Ramshackle Glam (Tumblr)

This article from green living website Care2 describes the most hydrating beverages (such as water, herbal teas, and fruit juices) and the least hydrating (such as coffee, alcoholic beverages, milk, and soft drinks). I have a (weird) tendency to head for milk when I’m thirsty…so this is good info to know.

Health insurance is a topic about which I feel very, very strongly. I am insured, Kendrick is insured…even Lucy has VPI Pet Insurance. I was uninsured for a short period while I was living in LA because I hadn’t booked anything in a few months, and therefore hadn’t made enough to retain my SAG (Screen Actors’ Guild) coverage. During that time I developed simultaneous bronchitis and sinusitis, and coughed so hard that I literally fractured a rib. My friend Heather opened my front door to find me writhing on the floor in agony, unable to even cry because I couldn’t take a deep enough breath, but I did manage to wheeze out these words: “Don’t call an ambulance!” I knew that if she did call one, I was done for, financially speaking.

Fortunately, the next day I located a walk-in clinic that provided me with relatively cheap medicine for the bronchitis and sinusitis and a sort of wrap-around body cast that helped my rib heal, but…that was a very, very bad situation, and mark my words: you will never see me go uninsured again. No matter what. I learned my lesson, and next time I snap a rib and can’t breathe, you better be damn sure that I’m headed to the hospital.

That said, I am very, very lucky to have a spouse through whom I am insured, and I know all too well that the expense is simply prohibitive for many people who are self-employed (or unemployed). Here is a link that I found via this article from the New York Times (a must-read) that is basically a state-by-state health insurance primer.

Also, you can learn about Obama’s health care plan here. If you’re currently on COBRA, take a moment to look over the new Continuation Coverage Assistance here; you may be paying more than you need to be.

Thanks to reader Leslie for the email about Healthy NY, another great resource for self-employed New Yorkers.