“Billing balance” stirs up controversy

Business Week recently collaborated with the CBS Evening News educate the nation on the nature of “billing balance.” When an insurance company covers less of the medical payments than doctors want them to, they turn to the customer for the rest of the payment. Since patients think that their unpaid bills will turn their credit bad, many automatically pay the bills. This has resulted in patients paying $1 billion more a year in medical bills than they’re supposed to. The California Association believes that 1.76 million policy holders paid $5.28 million more than they were suppose to, including 56% of those who were billed.

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Marry For Health Reasons? Maybe Not Necessary

One common conception that scientists in the past have validated is that for your health, it is better to be married. A new study as reported in BusinessWeek, however, is suggesting otherwise.

Hui Liu, study’s lead author from Michigan State University stated

"One of the most-often documented facts is that married people are healthier than non-married people, but the difference between married and unmarried people has changed over the past few decades."

As the article further reports:

- the self-reported health status of never-married adults increased significantly over time

- self-reported health status of married women also increased

- the gap between married and never-married women's health stayed about the same

- never-married men narrowed the health gap between themselves and married men

Some of the speculated reasons for the results of the study include that with the mores in society changing, it is no longer imperative to have a spouse for social status and acceptance. In addition, currently there are more support systems in place for those who are unmarried that may help them to not experience the negative side effects that in the past have been associated with being single.