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Health Insurance Reform

mahir — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:22:10 +0000

The Medicare program has literally been a life saver for thousands of Lakewood seniors by providing healthcare to everyone 65 and over. For those who never had a job that provided health care or lost their health when they lost their jobs, turning 65 is an important event signaling they are finally eligible for Medicare coverage and covered doctor visits. This is why it is so important to celebrate Medicare’s success and advocate for its future.
Join representatives from Sen. Brown’s office, Rep. Fudge’s office, and Rep. Kucinich’s office, along with state Reps. Mike Foley, Michael Skindell and soon to be state Rep. Nickie Antonio in supporting Medicare’s success, demanding no cuts to Medicare and Medicare for all. Why Medicare for all you say? Didn’t we just pass a health care reform bill?
The healthcare reform bill was an attempt to take on the many injustices millions experience in our current health care setup. Losing your health care when you lose your job, not being able to get any insurance because of pre-existing conditions, or having to throw a fundraiser to pay for the health care bills your insurance won’t cover to name a few. Yet the new reform bill still keeps health insurance plans in the driver’s seat leaving Ohioans to pay as much as 31% of health spending on administrative costs and profits to them. This is far higher than in other countries’ systems.
A Medicare for all style health care plan could save enough on administration to allow health care for all Americans without rationing. The “Health care for all Ohioans Act” H. B.159 would do just this. It would take our health care from the excesses of the market place and treat it as a public good as we do fire protection, public safety policing, and road work. When it passes all Ohioans would have medical, dental, vision, hearing, prescription drugs, emergency and rehabilitation care with no deductibles or co-pays.

Florida House Insurance

mahir — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:22:17 +0000

The last best hope of Democrats to pass legislation aimed at creating jobs before the November elections seemed to be crumbling in the Senate on Wednesday as Republicans signaled that they would block a bill to expand government lending programs and grant an array of tax breaks to small businesses.Wrangling over the small-business measure began in earnest after Senate Democrats, breaking a two-month partisan logjam, finally succeeded in winning an extension of unemployment insurance. The vote was 59 to 39, with two Republicans joining Democrats in support of the extended benefits, which are retroactive to June 1. One Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, voted against it.

Shortly after the vote, the majority leader, Senator Harry Reid, turned to the small-business bill, one of the few items left on the Senate’s dwindling agenda before the August recess. Indeed, it had been on the floor intermittently over the last several weeks, only to be pulled to make way for other legislation including the extension of Florida home insurance.

But with some Democrats viewing the small-business bill as critical to their political prospects in November, Senate Republicans were not about to let it through easily, and have insisted on a chance to offer amendments. In a bid to save the bill, Democrats released a new version of it on Wednesday night without lending program. But Mr. Reid immediately introduced an amendment that would restore the fund, and he continued to block any Republican amendments. Democratic aides said talks with the Republicans would continue, and they were still hopeful that some form of the measure would be approved.

CIGNA Joins Forces with Health Compare

mahir — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:34:24 +0000

One of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, is partnering with Health Compare , a one-stop online guide to help individuals and families easily research, compare, buy and enroll in the right group health insurance plan at the right price. With more than 9.5 percent of our nation’s population currently unemployed, it is crucial that the healthcare industry understand and cater to the changing needs of today’s consumers. A partnership between CIGNA and Health Compare will allow both companies an opportunity to successfully meet their demands and expectations.

“Based on these staggering unemployment statistics, it is critical for us to help the millions of people who are currently without proper health coverage,” said Kathy Feeny, Senior Vice President of Health Compare. “Our goal is to reach those that may not be able to afford COBRA and make them aware of the available cost-effective alternatives.”

Using proprietary technology, Health Compare presents easy-to-understand information on health plans including PPO and HSA providing the tools to transform choice into real decisions. Users simply enter their information and receive instant quotes online based on CIGNA’s local offerings.

With over two decades of experience and 600,000 policies managed by corporate parent, The Word & Brown Companies, all Health Compare customers can rely on Health Compare client support representatives to always be at their side, providing them with a renowned and unbiased “Service of Unequalled Excellence.”

Optigenex Inc. and DNA Wellness LLC Enter Into Supply and License Agreement in North America

mahir — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:22:08 +0000

Optigenex Inc. announced today it has signed an agreement with DNA Wellness LLC of Springfield, Missouri to license its patented technology AC-11(R) for distribution in the health care professional channel. Under the terms of the agreement, DNA Wellness will formulate a variety of nutritional supplements utilizing AC-11(R) as a core ingredient aimed at diminishing the biological processes that cause premature aging and supporting processes that contribute to wellness.

All-natural and standardized at 8% Carboxy Alkyl Esters is the only patented aqueous extract of the Uncaria species that can make the following therapeutic claims: DNA repair, immune enhancement, and inhibition of pro-inflammatory agents. Each of these claims is validated by a broad spectrum of scientific and clinical studies.

Daniel Zwiren, president and CEO of Optigenex Inc., said, “Educating the consumer about the therapeutic benefits of AC-11(R) is fundamental to the growing acceptance of our technology. To this end, in addition to the validations of our product on the clinical level, we are well served by a professional with the impressive resume and communicative skills of Doctor Hoover. Doctor Hoover is an authority in the field of functional health and wellness and has an enviable track record developing innovative wellness programs based on a combination of life style choices and focused nutrition. As we move forward, I believe Doctor Hoover and his established following of group health insurance practitioners and clients will become an integral part of the AC-11(R) educational process.”

Stuart Hoover, doctor of natural health and co-founder of DNA Wellness, said; “AC-11(R) offers us the ability to support cellular functional health by improving nutrient conversion into the cell allowing for improved energy production and function. By supporting cellular functional health, the cell now has the opportunity to ‘express wellness.’ As the functional health and wellness of our bodies are either won or lost at the cellular level, it only makes sense to focus the support there.”

Insurance Pools Readied in world states

mahir — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:23:32 +0000

The Obama administration is balanced to award contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars to about 20 states to run new insurance pools for people with grim medical problems. After struggling for months to fend off Republican attacks on the new health care law, White House officials hope the high-risk insurance pool will produce tangible benefits for people who are uninsured — and for Democrats running in midterm elections this fall. The law has become an issue in many races.
Colorado, Maryland and North Carolina are in the vanguard of states planning to run high-risk pools with federal money.
“We are ready to go,” said Michael T. Keough, executive director of the North Carolina Health Insurance Risk Pool. Mr. Keough said he was prepared to start taking applications as soon as the federal government approved his program.
Some states, like California and New York, are just finishing their proposals. Several others are tinkering with their plans to get federal approval.

Conseco Finalizes Multistate Settlement Over Universal Life Policy Administration

mahir — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:52:09 +0000

Conseco Life Insurance Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of CNO Financial Group, has finalized a multistate settlement agreement concerning its administration of Lifetrend, a universal life product.
Conseco has said that due to an “administrative platform issue,” some policyholders over a period of years paid lower premiums, or no premiums, because they didn’t receive notice that additional premiums were due (BestWire, Jan. 12, 2009). The company considers Lifetrend to be a whole life insurance policy with optional premium payment provisions, said CNO spokesman Tony Zehnder said, noting they have not been sold for more than 10 years.
Officials began a review after receiving complaints from consumers that had received notices in the fall of 2008 regarding increases in policy costs, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said in a statement. Of the 12,247 Lifetrend policies that remain in force, 4,321 are owned by Florida residents, the Florida insurance office said.
The settlement agreement requires Conseco Life and its affiliates — Conseco Insurance Co., Conseco Health Insurance Co., Bankers Life and Casualty Co. and Washington National Insurance Co. — to improve their processes for identifying and correcting administrative system issues, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. A two-year process improvement monitoring period also was included in the settlement agreement. Florida’s share of the $1 million assessment will be about $200,000 based on a formula outlined in the agreement.
The OIR led the multistate effort by working with insurance regulators from California, Iowa, Indiana and Texas, it said in a statement. Regulators from the five states alleged that Conseco committed several types of violations, including allegations relating to misleading marketing and advertising materials and misrepresentation of benefits, advantages or terms of the policies, according to the California press release. However, “Conseco Life has not admitted or conceded any actual or potential fault, wrongdoing or liability in connections with any facts or claims that have been or could have been alleged against it,” the California release said.

Implementing Health Reform in North Carolina

mahir — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:52:28 +0000

National reform will not upend the way North Carolinians obtain insurance or health care. Most people will still receive coverage through work or purchase a policy from a -private insurer on the individual market. Seniors will still get their guaranteed Medicare benefits.

This is important because right now our health care system has too many holes and not enough nets. Over the next three years, health reform reverses this trend by building broader and stronger safety nets while -narrowing the cracks through which too many families fall. After reform is fully implemented in 2014, health care will be more accessible than at any other time in our state’s history. That is why North Carolina health insurance advocates and analysts are elated by the passage of comprehensive national reform.

Nevertheless, reform is a revolutionary shift in how we think about health care. No longer will we focus on whether or not a -particular person qualifies for a public -program or is eligible for private insurance. Instead, we will work to find where different individuals fit into the system. It will be assumed that everyone qualifies for -coverage.

Reform will inevitably help millions of -people across our nation, but the true test of this legislation is how it unfolds on the ground. How will it help the people caught in the whirlwind of everyday experiences? Over the past year, the North Carolina Justice Center’s Health Access Coalition has traveled the state talking to people of every political stripe about their health care -experiences. Here are a few stories that demonstrate the problems people face every day in our current system. None of the problems are simple.

Guide For Getting Cheap Home Insurance

mahir — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:56:06 +0000

Home Insurance is very important if you own your property and you have many valuables and expensive goods. It protects your home from not only damage from natural disasters but also for theft and vandalism. In the event of an accident or something beyond your control occurring then you will be covered. There are various things to consider if you are looking to get cheap home insurance therefore it is necessary to examine these factors.one of the most important things you need to do before finding yourself some cheap home insurance is work out the value of the belongings you have in your property. For example, jewellery, electrical goods and other valuables, especially anything with sentimental value.

You can go online to find out the the average annual premium for the goods you have, you will find that in general the annual cost is usually about $600 to $2000. This is only an average though so you need to find out the specific cost for you. If you are over the age of 62 then it is a really good idea to look into discounts, as you can usually get a large chunk of money off the cost of your annual premium which could save you a lot of money. When you are online one of the best things to do is go on a price comparison website, they save you a lot of time and effort because once you input all your information, the website will come up with list of quotes and companies to choose from. You can simply go for the cheapest one. The great thing about these kind of sites is that you will be redirected right to the site where you can make your purchase there and then. This saves you a whole lot of time as well as money

Policy combination

Another really good way of getting cheap home insurance, is to combine your existing policies, for example if you have your auto insurance with a particular company, then you could request to combine both policies. Depending on the company, this should usually give you an overall saving.

Ohio Individual Health Plans

mahir — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:44:15 +0000

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio was ordered to pay $6 million to 45,000 policyholders in its individual health insurance plans for charging premiums that didn’t match up with the rates it filed with the state Department of Insurance. The department investigated “multiple consumer complaints earlier this year,” Mary Jo Hudson, director of the Ohio health insurance department, said in a statement. The rates Community Insurance Co., also known as Anthem, filed with the department on Nov. 6, 2009 for use as of October 2009 weren’t consistent with the rates it was charging policyholders.

The matter involves only some of the company’s 3.3 million members in Ohio, said Kim Ashley, a spokeswoman for Anthem, a unit of WellPoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP). Less than 30,000 people are affected, as an individual policy may include more than one person, such as a family policy, she said.

The average adjustment or refund is $19.12 a month, Ashley said.”Even though some members would have seen an increase in their premiums with this adjustment, Anthem has chosen not to issue those increases,” said Erin Hoeflinger, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio, in a statement.

The filings were made as a result of H.B. 1, which took effect in October 2009, the department said. The company “used the rates that we believed were in accordance with the new regulations,” Hoeflinger said in the statement. Impacted policies included some of the company’s Blue Access Plans and Blue Traditional Plans, Blue Economy, Blue Access Saver Plans, Lumenos HIA and Lumenos HIA Plus.

In 2005, WellPoint said it would buy Lumenos Inc., which provides consumer-driven health plans, for about $185 million (BestWire, May 6, 2005). Lumenos offers health savings account plans and health reimbursement accountplans. Recently, the California Department of Insurance said Aetna withdrew its rate filing, which would have raised premiums by an average of 19% on 65,000 policyholders in its individual health plans. That came after mathematical errors were found in an actuarial review (BestWire, June 25, 2010).Aetna was the second major health insurer to have withdrawn its rate request, as Anthem Blue Cross withdrew its request in April to raise premiums by up to 39% on members in its individual plans in California after the department found errors in its rate filing (BestWire, April 30, 2010).

Anthem cooperated with the investigation and agreed that no rates would be increased in this action, Hudson said in the statement.

Term life insurance choice

mahir — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:56:25 +0000

There are three main types of policies available to people who wish to purchase life insurance. Understanding what each policy entails will help a person choose the best option for themselves and their family. Term life insurance - provides life insurance for a specific number of years. This is usually the least expensive type of life insurance and is a great insurance choice to protect against premature death. Term life insurance provides insurance only and doesn’t have a cash value or pay dividends.

Whole life insurance - provides life insurance for a person’s entire lifetime, as long as they pay their premiums. Unlike term life, whole life builds cash value. Each year, a whole life policy will be automatically renewed, regardless of health.

Universal life - provides permanent life insurance and allows access to cash values. Universal life is more customizable than whole life and allows purchasers to tweak the amount of protection provided and premiums as they see fit. Regardless of which type of life insurance policy you choose, you may also benefit from funeral insurance to cover the expenses of your funeral plans.

Speak with an independent broker -Independent brokers will have more policy choices at their disposal than one firm will provide. Using an independent broker increases the chance that a person will purchase the best life insurance available. Watch out for expensive riders, It’s important for a person to realize that insurance is a business. Any company or broker attempting to sell a person life insurance is trying to turn a profit. One way that life insurance companies make more on a policy is by selling people riders. Basically, riders are policy add-ons that “sweeten” the insurance policy. It is best for a person to reject these riders, unless they fully understand the cost and benefits associated with purchasing them. Always purchase life insurance from a large and well-known provider
Buying an insurance policy from a well-known insurance provider will greatly increase the chances of a full, hassle-free payout. When a person buys a policy from an unknown insurance provider, they can’t always be sure of what they are going to get. Larger insurance companies provide a greater “insurance” that the entire process will run as smoothly as possible.