tags: Employee benefit Health care Retirement Unemployment

A study by AOL Health and the Associated Press shows that as debt related stress raises, your health decreases.

Debt is a useful tool that nearly everyone uses.  Debts can range from credit cards, student loans, mortgages, 401K loans, home equity lines of credit, car payments, etc.  Some types of debt have actually proven to be good investments.  Student loans are excellent when used correctly, because …

Permalink: /dfw_metro_bankruptcy/debt-takes-a-toll-on-your-health/

… “Now with high unemployment, consumers have to reach into their pockets even more to fund their health care.” Americans spend an estimated $294 billion on annual out-of-pocket medical costs annually, to cover everything from doctor’s office co-payments to surgeries and prescription medications. About 25% of that — around $74 billion — is already being charged to regular standard credit cards, according to Kalorama. McKinsey Consulting expects that $150 billion worth of health care …

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According to an article in the Dallas-Morning News, health care reform is at the top of the new administration’s list of priorities.

The article said:

The statistics explain part of the reason for the urgency:

•The U.S. spent an estimated $2.4 trillion on health care in 2008, or $7,900 per person – about twice the average of other developed nations.

•More than 45 million Americans lack health care coverage, and 25 …

Permalink: /dallas_attorney/health-care-reform-tops-nations-agenda/

… quality of life. For retirees healthcare is not just a luxury, it is essential as certain health issues tend to emerge as one ages. One of the GM retirees noted this fact quite bluntly in the article:

“My teeth are going bad because I’m 69,” he said. “My sight is going bad because I’m 69. And you know damn well what happens to hearing.”

This GM retiree will be forced to forego necessary dental surgery because of the GM cuts.  But his biggest fear is that the GM …

Permalink: /breaking-news/retirees-keep-pension-lose-some-health-benefits-in-gm-bankruptcy/