Seasonal Allergy Medicine You Can Take When You’re Pregnant
Cold And Flu News
Is It COVID-19 or the Flu? New Sensor Could Tell You in 10 SecondsMar. 28, 2023 — Have a cough, sore throat and congestion? Any number of respiratory viruses could be responsible. Today, scientists report using a single-atom-thick nanomaterial to build a device that can ...
How the Brain Senses InfectionMar. 8, 2023 — Researchers discovered specific airway neurons in mice that alert the brain about the ...
Enhancing at-Home COVID Tests With Glow-in-the Dark MaterialsMar. 7, 2023 — Researchers are using glow-in-the-dark materials to enhance and improve rapid COVID-19 home ...
The Achilles Heel of the Influenza Virus: Ubiquitin Protein May Be an Approach for Future MedicinesFeb. 24, 2023 — Influenza viruses are becoming increasingly resilient to medicines. For this reason, new active ingredients are needed. Important findings in this regard have been provided: for the virus to ...
A New Tool in the Arsenal Against COVID-19 Is Being Put to the TestFeb. 14, 2023 — A new class of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies has been shown to neutralize multiple variants of the virus, providing hope for a better antiviral medication to prevent and treat COVID-19 symptoms in at-risk ...
New Compound Inhibits Influenza Virus ReplicationFeb. 9, 2023 — Viruses use the molecular repertoire of the host cell to replicate. Researchers want to exploit this for the treatment of influenza. The team identified a compound that inhibits the body's own ...
New Vaccine Targets Life-Threatening Fungal Infections, a Growing Health ConcernJan. 31, 2023 — A new vaccine could be the first clinically approved immunization to protect against invasive fungal infections, a growing concern as antifungal drug resistance increases. Fungal infections cause ...
Machine Learning Identifies Drugs That Could Potentially Help Smokers QuitJan. 30, 2023 — Medications like dextromethorphan, used to treat coughs caused by cold and flu, could potentially be repurposed to help people quit smoking cigarettes, according to a new study. Researchers developed ...
New Vaccine Platform Could Ease Development, Delivery of Virus-FightersJan. 30, 2023 — By repurposing one of the human body's natural cargo transports, a research team has developed a vaccine platform that could curb certain engineering challenges, storage demands and side effects ...
Highly Accurate Test for Common Respiratory Viruses Uses DNA as 'Bait'Jan. 16, 2023 — A new test 'fishes' for multiple respiratory viruses at once using single strands of DNA as 'bait', and gives highly accurate results in under an ...
Developing Mucosal Vaccines for Respiratory VirusesJan. 11, 2023 — Vaccines that provide long-lasting protection against influenza, coronaviruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have proved exceptionally difficult to develop. Researchers now explore the ...
Does COVID Change the Body's Response to Other Threats? Depends on Your Sex, Study FindsJan. 4, 2023 — Researchers have found that immune systems of men who had recovered from mild cases of COVID-19 responded more robustly to flu vaccines than women who had had mild cases or men and women who had ...
When the Body's B Cell Training Grounds Stay Open After HoursDec. 26, 2022 — While most germinal centers shut down after a few weeks, some stay in business for more than six months. A new study helps explain ...
Acids Help Against Airborne VirusesDec. 21, 2022 — A new study shows that aerosols in indoor air can vary in acidity. This acidity determines how long viruses remain infectious in the air -- with profound implications for virus transmission and ...
Scientists Uncover Biological Explanation Behind Why Upper Respiratory Infections Are More Common in Colder TemperaturesDec. 6, 2022 — A newly discovered immune response inside the nose is suppressed by colder temperatures, offering evidence for why colds, flu and COVID-19 are more common in cooler ...
Scientists Develop 20-Subtype mRNA Flu Vaccine to Protect Against Future Flu PandemicsNov. 25, 2022 — An experimental mRNA-based vaccine against all 20 known subtypes of influenza virus provided broad protection from otherwise lethal flu strains in initial tests, and thus might serve one day as a ...
Risk of Seizures Is Higher After COVID-19 Than After Influenza, Study FindsNov. 16, 2022 — People who have a COVID-19 infection are more likely to develop seizures or epilepsy within the next six months than people who have an influenza infection, according to a new ...
Children With Severe Form of Epilepsy Should Receive Flu Vaccine Due to High Seizure Risk After Influenza Infection, Study FindsNov. 16, 2022 — Children with a severe form of epilepsy should be vaccinated against the flu due to the high risk of seizures being triggered by an influenza infection, according to a new ...
Flu Shots Can Protect Patients With Heart Failure from Early DeathNov. 15, 2022 — The study showed that over the entire year the influenza vaccine reduced pneumonia by 40 per cent and hospitalization by 15 per cent in patients with heart failure. During influenza season in the ...
Video Surveillance, Now for VirusesNov. 10, 2022 — Researchers have captured the first real-time footage of viruses on the move, right before they hijack a ...
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How Much Does Health Insurance Cost?
How much does health insurance cost? Across the United States, Americans pay wildly different premiums monthly for medical coverage. Though these premiums are not determined by gender or pre-existing health conditions thanks to the Affordable Care Act, a number of other factors impact what you pay. We explore those factors below to help you understand how much you might pay for health insurance and why.
Key TakeawaysMany factors that affect how much you pay for health insurance are not within your control. Nonetheless, it's good to have an understanding of what they are. Here are 10 key factors that affect how much health insurance premiums cost.
Investopedia / Ellen Lindner
The coverage offered by employers contributes to several of the biggest factors that determine how much your coverage costs and how comprehensive it is. Let's take a closer look.
Employee Health Insurance PremiumsIf you're fortunate enough to work for a company that provides health insurance, it might cost as much as a new car, according to the 2022 Employer Health Benefits Survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser found that average annual premiums for family coverage were $22,463 in 2022.
Workers contributed an average of $6,106 toward the annual cost, which means employers picked up about 73% of the premium bill. For a single worker in 2022, the average premium was $7,911. Of that, workers paid $1,327, or 17%.
Kaiser included health maintenance organizations (HMOs), PPOs, point-of-service plans (PPOs), and high-deductible health plans with savings options (HDHP/SOs) in arriving at the average premium figures. It found that PPOs were the most common plan type, insuring 49% of covered employees. HDHP/SOs covered 29% of insured workers.
Average Employee Premiums in 2022 Employee Share Family Individual Per Year $6,106 $1,327 Per Month $509 $111Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
Of course, whatever employers spend on their workers' health insurance leaves less money for wages and salaries. So workers are actually shouldering more of their premiums than these numbers show. In fact, one reason wages may not have risen much over the past two decades is because health costs have risen so much.
At the same time, because employees get to pay health insurance premiums with pretax dollars, their burden can be less than that of people who buy their own insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace or their state's health insurance exchange. (For the purposes of this article, "marketplace" and "exchange" are synonyms.)
Which type of plan employees choose affects their premiums, deductibles, choice of healthcare providers and hospitals, and whether they can have a health savings account (HSA), among many choices.
For families in which both spouses are offered employer health insurance, a careful comparison is critical—one plan may be a much better deal than another. The partner whose plan is not used can pocket the part of their paycheck that isn't withheld for medical coverage. Or a couple with no children may decide that each should opt for their own company's plan as individuals (coverage for couples rarely involves any sort of discount—it's basically just a doubling of the individual rates).
51%The percentage of firms offering some health benefits in 2022.
Individual Health Insurance Premiums on the ExchangesThe federal insurance plan marketplace at HealthCare.Gov, aka Obamacare, is alive and well in 2022, despite years of its political foes' efforts to kill it. More than 16 million people signed up for marketplace plans during the open enrollment period that ended in Jan. 2023—a record high.
Some 17 states and the District of Columbia operate their own health exchanges, which basically mirror the federal site but focus on plans available to their residents. People in these areas sign up through their state, rather than the federal exchange.
Each available plan offers four levels of coverage, each with its own price. In order of price from highest to lowest, they are labeled platinum, gold, silver, and bronze. The benchmark plan is the second-lowest-cost silver plan available through the health insurance exchange in a given area, and it can vary even within the state where you live. It's called the benchmark plan because it's the plan the government uses—along with your income—to determine your premium subsidy, if any.
The cost of premiums for people who enroll in the plans but don't get a subsidy rose an average of 4% in 2023—marking the first time since 2018 that premiums have risen. But most people do receive subsidies, and because of legislation enacted under the Biden administration, the net cost of exchange plans has gone down.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 expanded premium subsidies, which remained in effect for 2022. Then the Inflation Reduction Act continued the expanded subsidies through 2025. The result, says the White House, is that premiums for marketplace plans cost $800 less per person per year.
Digging Deeper for Pricing InformationAverage benchmark plan premiums for 27-year-olds have been decreasing since 2019, with a slight bump in 2023. In 2019, the average premium was $406, in 2021 it was $379, in 2022 it was $368, and in 2023, it was $382.
Average Monthly Benchmark Plan Premiums
The Importance of SubsidiesThe good news is that many who purchase marketplace plans will pay lower premiums through what the government calls advanced premium tax credits, otherwise known as subsidies.
What are these subsidies? They are credits the government applies to your health insurance premiums each month to make them affordable. Essentially, the government pays part of your premium directly to your health insurance company, and you're responsible for the rest.
As part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed in March 2021, subsidies have increased for lower-income Americans and extended to those with higher incomes. The ARPA expanded marketplace subsidies above 400% of the poverty level and increased subsidies for those making between 100% and 400% of the poverty level.
You can take your advance premium tax credit in one of three ways: equal amounts each month; more in some months and less in others, which is helpful if your income is irregular; or as a credit against your income tax liability when you file your annual tax return, which could mean you owe less tax or get a bigger refund. The tax credit is designed to make premiums affordable based on your household size and income.
Your credit is based on your estimated income for the year, so if your income or household size changes during the year, it's a good idea to update your information at HealthCare.Gov right away so your premium credits can be adjusted accordingly. That way, you won't have any unpleasant surprises at tax time, nor will you pay higher premiums than you need to throughout the year.
Health Insurance Deductibles: What Can You Expect?On top of premiums, everyone who carries health insurance also pays a deductible. This means you pay 100% of your health expenses out of pocket until you have paid a predetermined amount. At that point, insurance coverage kicks in and you pay a percentage of your bills, with the insurer picking up the rest. Most workers are covered by a general annual deductible, which means it applies to most or all healthcare services. Here's how general deductibles varied in 2022:
Source: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Individuals who are eligible for cost-sharing reductions (a type of federal subsidy that helps reduce out-of-pocket costs for healthcare expenses such as deductibles and copays) are responsible for deductibles of $300 or $500 for the Silver plan, depending on their income.
A Note on Short-Term PlansIf you miss the annual enrollment period and don't have one of the reasons that qualify you for a SEP, you may have to resort to buying a short-term health insurance plan that lasts anywhere from three months to 364 days. Because these plans tend to cost an average of 54% less than exchange plans, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, you may also decide to opt for one if you can't afford health insurance through your employer or on the exchanges (maybe you're not eligible for a subsidy).
Buyer beware: Regulations vary by state, but in general, you can expect that pre-existing conditions won't be covered; your application may not even be accepted if you have certain health problems. Other common exclusions include maternity care, mental health services, and prescription drugs. And be on the lookout for dollar limits on coverage. Short-term plans don't offer the same protections that exchange plans do and may not help enough or at all when you need coverage the most.
How Do I Find Affordable Health Insurance?Group plans are generally cheaper than individual plans. So if you are eligible for one—through your employer, your union, or some other association—that's your best bet, in terms of coverage for the money. If that's not an option, the public health marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act offer affordable health insurance for individuals. In most of the U.S., you can sign up for a plan offered through the federal government via the HealthCare.Gov site. However, 12 states run their own marketplaces, and residents sign up via their sites.
How Much Is Health Insurance a Month for a Single Person?It depends on a variety of factors, ranging from your resident state to your age to the type of plan (workplace or individual). Employer-sponsored plans average $659.25 a month, with individual employees paying about $111 of that, for example.
What Is the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace?Established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Health Insurance Marketplace is a platform that offers medical insurance plans to individuals, families, and small businesses. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia offer their own marketplaces, also known as exchanges, while the federal government manages a marketplace open to residents of other states. Marketplace plans are divided into four categories that range in cost and coverage. Though offered by private companies, all must meet certain criteria established by the state or federal government.
The Bottom LineHow much you'll pay for health insurance isn't a number you can guess. It's affected by many factors, few of which you can control.
If you're buying a plan through HealthCare.Gov, you can use the government's tool for estimating which subsidies you'll qualify for (access it here). If you're buying insurance through your employer, review your open enrollment information as soon as it's available so you have plenty of time to review your options, attend any information sessions, and use any comparison tools your employer offers to help you pick the most valuable plan you can afford.
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