5/22/2010 8:22 PM   Income Gap Got Worse....

If I had a candle wish, it would be that all African Americans and Hispanics understand that without wealth…families cannot become and remain economically secure. While it is true that the 21st century has brought increased income in minority households… this did not lead to wealth accumulation. New evidence reveals that the wealth gap between White (mainstream) and African American families has more than quadrupled over the course of a generation. 

Read the entire story at Auburn Mountain's Consumer Site. Just Click The "Consumer Education" Link On The Left. You will be there in seconds!

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5/15/2010 6:24 PM   Your Kids Can Stay On Your Health Coverages. The Bad News is....

ADDING SOME GRADS TO PARENTS' HEALTH PLANS COULD BE COSTLY | Health Issues - May 12, 2010
After the commencement speeches are over, the new grads face the job hunt and maybe a gap in health coverage, say National Public Radio (NPR).

Starting in September, the new health law will let adult children ride on their folks' coverage until they turn 26.  But a bunch of insurers, prodded by the feds, have agreed to start sooner, so there's no lapse for this year's graduates.  If a health plan offers dependent coverage, then it will have to offer the extension of coverage, too, under interim regulations just put out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

But, as the Washington Post notes, there's nothing stopping insurers from charging a whole lot more for families who buy coverage on the individual market and whose children have preexisting conditions:

In 2014, the new health law won't let insurers levy higher premiums for people with preexisting conditions. Right now, HHS figures 2.4 million young adults might qualify for the extension on their parents plans. The department isn't sure how many will sign up, but its middle-of-the-road estimate would be 1.24 million in 2011.  

How much will the average premium run?

• About $3,380 per person for group plans
• About $2,360 for families buying plans on the individual market in 2011, HHS estimates.

Source: National Center for Policy Analysis-NCPA and Scott Hensley, "Adding Some Grads To Parents' Health Plans Could Be Costly," National Public Radio, May 11, 2010.

For more on Health Issues: http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=16

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