Blog - Page 8 of 27 - Alison Gordon Insurance Services

Are YOU sick of paying an arm and a leg?

May 20, 2016

Hello, World Wide Web, My lovely office elf saw this video on social media the other day. It got quite a lot of hits, and brings up some things I keep hearing when people call my office. People often ask, “why isn’t it easier to find out what medical costs COST?” This young dad-to-be found out why NOT… give it a watch HERE. So why not? Well, folks, the medical industry has always functioned with a pay-no-attention-to-the-man-behind-the-curtain attitude. Those things

ColoradoCare… say WHAT!?

May 11, 2016

Hello, Friends of the Insurance Mom Interweb-sphere, If you’re keeping current on the presidential candidates, you hear some shouts about a “single-payer” health care system. What does that mean, you ask? Well, the short answer is (wait for it!) … taxes would go way up but everyone would have access to health care. What’s your opinion? Is this a good trade-off? Higher taxes for everyone in exchange for access to “free” (actually, pre-paid) medical care? Do you trust

TrumpCare vs. HillaryCare

May 4, 2016

Hello Insurance Mom Village, Regardless of who you’re voting for in November (and you WILL vote, right?), it’s important to know the positions of the candidates. Here are some of the health insurance fantasies of the presumptive front-runners. I fell over this attention-grabbing piece on “TrumpCare” AND a clever, historical piece from NPR on “HillaryCare.” Give each a read and let me know what you think! If you’re feeling extra political, check out this petition to save health

Are you a Vitals Smart Shopper? I think you will be soon . . .

April 1, 2016

Our lovely client, Jeff, heard something helpful on NPR about Vitals Smart Shopper and shared it with us. There’s a cool company called Vitals Smart Shopper which helps compare the cost of medical treatments & services within a 20 mile radius of your home zip code. If you choose the cheapest place, you get a check for $25. Say WHAT!? It’s for real. You can either generate a login here OR call 800-824-9127 to talk to a human.

PART FIVE: The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry

March 25, 2016

Here’s PART FIVE: Drug Companies in our series we call . . . “The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry” If you’re just joining us, check out the hyperlinks to PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE, and PART FOUR. Pretty smart, huh? Here’s the final part to our series; it’s part tip / part FYI. President Obama is finally suggesting that drug companies have to justify their ridiculously high prices. But Mom, why does

PART FOUR: The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry

March 18, 2016

Here’s PART FOUR: Research the Internet in our series we call . . . “The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry” Aren’t you loving our series on prescription drugs? By now, I hope you’re feeling empowered and smart. (Because you are!) If you’re just now joining us, click these links to our previous posts for PART ONE, PART TWO, and PART THREE to get caught up. This series walks through money saving tips from the moment

PART THREE: The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry

March 11, 2016

Here’s PART THREE: WORK THE PHARMACY! in our series we call . . . “The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry” We learned the importance of knowing your plan in PART ONE. We learned how to advocate with your doctor for cheaper prices in PART TWO. This week, we’re focusing on how your pharmacist can help! PART THREE: WORK THE PHARMACY! Wheel & Deal! Ask for a discount. Mention that you found the drug cheaper somewhere else (or

PART TWO: The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry

March 4, 2016

Here’s PART TWO: Affordable Meds in our series we call . . . “The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry” You’ve followed PART ONE and you understand how your plan works and the formulary (aka list of drugs your insurance company covers.) Now what if your drug isn’t in the formulary?? I get lots of calls from people complaining their drugs were in the formulary and now they’re not. Drugs get dropped from formularies all the

PART ONE: The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry

February 26, 2016

Here’s PART ONE in our series we call . . . “The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry” PART ONE: EDUCATE YOURSELF! The Affordable Care Act has created a LOT of confusion for everyone – especially the doctor’s offices! Educate yourself about your plan and how it works before you go to your appointment! If you have problems getting affordable prescriptions, ask your doctor for alternative options. Learn your tiers! The formularies are the lists of

Intro: The Insurance Mom’s Guide to Better Living Through (Cheaper) Chemistry!

February 19, 2016

Hi Insurance Mom Family, OK, let’s talk prescriptions. But Mom… they’re so expensive! I know, sweetie. The Insurance Mom hears you. Yet another (un)intended consequence of the Affordable Care Act… formulary shrinkage. The formularies are the lists of drugs your insurance company covers – generic and brand name. Most people just pay up at the pharmacy and don’t know they can actually shop around for better prices. Just because you have health insurance doesn’t mean you’re getting the