If you work for a company, chances are they offer what I like to call * boiler plate insurance *. Take it or leave it. If you’re self-employed, chances are you can get coverage you want but you also end up paying * big time * for it if you don't understand products and options available in market place.

A friend told me about a female executive she had met who knew nothing about her family's insurance coverage because her husband handled all * that *. She woke him up one night asking him if their insurance covered them if they should get Alzheimer's.

He tells her, "Yeah, we’re covered, go back to sleep and stop worrying."

But she wasn't so sure if he really knew and thought she had better find out exactly what their insurance covered.

What exactly does your insurance cover? More importantly, what DOESN'T IT COVER? You need to know and understand what your plan covers BEFORE you need to use your insurance.

I don't claim to be an insurance person but I have done some research and here is a sampling of what I have discovered.

You've got PPOs, POSs, HMOs, and COBRA. You've got Indemnity or Fee-for- Service plans and Government run plans such as Medicare, Medigap or Medicaid. Then there's Disability, Hospital Indemnity, Long-Term Care, and Nursing Home Plans. Let's not forget Dental and Vision!

You want and need to have health insurance to protect yourself and loved ones from financial disaster if you or they should fall into an illness or injury!

So I'm writing to urge you to get out your health insurance policies and take a good look at them. See if your policies need an * OverHall *. Call provider if you don't understand something or you have a question.

Get family together for an hour or so and talk about coverage you currently have and write down any questions that come up.

Listed below are several questions and answers I came up with: 1. Do you have a choice in type of plan? ASK

2. Should both spouses carry their company's plan or just one plan?

Many people either do or do not set goals for themselves. Some people have no idea how to set goals.

So, let's look at difference between resolutions and goals.

"Webster's New World Compact School and Office Dictionary" copyright 1994, offers these definitions:

~~ Resolution-1 act or result of resolving something 2 a thing determined upon; decision as to future action 3 a resolute quality of mind 4 a formal statement of opinion or determination by an assembly, etc.

~~ Goal-1 place at which a race, trip, etc. is ended 2 an end that one strives to attain 3 in some games, a) line or net over or into which ball or puck must go to score b) score made.

Notice # 2 in each definition and let's use 'losing weight' as our example. (I use this as an example because it is number one New Years resolution).

The statement. "I'm going to lose weight this year" doesn't really have any meaning, focus, or structure.

The statement "I have determined that I need to lose weight and will walk one mile three times a week so that I can wear new dress/suit that is too tight."

See difference? See how second statement has more clarity and structure?

We have determined problem, decided on action we want or need to take, and what end we are striving to attain.

This is way to focus on a problem, make a resolution, and set a goal.

I call this “Goal-Resolve”.

"Goal-Resolve! What is this woman talking about?"

Goal-Resolve: a statement that determines a problem, what action you need to take, and to what end you want to attain.

Below is a list of recommended traditional health tests and exams you should have, listed with age and frequency of exams. The frequency suggested is for those of you that have no symptoms or any history of risk. Please consult with your doctor to find out if you need to be tested more frequently.

Print out list and place an X next to tests or exams that you NEED to GET PERFORMED.

By way, when was last time you had a physical?