Please confirm you are human

This browser or connection looks automated. Press and continuously hold the control for 3 seconds to enable Google-hosted web results and, when separately allowed, AI-assisted answers.

A successful check enables 100 search requests. Interactive access does not authorize scraping, systematic collection, or reuse of search output.

Hold with a pointer, or hold Space or Enter.

News

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_35cb9cba-5db5-4411-a80a-3163654b6bc7.html

Hospital prepayment requirements add new wrinkles to patients’ financial responsibility

2+ hour, 15+ min ago   (1234+ words) Thomas Zordani flew from his home in Denver to Phoenix for a consultation with a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, hoping to find out what could be done to treat his debilitating headaches after worrisome brain scan findings. When making the appointment,…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_550e9d62-f930-4eed-a4d8-f050d96116b6.html

Baffling. Frustrating. Frightening. What it’s like to be sued over medical debt

2+ mon, 2+ week ago   (1758+ words) Christine Wood at home in Terryville, Connecticut, on March 3, 2026. She was sued by Bristol Hospital over an unexpected $12,000 bill related to her weight loss surgery. (Shahrzad Rasekh/CT Mirror/TNS) When Christine Wood received a $12,000 bill from Bristol Hospital, she…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_25d4b836-32c5-4618-8f2c-a7cc3998315a.html

Cheaper, alternative health plans are having a moment, but critics urge caution

2+ mon, 2+ week ago   (783+ words) Melanie Miller, a retired teacher who lives in Michigan, looked outside the Affordable Care Act marketplace for health insurance because her premium payment was set to nearly triple. She now has two plans, one for routine and urgent care and…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_6b74f79a-9ff2-432f-897e-ec50f62babf4.html

Bill of the Month: He needs an expensive drug. A copay card helped — until it didn’t

5+ mon, 1+ week ago   (1497+ words) Jayant Mishra of Mission Viejo, California, was concerned about cost when his doctor diagnosed him with an autoimmune disease and recommended an expensive, brand-name drug. He enrolled in the drugmaker's copay assistance program, but the assistance ran out in less…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_1dc85e8b-44c0-4207-870f-0db8972fab31.html

Unemployed and uninsured: The gamble of going without health insurance to save money

6+ mon, 2+ week ago   (1807+ words) Losing a job can feel like a one-two punch: the loss of both income and health insurance. (Dreamstime/TNS) Sixty percent of Americans under age 65 — that’s about 164.7 million people — receive their health insurance through their employer, according to a Kaiser…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_c3905d38-b64f-4695-831d-579036932c43.html

Medical bills can be vexing and perplexing. Here’s important advice for patients

7+ mon, 2+ week ago   (514+ words) A Texas boy’s second dose of the MMRV vaccine cost over $1,400. A Pennsylvania woman’s long-acting birth control cost more than $14,000. Treatment for a Florida Medicaid enrollee’s heart attack cost nearly $78,000 — about as much as surgery for an uninsured Montana woman’s…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_ac83bb6f-2c74-4543-b7c5-8b60ed32add1.html

Health Care Helpline: Try this when your doctor says ‘yes’ to a preventive test but insurance says ‘no’

11+ mon, 3+ week ago   (839+ words) A small number of insurance plans are "grandfathered in" which means you may not have the same rights and protections as the ACA provides. (KFF Health News/TNS) “My son was diagnosed with congenital CMV, a virus that can cause…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_df8f221c-58ff-4640-a2d2-1143b7dcdba4.html

Protect your health and your wealth: 5 tips to beat medical debt

10+ mon, 1+ day ago   (1155+ words) Medical debt is one of the sneakiest ways financial stress shows up in people's lives. According to Kaiser Family Foundation's (KFF) analysis of government data, Americans owe at least US $220 billion in medical debt. Approximately 14 million adults owe more than…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_010ede69-76d6-47d5-8a40-f48f9d82fcba.html

Insurance company repeatedly denied her medical claim, then AI delivered victory

11+ mon, 5+ day ago   (963+ words) Lauren Gonzalves, a cancer care social worker, is seen at her home in Concord, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Gonzalves uses the Counterforce website, which works with AI to help individuals dispute medical bills. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Health…...

The Union Democrat
uniondemocrat.com > lifestyle > article_221e122c-cc92-46a8-ac5a-0b72b6234a2a.html

Medicaid cuts are coming: 4 ways Americans with disabilities can start protecting their finances

11+ mon, 4+ day ago   (729+ words) If you receive disability benefits, understanding your financial options can help you navigate your personal finances with confidence. (Dreamstime/TNS) Alexis Leone, a 34-year-old mother of five in rural Mississippi, initially tried her best to juggle her full-time job with…...