My momma used to say, there are three things nice women should never talk about in public, “Money, Religion and Politics.”

Hasn’t that motto been whispered in halls across the land for generations?

Well, I’ll admit, my momma never said that. In fact, our family talks about all three of those topics endlessly, and we all have strong opinions on each one, plus more.

So I am going to broach a topic about which many waver between strong feelings and ignorance.

Yes, I’m going there, with some discussion on how we can save on healthcare.

This quandary with the upcoming changes to our healthcare system has us all in a tizzy, and as the Affordable Care Act website rolled out, it left more questions than answers.

I might not be a rocket scientist, but I’m sure everyone agrees, regardless of where they land on the topic of Obama care, extending its timeline right now ensures tweaks can be made (whether it be to fix a failed website or tighten up legislation.)

Since I can’t speak to whether that will happen, we must be proactive.

Now, the last thing I desire is a political discussion about our specific views on the new health care system. You can browse plenty of opinion posts for that, but what I want to hear about it what you are doing to prepare.

It’s really confusing, and I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to digging into topics like this.

All I know is that many of us have questions and not only do we not know the answers, the more we read and listen on the topic, the more conflicting facts leave us frustrated.

Recently, my brother received an update that his health insurance policy was changing due to the upcoming legislation. Not only was he losing a vast majority of benefits, but his premium was being raised by $800/month. That’s not acceptable. He was shell shocked.

In the past, we’ve been self employed, so health insurance was a huge issue for many years. We were consistently attempting to navigate our options with providers. Fortunately, we have good health insurance right now through my husband’s job, but their policy is going up, so all employees have to pay additional amounts.

As a mom of five children, who desires to educate myself on topics that will vastly affect my family, I’m so glad that there are qualified insurance pros who are ready and willing to answer the tough questions and walk us through this journey for each individual person and family.

It’s not enough to just throw our hands up and declare, “I don’t understand it.”

I know that’s the easy way, and often, I’m just too tired to worry about it, but we can’t fall into that. We must all be proactive in researching what is best for our households.

As I’ve said before, navigating these waters can be rough without someone to help steer the boat. I trust Dave Ramsey’s group of Endorsed Local Providers, and they are available to help you figure out what will work, simplify the “over my head” verbiage, answer questions and be that sounding board we all need.

Find a local provider now that can give you expert help and find health insurance that fits your budget, while protecting you and your family.

If you’ve already signed up for health insurance independently through the exchanges, don’t forget the tax implications (another topic I wish to ignore because it’s overwhelming.) There are subsidies and credits that you may be eligible for. Be sure to work with a qualified tax professional now to avoid confusion and delays when filing your return, and crazy as it is to talk about, that will be here before you know it.

As you know, I’d love to just pretend it’s not happening, but time is NOT on our side with this situation, so figure out how you can save money now. It can be the most practical Christmas present to yourself. Best of all, it’s absolutely FREE!

Can I be so bold as to ask, how are you handling the health care situation?

Have you already started navigating these waters?