Guest post: Affordable insurance alternatives for your kid's healthcare

US-PDGov

By Carol Wilson

There's nothing more stressful than getting a job that provides you, the employee, with health benefits but does not extend them to your family, especially the person who needs it the most—your child. Worried that your uninsured child will get severely ill or injured throughout the school year can be one of the most unsettling things you can experience, trust me I've been there.  While you may not be able to afford private insurance for your child, there are a few other options you might have incase a medical "emergency" occurs.

Health Savings Account (HSA)

The first thing you can try to do is set up a health savings account, which is typically just known as an HSA. HSAs are specifically designed to help pay for unexpected medical expenses that may arise throughout the year as well as help you save up for any health costs you already know your child will be needing in the future, like braces or glasses. HSAs are tax free and personally controlled, so you decide how your money is invested. Your HSA is not affected if you switch jobs and does not close out—meaning there is no "use it or lose it" clause. 

In order to qualify for an HSA, you must be enrolled in a high-deductible, employer- funded or independent health insurance plan. Or you can acquire one through a credit union or bank.

Medical grants

Every year a handful of grants, like the ones awarded by the United Healthcare Children's Foundation, are given to help families cover medical expenses for their children who are partially or not covered at all by health insurance. It may take some diligent research and your child may need to meet certain qualifications, but it most definitely is an option.  Grant money does not need to be paid back to the government. 

Christian Medi-Share 

This option is a bit limiting since it's only offered to those that practice the Christian faith. But if you and your family are proclaimed Christians and can prove that you all uphold a Biblical lifestyle, then it's most definitely worth a shot. How it works: the medi-share organization you choose receives voluntarily monthly contributions which are then disbursed to its members. Unlike health insurance, covering your medical expenses is not guaranteed. Some months may be better than others. There is a fee to be a medi-share member.

Discount dental plans

Lastly, you can enroll in a dental discount plan as an alternative to costly dental insurance, like the one Aetna provides. For a yearly fee, discount dental plans help families locate dentists "in-network" so to speak to help find dentists who accept the discount cards and offer services at a reduced price. Some members can get as much as half off of on costly dental work like braces. 

Carol Wilson regularly contributes to www.businessinsurance.org; 

she loves covering health, auto, and home insurance topics too. She welcomes your comments and feedback. 

Guest post: The 4 highest paying nursing specialties

By Emily Craft

When pursuing a nursing career, it is important to choose the right specialty according to one's interests, which can become one's focus in the future. As there are many specialties available in the field of nursing, it has become more challenging for nurses to choose the right area of expertise after graduating from nursing school. Also, it is important to keep in mind that a candidate has to pass a series of additional exams and undergo rigorous on-the-job training to be qualified for a specialty. Moreover, when deciding on a specialty, the pay should not the lone factor. With that said, provided below are the four highest paying nursing specialties on today's market.

1. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

As a certified registered nurse anesthetist, the main responsibility is to administer the anesthesia to patients who have to undergo surgeries. They work closely with physicians belonging to different medical fields including surgeons, anesthesiologists, podiatrists, general medicine practitioners and even dentists. The average annual salary for this position is $135,000. Based on the nurse's experience and his or her location, the amount of compensation varies.

2. Nurse Researcher

Under this field of specialization, a nurse researcher typically assists with the collection of data in relation to the field of health and medical care. The nurse researcher also plays an important role in forming logical conclusions from the data. Also, she is going to play an important role in understanding the complications of a medical condition in a patient by collaborating with scientists and doctors. The average annual salary of a nurse researcher is $95,000 depending on the level of experience and work location.

3. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Many nurses work under this specialization, and their responsibilities are similar to what a practicing psychiatrist does. A psychiatric nurse also acts as a therapist who is responsible for helping patients to overcome suicidal tendencies, anxiety, depression and other conditions that can be remedied through counseling. A nurse carries out assessment, examination, diagnosis and treatment for patients with mental illnesses. In addition, they performs counseling to the members of the patients' families and provide assistance for the family members to go through these difficult times. The average annual salary of a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $95,000, and this number increases with experience.

4. Certified Nurse Midwife

These nurses function as a primary health care provider for pregnant woman. In most cases, they work with healthy woman who do not have to undergo complicated procedures. They are responsible for taking care of the woman during the process of birth, and they make sure that the patient is able to deliver the child successfully. Certified nurse midwives typically work in hospitals, medical clinics and birthing centers. They perform different types of medical care for woman of all ages. Like their counterparts, their salaries depend on their experience and working locations.

The aforementioned specializations are the top four highest paying specialties in the field of nursing. Before picking a specialty, it is very important for the individual to understand their own areas of interest. In order to the nurse to excel in his or her area of specialization, he or she must tackle the job with passion and interests from within.

Emily Craft is an ER nurse and guest author at Best BSN to MSN Degree Programs, a site with guides and reviews of top-rated BSN to MSN nursing degree programs online.