| Article Check |
Hubs | Hubbers | Topics | Request |
| #1 in Business | Subscribe Email Print |
|
You are here: Home > Insurance > Health > Using a Health Savings Account to Buffer the Coming Medicare Insolvency |
|
Article Check - Using a Health Savings Account to Buffer the Coming Medicare Insolvency
Registering A Service Mark ing retirement. That estimate did not include the cost of over-the-counter medications, most dental services and, long-term care, if needed. And it did not include the charges that are currently paid by Medicare.A service mark identifies and distinguishes the source of a service. It is any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination of some or all of them used or intended to be used in commerce. These service marks are used in advertisements for a service. It is better to register the service marks and safeguard your company and the usage of your service marks.Service Marks: How to File.The application for registering service marks can be filed only by the owner of the mark. The owner is the person who uses or controls the use of the mark as well as controls the nature and quality of the services offered. Make sure your service mark is not a copy of any other mark as well as that it is uniquely yours, before If we cannot depend on Medicare to be there for us, the only smart solution is to save as much money as possible. This will ensure that you can obtain the quality care you need. If you are not currently putting as much money as possible aside to pay for these expenses yourself, you are making a serious mistake. What Is Your Solution? The Coming Medicare Insolvency The total federal debt is now over $10 trillion. But if you also include the current unfunded liabilities of social security, Medicare, and other programs, the total federal debt is at least $54 trillion. This number has been confirmed in three separate studies - by the American Enterprise Institute, the National Center for Policy Analysis, and the Brookings Institution. It is difficult to get a grasp of a number that big. That's $180,000 per person currently living in the United States. It is four times the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, the measure of the final value of all goods and services produced in this country in the course of a year. As the program is currently structured it is unsustainable, and the fund is expected to be depleted by 2018. That is a mere 11 years from now. The shortfall in Social Security and Medicare revenues will continue to increase as the years go by - it will exceed $2 trillion by 2030. At that point, half of all tax dollars will have to go to Social Security and Medicare. That clearly can't happen. Instead, the system will face massive cuts in benefits, probably in addition to large tax increases. Who Will Pay Your Medical Expenses During Retirement? So will Medicare be there for you? It depends on how old you are. Unless you are retiring in the next couple years, I certainly wouldn't count on it, particularly if you want to insure that you have access to high quality medical care during your retirement years. Last year Fidelity Investments reported that the average couple retiring in 2006 would need $200,000 just to cover medical expenses during retirement. That estimate did not include the cost of over-the-counter medications, most dental services and, long-term care, if needed. And it did not include the charges that are currently paid by Medicare. If we cannot depend on Medicare to be there for us, the only smart solution is to save as much money as possible. This will ensure that you can obtain the quality care you need. If you are not currently putting as much money as possible aside to pay for these expenses yourself, you are making a serious mistake. What Is Your Solution? Nonprofit Fund Raising Boot Camp The Coming Medicare Insolvency The total federal debt is now over $10 trillion. But if you also include the current unfunded liabilities of social security, Medicare, and other programs, the total federal debt is at least $54 trillion. This number has been confirmed in three separate studies - by the American Enterprise Institute, the National Center for Policy Analysis, and the Brookings Institution. It is difficult to get a grasp of a number that big. That's $180,000 per person currently living in the United States. It is four times the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, the measure of the final value of all goods and services produced in this country in the course of a year. As the program is currently structured it is unsustainable, and the fund is expected to be depleted by 2018. That is a mere 11 years from now. The shortfall in Social Security and Medicare revenues will continue to increase as the years go by - it will exceed $2 trillion by 2030. At that point, half of all tax dollars will have to go to Social Security and Medicare. That clearly can't happen. Instead, the system will face massive cuts in benefits, probably in addition to large tax increases. Who Will Pay Your Medical Expenses During Retirement? So will Medicare be there for you? It depends on how old you are. Unless you are retiring in the next couple years, I certainly wouldn't count on it, particularly if you want to insure that you have access to high quality medical care during your retirement years. Last year Fidelity Investments reported that the average couple retiring in 2006 would need $200,000 just to cover medical expenses during retirement. That estimate did not include the cost of over-the-counter medications, most dental services and, long-term care, if needed. And it did not include the charges that are currently paid by Medicare. If we cannot depend on Medicare to be there for us, the only smart solution is to save as much money as possible. This will ensure that you can obtain the quality care you need. If you are not currently putting as much money as possible aside to pay for these expenses yourself, you are making a serious mistake. What Is Your Solution? As the program is currently structured it is unsustainable, and the fund is expected to be depleted by 2018. That is a mere 11 years from now. The shortfall in Social Security and Medicare revenues will continue to increase as the years go by - it will exceed $2 trillion by 2030. At that point, half of all tax dollars will have to go to Social Security and Medicare. That clearly can't happen. Instead, the system will face massive cuts in benefits, probably in addition to large tax increases. Who Will Pay Your Medical Expenses During Retirement? So will Medicare be there for you? It depends on how old you are. Unless you are retiring in the next couple years, I certainly wouldn't count on it, particularly if you want to insure that you have access to high quality medical care during your retirement years. Last year Fidelity Investments reported that the average couple retiring in 2006 would need $200,000 just to cover medical expenses during retirement. That estimate did not include the cost of over-the-counter medications, most dental services and, long-term care, if needed. And it did not include the charges that are currently paid by Medicare. If we cannot depend on Medicare to be there for us, the only smart solution is to save as much money as possible. This will ensure that you can obtain the quality care you need. If you are not currently putting as much money as possible aside to pay for these expenses yourself, you are making a serious mistake. What Is Your Solution? Who Will Pay Your Medical Expenses During Retirement? So will Medicare be there for you? It depends on how old you are. Unless you are retiring in the next couple years, I certainly wouldn't count on it, particularly if you want to insure that you have access to high quality medical care during your retirement years. Last year Fidelity Investments reported that the average couple retiring in 2006 would need $200,000 just to cover medical expenses during retirement. That estimate did not include the cost of over-the-counter medications, most dental services and, long-term care, if needed. And it did not include the charges that are currently paid by Medicare. If we cannot depend on Medicare to be there for us, the only smart solution is to save as much money as possible. This will ensure that you can obtain the quality care you need. If you are not currently putting as much money as possible aside to pay for these expenses yourself, you are making a serious mistake. What Is Your Solution? If we cannot depend on Medicare to be there for us, the only smart solution is to save as much money as possible. This will ensure that you can obtain the quality care you need. If you are not currently putting as much money as possible aside to pay for these expenses yourself, you are making a serious mistake. What Is Your Solution? As most readers already know, the very best tool for accumulating funds for future medical expenses is a Health Savings Account. An HSA is the only investment that provides a tax deduction when you deposit the money, yet never taxes the money if it is used to pay for qualified medical expenses. Therefore, you should put as much money as possible into your Health Savings Account, and withdraw as little as possible. The contribution limit for 2007 is $2,850 for an individual, and $5,650 for families. Those over 55 can also contribute an $800 catch-up contribution. Making the maximum contribution each year will help you build a medical retirement fund that can be used to pay future medical expenses, tax-free. Rather than withdrawing money from your account to pay for medical expenses as they occur, you should pay for medical expenses that are not covered by your health insurance, out of your own pocket. Save your receipts (for doctor visits, eye glasses, aspirin, etc), and leave your money in the account to grow tax-deferred. There is no time limit before you have to reimburse yourself, so you can make the most of this tax-free investment. As soon as possible, you may also want to transfer some of the money into mutual funds. While some HSA administrators are paying interest rates as high as 5%, the only way you are going to really grow the account is to get a much higher return on your money. Many HSA administrators offer a discount brokerage option, so you can place your funds in virtually any stock or mutual fund. For a family that contributes the maximum contribution each year, it is quite reasonable to assume an HSA account value well over $1 million after 25 or 30 years. Medicare may be broke, but at least you won't be. "Medicare HSAs?" The solution to the pending Medicare meltdown is very complicated, but it is clear that government-run medical programs don't work. The dismal results can be seen everywhere, from the former Soviet-bloc countries, to the broken down national healthcare systems of Canada and Europe. Medicare must be transformed into a program where seniors have an ownership interest in the money they are spending. Replacing the government's obligation to
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
Related Articles:Career Advice: Three Secrets to Telling Your Story for Career and Life Success Dollar Drink Night: Boozing With Coworkers Could Help You Financially Internet Marketing: 10 Deadly Sins of a Poorly Designed Website
|