Saving big money was just the beginning of the good news. In November 2013, I struck gold — literally. I found a Gold plan on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace that saves me $900 a month on my premiums for the same coverage. With 2015 open enrollment starting on November 15th, it’s a good time to take a look […]

Wisconsin woman who couldn’t get insurance without Obamacare urges everyone to remember who supported the law on Election Day. Jenell Larson is a healthy 61-year-old woman who could not buy insurance at any price due to a single illness in her 30s — an illness that was treated successfully. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare, she […]

A little advance planning will make insurance enrollment or renewal a breeze. November is going to be a big month! After Election Day on November 4th, the next date to remember is November 15th — the day open enrollment through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace begins. If you’ve already bought health insurance through the ACA marketplace (aka Obamacare), you […]

Legislation would safeguard not only the life of the mother, but also the health of the mother in a problem pregnancy. There are many troubling aspects to the Michigan law requiring women to buy a special insurance rider to cover abortion services, but the most upsetting to me is the fact that there is no exception for the health of […]

Even with insurance, some people can’t afford treatment or preventive medications. Advocates are working on solutions. Imagine being diagnosed with HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, and being reassured that with treatment there’s no reason for the quality or length of your life to be diminished. Then imagine being told that the drugs you need to start taking right […]

Bills would require insurers to offer the abortion rider women must purchase separately to have coverage under state law. If Michigan is going to force women to buy a separate abortion insurance rider in case they’re ever raped or must have an abortion to protect their health — or simply to exercise their constitutional right to choose — the least […]

There’s a Buddhist saying, “First thought, best thought.” While I believe that’s true, some things still benefit from time and perspective. That’s certainly the case with TEDMED. It ended on September 12th, and my brain is still synthesizing all the brilliance I absorbed from the stage and from the leaders in health and medicine I spoke with during the conference […]

Watch over my shoulder as I participate in the 2014 TEDMED conference Sept. 10-12. If you’re interested in what’s next in health and medicine, come along with me on my adventure to TEDMED 2014. TEDMED describes itself as “a global community dedicated to unlocking imagination in service of health and medicine. Our goal is to seed the innovations of today, […]

A conversation with the co-founder of Lady Parts Justice on feminism, grassroots activism and using humor to drive serious change. Lizz Winstead is a woman with a mission. If you’re lucky enough to talk with her one-on-one, there’s no missing her fiery determination. She’s serious about changing the landscape of reproductive laws across the country that hold women back — […]

This new organization will keep Michiganders informed about legislation that could be hazardous to women’s health. Did you know that women in Michigan have to buy separate insurance for an abortion in case they’re ever raped or have a pregnancy that endangers their health — and that women who buy individual insurance on the private market can’t purchase that insurance […]

Michigan is one of the states throwing a public party — or you can get an LPJ party kit and host your own bash. Are you sick of watching politicians trample all over women’s reproductive rights and the choices they make about their bodies? Do you want to elect officials who actually think women should be treated equally and with […]