Dossiers with health insurance credentials and counterfeit insurance cards cost US$1,200 or more, Dell SecureWorks researchers said
Reported by CIO 1 day ago.
Health Insurance Credentials Raise the Cost of Identity Theft Kits on Underground Marketplaces
↧
↧
Instant California Health Insurance Quotes and Texas Health Insurance Quotes Now Available Online from ACE Healthcare
ACE Healthcare is now providing instant insurance quotes from the leading major insurance providers online via their instant quote system at http://www.acehealth.com.
Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA (PRWEB) July 16, 2013
Ace Health Insurance – a leading provider of affordable Texas health insurance and California health insurance plans, has announced that they are now offering California health insurance quotes and affordable Texas health insurance quotes instantly online.
Insurance shoppers can also purchase California health insurance instantly online from the nation’s leading individual and group policy carriers, including Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net, Cigna, and Aetna. Any questions or problems with completing the online insurance application can be addressed by Ace Health Insurance Services’ experts by calling (800) 497-4010 toll free.
Ace Health Insurance Services takes great pride in their reputation as the leading provider of low cost California insurance plans and Texas health insurance plans. Their long-standing reputation stems from more than twenty years of experience and is based on ACE’s strong contacts with major insurance providers. ACE’s decades of experience enables them to offer their customers the ease of securing a rapid estimate on the most comprehensive coverage plans at the absolute lowest prices possible.
The team at ACE Health knows that choosing the right health insurance plan can be extremely difficult, especially for individuals who aren’t used to some of the industry terms and jargon. What fits best? Should you purchase a family plan? Separate individual plans? A PPO? HMO? Trying to answer these questions alone can be a daunting task, throw the numerous choices of insurance carriers into the mix and it can simply be confusing.
However, when a potential customer calls the Ace Health instant quote hotline they get much more than just a Texas or California health insurance quote. Ace health’s experts take the time to carefully explain all of the available plan options and details – ensuring that customers not only purchase the most affordable health insurance plan but also the plan that best fits their needs.
Ace Health has been providing customers with expert advice and guidance in the health insurance industry for more than 20 years. Consumers looking for an affordable health insurance plan in California can contact Ace Health for an instant quote via their Instant Quote hotline at (800) 497-4010 or online at http://www.acehealth.com. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA (PRWEB) July 16, 2013
Ace Health Insurance – a leading provider of affordable Texas health insurance and California health insurance plans, has announced that they are now offering California health insurance quotes and affordable Texas health insurance quotes instantly online.
Insurance shoppers can also purchase California health insurance instantly online from the nation’s leading individual and group policy carriers, including Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net, Cigna, and Aetna. Any questions or problems with completing the online insurance application can be addressed by Ace Health Insurance Services’ experts by calling (800) 497-4010 toll free.
Ace Health Insurance Services takes great pride in their reputation as the leading provider of low cost California insurance plans and Texas health insurance plans. Their long-standing reputation stems from more than twenty years of experience and is based on ACE’s strong contacts with major insurance providers. ACE’s decades of experience enables them to offer their customers the ease of securing a rapid estimate on the most comprehensive coverage plans at the absolute lowest prices possible.
The team at ACE Health knows that choosing the right health insurance plan can be extremely difficult, especially for individuals who aren’t used to some of the industry terms and jargon. What fits best? Should you purchase a family plan? Separate individual plans? A PPO? HMO? Trying to answer these questions alone can be a daunting task, throw the numerous choices of insurance carriers into the mix and it can simply be confusing.
However, when a potential customer calls the Ace Health instant quote hotline they get much more than just a Texas or California health insurance quote. Ace health’s experts take the time to carefully explain all of the available plan options and details – ensuring that customers not only purchase the most affordable health insurance plan but also the plan that best fits their needs.
Ace Health has been providing customers with expert advice and guidance in the health insurance industry for more than 20 years. Consumers looking for an affordable health insurance plan in California can contact Ace Health for an instant quote via their Instant Quote hotline at (800) 497-4010 or online at http://www.acehealth.com. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
↧
Health insurance credentials raise the cost of identity theft kits on underground marketplaces
Several underground marketplaces are offering full information packages for sale that contain verified health insurance credentials, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal information, along with counterfeit physical documents corresponding to the data.
The information packages are known as "fullz" among cybercriminals and cost around US$500 each if they include U.S. health insurance credentials, according to security researchers from Dell's SecureWorks subsidiary who identified several marketplaces where dossiers of this type are being sold.
"Fullz" usually contain full names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses with corresponding passwords, dates of birth, Social Security numbers (SSNs), Employer ID Numbers (EINs), and financial data such as bank account information, including account and routing numbers, online banking credentials with varying degrees of completeness, or credit card information, including magnetic stripe data and associated PINs.
These information packages can also be accompanied by counterfeit physical documents including credit cards, drivers' license, insurance cards and more, in which case they are called "kitz," the Dell SecureWorks researchers said Monday in a blog post.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Reported by PC World 23 hours ago.
The information packages are known as "fullz" among cybercriminals and cost around US$500 each if they include U.S. health insurance credentials, according to security researchers from Dell's SecureWorks subsidiary who identified several marketplaces where dossiers of this type are being sold.
"Fullz" usually contain full names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses with corresponding passwords, dates of birth, Social Security numbers (SSNs), Employer ID Numbers (EINs), and financial data such as bank account information, including account and routing numbers, online banking credentials with varying degrees of completeness, or credit card information, including magnetic stripe data and associated PINs.
These information packages can also be accompanied by counterfeit physical documents including credit cards, drivers' license, insurance cards and more, in which case they are called "kitz," the Dell SecureWorks researchers said Monday in a blog post.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Reported by PC World 23 hours ago.
↧
India Ink: Hyderabad Debates Health Insurance Model As Public Hospitals Decay
As India’s public hospitals struggle with decaying infrastructure, Andhra Pradesh debates a populist health insurance program.
Reported by NYTimes.com 23 hours ago.
Reported by NYTimes.com 23 hours ago.
↧
Health Care Transparency a Hot Topic at National Health Insurance Conference
LAS VEGAS, July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In a standing-room only setting at a recent health insurance industry conference, HealthSparq President Scott Decker showed health plans the results of a recent industry survey about healthcare transparency trends and tools, and attendees at...
Reported by PR Newswire 18 hours ago.
↧
↧
Zane Benefits Publishes New Information on the South Dakota Insurance Exchange
Exchange to Help 92,441 or 13% of South Dakota Residents Find Coverage in 2014
Park City, Utah (PRWEB) July 16, 2013
Today, Zane Benefits, the online alternative to group health insurance, published new information on the South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange.
According to Zane Benefits’ website, beginning in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance coverage for individuals and small businesses will become available through new state health insurance exchanges (also called health insurance marketplaces).
South Dakota will default to a federally-facilitated health insurance exchange. The South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange will open for enrollment on October 1, 2013, with coverage starting January 1, 2014.
A key part of the South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange is that eligible individuals and families will be able to access individual premium tax subsidies, capping the cost of their premium between 2% to 9.5% of income. Individuals qualify if their household income is up to 400% of the federal poverty level, and they are not offered qualified, affordable insurance through their employer. The Exchange will also screen for Medicaid and public assistance programs. These premium tax subsidies will only be available through the Exchange.
According to an estimate by healthcare.gov, 92,441 or 13% of South Dakota’s non-elderly residents are uninsured.
All plans offered through the South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange will meet the ACA definition of a Qualified Health Plan (QHP). The plans will be offered by level of coverage for essential health benefits (EHB), to allow consumers to compare plans on an "apples to apples" basis.
The South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange will follow federal guidelines for insurance professionals selling policies through the Exchange and for navigators assisting consumers and small businesses.
More details on the South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange insurance broker and navigator programs are expected this summer.
Click here to read full article.
--
About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 to provide a revolutionized SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) administration platform ("ZaneHRA") for Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and defined contribution health care. The flagship software provides a 100% paperless administration experience to small businesses and insurance professionals that want to offer better health benefits without a traditional group health insurance plan at lower costs. For more information about ZaneHRA, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.
Park City, Utah (PRWEB) July 16, 2013
Today, Zane Benefits, the online alternative to group health insurance, published new information on the South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange.
According to Zane Benefits’ website, beginning in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance coverage for individuals and small businesses will become available through new state health insurance exchanges (also called health insurance marketplaces).
South Dakota will default to a federally-facilitated health insurance exchange. The South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange will open for enrollment on October 1, 2013, with coverage starting January 1, 2014.
A key part of the South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange is that eligible individuals and families will be able to access individual premium tax subsidies, capping the cost of their premium between 2% to 9.5% of income. Individuals qualify if their household income is up to 400% of the federal poverty level, and they are not offered qualified, affordable insurance through their employer. The Exchange will also screen for Medicaid and public assistance programs. These premium tax subsidies will only be available through the Exchange.
According to an estimate by healthcare.gov, 92,441 or 13% of South Dakota’s non-elderly residents are uninsured.
All plans offered through the South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange will meet the ACA definition of a Qualified Health Plan (QHP). The plans will be offered by level of coverage for essential health benefits (EHB), to allow consumers to compare plans on an "apples to apples" basis.
The South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange will follow federal guidelines for insurance professionals selling policies through the Exchange and for navigators assisting consumers and small businesses.
More details on the South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange insurance broker and navigator programs are expected this summer.
Click here to read full article.
--
About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 to provide a revolutionized SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) administration platform ("ZaneHRA") for Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and defined contribution health care. The flagship software provides a 100% paperless administration experience to small businesses and insurance professionals that want to offer better health benefits without a traditional group health insurance plan at lower costs. For more information about ZaneHRA, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.
↧
Health Care Law Faces Big Problems
WASHINGTON -- There's a bit of a domino effect undercutting President Barack Obama's health care law.
Enforcement of the overhaul's central mandate – that individual Americans must have coverage – could be weakened by the Obama administration's recent delay of a requirement that larger employers provide medical insurance.
That's because the delayed rule also required companies to report health insurance details for employees. Without employers validating who's covered, a scofflaw could lie, and the government would have no easy way to check.
The Treasury Department said Tuesday it expects any impact to be minor, since most people will not risk telling the government a lie. Still, it's another incentive for uninsured people to ignore a new government requirement that for many will cost hundreds of dollars.
"If Americans begin to figure out that the individual requirement is toothless for 2014 ... younger, healthier uninsured people will stay away in droves," said Edward Fensholt, director of compliance services for the Lockton Companies, a benefits consulting firm that advises employers. With fewer healthy people in the pool, premiums in new health insurance markets coming this fall could rise.
The latest twist emerged a day ahead of votes in the Republican-led U.S. House to delay both the individual and employer mandates. The House measures, which have little chance of advancing in the Senate, are the latest in a series of Republican attempts to repeal or defund "Obamacare."
The administration declined to address the new enforcement concerns on the record.
Instead, a senior Treasury official, commenting on condition of anonymity, said it's only a hypothetical problem and the administration does not believe a significant number of people will choose to flout the law. After all, most Americans truthfully report their annual income to the Internal Revenue Service, said the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to comment publicly by name. However, most people know the IRS already has the income information from their employers on W-2 forms.
Coverage for the uninsured through President Barack Obama's health care law starts next Jan. 1. Under the Affordable Care Act, middle-class people with no access to job-based health insurance will be able to buy subsidized private coverage through new online markets, opening for enrollment Oct. 1. Low-income people will be steered to an expanded version of Medicaid, in states accepting it.
The individual requirement that most Americans carry health insurance also takes effect in 2014. At the same time, insurers will no longer be allowed to turn away people in poor health, or charge them more.
The individual mandate survived a Supreme Court challenge last year when a narrow majority ruled that fines used to enforce it can be considered a tax, meaning the requirement falls within the power of Congress to levy taxes.
The employer mandate applies to larger companies with 50 or more workers. Under the law, they can be fined for not offering affordable coverage. Last month, the White House unexpectedly delayed the employer requirement for a year, until 2015. The White House said more time was needed to work out complicated reporting requirements so they do not become a burden to businesses. Some saw a political motivation in the deferral, removing a controversial issue from the arena during a midterm election year.
Since more than 9 in 10 companies affected by the employer mandate already provide coverage, it was never designed to get large numbers of uninsured people covered. Instead, lawmakers meant it as a guardrail, to keep employers from dropping coverage and shifting responsibility to the government.
The individual requirement, however, was always seen as a linchpin of the law. Although there are exceptions for financial hardship and other circumstances, most individuals risk fines starting next year if they remain uninsured. Those penalties start small – as little as $95 in 2014 – but they ramp up in the years after.
In announcing the delay of the employer requirement, the administration underscored the importance of the individual mandate by saying it would remain in full force for 2014. The White House dismissed as political posturing a demand by House Speaker John Boehner for a similar one-year delay in the individual mandate.
Largely ignored, however, was the enforcement link between the two mandates. The IRS, which will police both the individual and employer requirements, was to receive the now-delayed coverage reports from employers and use those to check compliance by individuals. Now that won't be as easy.
"It may mean that enforcement is light in 2014," said Neil Trautwein, the top health care policy expert for the National Retail Federation. "It illustrates the interconnectedness of the law, and the difficulty (administration officials) have in making all the pieces work, and work on schedule."
The Treasury official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that individuals will still have to tell the IRS on their returns for 2014 whether or not they had health insurance. Taxpayers will know that for themselves, so they will have all the information they need to comply. It won't be a gray area, said the official, and cheaters risk a perjury charge. Enforcement will get tighter over the years.
A prominent defender of the health care law, Washington and Lee University law professor Timothy Jost, acknowledged the delay will make it more difficult for authorities to identify people who claim to be insured when in fact they aren't.
"It's going to be like much of the rest of our tax system," said Jost. "People are supposed to be honest, and there are criminal penalties if they catch you being dishonest." Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.
Enforcement of the overhaul's central mandate – that individual Americans must have coverage – could be weakened by the Obama administration's recent delay of a requirement that larger employers provide medical insurance.
That's because the delayed rule also required companies to report health insurance details for employees. Without employers validating who's covered, a scofflaw could lie, and the government would have no easy way to check.
The Treasury Department said Tuesday it expects any impact to be minor, since most people will not risk telling the government a lie. Still, it's another incentive for uninsured people to ignore a new government requirement that for many will cost hundreds of dollars.
"If Americans begin to figure out that the individual requirement is toothless for 2014 ... younger, healthier uninsured people will stay away in droves," said Edward Fensholt, director of compliance services for the Lockton Companies, a benefits consulting firm that advises employers. With fewer healthy people in the pool, premiums in new health insurance markets coming this fall could rise.
The latest twist emerged a day ahead of votes in the Republican-led U.S. House to delay both the individual and employer mandates. The House measures, which have little chance of advancing in the Senate, are the latest in a series of Republican attempts to repeal or defund "Obamacare."
The administration declined to address the new enforcement concerns on the record.
Instead, a senior Treasury official, commenting on condition of anonymity, said it's only a hypothetical problem and the administration does not believe a significant number of people will choose to flout the law. After all, most Americans truthfully report their annual income to the Internal Revenue Service, said the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to comment publicly by name. However, most people know the IRS already has the income information from their employers on W-2 forms.
Coverage for the uninsured through President Barack Obama's health care law starts next Jan. 1. Under the Affordable Care Act, middle-class people with no access to job-based health insurance will be able to buy subsidized private coverage through new online markets, opening for enrollment Oct. 1. Low-income people will be steered to an expanded version of Medicaid, in states accepting it.
The individual requirement that most Americans carry health insurance also takes effect in 2014. At the same time, insurers will no longer be allowed to turn away people in poor health, or charge them more.
The individual mandate survived a Supreme Court challenge last year when a narrow majority ruled that fines used to enforce it can be considered a tax, meaning the requirement falls within the power of Congress to levy taxes.
The employer mandate applies to larger companies with 50 or more workers. Under the law, they can be fined for not offering affordable coverage. Last month, the White House unexpectedly delayed the employer requirement for a year, until 2015. The White House said more time was needed to work out complicated reporting requirements so they do not become a burden to businesses. Some saw a political motivation in the deferral, removing a controversial issue from the arena during a midterm election year.
Since more than 9 in 10 companies affected by the employer mandate already provide coverage, it was never designed to get large numbers of uninsured people covered. Instead, lawmakers meant it as a guardrail, to keep employers from dropping coverage and shifting responsibility to the government.
The individual requirement, however, was always seen as a linchpin of the law. Although there are exceptions for financial hardship and other circumstances, most individuals risk fines starting next year if they remain uninsured. Those penalties start small – as little as $95 in 2014 – but they ramp up in the years after.
In announcing the delay of the employer requirement, the administration underscored the importance of the individual mandate by saying it would remain in full force for 2014. The White House dismissed as political posturing a demand by House Speaker John Boehner for a similar one-year delay in the individual mandate.
Largely ignored, however, was the enforcement link between the two mandates. The IRS, which will police both the individual and employer requirements, was to receive the now-delayed coverage reports from employers and use those to check compliance by individuals. Now that won't be as easy.
"It may mean that enforcement is light in 2014," said Neil Trautwein, the top health care policy expert for the National Retail Federation. "It illustrates the interconnectedness of the law, and the difficulty (administration officials) have in making all the pieces work, and work on schedule."
The Treasury official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that individuals will still have to tell the IRS on their returns for 2014 whether or not they had health insurance. Taxpayers will know that for themselves, so they will have all the information they need to comply. It won't be a gray area, said the official, and cheaters risk a perjury charge. Enforcement will get tighter over the years.
A prominent defender of the health care law, Washington and Lee University law professor Timothy Jost, acknowledged the delay will make it more difficult for authorities to identify people who claim to be insured when in fact they aren't.
"It's going to be like much of the rest of our tax system," said Jost. "People are supposed to be honest, and there are criminal penalties if they catch you being dishonest." Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.
↧
Angela Bonavoglia: The Bishops v. Birth Control: It's Not About the Money
In announcing its final rule concerning the Affordable Care Act's guarantee of free access to birth control for all American women -- including the Catholics and non-Catholics who work in religiously sponsored schools, hospitals and social service agencies -- the Obama administration bent over backwards to accommodate the Church's concerns. The goal was to spare the Church fathers from the anguish of getting their pristine hands dirty by, as the Bishops charged, being forced to sell, buy or broker birth control coverage for women, including students. The final rule allows that either the insurance company used by the institution will have to pay for birth control -- or if the institution is self-insured, the plan administrator will have to provide or arrange payment -- with reimbursement coming through a series of convoluted steps.
In a repeat of the Church battle over the Affordable Care Act, Sister Carol Keehan, head of the Catholic Health Association, last week publicly approved the administration's final rule, issuing an explanation for the Association's members about how to implement it. Not so, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. The week before, its head, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, released his statement expressing dissatisfaction with the compromise, saying that the bishops are subjecting it to further "analysis," feel their "religious freedom" is still under threat, and plan to continue "defending our rights in Congress and in the courts." Count on the 60-plus law suits by Catholic diocese and universities around the country, joined, with the bishops' blessing, by secular employers who also don't like birth control and want to exclude it from their insurance policies, proceeding apace.
It is maddening that the administration had to go to such extremes to placate the Church fathers, who dare to put "moral" and "money" as it applies to this deeply compromised institution in the same sentence. How pure, really, were the hands of the Church fathers who began decades ago to secretly spend millions of dollars in hush money to silence child victims of clergy rape and sodomy, and rid themselves of the evidence of their paternal crimes? Hush money that came from the faithful in the pews, who paid for all those ever-escalating insurance premiums, and from selling the churches and schools out from under those same working-class Catholics? The victims merited all the compensation they got and more, but the Church fathers literally stole that money from the Catholics they served and lied about it.
When the conniving churchmen realized how much money they had to lose by even these secret settlements, hiding the goods from the victims became the next best strategy. So how pure, really, are the hands of Cardinal Dolan, the leading voice claiming the moral high ground in the battle to keep any of the church coffers from supporting birth control for women? Files just released by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee turned up a letter showing that when Dolan served as the Archbishop of that diocese, he secretly and successfully, and even as the Archdiocese was preparing to file for bankruptcy, petitioned the Vatican to bury nearly $57 million in a cemetery trust fund in order to protect those assets "from legal claim and liability," aka, child abuse victim compensation. And this was on top of his paying off some priest child sex abusers $20,000 a piece to leave the priesthood, reportedly defended by Dolan in one case as "an act of charity," so that, irony of ironies, the priest "could pay for health insurance."
And how pure, really, are the hands of the Church fathers regarding money when we look at the shenanigans at the Vatican bank? Still laughably named the "Institute for the Works of Religion," the Vatican Bank is literally drowning in mounting accusations of money laundering and mobster connections. Most recently, Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, an accountant for the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, which manages the Vatican's property and investments (and a Vatican account-holder himself), was arrested and charged with conspiring to transfer some $26 million from Switzerland to Italy to dole out to his rich friends.
Given this sad financial state of affairs, how does paying for a health-saving service like birth control for women become such a threat to Church fathers that they've made a major campaign out of it?
The bishops claim this mandate violates church teaching that artificial birth control is "intrinsically evil," despite the fact that nearly 100 percent of Catholics don't believe there is anything "intrinsically evil" about birth control and use it. They claim birth control is the same as abortion; it isn't. They claim to be protecting the institution's "conscience," thereby stepping all over Catholic Church teaching that defines conscience as "the most secret core and sanctuary" of a person, not an institution, and the Church not as the "men of God" but as "the people of God," which would seem to include women. They claim the money at issue is "their" money, when most employees contribute to their health insurance premiums so this is at base a labor issue. And their claim that birth control is not a "health" service, in the face of current scientific knowledge and medical opinion, is tantamount to insisting that the sun revolves around the Earth.
A hint of a far deeper motivator lies in a rarely regarded passage from Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI's 1969 Encyclical letter, "On the Regulation of Birth," which cemented the Church's current intransigent opposition to birth control. The section on "Grave Consequences on Methods of Artificial Contraception" reads in part:
"Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings--and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation--need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection."
In other words, a woman should not have access to methods of artificial birth control, should be at the mercy of her husband and her biology, because then her husband is more likely to remain committed to her and to God and faithful to the Church's "moral law." Keeping her at constant risk of pregnancy -- and the health jeopardy that is attendant on such risk -- is a small price to pay for maintaining the Church's moral order.
That position -- blindness to women's rights and needs -- has a familiar ring. It is the same refusal to see that underlies the all-male hierarchy's ban on female priests. It is the same refusal that forbids priests to marry. Indeed, at the heart of the contraception debate and so many debates around gender in the Catholic Church is a terror that if women have rights -- over their own reproductive lives, to be priests, to marry priests, to have real voice and power in the Church -- then the Church men will change. And if the Church men change, then the Church will change. And if the Church changes, the future that the all-male hierarchy lives in terror of -- Pope Francis's nightmare of rampaging feminists, waging a "vindictive battle," steamrolling men with their "chauvinism with skirts" -- will, at last, be here.
No wonder they're fighting so hard.
This piece was originally published by RH Reality Check. Reported by Huffington Post 13 hours ago.
In a repeat of the Church battle over the Affordable Care Act, Sister Carol Keehan, head of the Catholic Health Association, last week publicly approved the administration's final rule, issuing an explanation for the Association's members about how to implement it. Not so, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. The week before, its head, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, released his statement expressing dissatisfaction with the compromise, saying that the bishops are subjecting it to further "analysis," feel their "religious freedom" is still under threat, and plan to continue "defending our rights in Congress and in the courts." Count on the 60-plus law suits by Catholic diocese and universities around the country, joined, with the bishops' blessing, by secular employers who also don't like birth control and want to exclude it from their insurance policies, proceeding apace.
It is maddening that the administration had to go to such extremes to placate the Church fathers, who dare to put "moral" and "money" as it applies to this deeply compromised institution in the same sentence. How pure, really, were the hands of the Church fathers who began decades ago to secretly spend millions of dollars in hush money to silence child victims of clergy rape and sodomy, and rid themselves of the evidence of their paternal crimes? Hush money that came from the faithful in the pews, who paid for all those ever-escalating insurance premiums, and from selling the churches and schools out from under those same working-class Catholics? The victims merited all the compensation they got and more, but the Church fathers literally stole that money from the Catholics they served and lied about it.
When the conniving churchmen realized how much money they had to lose by even these secret settlements, hiding the goods from the victims became the next best strategy. So how pure, really, are the hands of Cardinal Dolan, the leading voice claiming the moral high ground in the battle to keep any of the church coffers from supporting birth control for women? Files just released by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee turned up a letter showing that when Dolan served as the Archbishop of that diocese, he secretly and successfully, and even as the Archdiocese was preparing to file for bankruptcy, petitioned the Vatican to bury nearly $57 million in a cemetery trust fund in order to protect those assets "from legal claim and liability," aka, child abuse victim compensation. And this was on top of his paying off some priest child sex abusers $20,000 a piece to leave the priesthood, reportedly defended by Dolan in one case as "an act of charity," so that, irony of ironies, the priest "could pay for health insurance."
And how pure, really, are the hands of the Church fathers regarding money when we look at the shenanigans at the Vatican bank? Still laughably named the "Institute for the Works of Religion," the Vatican Bank is literally drowning in mounting accusations of money laundering and mobster connections. Most recently, Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, an accountant for the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, which manages the Vatican's property and investments (and a Vatican account-holder himself), was arrested and charged with conspiring to transfer some $26 million from Switzerland to Italy to dole out to his rich friends.
Given this sad financial state of affairs, how does paying for a health-saving service like birth control for women become such a threat to Church fathers that they've made a major campaign out of it?
The bishops claim this mandate violates church teaching that artificial birth control is "intrinsically evil," despite the fact that nearly 100 percent of Catholics don't believe there is anything "intrinsically evil" about birth control and use it. They claim birth control is the same as abortion; it isn't. They claim to be protecting the institution's "conscience," thereby stepping all over Catholic Church teaching that defines conscience as "the most secret core and sanctuary" of a person, not an institution, and the Church not as the "men of God" but as "the people of God," which would seem to include women. They claim the money at issue is "their" money, when most employees contribute to their health insurance premiums so this is at base a labor issue. And their claim that birth control is not a "health" service, in the face of current scientific knowledge and medical opinion, is tantamount to insisting that the sun revolves around the Earth.
A hint of a far deeper motivator lies in a rarely regarded passage from Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI's 1969 Encyclical letter, "On the Regulation of Birth," which cemented the Church's current intransigent opposition to birth control. The section on "Grave Consequences on Methods of Artificial Contraception" reads in part:
"Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings--and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation--need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection."
In other words, a woman should not have access to methods of artificial birth control, should be at the mercy of her husband and her biology, because then her husband is more likely to remain committed to her and to God and faithful to the Church's "moral law." Keeping her at constant risk of pregnancy -- and the health jeopardy that is attendant on such risk -- is a small price to pay for maintaining the Church's moral order.
That position -- blindness to women's rights and needs -- has a familiar ring. It is the same refusal to see that underlies the all-male hierarchy's ban on female priests. It is the same refusal that forbids priests to marry. Indeed, at the heart of the contraception debate and so many debates around gender in the Catholic Church is a terror that if women have rights -- over their own reproductive lives, to be priests, to marry priests, to have real voice and power in the Church -- then the Church men will change. And if the Church men change, then the Church will change. And if the Church changes, the future that the all-male hierarchy lives in terror of -- Pope Francis's nightmare of rampaging feminists, waging a "vindictive battle," steamrolling men with their "chauvinism with skirts" -- will, at last, be here.
No wonder they're fighting so hard.
This piece was originally published by RH Reality Check. Reported by Huffington Post 13 hours ago.
↧
Health Plan Cost for New Yorkers Set to Fall 50%
State officials estimate as many as 615,000 individuals will buy health insurance on their own in the first few years the federal health law is in effect.
Reported by NYTimes.com 8 hours ago.
Reported by NYTimes.com 8 hours ago.
↧
↧
State readying to sign up 1 million uninsured
Washington state kicked off its effort to sign up uninsured residents for health insurance through a new federal law at a Tuesday meeting in Seattle. Everything must be ready to go by Oct. 1.
Reported by Seattle Times 8 hours ago.
↧
Suffolk County Divorce Lawyer At The Badanes Law Office Shares Insight Into How The Recent Same Sex Ruling Effects Divorcing Couples
David P. Badanes, Suffolk County divorce attorney, has recently released an article on his website entitled “How The Same Sex Ruling Effects Divorcing Couples.”
Northport, NY (PRWEB) July 17, 2013
On June 26, 2013, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was declared unconstitutional, giving same sex couples equal treatment in terms of receiving the same federal benefits as opposite sex couples. By upholding same sex marriage federally, the Supreme Court has in effect also upheld federal standards for same sex couples seeking a divorce. Experienced Suffolk County Divorce Attorney, David P. Badanes, weighs in on the issue in a newly released article on his law office’s online blog. In the article, How The Same Sex Ruling Will Effect Divorcing Couples, Badanes clarifies what same sex couples looking to split up should now expect from a federal standpoint.
Since its enactment, DOMA prevented divorcing same sex couples the ability to receive federal benefits that opposite sex couples have. This includes items such as social security, tax liability, health insurance, and maintenance (alimony). As an authority in divorce law, David P. Badanes claims “Keeping up with the changes that will come about because of this repeal is extremely important to take note of. At the Badanes Law Office we can ensure that our clients’ needs relating to this topic will be effectively met since we are always up to date with current issues relating to divorce law.” As an experienced Suffolk County Divorce Lawyer, Badanes explains that regardless of whether the divorce is with a same sex couple or an opposite sex couple, that each divorce case is different and each case requires different, specialized skills.
In the article, Badanes goes into greater detail about each benefit that divorcing same sex couples will now get to receive on a federal level. Most importantly, not only does Badanes provide succinct and helpful information on this topic, but his entire legal blog is a great resource for the latest news in the field of divorce law. Badanes says, “If you need an attorney who is up-to-date on the legal landscape and you want to hire an experienced Divorce Attorney, call David Badanes at the Badanes Law Office.”
To read the full article on How The Same Sex Ruling Effects Divorcing Couples, please visit: http://www.dbnylaw.com/articles/how-the-same-sex-ruling-effects-divorcing-couples/
About Badanes Law Office: David P. Badanes is an experienced Long Island Divorce Lawyer and Criminal Defense Attorney with offices in Northport, NY and Garden City, NY. Clients throughout Suffolk County, Nassau County and New York City rely on attorney David Badanes for several different legal needs. Contact their offices at (631) 239-1702, email at david@dbnylaw.com or visit their website: http://www.dbnylaw.com to get in contact with a law office that can truly make a difference. Reported by PRWeb 5 hours ago.
Northport, NY (PRWEB) July 17, 2013
On June 26, 2013, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was declared unconstitutional, giving same sex couples equal treatment in terms of receiving the same federal benefits as opposite sex couples. By upholding same sex marriage federally, the Supreme Court has in effect also upheld federal standards for same sex couples seeking a divorce. Experienced Suffolk County Divorce Attorney, David P. Badanes, weighs in on the issue in a newly released article on his law office’s online blog. In the article, How The Same Sex Ruling Will Effect Divorcing Couples, Badanes clarifies what same sex couples looking to split up should now expect from a federal standpoint.
Since its enactment, DOMA prevented divorcing same sex couples the ability to receive federal benefits that opposite sex couples have. This includes items such as social security, tax liability, health insurance, and maintenance (alimony). As an authority in divorce law, David P. Badanes claims “Keeping up with the changes that will come about because of this repeal is extremely important to take note of. At the Badanes Law Office we can ensure that our clients’ needs relating to this topic will be effectively met since we are always up to date with current issues relating to divorce law.” As an experienced Suffolk County Divorce Lawyer, Badanes explains that regardless of whether the divorce is with a same sex couple or an opposite sex couple, that each divorce case is different and each case requires different, specialized skills.
In the article, Badanes goes into greater detail about each benefit that divorcing same sex couples will now get to receive on a federal level. Most importantly, not only does Badanes provide succinct and helpful information on this topic, but his entire legal blog is a great resource for the latest news in the field of divorce law. Badanes says, “If you need an attorney who is up-to-date on the legal landscape and you want to hire an experienced Divorce Attorney, call David Badanes at the Badanes Law Office.”
To read the full article on How The Same Sex Ruling Effects Divorcing Couples, please visit: http://www.dbnylaw.com/articles/how-the-same-sex-ruling-effects-divorcing-couples/
About Badanes Law Office: David P. Badanes is an experienced Long Island Divorce Lawyer and Criminal Defense Attorney with offices in Northport, NY and Garden City, NY. Clients throughout Suffolk County, Nassau County and New York City rely on attorney David Badanes for several different legal needs. Contact their offices at (631) 239-1702, email at david@dbnylaw.com or visit their website: http://www.dbnylaw.com to get in contact with a law office that can truly make a difference. Reported by PRWeb 5 hours ago.
↧
New Satirical Novel Asks: Are You Ready for Real America?
The Execution Channel: A Political Fable. The just released satire is in the tradition of Swift, Voltaire, Heller and Marx (Groucho, that is).
EXETER, N. H. (PRWEB) July 17, 2013
What will readers encounter when exploring the wicked and witty satirical universe of Michael McCord's The Execution Channel: A Political Fable?
First, they will travel to the not-too-distant future and discover the emerging new country of Real America, a new flag (see the book cover), and the Galtian Imperatives, a faith-based economic religion which promises that extreme austerity and tax cut policies will ensure “prosperity for all” though the exact details of the alchemy remain elusive. Next, readers will see that John Galt, the fictional hero of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, has become the founding father icon of Real America and the Real American Party, the new political force sweeping the land. Local militias do their patriotic duty and lead the privatization craze throughout Real America while employing a creative protection racket plan to fit every business budget.
Finally, readers will behold the majesty of The Execution Channel – a televinet network that promotes a focus-group tested variety of live executions in football stadium settings. As foretold by the Galtian Imperatives, The Execution Channel is hailed as a model of modern economic policy that seamlessly merges massive private sector profits and public sector bankruptcy.
Set in 2018 in an increasingly non-United States of America, The Execution Channel: A Political Fable is fantastical in its imaginative scope of American political rhetoric and public policy run amok. McCord, an award-winning journalist and writer who lives in New Hampshire, offers fictional reportage with a provocative twist and more than a few punch lines.
“I started with questions inspired by contemporary headlines,” McCord explained. “What if politicians were rewarded for being incoherent and vowed to create a government worth hating before eliminating government altogether? What if political majorities were denied the right to have their votes count due to a new mathematics of democracy and destroying the economy became an austerity-driven virtue? What if lawmakers were required to secure corporate sponsors and every sector of government was privatized, including capital punishment, education, and public safety? Given that our current political environment aspires to ever greater heights of absurdity, it seemed natural to imagine a uniquely American parallel universe playing out over the next few election cycles.”
Readers also will encounter an intriguing, colorful cast of characters that embrace a higher calling of extreme self-interest:
· Gov. Lawrence C. “Demon Seed” Bowie of the Real American Republic of Texas is in a political fix because his ‘War on the Poor’ tax plan isn’t working.
· Texas militia leader Col. Rufus T. Fairbush wants to replace Bowie by the bullet or ballot while running on a platform to eliminate the idea of government.
· Conservative televinet producer Jason Bravtart seeks redemption following the scandalous cancellation of The Real Homeless of Malibu Beach.
· Billionaire speculator James “Big Stake” Frimmer II wants another big financial score to spread his political influence.
· In the SoCal Liberty Territory of California, Penelope the Psychic is forced to be a confidential informant for Mr. Jones, the most feared security operator in Real America.
“The initial spark for this satirical romp came from a 2011 Republican presidential primary debate when some of the audience cheered at the notion that if people without health insurance died, there was nothing anyone could do,” McCord said. “I then made the leap to a perfectly sensible investment scheme of publicly televised executions in which guilt or innocence matter less than profit margins. From there, the theme menu grew to include the cult of Ayn Rand, political ambition, incoherence as a political virtue, greed redefined, secession, free market economics with no restraint, the primacy of sperm, backyard rocket launchers, psychic readings, reality TV mortgage foreclosures and monuments to austerity. “The book aspires, as Lewis Carroll’s White Queen so eloquently put it, to believe six impossible things at once, if not before breakfast then certainly by supper.”
The Execution Channel: A Political Fable is a subversive satire for our times and will leave readers wondering: Just how REAL is Real America?
Michael McCord, the former political editor and columnist for The Portsmouth (NH) Herald, is an award-winning journalist and writer. He covered his first presidential primary campaign in 1980 and has written for more than 40 publications. The Execution Channel: A Political Fable was developed through CreateSpace Publishing and partially funded by a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding proposal.
For more information about Michael McCord, the book and how to purchase it now, please visit http://www.the-execution-channel.com. The book will also be available soon on Amazon and Kindle Books. For author interviews and other inquiries, please contact Marybeth McGurl at 603.970.0277 or marybethmcgurl@rocketmail.com. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
EXETER, N. H. (PRWEB) July 17, 2013
What will readers encounter when exploring the wicked and witty satirical universe of Michael McCord's The Execution Channel: A Political Fable?
First, they will travel to the not-too-distant future and discover the emerging new country of Real America, a new flag (see the book cover), and the Galtian Imperatives, a faith-based economic religion which promises that extreme austerity and tax cut policies will ensure “prosperity for all” though the exact details of the alchemy remain elusive. Next, readers will see that John Galt, the fictional hero of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, has become the founding father icon of Real America and the Real American Party, the new political force sweeping the land. Local militias do their patriotic duty and lead the privatization craze throughout Real America while employing a creative protection racket plan to fit every business budget.
Finally, readers will behold the majesty of The Execution Channel – a televinet network that promotes a focus-group tested variety of live executions in football stadium settings. As foretold by the Galtian Imperatives, The Execution Channel is hailed as a model of modern economic policy that seamlessly merges massive private sector profits and public sector bankruptcy.
Set in 2018 in an increasingly non-United States of America, The Execution Channel: A Political Fable is fantastical in its imaginative scope of American political rhetoric and public policy run amok. McCord, an award-winning journalist and writer who lives in New Hampshire, offers fictional reportage with a provocative twist and more than a few punch lines.
“I started with questions inspired by contemporary headlines,” McCord explained. “What if politicians were rewarded for being incoherent and vowed to create a government worth hating before eliminating government altogether? What if political majorities were denied the right to have their votes count due to a new mathematics of democracy and destroying the economy became an austerity-driven virtue? What if lawmakers were required to secure corporate sponsors and every sector of government was privatized, including capital punishment, education, and public safety? Given that our current political environment aspires to ever greater heights of absurdity, it seemed natural to imagine a uniquely American parallel universe playing out over the next few election cycles.”
Readers also will encounter an intriguing, colorful cast of characters that embrace a higher calling of extreme self-interest:
· Gov. Lawrence C. “Demon Seed” Bowie of the Real American Republic of Texas is in a political fix because his ‘War on the Poor’ tax plan isn’t working.
· Texas militia leader Col. Rufus T. Fairbush wants to replace Bowie by the bullet or ballot while running on a platform to eliminate the idea of government.
· Conservative televinet producer Jason Bravtart seeks redemption following the scandalous cancellation of The Real Homeless of Malibu Beach.
· Billionaire speculator James “Big Stake” Frimmer II wants another big financial score to spread his political influence.
· In the SoCal Liberty Territory of California, Penelope the Psychic is forced to be a confidential informant for Mr. Jones, the most feared security operator in Real America.
“The initial spark for this satirical romp came from a 2011 Republican presidential primary debate when some of the audience cheered at the notion that if people without health insurance died, there was nothing anyone could do,” McCord said. “I then made the leap to a perfectly sensible investment scheme of publicly televised executions in which guilt or innocence matter less than profit margins. From there, the theme menu grew to include the cult of Ayn Rand, political ambition, incoherence as a political virtue, greed redefined, secession, free market economics with no restraint, the primacy of sperm, backyard rocket launchers, psychic readings, reality TV mortgage foreclosures and monuments to austerity. “The book aspires, as Lewis Carroll’s White Queen so eloquently put it, to believe six impossible things at once, if not before breakfast then certainly by supper.”
The Execution Channel: A Political Fable is a subversive satire for our times and will leave readers wondering: Just how REAL is Real America?
Michael McCord, the former political editor and columnist for The Portsmouth (NH) Herald, is an award-winning journalist and writer. He covered his first presidential primary campaign in 1980 and has written for more than 40 publications. The Execution Channel: A Political Fable was developed through CreateSpace Publishing and partially funded by a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding proposal.
For more information about Michael McCord, the book and how to purchase it now, please visit http://www.the-execution-channel.com. The book will also be available soon on Amazon and Kindle Books. For author interviews and other inquiries, please contact Marybeth McGurl at 603.970.0277 or marybethmcgurl@rocketmail.com. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
↧
Outreach tour for health exchange begins in RI
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island officials are making the first stop on a statewide tour to introduce consumers and small businesses to the health insurance marketplace where they can shop for coverage beginning this fall.
Reported by Boston.com 4 hours ago.
Reported by Boston.com 4 hours ago.
↧
↧
Help Obamacare work, Sebelius asks
She urges the NAACP convention to focus on enrolling people in health insurance coverage.
Reported by Politico 2 hours ago.
↧
AffordRx Now Offering Xarelto Coupon Cards
AffordRx believes strongly that a Xarelto prescription discount card as well as discounts for other deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism medications can save lives.
Houston, TX (PRWEB) July 17, 2013
Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is the clinical term for a blood clot in an extremity – most commonly found in the legs. Deep-vein thrombosis can develop into a pulmonary embolism, which is life threatening. More than half a million people are diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism every year in the United States – most of which began as deep-vein thrombosis. Nearly two-hundred thousand deaths per year are attributed to these pulmonary embolisms. That's a staggering number, considering that in many cases, early detection and treatment can completely reverse the affects of deep-vein thrombosis. AffordRx believes strongly that a xarelto prescription discount card and Xarelto coupon, as well as coupons for other deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism medications, can save lives.
AffordRx offers a wide range of prescription discounts including:
Vyvanse Coupon
Suboxone Coupon
Over forty-eight million Americans are currently without health insurance, while a further fifty million report being underinsured. Nearly half of insured patients report difficulty in paying deductibles and prescription costs. Along with savings through Xarelto discount cards and coupons for other popular medications, the burden of prescription costs is greatly reduced.
Prescription discount cards and Xarelto coupons from AffordRx have already helped thousands of families to better afford their medications. Prescription savings cards may be used by uninsured patients as well as those whose current insurance plan does not cover all needed medications. Cards are free, and may be requested from the AffordRx website without an exam or medical questionnaire. They are accepted at thousands of local pharmacies in all fifty states, as well as many popular chain pharmacies – a complete list is available online. AffordRx is stepping up to offer patients relief from rising prescription costs.
It really couldn't be simpler. Just print off the savings card from the site and take it to your nearest pharmacist when ordering or picking up your medication. The card is accepted at all chain pharmacies and most independent ones as well. Reported by PRWeb 56 minutes ago.
Houston, TX (PRWEB) July 17, 2013
Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is the clinical term for a blood clot in an extremity – most commonly found in the legs. Deep-vein thrombosis can develop into a pulmonary embolism, which is life threatening. More than half a million people are diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism every year in the United States – most of which began as deep-vein thrombosis. Nearly two-hundred thousand deaths per year are attributed to these pulmonary embolisms. That's a staggering number, considering that in many cases, early detection and treatment can completely reverse the affects of deep-vein thrombosis. AffordRx believes strongly that a xarelto prescription discount card and Xarelto coupon, as well as coupons for other deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism medications, can save lives.
AffordRx offers a wide range of prescription discounts including:
Vyvanse Coupon
Suboxone Coupon
Over forty-eight million Americans are currently without health insurance, while a further fifty million report being underinsured. Nearly half of insured patients report difficulty in paying deductibles and prescription costs. Along with savings through Xarelto discount cards and coupons for other popular medications, the burden of prescription costs is greatly reduced.
Prescription discount cards and Xarelto coupons from AffordRx have already helped thousands of families to better afford their medications. Prescription savings cards may be used by uninsured patients as well as those whose current insurance plan does not cover all needed medications. Cards are free, and may be requested from the AffordRx website without an exam or medical questionnaire. They are accepted at thousands of local pharmacies in all fifty states, as well as many popular chain pharmacies – a complete list is available online. AffordRx is stepping up to offer patients relief from rising prescription costs.
It really couldn't be simpler. Just print off the savings card from the site and take it to your nearest pharmacist when ordering or picking up your medication. The card is accepted at all chain pharmacies and most independent ones as well. Reported by PRWeb 56 minutes ago.
↧
Security Health Insurance Company of America, Partners with LiDAC to Offer Dental Insurance Plans for Employer Groups
Security Health and LiDAC join forces to offer group dental insurance to employee benefits brokers in the state of New York.
New York, New York (PRWEB) July 18, 2013
Security Health Insurance Company of America, a sister company to Security Life Insurance Company of America, is pleased to announce a partnership with LiDAC, a full service employee benefits technology firm specializing in the design, underwriting, communication, administration, marketing and the overall management of group benefit programs.
LiDAC.com will distribute Security Health’s dental insurance products through their Private Benefits Exchange, which offers the broker community a unique way to quote, propose, sell, implement and enroll employee benefits in the most effective, efficient, and expedient method. The Exchange is built to provide the most cost effective tools available for properly designing employee benefit programs to licensed agents and brokers.
Security Health, alongside Security Life, has successfully carved a niche in the ancillary benefits space through being nimble and responsive to the needs of its distribution partners. The company’s dental insurance plans offer PPO products for groups between 2 to 125 lives utilizing the Carington MaxCare Network, which provides over 200,000 access points. Security Health is excited about the partnership with LiDAC and believes that together they can deliver a quality product with best-in-class service to greatly benefit employee benefit brokers in the New York area.
“It is our belief that private exchanges will become an integral tool for insurance agents now and into the future as the insurance industry continues to evolve. It is critical that agents have access to tools that allow them to better serve the needs of their clientele in an efficient manner,” said Dennis Vann, SVP of Sales for Security Health. “We are proud to partner with LiDAC and their cutting-edge private exchange for small group business. LiDac is clearly at the forefront of providing access to quality insurers such as Security Health.”
About Security Health Life Insurance Company of America: Security Health, a sister company to Security Life, specializes in the ancillary benefits market, providing dental, vision, disability and life insurance products and services to consumers and employer groups. In close relationships with its distribution network of general agencies and strategic partners, Security Health is concentrated in personal insurance and small-to-mid size employer group business (under 25 lives). Security Life has products available to market in 49 states (in conjunction with Security Health Insurance Company of America, New York Inc.). For more information, visit http://www.SecurityLife.com. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
New York, New York (PRWEB) July 18, 2013
Security Health Insurance Company of America, a sister company to Security Life Insurance Company of America, is pleased to announce a partnership with LiDAC, a full service employee benefits technology firm specializing in the design, underwriting, communication, administration, marketing and the overall management of group benefit programs.
LiDAC.com will distribute Security Health’s dental insurance products through their Private Benefits Exchange, which offers the broker community a unique way to quote, propose, sell, implement and enroll employee benefits in the most effective, efficient, and expedient method. The Exchange is built to provide the most cost effective tools available for properly designing employee benefit programs to licensed agents and brokers.
Security Health, alongside Security Life, has successfully carved a niche in the ancillary benefits space through being nimble and responsive to the needs of its distribution partners. The company’s dental insurance plans offer PPO products for groups between 2 to 125 lives utilizing the Carington MaxCare Network, which provides over 200,000 access points. Security Health is excited about the partnership with LiDAC and believes that together they can deliver a quality product with best-in-class service to greatly benefit employee benefit brokers in the New York area.
“It is our belief that private exchanges will become an integral tool for insurance agents now and into the future as the insurance industry continues to evolve. It is critical that agents have access to tools that allow them to better serve the needs of their clientele in an efficient manner,” said Dennis Vann, SVP of Sales for Security Health. “We are proud to partner with LiDAC and their cutting-edge private exchange for small group business. LiDac is clearly at the forefront of providing access to quality insurers such as Security Health.”
About Security Health Life Insurance Company of America: Security Health, a sister company to Security Life, specializes in the ancillary benefits market, providing dental, vision, disability and life insurance products and services to consumers and employer groups. In close relationships with its distribution network of general agencies and strategic partners, Security Health is concentrated in personal insurance and small-to-mid size employer group business (under 25 lives). Security Life has products available to market in 49 states (in conjunction with Security Health Insurance Company of America, New York Inc.). For more information, visit http://www.SecurityLife.com. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
↧
An Online Calculator That Instantly Figures Out How Much an Individual or Family Will Save Under the New Healthcare Law
Fortier Insurance Services now has a link to an online Calculator on their website. University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education developed an online Health Law Calculator to estimate the cost of health insurance and the amount of possible financial assistance under the new Affordable Care Act.
Phelan, CA (PRWEB) July 18, 2013
The Health Law Calculator is for Americans who immediately want to know how Obamacare translates into dollars and cents for them. Go to http://www.fortierinsurance.com and scroll down to the middle of their Home page. Under "Budget", click on "How Much Will a Family Save Under the New Federal Health Law?"
After entering in several pieces of information, such as household size, income, and age, the calculator gives an estimate of the monthly premium for insurance, and indicates possible tax credit eligibility from the government. The estimate shown is for a “silver plan.” Those who ultimately wish to purchase a more expensive or less expensive plan may do so, depending on their preferences.
The new law requires health plans to meet one of 4 “metal levels”—Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Bronze plan – 60 percent covered by plan benefits; 40 percent covered by the consumer
Silver plan – 70 percent covered by plan benefits; 30 percent covered by the consumer
Gold plan – 80 percent covered by plan benefits; 20 percent covered by the consumer
Platinum plan – 90 percent covered by plan benefits; 10 percent covered by the consumer – health e deals
“Standard designs help consumers compare the full array of what each plan will feature. This announcement means that 2.6 million Californians can know their 2014 premium costs and the exact benefits they can purchase when they can enroll. The only missing piece is which health plan they will select to be their insurer. An additional 2.7 million Californians – those who will not be eligible for sliding scale financial help, but will now be assured health plans must offer them coverage – can know the standard designs that will be available to them.” – Covered California
Starting October 2013, all American citizens can apply for financial assistance to reduce health insurance costs. As long as they are not offered adequate coverage through an employer or eligible for a public health program, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Medi-Cal, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or the Veteran’s Health Program, they may be eligible for a federal subsidy.
Fortier Insurance can explain the Health Care Calculator, or answer any other questions about the new healthcare laws coming into effect January 2014. Call 1-800-927-3566 or visit their website at http://www.fortierinsurance.com. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
Phelan, CA (PRWEB) July 18, 2013
The Health Law Calculator is for Americans who immediately want to know how Obamacare translates into dollars and cents for them. Go to http://www.fortierinsurance.com and scroll down to the middle of their Home page. Under "Budget", click on "How Much Will a Family Save Under the New Federal Health Law?"
After entering in several pieces of information, such as household size, income, and age, the calculator gives an estimate of the monthly premium for insurance, and indicates possible tax credit eligibility from the government. The estimate shown is for a “silver plan.” Those who ultimately wish to purchase a more expensive or less expensive plan may do so, depending on their preferences.
The new law requires health plans to meet one of 4 “metal levels”—Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Bronze plan – 60 percent covered by plan benefits; 40 percent covered by the consumer
Silver plan – 70 percent covered by plan benefits; 30 percent covered by the consumer
Gold plan – 80 percent covered by plan benefits; 20 percent covered by the consumer
Platinum plan – 90 percent covered by plan benefits; 10 percent covered by the consumer – health e deals
“Standard designs help consumers compare the full array of what each plan will feature. This announcement means that 2.6 million Californians can know their 2014 premium costs and the exact benefits they can purchase when they can enroll. The only missing piece is which health plan they will select to be their insurer. An additional 2.7 million Californians – those who will not be eligible for sliding scale financial help, but will now be assured health plans must offer them coverage – can know the standard designs that will be available to them.” – Covered California
Starting October 2013, all American citizens can apply for financial assistance to reduce health insurance costs. As long as they are not offered adequate coverage through an employer or eligible for a public health program, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Medi-Cal, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or the Veteran’s Health Program, they may be eligible for a federal subsidy.
Fortier Insurance can explain the Health Care Calculator, or answer any other questions about the new healthcare laws coming into effect January 2014. Call 1-800-927-3566 or visit their website at http://www.fortierinsurance.com. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
↧
↧
Trupanion Announces Partnership with Purchasing Services Inc. (PSI)
The partnership will bring awareness of pet insurance to PSI’s 2,000+ member hospitals.
Seattle, Wash. (PRWEB) July 18, 2013
Trupanion, the leading provider of pet insurance in North America, today announced that it has partnered with Purchasing Services Inc. (PSI), North America’s oldest and largest group purchasing organization (GPO), to bring more awareness of the benefits of pet insurance to PSI’s more than 2,000 member hospitals.
“We are always looking to expand our relationships and our ability to promote the importance of organized training programs and relationship-building at veterinary practices,” said Darin Nelson, Senior Vice President at Trupanion. “Working with PSI was a natural extension to grow our mutual interests across eight states in the Southeast.”
Purchasing Services, Inc. is the largest group purchasing organization for independent veterinary practices in the United States. PSI has developed a solid foundation with practice owners and has an established network of 13 area managers and senior leadership who have chosen Trupanion as the preferred provider of pet insurance.
“Pet health insurance has the potential of increasing the level of veterinary care for insured pets,” said Dr. Dennis Nelson, Vice President of Operations at PSI. “PSI’s partnership with Trupanion is designed to help members understand the value of pet insurance for their clients and their pets.”
About Trupanion®
Trupanion is the industry leader in pet insurance, offering cat and dog insurance in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico with the mission of delivering financial peace of mind to pet owners. Trupanion offers a simple, customizable pet insurance policy with 90% coverage for diagnostic tests, surgeries, medications, hospital stays, and alternative therapies for the treatment of accidents or illnesses. Trupanion’s policy includes coverage of hereditary and congenital conditions with no payout limits per incident, per year, or over the lifetime of the pet.
Trupanion® owns and is underwritten by the American Pet Insurance Company, which has earned a Financial Stability Rating® of A, Exceptional, from Demotech, Inc. Trupanion is a founding member of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), demonstrating a commitment to high standards and transparency in all actions and products. For more information call 800-569-7913 or visit Trupanion.com. You can also follow Trupanion on Twitter or Facebook.
About Purchasing Services Inc. (PSI)
Purchasing Services, Inc. is the largest group purchasing organization for independent veterinary practices in the United States. Located in St. Petersburg, FL, PSI utilizes the buying power of 2,000 Member practices to negotiate contracts with a variety of vendors to provide savings on the products and services needed to operate the veterinary practice. To learn more about PSI, visit http://www.psi-inc.net. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
Seattle, Wash. (PRWEB) July 18, 2013
Trupanion, the leading provider of pet insurance in North America, today announced that it has partnered with Purchasing Services Inc. (PSI), North America’s oldest and largest group purchasing organization (GPO), to bring more awareness of the benefits of pet insurance to PSI’s more than 2,000 member hospitals.
“We are always looking to expand our relationships and our ability to promote the importance of organized training programs and relationship-building at veterinary practices,” said Darin Nelson, Senior Vice President at Trupanion. “Working with PSI was a natural extension to grow our mutual interests across eight states in the Southeast.”
Purchasing Services, Inc. is the largest group purchasing organization for independent veterinary practices in the United States. PSI has developed a solid foundation with practice owners and has an established network of 13 area managers and senior leadership who have chosen Trupanion as the preferred provider of pet insurance.
“Pet health insurance has the potential of increasing the level of veterinary care for insured pets,” said Dr. Dennis Nelson, Vice President of Operations at PSI. “PSI’s partnership with Trupanion is designed to help members understand the value of pet insurance for their clients and their pets.”
About Trupanion®
Trupanion is the industry leader in pet insurance, offering cat and dog insurance in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico with the mission of delivering financial peace of mind to pet owners. Trupanion offers a simple, customizable pet insurance policy with 90% coverage for diagnostic tests, surgeries, medications, hospital stays, and alternative therapies for the treatment of accidents or illnesses. Trupanion’s policy includes coverage of hereditary and congenital conditions with no payout limits per incident, per year, or over the lifetime of the pet.
Trupanion® owns and is underwritten by the American Pet Insurance Company, which has earned a Financial Stability Rating® of A, Exceptional, from Demotech, Inc. Trupanion is a founding member of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), demonstrating a commitment to high standards and transparency in all actions and products. For more information call 800-569-7913 or visit Trupanion.com. You can also follow Trupanion on Twitter or Facebook.
About Purchasing Services Inc. (PSI)
Purchasing Services, Inc. is the largest group purchasing organization for independent veterinary practices in the United States. Located in St. Petersburg, FL, PSI utilizes the buying power of 2,000 Member practices to negotiate contracts with a variety of vendors to provide savings on the products and services needed to operate the veterinary practice. To learn more about PSI, visit http://www.psi-inc.net. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
↧
The Springtree Group Announces the Merger of Gatekeepers - Delphi and EXL Insurance
The Springtree Group (STG) is pleased to announce the merger of Reno based Excess Loss Insurance Services (EXL) by its client, Gatekeepers LLC. The transaction closed on June 14th, 2013 and was led by CW Conner, Principal of Gatekeepers Insurance and Chuck BERTOLINA, CEO of EXL and STG CEO, Sam Patterson.
Dallas, TX and Reno, NV (PRWEB) July 18, 2013
"The merger of these insurance firms helps reinforce a sustainable and marked advantage for our highly specialized insurance operations. The addition of EXL’s services and client base to our national platform of Health Insurance and Private Insurance Exchange platforms is a natural and complementary fit that supports our significant growth efforts in this arena," said Conner. “EXL’s clients will benefit from emphasizing top of scale customer service, programs, claims experience, integrated client relations, broader expertise as well as the addition of seasoned staff and more comprehensive resources.”
"We are very excited to join forces with Gatekeepers LLC. Combining these two highly capable teams enables the collective organization to increase our service offerings for our existing clients as well as enhance the ability of the combined company to acquire new clients and obtain the best talent in the industry,” said Chuck Bertolina, CEO of EXL. “We are very optimistic about the future for both our clients and the opportunities that exist for our employees."
About Gatekeepers LLC.
Gatekeepers LLC. The company owns three primary business: Tapit Employment Access, DPX Insurance Exchange, Domestic and International Risk Management Services. The Company’s insurance and risk management professionals provide a broad scope of International insurance services to a distinguished client list around the Globe. The combined company is headquartered in Reno, Nevada with offices located in Denver, Colorado and Raleigh, North Carolina and Washington D.C.
About Excess Loss Insurance Services
Located in Reno, NV with additional offices in Raleigh, NC, Excess Loss Insurance Services (EXL) is a diversified wholesale stop loss brokerage services company, providing alternative funding techniques & marketing, traditional fully-insured structures, benefit design, coordination between plan vendors, claims audit services and client advocacy to more than 100,000 insured’s across the United States. The clientele ranges from Fortune 500 companies to employers with under fifty employees.
About Springtree Group
Springtree Group, founded in 1988, provides Mergers & Acquisition advisory and lending / financial support services to the Agent and Brokerage community. STG is the largest North American Company of its type, bringing a highly specialized portfolio mix of loan platforms and M&A consulting services specifically built and managed for this highly fragmented market space.
Springtree Group is headquartered in Dallas, TX, and provides services to the insurance space in every region in the USA and Canada. For more information visit our website at http://www.springtreegroup.com. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
Dallas, TX and Reno, NV (PRWEB) July 18, 2013
"The merger of these insurance firms helps reinforce a sustainable and marked advantage for our highly specialized insurance operations. The addition of EXL’s services and client base to our national platform of Health Insurance and Private Insurance Exchange platforms is a natural and complementary fit that supports our significant growth efforts in this arena," said Conner. “EXL’s clients will benefit from emphasizing top of scale customer service, programs, claims experience, integrated client relations, broader expertise as well as the addition of seasoned staff and more comprehensive resources.”
"We are very excited to join forces with Gatekeepers LLC. Combining these two highly capable teams enables the collective organization to increase our service offerings for our existing clients as well as enhance the ability of the combined company to acquire new clients and obtain the best talent in the industry,” said Chuck Bertolina, CEO of EXL. “We are very optimistic about the future for both our clients and the opportunities that exist for our employees."
About Gatekeepers LLC.
Gatekeepers LLC. The company owns three primary business: Tapit Employment Access, DPX Insurance Exchange, Domestic and International Risk Management Services. The Company’s insurance and risk management professionals provide a broad scope of International insurance services to a distinguished client list around the Globe. The combined company is headquartered in Reno, Nevada with offices located in Denver, Colorado and Raleigh, North Carolina and Washington D.C.
About Excess Loss Insurance Services
Located in Reno, NV with additional offices in Raleigh, NC, Excess Loss Insurance Services (EXL) is a diversified wholesale stop loss brokerage services company, providing alternative funding techniques & marketing, traditional fully-insured structures, benefit design, coordination between plan vendors, claims audit services and client advocacy to more than 100,000 insured’s across the United States. The clientele ranges from Fortune 500 companies to employers with under fifty employees.
About Springtree Group
Springtree Group, founded in 1988, provides Mergers & Acquisition advisory and lending / financial support services to the Agent and Brokerage community. STG is the largest North American Company of its type, bringing a highly specialized portfolio mix of loan platforms and M&A consulting services specifically built and managed for this highly fragmented market space.
Springtree Group is headquartered in Dallas, TX, and provides services to the insurance space in every region in the USA and Canada. For more information visit our website at http://www.springtreegroup.com. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
↧
ObamaCare: Insurance Agents Nervous
America’s insurance brokers have been shaken by wide-ranging changes to the nation’s health care system and economic unrest, with 45 percent considering exiting the health insurance business altogether and 51 percent are only somewhat or not at all confident about …
Reported by WebProNews 10 hours ago.
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
