But like most forms of insurance, Medicare will not cover all the costs involved with doctor visits, hospital stays and prescription drugs. In fact, it is estimated that an average couple will need close to $250,000 for medical expenses not covered by Medicare. Where are the out-of-pocket costs going to come from?

As it turns out, 90% of Medicare recipients have some form of supplemental insurance and one form of this supplemental insurance is known as Medigap. Medigap insurance is sold by private insurance companies and is meant to fill the gaps in Original Medicare insurance. These policies can help pay a share of certain costs of Medicare covered services, such as coinsurance, co-payments or deductibles. Some Medigap policies also cover certain benefits that Medicare does not cover, such as an extra 365 days of hospital care once you’ve used your Original Medicare hospital benefits.

Navigating the world of Medigap plans can be a daunting experience, but here are a few of the basics.

•In order to buy a Medigap policy you must have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance).

•Medigap policies only cover one person. If a couple wants Medigap insurance they must purchase separate policies.

•Medigap policies are strictly regulated and must follow Federal and state laws. When purchasing Medigap insurance make sure the policy is clearly identified as “Medicare Supplement Insurance”.

•Medigap policies are identified by letters A through N and insurance companies in most states can only sell you a standardized policy. What this means, for example, is that a Plan F policy will offer the same basic benefits, no matter which insurance company offers it. Therefore it pays to shop around, as cost is usually the main difference between Medigap policies sold by different insurance companies. However, when shopping around for coverage remember that the best medicare supplement for you is not just the cheapest one. You also want to factor in the reputation and service offered by the insurance carrier.

•The best time to get Medigap insurance is within six months of turning 65 and enrolling in Medicare Part B. This is known as the Medigap open enrollment period. During this period you must be accepted, regardless of your health history, and the policy must cover all pre-existing conditions.

Finally, keep in mind that Medigap policies only work with Original Medicare. If your Medicare coverage is provided through a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), you will not need a Medigap policy.

There are two types of policies.

You will find term policies, sometimes referred to as pure insurance coverage, and whole life policies which have many different variants. Whole life policies combine an investment vehicle with pure term insurance and build a cash value.

Most insurance policies are sold, not bought.

Insurance agents sell the overwhelming majority of whole life insurance in the United States. The life insurance industry has a vested interest in pushing high-commission, high-profit whole life policies.

Whole life policies are more expensive.

Insurance policies that include an investment component cost much more than term policies do. Many consumers get talked into buying a whole life policy, but because of the added cost, cannot afford a policy with adequate coverage, leaving them underinsured.

Whole life policies are largely sold on exaggerations and assumptions.

The returns quoted by agents selling whole life policies are nothing more than a guess, not the real return. Some companies suggest they are using conservative numbers, but in reality their numbers are on the high side to attract more buyers.

Separation between insurance and investment.

There are less expensive places to invest your money that do not feature the high commissions and high costs of whole-life policies. Keep your investments separate from your insurance policies.

Make sure you purchase adequate amounts of term coverage to satisfy your needs.

When it comes to the future well-being and financial security of your family and loved ones, this is no place to go cutback. Term insurance rates are generally pretty low. Make sure you buy enough to cover their needs.

Match financial needs with the term of your policy.

You want the policy to last at least past the time when your dependents will move out of the house and be on their own, or until a time when your retirement income would kick in and take care of them.

Take advantage of your health.

The best time to buy health insurance is when you are healthy. Older people and those with health problems will pay steeply higher rates for the same life insurance policy.  High risk life insurance quotes will always be more expensive.  There is no need to purchase life insurance before you have dependents, unless there are plans in the very near future to bring some into the world, however you must think about your future insurability.

Be honest.

If there is a large claim to be paid out, and insurance company will investigate before making the payment. Being dishonest or misleading the insurance carrier on your application can result in the claim not being paid. That is a large price to pay just to try to save a few bucks on premiums.

Make use of the power of the internet to shop around.

Thanks to the internet, there has never been an easier time to shop for life insurance. You can get plenty of free quotes in just a few minutes at sites like TermLife360.com. No need to deal with pushy salespeople. You can find everything you need right from your desktop.

Know Why You Are Quitting

You want to quit smoking, but do you know why you want to quit smoking. “Because smoking is bad for you” is not a strong enough reason to quit. We all know it is bad for us. You probably knew smoking was bad for you long before you started smoking. To really be motivated to quit, and stay motivated to quit, you need a personal reason to quit. Maybe the desire to feel younger and look younger is your reason. Maybe you want to stay healthier to be around longer for your children and grandchildren. Perhaps you have decided to undertake a daunting physical challenge like running a marathon. Whatever the reason, it needs to be something important to you to help fight the urge to have “just one”.

Cold Turkey Is Not The Way To Go

If you are thinking about quitting, just completely cutting loose may seem like a good idea, but for most of us it is not. Out of those who try to go cold turkey without any medication or therapy, 95% end up relapsing. Nicotine is addictive and your body will crave it. If it does not get the nicotine it is craving, nicotine withdrawal will occur. Headaches, dizziness, depression, and irritability can set in. You are far better off trying to wean yourself off of it, then dropping the habit all at once.

Try some sort of nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine gum or patches can double your chances of successfully quitting smoking.

Tell Everyone You Plan To Quit

Tell your friends, family, co-workers, and even your pseudo-Facebook friends. Just like any other goal, telling people about it will help hold you more accountable to it. You might want to even take it a step further and find a local support group to join. Managing your mind is just as important as managing your cravings while trying to quit.

Stress Management

Nicotine does have a relaxing effect on our bodies. Once you quit, you need to find another way to help cope with stress. Massages, relaxing music, yoga, and exercise are all popular methods people use to relieve stress. During the first few weeks after you quit smoking, try to avoid stressful situations when possible. Stress is one of the causes of people falling back into their old smoking habit.

Avoid Alcohol

There are certain things that you may do that will trigger your craving for a cigarette. Alcohol is a very common one, so try to avoid it or at least drink less when you first quit. If you usually smoke right after eating, try chewing a piece of gum instead. Many people who smoke love a cigarette with coffee. If you are one of them, switch to tea for your caffeine for the first few weeks.

Be Active

Physical activity will help to reduce your cravings for nicotine and can soften some of the withdrawal symptoms. If you are feeling a craving, go for a walk or a jog. Even something simple like doing some yard work can help. In addition to helping you fight your cravings, the extra exercise will help prevent some of the weight gain that is fairly common with those who first quit smoking.

Quitting smoking is not easy, whether you have been a smoker for 20+ years or the past 3 years. Do not give up. If you do not succeed your first time, that does not mean you should not try again. Giving up your smoking habit can have a hugely positive impact on both how you feel and how you look. It is worth the challenge.

The DASH diet was originally developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. It was designed to lower blood pressure, and it is available for free online.

There were diets ranked in seven other categories, such as healthy eating, easiest to follow, and weight loss. Weight Watchers took top honors in three categories: best weight loss, easiest to follow, and best commercial diet.

When it came to preventing and managing diabetes, the DASH diet tied with The Biggest Loser diet as the best. DASH also won top honors in the best diet for healthy eating category.

The rankings were based on reviews of 29 diets by a panel of experts in diet, nutrition, obesity, food psychology, diabetes, and heart disease.

Each diet was ranked in the following seven categories:

• How easy it is to follow
• Short-term weight loss
• Long-term weight loss
• Nutritional completeness
• Safety
• Diabetes prevention and management
• Heart disease prevention

The cost of each diet was not factored into the rankings. Many well-known diets topped the rankings, such as Weight Watchers, but others, like DASH and TLC diets, do not have the brand name recognition and were developed by government researchers. The TLC diet finished second to DASH in best overall diet.