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Like to play social games on Facebook? You could now be a target for health insurance industry trade groups opposed to President Obama’s health care reform efforts. At least, that’s what OMGPOP chief executive Dan Porter told Business Insider after spotting a petition on Facebook offering virtual cash if users would fill it out and submit. The petition would then be immediately forwarded to your U.S. senators and House representatives.

Virtual cash is a big driver in popular Facebook games like Farmville and Mafia Wars. As users progress in the game, virtual goods are needed to advance further, and virtual cash is how you buy them. There are several ways to earn virtual currency: win it, pay for it, or complete advertising or company offers. Most users don’t want to pay for it, and winning comes with time, so the third option of completing tasks is the easiest and quickest way.

GetHealthReformRight.org is the owner of the survey Porter uncovered. While offering people virtual currency to act as political supporters is not illegal, the ethics of such a practice are questionable. However, with the growing number of social gamers — mostly teenagers and women in their 30s and 40s — there is no shortage of willing targets.

The mules behind the offers are third-party platforms such as Gambit. The platform brings together those looking for virtual cash, developers looking to monetize on their games and companies looking for users. Porter says Gambit distributed this particular offer, though Gambit disputes this, telling Business Insider, “You don’t have any evidence this is from Gambit.”

Here’s the screenshot from Business Insider.

Even if you’ve got medical insurance, a bill with your name on it can still end up in your mailbox after a visit to the doctor. Stacy Johnson, author of the book Life or Debt, shares how to lessen your out-of-pocket cost.

Photo by Brittany G

Doctors, like many businesses around the country, depend on your patronage to keep their practices alive, and quite often they’re willing to work with you on the cost of procedures, tests, and services they offer. Johnson has this to say on the matter:

If your health insurance provider agrees to pay 80% of covered procedures, that generally means they’ll pay 80% of what they think is reasonable for that procedure, not 80% of whatever it costs. So find out what your insurance company is willing to pay and if your doctor can do it for that amount.

Asking a doctor to meet or lower the price to closer to what your insurance will cover, although bold, is a good way to cut corners on your medical bill. Chances are you can’t haggle your way into a free set of X-rays, but you still have some freedom to ask for a lower price. Even if they turn you down on the discount, it’s still worth your time to ask next time you find yourself in the ever-dashing backless gown.

Like driver’s license copies and health insurance sign-ups, 401k plans are something most employees sign off on their first day and never look back at. Webapp Brightscope aims to give workers fare more information about how their plan is doing.

The independent site provides a number ranking for companies it can compile data on, taking fees, employer contribution matching, employee participation, and other factors into account. The site doesn’t give a whole lot out about how their rankings are achieved, but it does provide a clean interface to scan all the data you’d like about average account balances, who’s managing the plan, and other data. You can contribute your own findings and comments on a company (anonymously, if you’d like), and see how other companies in the industry match up with their own 401k plans.

It’s not the most fun data in the world to look over, especially given the market conditions, but BrightScope just might inspire you to look at how much you’re putting in, and getting back, from your paycheck withholding. Free to use, sign-ups required for some features.