For many, insurance policies seem complex and hard to understand. You know you need insurance, but what you may not understand is what your insurance policy covers, and how to budget your yearly medical costs so they don’t negatively impact your finances. Deductibles are one area of health insurance that people often overlook.

Health spending accounts are used to pay for medical expenses that your healthcare plan doesn’t cover, such as deductibles or copays. They’re part of what’s called consumer-directed health care. Consumer-directed means you manage more of the money you spend on health care costs.

Having a child move away to college can be an exciting yet emotional experience for many parents. However, while making sure your child is registered for classes and has everything they need for his or her dorm room, there’s one detail you don’t want to forget about: making sure your child is adequately covered under a health insurance policy. Of course, if your child is attending an out-of-state school, this can become even more complicated. What can you do to make sure your child has coverage so far from home? We’ve got a few tips.

In the past, many people went without health insurance for a number of reasons. Often people see this coverage as something that’s only beneficial if you get sick. When you’re relatively healthy, it might seem like a good idea to save the money on insurance premiums. In the long-term, however, that can be a catastrophic idea. Illnesses and accidents often come with no previous warning and an extensive hospital stay without insurance coverage can virtually bankrupt even those who were doing well financially.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that all healthcare plans offered in the United States provide coverage for certain “essential benefits” beginning in 2014. Also known as mandated benefits, these benefits are designed to ensure every American receives coverage for their basic healthcare needs. The ACA has also mandated these benefits be extended to state Medicare and Medicaid programs.

In today’s world of readily available processed and fast foods, it’s more difficult than ever for busy people to make healthy eating choices. However, with more than two-thirds of Americans classified as overweight or obese, there has never been a greater need for a balanced, nutritious diet. If you struggle to make the right eating choices day after day, the good news is that there are a few simple tips you can follow to get on the right track.

Having health insurance is a must for any college student that is going away to school. There are a number of options available for college students depending on individual circumstances, including student plans, subsidized coverage, or remaining on their parents’ health plan.