The Ethical Healthpreneur

      If you have federal student loans, you may have enjoyed a break from making payments since March 2020, when the government suspended interest and collections due to the COVID-19 pandemic.    However, this relief period ended as of October 2023 , and you are now expected to resume your monthly payments. ·         But what if you can't afford to pay your student loans, or you simply forget to do so? ·        What are the consequences of missing your payments or defaulting on your debt?  ·        And what can you do to avoid or resolve these situations? In this post, we will answer these questions and provide some tips and resources to help you manage your student loan repayment. --- What Is Student Loan Default? Student loan default is the  failure to repay your loan according to the terms of your promissory note . (For most federal student loans, you will default if you have not made a payment in  more than 270 days . For private student loans, the definition of default may va

Introduction The House of Representatives has a new speaker, but Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces the same challenges that beset Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in finding enough Republican votes to pass legislation. Johnson, who has only served four terms in Congress, has a history of backing anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ legislation. He also has a conservative vision for health care reform, student debt relief, and taxation that could clash with President Biden’s agenda and the interests of some moderate Republicans. Here are some of the key aspects of Johnson’s views on these issues and what they could mean for the House’s legislative priorities: He wants to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act Johnson was one of the architects of the Republican Study Committee’s health care plan in 2019, which revisited many of the concepts Republicans previously proposed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  The plan called for capping federal Medicaid funds, expanding health savings

  Introduction If you need health insurance but missed the Open Enrollment Period , you may still have options to get covered. You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that lets you enroll in or change your health plan outside the regular time frame. You may also be eligible for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) . This blog post will explain how these programs work and how to apply for them. What is a Special Enrollment Period? A Special Enrollment Period is a time when you can sign up for or change your health insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace , also known as HealthCare.gov or a state-run website .  You can only get a SEP if you have a certain life event that affects your coverage, such as : ●        Losing your health insurance from your job, your spouse's job, or another source ●        Getting married, divorced, or legally separated ●        Having a baby, adopting a child, or p