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1+ hour, 47+ min ago (494+ words) A term insurance plan offers more than a sense of security, it creates a financial cushion that protects your family in case of your absence. With the recent goods and services tax (GST) rate overhaul making term insurance products 18% cheaper, many people focus on simply "having" a policy. Far fewer stop to assess whether their life cover is actually adequate for their family's needs. Consider the case of Ravi, 35, and Priya, 32, a young married couple in Bengaluru, both software engineers building a life together with their child. Like many families, they had taken on financial commitments to pursue their aspirations: a "35 lakh home loan and a "10 lakh car loan. Life seemed on track until tragedy struck and Ravi unexpectedly passed away. A popular rule of thumb suggests a life cover worth 10 times your annual income. But real-life needs often stretch…...

2+ hour, 9+ min ago (424+ words) By ALI SWENSON and NICKY FORSTER, Associated Press Seen at face value, the data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services seems to defy predictions that many Americans facing pricier plans would drop out of marketplace coverage altogether next year. But experts caution that the numbers are an incomplete snapshot of total enrollment, which could still show a decline by the end of the open enrollment period. "Overall, it's just too early to know what any of this means," said Jason Levitis, a senior fellow in the health policy division at the Urban Institute. The data released Friday shows that by day 29 of the window for Americans to shop for Affordable Care Act plans this year, nearly 5.8 million people had picked one. That's nearly 400,000 more enrollments than by day 30 of the open enrollment period last year. In most states,…...

2+ hour, 30+ min ago (767+ words) Every senior on Medicare should be intimately familiar with IRMAA " the initials that stand for Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. It's the amount by which your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums increase each year, based on your recent modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). The more you earn while on Medicare, the higher your monthly premiums for the insurance will be! It's not just earnings from work that are counted in the IRMAA formula. If you take your required minimum distributions from retirement accounts, it will boost your income " perhaps into the IRMAA adjustment phase. Or if you convert a traditional IRA to a Roth, it could impact you in the formula, raising your Medicare premiums. And those premiums really jump when you have more income. The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90 per month, a $17.90 increase from…...

2+ hour, 36+ min ago (414+ words) Seen at face value, the data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services seems to defy predictions that many Americans facing pricier plans would drop out of marketplace coverage altogether next year. But experts caution that the numbers are an incomplete snapshot of total enrollment, which could still show a decline by the end of the open enrollment period. "Overall, it's just too early to know what any of this means," said Jason Levitis, a senior fellow in the health policy division at the Urban Institute. The data released Friday shows that by day 29 of the window for Americans to shop for Affordable Care Act plans this year, nearly 5.8 million people had picked one. That's nearly 400,000 more enrollments than by day 30 of the open enrollment period last year. In most states, for Americans who want coverage to start Jan....

2+ hour, 39+ min ago (416+ words) Seen at face value, the data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services seems to defy predictions that many Americans facing pricier plans would drop out of marketplace coverage altogether next year. But experts caution that the numbers are an incomplete snapshot of total enrollment, which could still show a decline by the end of the open enrollment period. "Overall, it's just too early to know what any of this means," said Jason Levitis, a senior fellow in the health policy division at the Urban Institute. The data released Friday shows that by day 29 of the window for Americans to shop for Affordable Care Act plans this year, nearly 5.8 million people had picked one. That's nearly 400,000 more enrollments than by day 30 of the open enrollment period last year. In most states, for Americans who want coverage to start Jan....

2+ hour, 39+ min ago (414+ words) Seen at face value, the data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services seems to defy predictions that many Americans facing pricier plans would drop out of marketplace coverage altogether next year. But experts caution that the numbers are an incomplete snapshot of total enrollment, which could still show a decline by the end of the open enrollment period. "Overall, it's just too early to know what any of this means," said Jason Levitis, a senior fellow in the health policy division at the Urban Institute. The data released Friday shows that by day 29 of the window for Americans to shop for Affordable Care Act plans this year, nearly 5.8 million people had picked one. That's nearly 400,000 more enrollments than by day 30 of the open enrollment period last year. In most states, for Americans who want coverage to start Jan....

2+ hour, 58+ min ago (106+ words) A dental insurance company is closing its Worcester office, leaving 50 employees out of a job. BeneCare Dental, which also goes by the name Dental Benefit Management Inc., will close the office between Jan. 31 and March 31, 2026, according to a Massachusetts Workers Adjustment Retraining Notice filed with the state on Dec. 2. The company is based in Pennsylvania but operates around the northeastern United States. In Massachusetts, BeneCare administers the MassHealth dental program, according to its website. BeneCare did not say why it was closing the office and could not be reached for comment Monday. Tr'a Lavery is a Boston enterprise reporter for MassLive....

3+ hour, 30+ min ago (513+ words) (The Epoch Times)The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) threatened to withhold federal funding from Minnesota after fraudsters allegedly stole more than $1 billion set aside for Medicaid programs. CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz ordered Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to follow a series of guidelines that crack down on the fraud and said that if the state does not comply, it will lose federal money. "Either fix this in 60 days or start looking under your couch for spare change because we are done footing the bill for your incompetence," Oz announced on Dec. 5. CMS will require Minnesota officials to provide weekly updates for six months on the actions it is taking to stop fraud and to freeze enrollment of high-risk providers. The Minnesota Department of Human Services was also ordered to create a corrective action plan outlining how it will…...

4+ hour, 1+ min ago (319+ words) People with Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance may lose access to in-network care at Ascension Seton facilities in the Austin area on Jan. 1 if the two entities do not agree on a new contract before that time. The negotiations also apply to Ascension Providence facilities in Waco. Some insurance holders in the Austin area received a postcard from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas alerting them to the upcoming deadline. "We're working hard to reach an agreement, but if we don't, Ascension hospitals will no longer be in your network as of Jan. 1, 2026," read the notice, dated. Dec. 1. The contract negotiations center on the insurer's hospital and facility agreements with Ascension. If a deal is not struck, patients with coverage through commercial BCBSTX policies would be affected, as would those enrolled in BCBSTX Medicare Advantage plans or Affordable Care…...

4+ hour, 6+ min ago (303+ words) Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen on Aug. 19 in New York. Javascript is required to use this website. Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen on Aug. 19 in New York. We hope you have enjoyed your complimentary access for the month. Don't have a subscription? 'Cathedral of resources' leads Rob Aurich to take Nebraska defensive coordinator job McKewon: Nebraska football's 'hand selected' class has at least one hidden gem in it Nebraska defensive coordinator search continues as Vince Kehres heads to Syracuse Toledo's Vince Kehres emerges as target in Nebraska defensive coordinator search Tom's Takes: Raiola factor? Donovan is gone at Nebraska, it doesn't mean Dylan is, too Download our mobile app for a customized experience! AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF…...