Healthcare and the Family Budget – What is a Health Savings Account and Do you Need It?

Healthy children are easier on the household budget unfortunately not everyone is so blessed so what do you do? When considering the family budget and being a good parent, providing quality Health Care at a reasonable price is right up there with the mortgage payment, car payments and college tuition.

Health Savings Accounts can be simple and easy to understand. A Health Savings Account is a tax-favored savings account combined with a qualifying high-deductible health insurance plan. Health Savings Accounts allow you to legally avoid federal income tax
by depositing 100% of the health plan's deductible, up to $2,850 for singles or $5,650 for families, into your Health Savings Account. Health Savings Accounts, (HSA) touted as a way to lower health-insurance costs and broaden coverage, have fallen short of their promise. They are gaining popularity because they allow individuals, rather than an HMO or the government, to take charge of their health care. Also, they’re an excellent option for individuals and families without employer-sponsored health insurance. Health Savings Accounts are becoming quite popular for people who are generally healthy and they’re leading the way in this transition.

Savings can be used to help pay the deductible and for non-covered medical expenses, such as dental and vision. Savings reduce or eliminate annual out-of-pocket exposure. Savings not spent remain in the HSA tax-deferred. Savings and investments unlike premiums, unused HSA dollars remain in the HSA until you use them later. Day-to-day expenses come out of the health savings account, while catastrophic expenses are covered by insurance. Health Savings Accounts are gaining popularity because they allow individuals, rather than an HMO or the government, to take charge of their health care. A Health Savings Account combined with a High Deductible Health Insurance Plan gives individuals an economic incentive to become better consumers of health care services because they are now spending their own money up to the level of their high deductible. Health Savings Accounts are an excellent option for individuals and families without employer-sponsored health insurance.

If your employer offers a high-deductible health insurance policy, you may be able to make pretax contributions, like you would with a flexible-spending account. Legislation passed by Congress December 9, 2006, will let you make a one-time transfer of funds tax free from a flexible-spending account to an HSA. You cannot have an HSA if you use a flexible-spending account to pay Health Care costs or if you have other medical coverage (say, through a spouse's policy). You can keep the money in an HSA account even after you leave that job, similar to a 401(k). Keep in mind that you can continue to withdraw money from the account tax-free for qualified medical expenses after age 65. You can't make new HSA contributions after age 65, but you can still use the money in your account tax-free for medical expenses at any age.

Deposits to an HSA may be made by any policyholder of a qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), by an employer on behalf of a policyholder, or any other person. Previously, the annual maximum deposit to an HSA was the lesser of the HDHP deductible or specified IRS limits. As of 2007 plan years, Congress has abolished the lower limit based on the deductible, and the maximum contribution will simply be the statutory limit. These include deductibles and coinsurance as well as many other expenses not covered under medical plans, such as dental, vision and chiropractic care; durable medical equipment such as eyeglasses and hearing aids; purchase and use of qualifying over-the-counter medications; and transportation expenses related to medical care. Contributions are deductible, the account accumulates tax-free, and withdrawals used for medical expenses are tax-free. Contributions and gains can be rolled from year to year – there’s no “use it or lose it". Contributions to the HSAs are tax-deductible at the federal and state level.

Healthcare is the number one issue facing many individuals and companies in America. Now with the release of Michael Moore's new movie, SICKO, the debate on healthcare in the USA in on. Many well-meaning people believe that a government take-over of healthcare coverage, called a "single-payer" system, is the answer. Health Savings Accounts are combined with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) to offer a more affordable approach to healthcare. They were created to help give control back to consumers and lower healthcare costs. While most healthcare insurance clients say they are satisfied with their current plans, the landscape changes when major illnesses start. Alternatively, your HSA balance can be used to cover your post-age-65 healthcare costs including Medicare Part A and B premiums, Medicare HMO premiums, garden-variety health premiums, insurance deductibles and co-payments, prescriptions, long-term care insurance premiums, and so forth. But what about the person who lives pay check to pay check or the single parent trying to provide healthcare for themselves and children. Combine a tax-favored Health Savings Account (HSA) and an HSA-eligible health insurance plan to save money tax-free for healthcare costs.

Health Savings Account Plans help you take control of your health care expenses with a tax-favored savings account and quality medical coverage. Health Savings Account (HSA) Plans are an excellent choice for individuals and families who want to control their health insurance costs by combining a lower cost high deductible health insurance plan with a tax advantaged savings account and network discounts. Learn how to take advantage of the money-saving benefits of a Health Savings Account. By allowing you to deposit tax-deductible funds into a health savings account that you can use to cover medical costs, Health Savings Accounts enable you to take control of your own health care decisions. Once your insurance policy has become effective, you may begin to fund your Health Savings Account. Please note: To obtain the maximum tax benefit from your Health Savings Account in 2008 as well as lock in 2007 rates, you must have your HSA-qualified insurance plan effective no later than December 31. There are about 10 million people enrolled in "consumer-driven health plans," and about 6 million of those are Health Savings Accounts. To really maximize your savings pair up a Discount Health Plan, for the everyday savings on you health care, with your HSA and HDHP. You may want to read my other article on Healthcare and the Family Budget - How to Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck!

What You Must Know About Health and Beauty

Health and beauty experts are sounding serious alarms about products calling themselves organic when really there's nothing natural about them.

Unfortunately, health and beauty expert Ann Garrity says "organic just doesn't mean much on makeup right now and a lot of companies' are profiting from consumer's confusion".

In fact, health and beauty experts warn some products are downright dangerous. A recent study by a safe cosmetic group made national headlines when lab tests found in over 50% of over 30 lipsticks from major retail chain stores contained detectable levels of lead. A full 1/3 of the samples exceeded the FDA's safety limit for lead in candy.

Analysis by health and beauty experts found the lead was a contaminant, not a deliberately added ingredient so you wouldn't even know the product wasn't lead-free just be checking the label - health and beauty experts say this is very scary and advise consumers to be concerned - lead is a toxic heavy metal that causes injury to the brain, increases high blood pressure, heart disease, and reduces fertility.

Unbelievably, the FDA has not set a ban on the use of lead in cosmetics and actually has approved the version of lead called lead acetate for use in all cosmetics except the use around the eyes.

To be clear, the amount of lead you might ingest through normal use of lipstick is small, however, expert's note it comes on top of other sources of lead exposure in our environment such as drinking water. Scientific evidence proves there is no threshold of exposure below which lead is safe. You can learn more about potential lead exposure from the Environmental Protection Agencies website. Health and beauty experts also have found mercury in mascara. Much like lead, mercury can damage brain function even at low levels. Mercury has also been found to ignite certain protein enzymes that may lead to plaque build-up in blood vessel walls that may lead to cardiovascular disease. A number of cosmetic companies still use a preservative form of mercury to keep mascara fresh and bacteria-free.

Always buy products that are thimerosal-free products.

Mercury in the form of thimerosol is also used in eye makeup.

Another safety tip - avoid loose powder formulations containing talc because you can easily inhale particles as you swoosh them around with your brush.

In summary, Health and Beauty experts are challenging the FDA to be given back the power, personnel, and funding so they can do much more to tightly regulate cosmetics.

The Health And Beauty Connection

Health and Beauty are closely related. One cannot expect to be beautiful without working on maintaining good health, and vice versa. Health means having a body that works efficiently; and beauty is the outward manifestation of good health.

Poor Health can be visible and therefore affects your beauty, or the way you appear to others. Some obvious outward signs of poor health and beauty are dark circles around the eyes, obesity, acne, hair loss and dry skin. Some less obvious signs are white fingernails or white dots on fingernails, creases between the eyes, brittle hair and dandruff.

These signs prove the relationship between Health and Beauty. They could be indicating an underlying condition. For example, dark circles under the eyes could indicate liver toxicity, thyroid or kidney problems. White bands near the fingertips or white dots on fingernails could indicate poor circulation, and even heart diseases. Horizontal ridges on nails could indicate poor absorption of proteins and vitamins. Inability to lose weight could indicate improper eating habits, genetic links and a host of medical conditions.

Here are some health and beauty tips:

• Drinking plenty of water for health and beauty is something that cannot be underestimated. Although a general rule of thumb is drinking 8 glasses of water a day, the amount varies from person to person.

• For perfect health and beauty, you must incorporate 30 minutes of exercise 3 to 5 times a week. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity.

• Your lifestyle and eating habits play a very important role in maintaining health and beauty. Eat a healthy balanced diet, and avoid smoking and too much alcohol.

• Deal with stress. Research has shown that music helps you relax and alleviate stress.

• Health and beauty spas help you relax and have an invigorating effect physically and mentally.

Anti Aging Health Tips – How to Look Younger

These anti aging health tips are so simple that you're going to laugh, but bear with me. If you apply these simple anti aging health tips, I promise you that you will look a lot younger.

I can say this confidently because I use these anti aging health tips and they've worked wonders for me. They are very simple, but they are a bit harder to apply.

You see, most people that ask me what I do to have good looking skin don't want to hear that I eat well, I exercise, and I only use natural products on my skin.

They want to hear that I take this magic pill which magically makes my skin look great. No one wants to put in the effort anymore to be healthy, and look good.

That is why so few truly look good, but it isn't as hard as they think. Getting started is the hard part, from there on it is a downhill ride. It's almost like pushing something over a hump, and once you're over that hump, you're in for one heck of a ride, and you'll have beautiful skin to boot!

Here are my 3 anti aging Health Tips that are proven effective:

1. Exercise - Get your body movin'! When you exercise, your blood gets pumped through your body, and skin. This will make your skin glow, and you will start looking several years younger. Find an exercise that you like, who knows what it can be, martial arts, hiking, dancing, whatever!

2. Sleep - Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Shut out all distractions so you can sleep soundly, buy earplugs if you have to! Many are sleep deprived in our society, because we are worked to death. We have to find time to relax, and enjoy life!

3. Natural Products - This is probably the most important of my anti aging health tips. Finding a good natural skin care product line is very important, because if you're using skin care products on your skin, there's a big chance that you're using ingredients that are harming your skin. Some of these can even cause cancer in the long run, not good!

With all that said, now it is up to you to start implementing these anti aging Health Tips. As I said, they are very simple, but once applied, you will start seeing gradual results, and they sure as heck beat going for a botox injection, or a chemical peel.

5 Great Fitness and Health Tips

Keeping healthy is extremely important, no matter what age you happen to be. It's imperative that you take measures to work on your health and fitness throughout your entire life. Wondering where you can begin? Well, here are 5 great fitness and Health Tips that you can use to make sure you stay healthy and fit all your life.

Tip #1 - Get Moving - First of all, if you want to stay fit and healthy, you have to get moving. Every day you need to think about how you can get moving in order to keep your body in good shape. There are many little things that you can do to keep moving throughout the day. While going to the gym is a great idea, you don't have to spend an hour at the gym in order to get the movement that you need. Simply take the time to take the dog for a walk, mow your own lawn, take the stairs, park further away in the parking lot, or even to play with your kids. This will help you to get the exercise that you need on a regular basis and it is also great for lowering your stress level too.

Tip #2 - Cut Back the Fat - Another important tip to remember for fitness and health is to make sure that you cut back the fat in your diet. Bad fats can lead to a variety of different physical problems that can end up haunting you as you grow older. So, start cutting the fried foods out of your diet, as well as fast food and even meets that are fatty, such as sausage, bacon, salami, and even ham. You should limit dairy products as well and eat lower fat products instead. Limit the sauces, lunch meats, butter, and mayonnaise that you eat as well. Try to eat lean and you'll definitely reap the benefits.

Tip #3 - De-Stress - Start getting rid of some of the stress in your life. Stress can lead to a variety of health problems. Spend time enjoying yourself each day, such as listening to music, enjoying a hot bath, a long walk, or even reading. Meditating can also help you out as well.

Tip #4 - Stop Smoking - One of the worst things that you can do for your health is to smoke. If you want to be healthier, then one of the best things that you can do for your health is to stop smoking. When you smoke you raise the risk for a variety of nasty diseases, so take the steps to quit as soon as you can.

Tip #5 - Drink More Water - Most people don't drink enough water each day and it shows in their health and fitness. If you want to be fit and healthy, then water is an important part of your diet. You should be drinking at least 8-10 glasses each day, and more when you are exercising. The body needs water to be healthy, and the more you drink water, the healthier you will be.

These are just 5 great fitness and health tips that can really make a difference in your life. Nothing can replace your health, so take the time to follow these Health Tips so you can improve your health for life.

For Better Life: Apply Health And Beauty Program

Health and beauty are should always go parallel to each other and that is, you cannot possess just one of the two isolation. Indeed a healthy individual is naturally beautiful and the reverse is also true. Health is the metabolic capacity in all people and beauty develops joy to the beholder. Below are some health and beauty idea that are just easy to implement.

First, for a healthy body, you must consider regular exercise and thus you have to find ways to move your body. You should always make it a point to use the stairs rather than elevators or escalators unless you have to go for time. If you are overweight, eat the appropriate amount to lessen your weight or exercise more to have a youthful body.

It is very essential to keep diabetes under control if one is diabetic or even take preventive protocol to lessen the onset of diabetes and the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hyper tension, and cancer or lung disease. Sedentary lifestyle is the greatest bane of beauty and health. It is imperative to regularly exercise your body. If possible, 30 minutes a day, 5 or 6 days a week. Get connected of doing anything that moves your limbs.

Exercise is not only a beauty and fitness tool, but a stress reliever as well. You can move around in small interval of time. It will be absolutely far more rewarding if you could allocate 45 minutes to 1 hour for any physical activity.

The next of the tips is to strive to limit or avoid fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats. Lessen the cheese consumption, butter, nuts, sauces etc. Drinking plenty water is one of the best beauty and health tips you can all follow. Water is substantial for virtually every function of the body. The average person needs 1 to 3 liters of water in a day.

The most important of the beauty and health tips is to stop smoking- if you are in it. It is mandatory to be a non smoker in order to elevate the overall beauty and health of the individual.

Try to lessen stress-filled situations. Allocate 30 minutes a day doing something you get yourself enjoyed. Make your temper under check and count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid staying with people whom you find hard to cope with. It is also of great significance to practice oral hygiene and stay in a pollution free surroundings to maintain beauty, health.

Recent studies indicates that a glass of wine or one drink a day is good for the heart, but take it easy! Do not drink too much. Too much drinking of alcohol can cause health problems such as liver and kidney disease as well as cancer.

There are various health and beauty products available in the marketplace right now. They are brought with various promises, guarantees and offers. Think for a while before purchasing. Gather the details of the products you want to buy. You should see to it that the product will do better for your beauty and health which you are looking for in it. Health and beauty products and services do help to augment health and fitness.

Can Human Growth Hormone Give You An Edge In Sport

To an athlete, speed, strength and explosive power are the bread and butter of success. However, achieving the trinity of success is not an easy task. It doesn't matter if you're a sprinter, rugby player, footballer or swimmer then training time is where your body builds these necessary traits.

Even if you are able to put in plenty of time in the gym or on the track you may not be getting the results you desire. The solution lies in maintaining a body that uses all of its resources in unison. Your heart, lungs and muscles must work together efficiently to give you the edge and start breaking your goals. Human Growth Hormone is one of the simplest ways to help your body function effectively. Firstly you will notice that your cardio performance improves as Human Growth Hormone improves the efficiency of all you capillaries and your heart. Blood flow to your muscles and lungs is increased and the amount of oxygen and nutrients that your blood cells can carry will grow.

This growth will also help your muscles grow. They will repair quicker and during training and competing they will function quicker and more effectively. You will also see changes in your stamina as the muscles will have fuel to function for longer times. To a sprinter this translates into off the mark power and sustained strength throughout your running. The same principal applies through different sports, even if you're sprinting to tackle the opposition full back or running through the defence to get to your wingers cross, the explosive speed and power gains will improve your game everywhere on the field.

It is important to remember to eat well, providing your body with proteins to repair the muscle groups. Eat high energy foods before a workout in order to sustain an intense level of training. Supplement you diet with Human Growth Hormone and remember to keep track of the improvements your body goes through. Before long you will see the changes in your performance on the field and off as it gives your body the energy boosts required to keep up with the demands you ask of it.

A Couple of Good HGH Tips!

Drink water and plenty of it. Water is essential in hydrating the cells in your skin and they need good water retention to stay plump and healthy. Dehydrated skin dries out and dies quicker and it is not easy for the cells to repair without water available. HGH helps with water retention and it is always sensible to drink water throughout the day. If you are exercising then don't forget to drink whilst training as it is easy to dehydrate during a workout.

A healthy diet has to include protein for cell repair as the amino acids are crucial in the maintenance process. Your body distributes the nutrients throughout your body and when cells are damaged or destroyed then the repair and production functions of the body must be fuelled by amino acid. It's useful to notice here that HGH helps with the distribution of proteins and other nutrients through your body as it promotes a healthy heart and unimpeded blood flow. It also encourages the production of testosterone, another hormone important in tissue repair.

How To Reduce Body Fat

When someone is looking at how to reduce body fat it can be for a whole variety of reasons. Maybe they want to lose love handles, lose chest or want abs that can be seen. The main reason for the majority of people is so they can feel comfortable when taking off their clothes on the beach.

The first thing you are going to need to know is what your body fat percentage is. Then you can set a target of how low you want to go. Having a target or goal is vital in losing a desired amount of weight. Most people who fail to set targets will quit because they have nothing to focus on.

So the next step once you have your target body fat % is to work out how you will get there. Working out a diet plan and also an exercise regime is the next step. By focussing on both of these you can get results faster. There is no exact percentage for everyone but many people aim for 10% body fat.

Creating a nutrition plan is what you should be doing next. One of your major food groups is going to be protein. By eating more protein and reducing your carb intake, it helps your body burn more calories. You can find protein in foods like chicken, fish, turkey, most lean meats and of course protein shakes or protein bars. It is also important to eat other items that are good for your body like vitamins and minerals.

You can increase your metabolism by having 5 small meals a day rather than having 3 larger meals. If you try and have a meal every 3 hours or so, that is enough to keep your metabolism where it should be. Something as simple as this can burn more calories naturally. It is a tried and tested method of burning more calories than eating the same food every day which your body quickly gets used to.

Hopefully these tips will help you when learning how to reduce body fat. Exercise is going to be vital, so start some sort of activity as soon as you can. When you continue this diet and exercise programme, you can lose weight and make it stay off forever.

Bodybuilding Diet Plans- Here's Some Good Advice

If you are starting a workout plan to build muscle and get ripped, you've no doubt thought about the numerous bodybuilding diet plans that are all over the web. Diet and exercise are important and used properly together, you'll see fantastic results.

But don't assume that you have to engage in a lot of strange eating or swallow dozens of supplements daily to get good muscle building results. All good bodybuilding diet plans feature a healthy balance of carbs, fats and protein. Staying in balance is good for your kidneys, liver and overall long term health. Getting out of balance can actually hurt your body.

Some bodybuilding diet plans have you eat too much protein, for example. This can be detrimental to your long term workout success. Stick with a normal diet that someone with a more traditional level of activity might use.

The internet has numerous 'e-diets' that are very helpful in walking you through a healthy eating regimen. They feature step-by-step instruction, along with online coaching and resources. So whether you are working out regularly or not, a proven, sensible diet is the best way to build muscle over the long term, while you keep the rest of you body's systems healthy.