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Sorry kids, checking out WebMD just ain’t gonna cut it. Here’s our consultation: Check out these simple steps to getting proper medical coverage. But please, don’t call us in the morning -- we had a late night.

Gradspot on NB-Sree!

By Stuart Schultz
5/15/08
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When it comes to finding ways to save time and money online, we’re big fans of Sree Sreenivasan and his weekly “Sree Advice” spot every Thursday morning at 6:20 and

On Adderall

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9/16/08
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As many of you probably know, getting adderall on college campuses is easy. You just buy it from students with prescriptions for five bucks a pill.

In my case, I got my own prescription from the school psychiatrist, at U. Chicago’s

Save Time with the Gradspot Guru Service

By Gradspot Dot Com
8/29/08
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AVAILABLE FOR NYC TODAY (and expanding to other cities soon)!

Ever wish you had a sage sidekick who could answer all your questions about student debt and healthcare? Or a trusty personal assistant to set up your bank account and switch your cell phone provider? Sometimes the most essential things in your life are the most annoying to deal with…so why not let us take care of them for you

Grad Watch on the NYT

By Christopher Schonberger
3/27/08
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We all love the The New York Times in our own unique ways. Some people enjoy buying the enormous Sunday edition, throwing away almost all of it, and then pretending to do the crossword while they drink Hoegaardens or

Understanding Health Insurance

By David Pekema
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Quick Tips
  1. Step up your acronym game – Because healthcare in the United States is a bureaucratized inefficient mess, it's important that you be familiar with all the options available to you from your Managed Care Organization (MCO). It's confusing, but you need to figure it out to make the right choice.
  2. HMO and PPO – Under a Health Management Organization, you choose a primary care physician (PCP) and visit them about any medical issue; you are only covered if you see a specialist on the HMO's list. Under a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) you have a greater choice of where to receive services, but you also pay more out of pocket.
  3. POS and EPO – A Point of Service (POS) plan is half-HMO, half-PPO: you choose a PCP and visit them for referrals. Once a referral is made, you can opt to stay within the network, or venture outside and pay more out-of-pocket. An Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) offers a similar service but with less variety.
  4. Choice vs. cost – The choice afforded by traditional health insurance is nice, but you pay the price in the form of high premiums. PPOs offer an excellent balance between choice and economy.
  5. Employer's health insurance – Even if the acronym of your employer's health insurance is not your preferred system, the savings received will more than make up for a possible lack of choice.

Healthcare lingo is complicated. A simple discussion about managed care (one of my favorite pick-up topics) can quickly sound like an eighth-grader’s text messaging free-for-all. Negotiating this slew of acronyms can be infuriating, but not knowing

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