Ohio Health Insurance Exchanges Ban Abortion Coverage

Ohio's health insurance exchanges are banned from providing any type of abortion coverage, according to the Reuters article, "Ohio bans abortion funding in insurance exchanges," by Mary Wisniewski. Under President Obama's healthcare reform, states must create health insurance exchanges for easy health care shopping by 2014. Governor John Kasich of Ohio, a Republican, signed the ban of any abortion coverage in their health insurance exchange. This ban will be in place regardless of whether the citizen plans to pay for their abortion with their own money; health insurance will not cover any of the procedure.

There is definitely outrage from pro-choice and other groups like the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU said that it would sue the state if this became a law, so that may be coming soon. NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio's executive director argues that this law violates Ohio's Constitution. On the other side of the argument, Ohio Right to Life's executive director says that abortion is not actually healthcare. So while these groups agree that everyone should have access to healthcare, the groups don't agree as to whether or not abortion is actually healthcare. Abortion has been a hot debate for decades, so regardless of the law the topic will continue to be debated and fought over in the legal system.

Auto Breakdowns More Likely Than Americans Think

Even though most Americans have experienced some type of car trouble while out on the road, 84% of drivers don't foresee themselves running into car trouble this holiday season. This information comes from Allstate's "American drivers unprepared for holiday travel mayhem." Close to half of drivers plan to travel at least 2 hours in the car this season, which means that many more people will likely be stranded and running into car problems. One of the best ways to avoid car trouble is to keep up with the routine maintenance on your car. Sometimes bad luck or circumstances out of your control result in car problems, but taking care of your car can ensure your gas tank is full, your tires have air, and your engine oil is full.

Since 22% of drivers indicated that a slow economy had caused them to skip some routine maintenance, car insurance companies are trying to convince their drivers to keep up with their cars to avoid unnecessary breakdowns. Indianapolis auto insurance companies have to worry about snow and ice in addition to other car troubles like flat tires, dead batteries, and blown fuses. A majority of Americans are confident that they would be able to fix a car problem, should it happen to them. Only half of them, however, say that they could survive three days in their car with the supplies they have inside. Less than half of drivers have a warm blanket, water and food, flares, or a first aid kit. Having some kind of roadside assistance from Allstate, AAA or another company could really save you in the event of a breakdown or accident.

Nebraska's Individual Health Insurance Exchange Controversy

Nebraska's Hospital Association is hoping that the state does not wait until next summer before planning their health insurance exchange. This information comes from Insurance Journal's "Nebraska's Health Providers Urge State-based Insurance Exchange," by Grant Schulte. Currently, the Nebraska government plans to wait until a U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding President Obama's health insurance changes, which is expected around June. The deadline for states to have their individual health insurance exchanges planned is June 29, so Nebraska could be in a bad place if the current plans pass through the Supreme Court and they have not made their own budgeting and oversight plans.

The state run health insurance exchanges are for Americans to purchase individual health insurance with all of their options in an easy to shop location. It is estimated that a family of four, making around $55,000 per year, would be able to get an insurance plan for about $370 per month. These online supermarkets must be in place by 2014 and funded by individual states by 2015, but the deadline for federal approval of the plans is January of 2013.

Nebraska's governor doesn't want to put the work into making an exchange plan before the federal government ruling is made. He says that exchange minimum requirements haven't even been set yet and many government officials in Nebraska are worried about the costs the state will incur. If a quality health insurance exchange is not put into place by Nebraska's government, the federal government will run one for them. Twelve percent of Nebraska's population is currently uninsured, but many more are likely under-insured. Nebraska is weighing four different options for health insurance exchanges, but is likely to go with a state run plan.

Check Auto Insurance Before Car-Sharing

Car-sharing is becoming more and more popular to help save money and the environment. Old school car pooling has paved the way for today's car-sharing. Along with this increase in car-sharing comes questions about what your auto insurance company is going to cover. Laws in California and Oregon have updated to include car-sharing practices, so you will know what is covered by your San Diego auto insurance policy. Other states haven't followed suit yet though, so check with your individual auto insurance company to find out what is covered.

In "Auto insurance risks of car sharing," Jay MacDonald of Bankrate says that peer-to-peer (P2P) car-sharing is a gray area of coverage for many auto insurance companies. P2P car-sharing can be either for-profit or not-for-profit and that can make a big difference in coverage. Car rental companies and even some manufacturers are also getting into the car-sharing business where you pay a monthly membership fee and then rent a car for an hourly or daily cost when you need it.

Auto insurance risks vary by the type of car-sharing, but here are some of the most common things to look into. If you are renting your own car, it is not likely that your auto insurance company will cover that so make sure the P2P company offers auto insurance coverage. Depending on who is driving the car, their auto insurance may cover them in your vehicle. There is an increased risk when using your car for car-sharing so you may see increased premiums or even have your policy canceled by your auto insurer. There will also be more questions related to liability, depreciation, and transition if you are sharing your car. Bottom line, make sure to cover all of your auto insurance bases before beginning a car-share program.

Health Insurance Paying for Record Psychiatric Meds

Twenty percent of American adults are now taking some kind of psychiatric medication, according to The Wall Street Journal article "One In Five American Adults Takes Psychiatric Drugs," published on the Fox News website. This is big business for pharmaceutical companies and something that health insurance companies must pay close attention to. Antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and anti-psychotics are the most commonly prescribed to adults.

Between 2001 and 2010, the number of adult Americans using psychiatric medications increased by 22%. A steep increase in the number of adults using medication for ADHD, more commonly associated with children, helped the overall increase. Very powerful anti-psychotic drugs are also being prescribed in much higher numbers in the past decade. There were a few declines in use of the drugs; children are being prescribed fewer antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication is being used less for the elderly.

Just last year, Americans spent almost $35 billion on anti-psychotic drugs, antidepressants, and ADHD medications. Insurers fork over a ton of money for these drugs, so plans have very specific details on coverage and requirements. People who are lacking quality health insurance have to worry about paying for these medications on their own or finding some government assistance. That may change, depending on what happens with President Obama's health care reform act set to take effect in 2014.

Individual Health Insurance Can Be Gender Biased

Would you believe that 95% of individual health insurance companies deny people for health insurance based on their gender? This affects women most of all because they are denied coverage at an alarming rate. According to CBS News story "37 states allow health coverage gender bias," there are only 13 states where it is illegal to practice this 'gender rating'.

Gender rating is simple, men pay less for health insurance coverage than women do. One of the biggest problems with this, other than the fact that it is unfair, is that women are denied because they go to the doctor more. Interviews with many experts point out though that this actually lowers the overall burden of health care costs nationally. By going to see doctors more regularly, women are treated earlier for diseases and avoid some problems altogether.

Health insurance companies don't seem to appreciate this though. Prevention magazine is publishing an article about this gender rating in their December issue. They found that women tend to pay 84% more for health insurance than men. For those who are unemployed or cannot obtain employer health insurance for some reason, Charter Oak Health Plan is an option for affordable health insurance coverage. If you are a woman who questions your health insurance quote based on gender, see if you are in one of the 13 states where gender rating is illegal.

Should You Buy A New Or Used Car?

Deciding whether to buy a car new or used can be a very daunting task and making sure you get the best price for either can seem impossible. Time Magazine offers 5 resources to help you make the best use of your money when buying a car in their article "Car-Buying Help: 5 Smart Resources to Get the Right Car at the Right Price," by Brad Tuttle.

Used car insurance is going to be less expensive than new car insurance for a few reasons, but it may or may not be your deciding factor in purchasing new vs. used. In the Popular Mechanics article "How to Buy a Used Car Without Getting Burned," they offer a 101-point checklist to go over for any potential used car purchase. They don't tell you that your car should pass all 101 checks, but recommend finding out all of this information before purchasing.

The other resources recommended by Time include using the Edmunds First-Time New-Car Buyer Guide for step by step tips and reading Kelley Blue Book's 10 Tips for First-Time Car Buyers. There is also an interesting thread on Reddit where a car salesman goes undercover to give tips on what to do and what not to do when buying a car. Finally, Time suggests looking into the Wall Street Journal's car matchmaking service that takes into account your budget and many other things to match you with your best car.

In addition to doing your research from these companies, it is also wise to speak with car insurance companies and your current agent to see what the cost to insure your new or used vehicle will be. That is another figure you'll have to work into your budget.