Help Me Clark!
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

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Jerry:
I recently received a medical bill from a doctor I used in 2007. His office said an audit turned up a lab bill that was not filed and they want me to pay it.

My insurance company says it's beyond their time limit for doctors filing claims. One person at the insurance company said not to pay it if the doctor says I'm responsible. However, I worry about my credit score if I do not pay it. Any suggestions?

Clark:
You are so right to worry about your credit score and in this case what is a reasonable amount for you to pay the doctor is what your insurance would have left as your co-pay portion.

If the doctor failed to do a timely claim it is not reasonable to hold you liable for the full amount of the lab bill when it was the doctor's office that didn't do their part. So normally with lab work there would be a portion of it that would come out of your pocket; offer them that amount of money.

If they don't want to play you send them a letter by certified mail that their failure to bill you in a timely fashion has caused you harm because it is no longer within the window that you can file with insurance and that you have made an offer to them and that if they at any time attempt to put this on your credit report, that you are prepared to sue them under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Did you know that feeling overwhelmed by the stressors and pressures of modern life can lead to depression? Put simply, one stressful event after another - losing your job, worrying about a sick loved one, moving and leaving behind a strong social network - can accumulate and trigger depression. In fact, depression is one of the most common responses to adversity. I sat down with psychiatrist Dr. Charles Raison, from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, to get more information about the stress-depression connection and to find out what we can do about it.

1) Warning signs. Often, the first signs of depression brought on by a stressful lifestyle manifest themselves physically. Here is a list of warning signs that might surprise you: sleep issues (either trouble sleeping or sleeping too much), experiencing aches and pains, getting sick often, loss of appetite and problems going to the bathroom. Some people say they feel worried all of the time or are constantly exhausted.

2) Don't hesitate. Raison strongly recommends that people seek treatment right away because – generally speaking - the sooner the treatment, the better the outcome. In essence, depression is a disorder in which there is too much activity in brain and body pathways that release a lot of "hot" chemicals - chemicals that are very good for helping us survive a stressful situation, but damage our bodies and minds if we are constantly exposed to them because of continued stress.

3) What's best for you? Traditional treatment generally falls into two categories: medication, such as anti-depressants, and talk therapy. Some patients take anti-depressants only, some take these medicines in conjunction with talk therapy and some undergo talk therapy without drugs.

4) Get healthy. Making healthy lifestyle choices has also been shown to provide relief for depression and is often used in addition to the traditional therapies. In fact getting healthy is one of the best ways to prevent depression as well. Raison advises his patients to: get regular exercise, follow a healthy diet, not smoke, drink alcohol in moderation (if you do drink) and, most importantly, keep stress to a minimum. The benefits of exercise have shown promise in recent studies, as has daily meditation.

And finally, Dr. Raison encourages people to stay socially connected. Spending time with friends and loved ones can help cushion the effects of stress and play a role in keeping us on track so that modern day stressors don’t trigger depression.

Health Minute airs daily on HLN from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET weekdays.

Are the best days of this country behind it? By the looks of the projected budget deficit numbers, your government is spending like crazy to make sure that is not the case. The White House projects a budget deficit totaling more than $9 trillion dollars (that's 12 zeros) over the next ten years.

The math is pretty simple. Government spending is skyrocketing and government tax revenue is plummeting. That equals red ink. The calculus here is that investments and spending in the economy today will nurture an economic recovery that will grow tax receipts in the future.

Fiscal conservatives fear mountains of debt on our children, an unhealthy reliance of foreign governments to buy our debt and finance our spending, a growing portion of the nation's wealth going toward interest payments rather than investment, a weak dollar and hyperinflation down the road.

The president's supporters say a whole series of crises was foisted on him, and he has no choice but to spend big to make sure American living standards grow in the future. (Think energy, health care, banking regulation, consumer protection...) In his announcement of his re-appointment of Fed Chief Ben Bernanke, he hailed a strategy of "bold, persistent, experimentation." It's a phrase first used by FDR in 1932, when he promised to try, and abandon, and try again, whatever it took to rescue the American economy. It shows how high the stakes remain today.

At what price? You can see for yourself on a telling chart provided on homepage of the Congressional Budget Office. A chart there shows the size of the budget deficit in relation to the overall economy. (It's approaching 12 percent of GDP, the largest since World War II.)

The CBO says the deficits reflect all the measures to rescue the economy, including bailouts of banks and lenders and automakers. So where's YOUR bailout? Cash For Clunkers is over, so no more free money for you there. (And, might I add, you had to take on a new car payment and probably extra insurance, so it's not so free after all.)

Plans are under way for a sort of Cash for Appliances stimulus program. You might not have noticed, but there is a tax break in your paycheck, if you don't already make too much money. And if you didn't have a clunker to junk, you can still write off the state, local and excise taxes for a new car (up to $49,500) on your 2009 tax return. and don't forget the piece de la resistance - the $8,000 credit for first-time homebuyers (under a certain income limit, of course) is good until the end of the year.

Which brings me back to the original question: Are the best days of this country behind it? I want to hear your thoughts, and answer your questions about America's great financial experiment. Do you think American living standards will continue to rise? Why or why not? In what ways are you benefiting from all the bailouts and stimulus?

Tell us what you think. Email me at CNNRadio@CNN.com. Then call in on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET at 877-266-4189. I'll answer your questions on health care when I fill in for Ali Velshi this week and next week on the Ali Velshi show on CNN Radio and CNN.com.

From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

There's something you and I have done again and again, and that is slamming too many calories in our mouths. As Americans, we spend a bigger percentage of our nation's wealth on health care than any other country.

We've had health care debates going on most of the year and we're asking, "What's Washington going to do?" Nobody's talking about what you and I need to do for ourselves, which is to manage our own health and wellness.

I remember five years ago where everybody was beating up McDonald's about what their food was doing to people, and McDonald's realized they were never going to win that battle so they changed their Happy Meals (offered for children).

Now if you go into McDonald's, you have a variety of healthy snacks to choose from for your kids. You can still get the toy but you also have healthier options.

Well, I have seen only a few parents select a healthy snack for his or her child. The point I'm trying to make is that we have choices.

Today, nearly 20 percent of kids in elementary school are overweight. And if you look at the teenage crowd, it's virtually the same number.

A report from the San Francisco Chronicle says obesity cost us $147 billion last year and killed more than 100,000 Americans. Because of obesity, the U.S. life expectancy is shortening for the first time since the bloodletting of the Civil War in 1861-1865.

We can debate all day long about health care, but with your own life, set a direction for your health. When was the last time you worked out? When did you get your kids out walking?

It's the combination of how we eat, how much we eat and how much or little we exercise that has such an impact on our health.

I don't care where you fit politically. I don't care what your position is on health care. But what I want you to think about is what you're going to do about your health and your family's health.

Tune in to Clark Howard Saturdays and Sundays at noon and 4 p.m. ET on HLN

Forget the town hall shouting and screaming, how about some answers to clear up the confusion over the direction of your health care in America?

For almost two weeks now, the noise around health care reform has been dominated by, well, noise. And Americans are more confused than ever about what all this means for them. We need clear language and no flip-flopping from Washington about what's in the legislation and what will it mean for Americans.

The challenge is for the president and his team to clear up some significant questions and take back the debate. Somehow health care town halls became a place to show support for gun-ownership rights.

Here's what Americans want to know: Where does the president stand on the public option for health insurance? Does he support the government-run plan, or a non-profit cooperative and what would that look like? What are the differences between what President Obama actually wants, and what he thinks he can get through Congress?

Some days, it looks like the debate been dominated by the "no" crowd, who are opposed to any change whatsoever. Democrats and the president seem to be losing the public relations battle on health care. There's not much time for them to take it back, if reform is what they really want. For those opposed, let’s have a full discussion of their proposed alternatives. What are they? How will they help? And how will it affect you?

It all sounds like a lot of politics, but it matters to you: whether you have company-sponsored insurance, no insurance at all, or you fall under one of the current government health care plans. For more almost two weeks, information about health care reform has been replaced by opinion, rumor and fear. We need to get back to information. Solutions. Strategies. Now.

I want to hear your questions. Have you read the bill HR 3200? Tell us what you think. Email me at CNNRadio@CNN.com. Then call in on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET at 877-266-4189. I’ll answer your questions on health care when I fill-in for Ali Velshi this week and next week on the Ali Velshi show on CNN Radio and CNN.com.

HLN Money Expert Clark Howard

Unfortunately, there have been a number of cases where food producers have been able to convince the U.S Department of Agriculture to let them label foods as organic when they’re not.

Unless your food's 100% organic, there could be some nasty stuff in there.

There was an appointed official who overruled the staff at the USDA which allowed products to be sold as organic when they were not. Believe it or not, 90 percent of organic baby formula is not truly organic.

Organics are the fastest growing part of the U.S. food market. However, if you’re paying all that money for organic food, you may be paying it for nothing.

There is an investigation at the USDA inspector general’s office of all the problems with phony organic labels on food. It’s a shame that they’re 245 products labeled as organic that have non-organic ingredients in them. The story is just unreal.

A report from Consumers Union, the parent organization of Consumer Reports, says some organic foods have mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls! I mean this is ugly stuff.

But I wanted to tell you about a new standard that is supposed to help you figure out which foods are 100 percent organic.

If your food is truly 100 percent organic, food labels will have an ingredient list, name and the address of the handler, plus the name and seal of the organic certifier. Foods labeled as organic should have no chemicals, additives, synthetics, pesticides or genetically modified organisms or substances.

If the label does not say “100% organic”, then you’re buying something that is not entirely organic or not organic at all. So spending the money on it is fool’s gold.

It will become a clear delineation to people to which foods are organic and which foods are not. People who are savvy on distinguishing organic foods will insist on buying foods that are truly organic.

As kids head back to school they're faced with the challenges of new classes, new teachers and old and new classmates. To help your child enjoy a good year, keep in touch with him about the behavior of his schoolmates to ensure that bullying is not part of the new school year. Bullying can be as harsh as punching and shoving or as hurtful as isolating someone from the "group." Bullying can also happen online and is referred to as cyberbullying. A government Web site called Stop Bullying Now offers tips for parents who suspect their child is being bullied.

1) What to look for. Children don't always tell their parents about being bullied so changes in behavior may, at first, be your only clue. Symptoms can include unexplained anxiety, being withdrawn, or acting sad. When you notice that your outgoing child is suddenly sullen you may have a problem. Often students show signs of bullying with physical symptoms such as stomach aches or other complaints. Some children try to find ways to miss school and start slipping academically. Try to keep an open dialogue with you children so that you can stop the bullying before it escalates.

2) Good strategies. It's important to let students know that telling an adult is imperative when it comes to bullying. It could be a parent, teacher, coach or neighbor. Bullies often pick on loners, so spending time with other kids can help keep children from becoming a easy "target." And if the bullying happens online, advise your child to control the urge to strike back and simply not reply to the insult.

3) No fist fights. Physically fighting back, though perhaps tempting, rarely brings the results you want. A stern statement that you don't like the bully's behavior sometime works, but fist fights are not the answer.

If your child is the victim of school bullying, it's natural to want to call the parent of the bully, but experts say this may not be the best move. The first step is to discuss it with a school administrator, who should then contact the parents for a conference. Follow up with the school until the issue is resolved.

Health Minute airs daily on HLN from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET weekdays

Amidst the controversy of health care reform that is sweeping across the nation, we decided to hit the road and take this story to where it matters most — Main St. USA.

Riding on the CNN Express, we are driving from Atlanta, Georgia, all the way to Des Moines, Iowa. Along the way we are going to stop in the heartland of America and simply let the people tell their own story. What currently works for Americans’ heath care coverage? What is in drastic need of change? How will the proposed government plan actually affect people’s lives?

But, in order to truly have an open and honest discussion, I need your help! Instead of answering the questions and discussing the topics I choose, this conversation must begin and end with you. After all, it’s your coverage and it’s your health.

Send in any questions you have about health care reform and help us tell the world what actually needs to be done by answering one question: What do you want in your health care coverage?

Email me at ali@cnn.com, tweet me @alivelshi, or post your comments to Facebook.com/AliVelshicnn. Then call in on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET at 877-266-4189. I’ll take your calls on health care and the economy live from the road.

My teenage sons are in for a rude awakening on the first day of school: they are definitely going to be sleep deprived. When they were younger – and those days are long gone - I was able to get them into a back-to-school bedtime routine about a week before classes began. With a little preparation, you may be able to do the same thing with your children. We spoke with sleep specialist Dr. David Schulman of the Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, about the best ways to get children ready to meet new teachers and see old classmates with a spring in their step - not sleep in their eyes.

1) Night, Night. School-age children need different amounts of sleep depending on age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kids from kindergarten to about the 7th grade need from nine to 11 hours of sleep; most adolescents can get by on 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night.

2) Early lights out.  Schulman suggests getting your children back into their regular bedtime routine no later than one week before school. He says to allow no fewer than two to three days for each hour you're going to shift the schedule. If your 8-year-old’s bedtime has somehow climbed to 10 p.m. and you know 8 p.m. is the ideal time for him, get him settled in at 9 p.m. and then, a few days later, shift it to 8 p.m. There may be lots of grumbling, especially if he has older siblings, but the results will be worth the effort in the long run.

3) Low tech bedroom.  Winding down before bedtime can often help kids get ready for sleep. This means keeping distractions to a minimum. Keep the radio, TV and video games out of the bedroom, or at least turned off long before it's time to turn in.

And a bit of advice for first-time parents: If you have a little one just beginning kindergarten, remember that she is going to be extra tired those first few weeks of school. And for the parents of older teens, try to resist the urge to say ‘I told you so’ as your kids stumble, sleepy eyed, to the breakfast table on their first day of school.

Health Minute airs daily on HLN from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET weekdays.

By Matt Sloane
CNN Medical News Producer

It was 2 a.m. and Kylie, our 3-year-old Australian shepherd, started barking.  Dexter, her brother, jumped in between my wife and me, scared of what I thought was a thunderstorm.  But it turned out the "lightning" was coming from a power outlet over our bedroom vanity.  This is the second time in as many months that this has happened.  After the last scare, we had the electrician out to fix it, and he installed a special arc-fault breaker that was supposed to cut power to the outlet if it started to burn.  We were $400 lighter in the wallet but reassured, that is, until Wednesday morning when it happened again!  Outlet melted, wall burned, six-way adapter destroyed, and (false) sense of security shattered.

Kylie, the 3-year-old Aussie that saved our house from burning down

We found out from the electrician the next morning that our 30+ year-old house had aluminum wiring, which tends to overheat, and that our arc-fault breaker may have been faulty.  So, our six-plug adapter with a hair iron and hair dryer plugged in was probably drawing a ton of power, and caused the fixture to melt – and it didn't trip the breaker. 

Our house most certainly would have caught fire within a few hours had the furry ones not awakened us.

So, rather than be completely freaked out, I decided to share my near-death experience, hoping to impart some of the lessons from my old house, my electrician, a handful of experts and my dog.

 1. Older aluminum wiring can be dangerous.  The "old-style" aluminum wiring used in homes before 1972 was found to be incompatible with many receptacles being manufactured at the time, and it caused a whole host of deadly fires around the country. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, older homes containing aluminum wiring installed before 1972 "are 55 times more likely to have one or more connections reach 'fire hazard' status."  Since 1972, wire manufacturers have been using a much safer aluminum alloy wire.

Our electrician also recommended we plug just two appliances into our two plugs, and steer clear of six-way adapters.  The more power you draw, the hotter the wire gets, the more likely it is to cause a fire.

 2. Beware of counterfeit electrical parts.  According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, more than $500,000 worth of counterfeit Christmas lights were seized at U.S. ports last December alone.  This could be just the tip of the iceberg, and some of these components are making it through undetected. Some even bear the coveted "UL Listed" (Underwriters Laboratory) mark of approval, although they haven’t earned it.  According to the National Electrical Contractors Association, some of these components are so well disguised they're reaching the toolboxes of legitimate electrical contractors.  But despite a few fake "UL" logos, NECA safety chief Jerry Rivera says, looking for the these logos is your best bet for avoiding counterfeit parts.  Nobody can say for sure whether our bad breaker was counterfeit, but experts say counterfeit electrical parts are one of the leading causes of electrical fires.

3. If you do suspect that your electrical components may be melting, call 911.  "Most electrical fires are hidden behind the walls," says Allen McCullough, fire chief and public safety director for Fayette County, Georgia.  "You may smell that electrical smell, but you may not be able to chase it and find the origin, so even when you're suspicious, call 911."  McCullough goes on to say that while fire departments used to come in and tear down sheet rock to find the origin of electrical fires, high-tech thermal imaging cameras can now find hotspots without doing damage to your home. 

If you wake up to an electrical fire already burning, McCullough says, don't use water to extinguish it.  A dry-chemical or all-purpose fire extinguisher is your best bet.

4. Dogs. Although annoying, when a dog barks incessantly at night, there's probably a reason.  PAY ATTENTION!