Obama to Ellen: Your Samsung selfie was a pretty cheap stunt

March 20, 2014, 10:52 am

≫ Next: MNsure begins final enrollment push before March 31 deadline

≪ Previous: ESPN Host Helps Obama Spin, Promote Obamacare

$

0

0

It's hard losing your retweet crown.

(Credit: The Ellen Show/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

President Obama and Ellen DeGeneres have both been recently promoted to sales associate.

The president is doing all he can to get as many young people to commit to his health care initiative, so that there's enough money to pay for those whose bodies are entering disrepair.

Ellen, on the other hand, turned presenting the Oscars into the opening of a Samsung store.

It was inevitable, then, that when the two met on her show, she would first mention the selfie she took with a number of famous stars -- the one that broke the retweet record held until then by the president himself.

"I thought it was a pretty cheap stunt myself," mused the president.

In a sense, he's right.

Samsung donated more than $3 million to charity after the selfie. This was in addition to the alleged $20 million it paid for its involvement in the Oscars.

If this had been a scripted, scheduled ad, such money would have barely covered the travel expenses of Ellen herself, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and all the other stars who mugged for Samsung.

The president is currently enduring a tense relationship with the millennial community whose money he so needs by March 31.

-More Technically Incorrect-

· Not tonight, darling, I'm online shopping
· Samsung: iPad's bad, Surface is a joke, and Kindle's a swindle
· How to issue your own emotional Bitcoin
· Man, mad at Internet seller, texts him Shakespeare (all of it)
· Glasshole heaven: Hotel offers free drink if you wear Glass

The NSA's attempts at being as efficient as Google in screening every piece of communication seems to have rattled some, who feel it's taking the government's commitment to transparency a little too far.

Still, the president used the Ellen opportunity to get moms to persuade their kids to sign up for Obamacare.

He said that kids in their first or second jobs might not get health insurance given to them by employers, so this was an ideal opportunity to sign up.

He insisted that the Healthcare.gov Web site "now works the way it's supposed to." As opposed to the way a 1990s car dealer Web site was supposed to.

Five million people have signed up. I wonder how many would have signed up if the site had worked at the beginning and all the stars in Ellen's selfie had shilled relentlessly for the cause. (Oddly, many are now doing so in this final push.)

Selling. It's a dirty business. That's why having some stars on your side helps.
*Related Links:*
DeGeneres' Oscar tweet leads to $3M Samsung donation
DeGeneres' Oscar selfie tweet captures retweet crown
Texas man and his dogs go after Ellen's selfie retweet record
Ellen's subtle, blurry Samsung selfie at Oscars
Colin Powell, pioneer of the selfie?

 
 
 
  Reported by CNET News.com 11 hours ago.

---

MNsure begins final enrollment push before March 31 deadline

March 20, 2014, 10:37 am

≫ Next: Del. Mark Sickles Town Hall on Government Health Insurance Tonight in Lorton

≪ Previous: Obama to Ellen: Your Samsung selfie was a pretty cheap stunt

$

0

0

It's crunch time at MNsure. The state's health insurance exchange has scheduled hundreds of community events across Minnesota this month to Reported by TwinCities.com 12 hours ago.

Del. Mark Sickles Town Hall on Government Health Insurance Tonight in Lorton

March 20, 2014, 11:24 am

≫ Next: Democrats: It's Time for a Clearer Message and Better Messengers

≪ Previous: MNsure begins final enrollment push before March 31 deadline

$

0

0

Patch Lorton, VA --

Meeting is tonight from 6-8 p.m. at Lorton Station Elementary. Reported by Patch 11 hours ago.

Democrats: It's Time for a Clearer Message and Better Messengers

March 20, 2014, 10:52 am

≫ Next: As Obamacare Deadline Nears, Myths, Misconceptions Confronted

≪ Previous: Del. Mark Sickles Town Hall on Government Health Insurance Tonight in Lorton

$

0

0

This week, the Democratic Party is the party of the people and the Republican Party is the party of the wealthy 1 percent. Too often the messengers of the Democratic Party forget that and get tongue-tied trying to be everything to everybody and end up getting everyone mad.

I am a Democrat and believe in raising the minimum wage; protecting Social Security and Medicare; making college affordable to all children; making sure everyone has health insurance that includes coverage of pre-existing conditions and lets your kids stay on till they are 26. Democrats want our parents to be able to stay in their homes as long as they can and then when they can't anymore, we want to be sure that they have a decent place to live. We believe in God and want everyone to be able to worship in the way they choose. We want to guarantee the civil and human rights of all people no matter their race, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation or sexual identity. We want safe borders and a pathway to citizenship for those immigrants here now. That is a simple message that can get 50.1 percent of the vote.

The loss in Florida's special election doesn't mean much. We had a not very good candidate who, when it was pointed, didn't live in the District 'til she ran, made the brilliant comment, "At least I didn't move from Miami." She also had no solid get-out-the-vote operation.

We know the problems Democrats have. The roll-out of the Affordable Care Act was a disaster and the tweaks the administration is making aren't enough and won't grab the public's attention. The economy is getting better, but too slowly and the President is having a difficult time enunciating a clear foreign policy. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is constantly trying out new messages and falling over their own feet doing it. They send out dozens of emails a day begging for money as if money will fix all their problems. It won't if they don't get the message right and stick to it. There are many candidates who win with less money than their opponents. They win because they connect with people and Democrats must find the way to connect with the people.

All the money our Democratic national political organizations raise should go to getting out the vote. We know we have more voters than the Republican Party and if we get them to the polls we win. Spending millions on negative commercials won't do it. The Koch brothers can spend all they want, but if we get our voters to the polls we win.

Anti-Republican commercials should be simple. If you vote Republican you are voting to not raise the minimum wage; not give immigrants a fair chance; not protect Medicare and Social Security; and not give everyone their civil and human rights. Vote Democratic because you believe in an equal playing field and want to speak out for basic decency.

We are a nation with our best days ahead if we understanding that none of us can make it alone. We often need a little help caring for our children or our parents. The only people that say that government is too big are those rich enough to never need any help. Most of us will never be that rich. When your neighbor needs a hand with their disabled child; when your mother or father need to go into a nursing home; when you count on that unemployment check to help with the rent or mortgage so you don't lose your home; you need that helping hand. Democrats want you to have it and the rich Republicans who fund and control their Party today don't.

Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential campaign when he said, "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them."

His running mate Paul Ryan (R-WI) when talking about rape as a "method of conception' said, "I'm very proud of my pro-life record, and I've always adopted the idea that the position that the method of conception doesn't change the definition of life." Clearly those aren't the people you want running your country or deciding your fate. If you vote Republican that's what you get.

Not everything Democrats do or say is great. But the bottom line for you and your family to live a better life -- for your children to have the chance for a great education; for everyone to make more than today's minimum wage; and to ensure you keep Social Security and Medicare -- you have to vote Democratic. Circle November 4 on your calendar. Come out to vote and take a stand for your family and their future. Reported by Huffington Post 11 hours ago.

As Obamacare Deadline Nears, Myths, Misconceptions Confronted

March 20, 2014, 10:45 am

≫ Next: Restaurant Industry a Key to Transforming Health Care Access in America

≪ Previous: Democrats: It's Time for a Clearer Message and Better Messengers

$

0

0

Filed under: Health Care, Insurance, U.S. Government, Barack Obama

*Val Lawless/Shutterstock*By Karen E. Klein

Recently the inbox for Bloomberg BusinessWeek's Smart Answers column has been filled with questions that show how much confusion remains about the Affordable Care Act among small-business owners. Here are two examples:· I have five employees and can't afford to buy health insurance for them. Will I have to close my doors under Obamacare?
· I have a small business and could get a subsidy for my insurance under Covered California, but I'm afraid that if I do, I could lose my home. Should I pay the total premium myself so my house won't be at risk?

The answer to both of these is: No. First, Obamacare (as the Affordable Care Act is colloquially known) requires only businesses with 50 or more employees to provide health coverage, so the five-person company owner needn't worry. In any case, that part of the law has been delayed until 2015 for all employers and until 2016 for those with from 50 to 99 employees.

As for the second point, people who take advantage of the law's subsidies aren't at risk of losing their homes. The premium subsidies available for people under certain income levels are structured as advance tax credits. If your income goes up unexpectedly and your subsidy isn't adjusted down, you might owe more than expected at tax time. But your home would not be at risk.

*'Lack of Awareness and Confusion'*

Since Americans began enrolling in health plans under the Affordable Care Act on state and federal marketplaces last fall, the simmering myths and misconceptions around the law seem to have reached fever pitch. If questions like these are any indication, confused small-business owners are struggling to get basic information about the law, even with the March 31 deadline to buy coverage for 2014 just days away. It's a pretty safe bet that the bungled healthcare.gov rollout and the torrent of bad press that followed made matters worse.

This means Marcia Davalos has a tough job as Southern California outreach manager for Small Business Majority, a nonprofit advocating for health-care reform, and a certified educator with the state's Covered California exchange. She has been on the road, talking to "tens of thousands" (by her estimate) of small-business owners and self-employed individuals about the Affordable Care Act since June 2013, many in the Latino community because she is fluent in Spanish.

"There's a lack of awareness and confusion about [the ACA] hurting micro-businesses, costing too much, making everyone's insurance rates much more expensive, and making it impossible to find a doctor," she says. "Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of it is being fueled by the media and it's not getting cleared up."

More than 5 million Americans have signed up for health insurance through marketplaces created by the health-care law, and the country's uninsured rate has dropped to the lowest levels since President Obama took office. But signups have been disappointing among certain groups, particularly where the need for insurance coverage is the greatest, including the Hispanic community. Davalos says outreach and communication aimed at that community "has not been as culturally aware and linguistically appropriate as we wanted it to be."

She uses her father, an immigrant who speaks English but mainly gets his news from Spanish-language media, as a benchmark. "My dad will tell me that Obamacare is bad and everyone's complaining about it. Then he hears about people he knows getting covered by Covered California and there's a big disconnect there," she says.

*How Do You Say 'Affordable' in Spanish?*

Part of the disconnect stems from a language barrier, according to a study on racial and ethnic differences in insurance literacy by researchers at the Urban Institute. While more than half of white adults reported confidence in understanding key health insurance terms, only 21 percent of Hispanic adults said the same. The gap narrows but persists, even after controlling for such factors as income and education level."There is a clear distinction in that Hispanics are less aware of the insurance issue and they're enrolling at lower levels," says Sharon K. Long, one of the study's co-authors. "The ads haven't been targeted in a way that resonates with them, so many people are missing the boat."

A marketing campaign that has used direct translations from English to Spanish is one problem. "It's hard enough to understand health insurance choices written in English for an English-speaking audience. It's much, much harder when the words are translated directly into Spanish," Long says. Davalos agrees, noting that even the word "affordable" -- as in Affordable Care Act -- has no good, one-word direct translation. "The closest thing is asequible, but that's a formal word that's not commonly used," she says. An idiom meaning "within the range of your pocketbook" is a better-understood, though cumbersome substitute that she uses.

The marketing campaign for Covered California has also fallen flat among Latinos for two additional reasons, she says. "Surveys show that messages that Latinos respond to the most involve people's stories. And there's been a real big lack in targeting women," Davalos says. "The people making the decisions in the community about health care and how the household money's being spent are Latinas. If we told mothers how this would impact their kids, they would communicate that message."

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Reported by DailyFinance 12 hours ago.

Restaurant Industry a Key to Transforming Health Care Access in America

March 20, 2014, 11:11 am

≫ Next: Mass. ObamaCare website fallout: state could face millions in Medicaid fraud

≪ Previous: As Obamacare Deadline Nears, Myths, Misconceptions Confronted

$

0

0

More than 40 percent of uninsured Americans are 18-34 years old. For the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to be a success, young adults need to enroll, not only because they make up a disproportionate share of those without health care coverage, but also because they are needed to balance the risk pool. To date, one-fourth of the 3.3 million enrolling through the health care exchanges are young adults. This is below the desired 35-40 percent ratio needed to keep premiums low.

Young adults are the largest employee segment of the restaurant and foodservice industry. As the nation's second largest private sector employer with 13.1 million individuals, or 10 percent of the entire U.S. workforce, 43 percent of the workers are under age 26 and an estimated 65 percent of all workers are under age 35.

There is a prime opportunity to target this industry group to advance health care for all. Resources should be flowing to ensure restaurant and foodservice workers are being made aware of the exchanges, about how to enroll, and the potential to receive federal subsidies.

However, applying the ACA in this industry is no easy task. Offering health coverage at the same time as pressures mount to raise the minimum wage is a problem in an industry that operates with low profit margins. In addition, this is a workforce with relatively high turnover (averaging 50-60 percent annually), with part-time, variable-hour and seasonal employees, and with complex ownership structures.

Providing health coverage at large national restaurant brands is difficult enough. But even greater challenges exist for owners, operators and franchisees who are at or around the 50 full-time equivalent threshold that qualify them as large employers, or those with perhaps one or two restaurants or locations, or with plans to open a third. These are some of the employers who may not have been able to offer health coverage. For those who do, often their employees go without it because they work part-time, or are temporary, haven't yet met probationary or waiting period requirements, or can't afford coverage.

Research conducted by Georgetown University's Global Social Enterprise Initiative for the National Restaurant Association indicates that owners and operators across the country say they want to offer health benefits or help their employees understand and access the best coverage choice for them and their families. But, restaurants face considerable uncertainty regarding the impact of the new law on their business costs, largely because they do not know what choices their employees may make. (Read more HERE.)

Will young workers opt to be on their parents' insurance plan? Pay the individual penalty? Or take their employers' coverage? Will these "young invincibles" act as they always have and place health care among their lower priorities, given their relative good health and job status? Will they even bother to check out their options because they think all insurance is unaffordable?

A study by eHealthInsurance reports that only 17 percent of Millennials (18-32 year olds) consider themselves to be well-informed about health care reform. Another recent survey by the Harvard Public Opinion Project (HPOP) shows that Millennials are ambivalent about the ACA. Only 20 percent intend to enroll through an exchange. Nearly half (47 percent) do not intend to enroll, and another 28 percent are undecided. These are daunting challenges to overcome. But, there is a path to a potential solution.

The National Restaurant Association and State Restaurant Associations have taken several steps to help their members comply with the law. These include developing programs and services to help restaurant and foodservice employers with notification, tracking and communication to employees about how to enroll in either employer-sponsored offerings, federal or state exchanges; or seek a health care plan from a private exchange.

There are opportunities for the National Restaurant Association to go even further. The industry could develop a "navigator corps" of trained specialists who travel to restaurants and provide on-site assistance with signing up. Coordinated local and regional health care enrollment fairs with navigators servicing multiple restaurants and employees should be considered. Other tactics are to provide peer-to-peer learning environments for owners and operators to share useful information. The government can help by providing tax credits to companies with part-time employees who dedicate work time for their employees to learn whether they are eligible for subsidies through an exchange. These are just a few examples of how restaurant owners, caterers, and others who want to help get the assistance they need to guide their employees -- young and old -- to get access to health care.

The restaurant and food service industry and the Obama administration have something in common: both want the broadest possible health insurance coverage for those who need it. Reported by Huffington Post 11 hours ago.

Mass. ObamaCare website fallout: state could face millions in Medicaid fraud

March 20, 2014, 11:44 am

≫ Next: Free Health Fair, Obamacare Signup Event in Palm Desert

≪ Previous: Restaurant Industry a Key to Transforming Health Care Access in America

$

0

0

Massachusetts taxpayers may end up paying millions of dollars for the health care coverage of consumers who are not eligible for Medicaid or other government health programs because their incomes are too high. That’s because once an online consumer answers “yes” to the question, “Do you want help paying for health insurance?” on the Massachusetts Health Connector website, the site is unable to determine which applicants qualify for which programs, whether they're state’s Medicaid program,… Reported by bizjournals 11 hours ago.

Free Health Fair, Obamacare Signup Event in Palm Desert

March 20, 2014, 1:19 pm

≫ Next: New Changes to Maryland's Health Insurance Laws Spell Trouble for Large PEOs Unable to Comply

≪ Previous: Mass. ObamaCare website fallout: state could face millions in Medicaid fraud

$

0

0

Patch Banning-Beaumont, CA --

UCR Health, the clinical arm of the UC Riverside School of Medicine, will hold a free health fair and sign-up event for health insurance in Palm Desert Friday.People who attend the event, which starts at 10 a.m. at the UCR Palm Desert campus' Reported by Patch 9 hours ago.

---

New Changes to Maryland's Health Insurance Laws Spell Trouble for Large PEOs Unable to Comply

March 20, 2014, 1:47 pm

≫ Next: City Hall health officals help residents enroll in Affordable Care plans

≪ Previous: Free Health Fair, Obamacare Signup Event in Palm Desert

$

0

0

DULLES, Va., March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Maryland small businesses which adopt health benefit plans issued by certain large Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) are scrambling to comply with new changes to the Maryland Health Insurance Reform Act (the "Act'"), in effect since... Reported by PR Newswire 8 hours ago.

City Hall health officals help residents enroll in Affordable Care plans

March 20, 2014, 1:46 pm

≫ Next: Campaign seeks more young Coloradans for insurance

≪ Previous: New Changes to Maryland's Health Insurance Laws Spell Trouble for Large PEOs Unable to Comply

$

0

0

The March 31st deadline to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is nearing and city officials are helping residents sign up. Until the end of the month residents can go to City Hall, suite 8E18. The Department of Health will have enrollment specialist available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help residents register. Reported by nola.com 9 hours ago.

Campaign seeks more young Coloradans for insurance

March 20, 2014, 2:22 pm

≫ Next: State, contractor blamed for Cover Oregon problems

≪ Previous: City Hall health officals help residents enroll in Affordable Care plans

$

0

0

Colorado health advocates are hitting grocery stores and malls, and even sending out leggy models to get attention for the final days to get health insurance or face a fine. Reported by Miami Herald 8 hours ago.

State, contractor blamed for Cover Oregon problems

March 20, 2014, 2:24 pm

≫ Next: Religious Leaders Support 'Affordable Care Act:' Faith Groups Urge Health Insurance Sign-Up

≪ Previous: Campaign seeks more young Coloradans for insurance

$

0

0

An independent review of Oregon's troubled health insurance exchange has found poor management, an overly ambitious scope and shoddy work by technology contractor Oracle as some of the reasons for Cover Oregon's failed launch. Reported by Miami Herald 8 hours ago.

Religious Leaders Support 'Affordable Care Act:' Faith Groups Urge Health Insurance Sign-Up

March 20, 2014, 3:20 pm

≫ Next: Sebelius back in New Orleans to urge people to by insurance on HealthCare.gov before March 31 deadline

≪ Previous: State, contractor blamed for Cover Oregon problems

$

0

0

WASHINGTON (RNS) On one Friday earlier this month, more than 11,000 Muslims in mosques across the country heard a sermon about the Affordable Care Act.

Hindu and National Baptist groups, meanwhile, are posting online announcements about the White House’s “Faith and Community ACA Days of Action” this weekend (March 21-23).

Jewish women’s groups have visited college campuses to get students who think they’re “invincible” to sign up for health insurance.

As the national March 31 deadline for health insurance enrollment looms and with President Obama’s encouragement, organizations across a range of faiths are working to sign up uninsured Americans for coverage under Obamacare.

“What other time in our history will we be able to help our communities focus on wellness, to help every citizen access a means to be healthy and treat medical conditions, breaking the trend of making emergency rooms and ‘urgent care’ our primary care physicians?” asked Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, director of the African Methodist Episcopal Church’s Social Action Commission.

Her historically black denomination has been involved in 5,000 events as part of a “saturation” campaign that has included rural areas and urban centers. In Georgia alone, a state whose Republican governor has critiqued Obamacare as “anything but affordable,” a team of enrollment experts has visited each of the state’s 600 AME churches.

Enroll America, a nonprofit advocacy group with a “Get Covered America” campaign, has partnered with faith-based groups representing more than 20 million members, said spokesman Justin Nisly. Much of their work is focused on 11 states with high concentrations of uninsured people, and has found willing partners in the National Council of Jewish Women, the group American Muslim Health Professionals and NETWORK, the Catholic social justice group.

“We’ve hosted over 700 outreach and enrollment events at churches, mosques, synagogues and faith centers to engage communities to learn about the options that are available to them,” Nisly said.

Faith leaders have promoted Enroll America’s “Health Care in the Pulpit” program, which includes training volunteers and having information tables after worship services.

PICO National Network, a consortium of faith-based community organizations, has a “Bring Health Care Home” initiative with education or enrollment events planned through March 30. As of mid-March, its member congregations hosted 157 events and reached more than 92,000 people who were either uninsured or likely did not have insurance.

Though experts say it’s impossible to say how many of the 5 million newly enrolled Americans signed up as a result of a religious recruitment effort, the White House views religious leaders as key players. More than 20,000 people participated in webinars that have been hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services’ faith-based office, and Obama joined a March 10 conference call to ask religious officials to reinforce their efforts.

The sign-up campaigns come against a backdrop of deep opposition to the law in some religious corners, fueled by a sense that the law interjects government into people’s private lives, or widespread religious aversion to a controversial contraception mandate included in the new law. The Supreme Court will hear a central challenge to the mandate on March 25.

The Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, has spearheaded information sessions at predominantly Latino churches around the country and radio spots on Hispanic Christian radio stations.

Salguero noted that one in four persons who are eligible but uninsured are Latino. “It’s an urgent need in our community,” he said. “It’s a real service to that underserved community.”

Salguero said he shares other evangelicals’ concerns about Obamacare’s coverage for what they consider to be abortifacients but nevertheless wants to make sure people have a chance to be educated about what the law does and does not include.

“My position is I’m a pro-life person so I don’t want anybody dying of preventable diseases if they can get health care,” he said.

Likewise, in a rare move, the Roman Catholic bishop of San Bernardino, Calif., wrote a letter that was read at Masses in his diocese on March 15-16, noting that undocumented parents should “sign your child up for health insurance immediately” and that opting out could result in fines that will increase over time.

“It is true that our Church has raised objection to elements of the law that relate to contraception and abortion services that might be provided through it,” Bishop Gerald R. Barnes wrote in the March 11 letter, adding that he “fully” supports those objections.

“However, these factors do not mean that we, as Catholics, should disobey the new health care law. If we happen to have an insurance plan that includes services that are objectionable to our faith, which most plans in California do, our response is to not utilize these services.”

The Rev. Gary R. Gunderson, a public health science professor who has worked with the Bush and Obama administrations, said faith groups are key on-the-ground partners in the enrollment push because they often work with the most vulnerable populations.

Gunderson, who teaches at Wake Forest University Divinity School and is a vice president at its related Baptist medical center, recalled a contract worker who told him he was grateful for the health insurance he now had under the Affordable Care Act even though he is a Republican and didn’t vote for Obama.

“The ministry trumps the politics,” Gunderson said. “Signing up for the Affordable Care Act is not like drinking alcohol. It’s not a sin.” Reported by Huffington Post 7 hours ago.

Sebelius back in New Orleans to urge people to by insurance on HealthCare.gov before March 31 deadline

March 20, 2014, 3:09 pm

≫ Next: Health care law has uneven impact on companies

≪ Previous: Religious Leaders Support 'Affordable Care Act:' Faith Groups Urge Health Insurance Sign-Up

$

0

0

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Thursday stood beside New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu for the second time in six weeks to urge Louisianians to sign up for new health insurance before it’s too late.With the clock... Reported by nola.com 7 hours ago.

Health care law has uneven impact on companies

March 20, 2014, 3:39 pm

≫ Next: The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget tops Amazon Best-seller Lists for Retirement Planning and Personal Finance

≪ Previous: Sebelius back in New Orleans to urge people to by insurance on HealthCare.gov before March 31 deadline

$

0

0

Walmart, the largest U.S. private employer, expects $330 million in additional health care costs this year in part because it thinks more employees are signing up for its insurance to meet the law's requirement that most Americans have coverage. On the other end of the spectrum, the owner of a 1-800-Got-Junk franchise near Philadelphia figures he'll save money because his 12 workers now can shop for coverage on public insurance exchanges created by the overhaul. Some businesses are dealing with administrative hassles or rising costs, while others worry about the law's requirement that midsize and big companies offer coverage or face penalties. At the start of this year, United Parcel Service Inc. dropped health insurance benefits for working spouses of the parcel delivery company's nonunion employees who could get coverage elsewhere. Reported by SFGate 7 hours ago.

---

The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget tops Amazon Best-seller Lists for Retirement Planning and Personal Finance

March 20, 2014, 4:05 pm

≫ Next: National report finds 34,000 uninsured in Hawaii eligible for health care savings

≪ Previous: Health care law has uneven impact on companies

$

0

0

This new, definitive guide to living a happier, healthier, more affordable life abroad—The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget—hit shelves this week as one of Amazon’s “Hot New Releases.”

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) March 20, 2014

Less than a week after its official release, The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget—the definitive guide to living a happier, healthier, more affordable life abroad— has claimed top rankings in two of Amazon’s financial book categories—Retirement Planning and Personal Finance.

“More people than ever are realizing that living abroad can significantly improve your retirement and personal finances,” said Jennifer Stevens, Executive Editor of International Living Magazine at InternationalLiving.com. “Living and retiring in a tropical paradise used to seem like an exotic idea out of most people’s reach. But The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget shows that it’s not only possible, but can actually be a sound financial strategy for lots of folks.”

Authors Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher have put many of those overseas financial strategies to work in their own lives since they left Omaha, Nebraska, in 2001, to live abroad.

Thirteen years later, they’ve lived in seven different locations in four Latin American countries and explored dozens more around the world. They’ve distilled those years of experience into this new, definitive guide to choosing, moving to, and living in good-value locales around the world, from Latin America to Southeast Asia to Europe.

In The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget, published by Wiley,
Haskins and Prescher provide a step-by-step roadmap to finding the world’s best communities for English-speaking retirees seeking a happier, healthier, more affordable life in some of the world’s most beautiful and accommodating destinations…often on as little as $25,000 a year or less.

The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget explains how the tough issues of health care, housing costs, property taxes and insurance, and daily living costs can be easily managed in the right overseas locations. Haskins and Prescher share in clear detail how retirees can spend just a fraction of what their day-to-day life costs today yet sacrifice nothing when it comes to quality, comfort, and safety.

But The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget isn’t just for retirees. Haskins and Prescher offer advice about moving overseas with children, starting a business, finding work, and simply living a more meaningful and enjoyable life overseas.

Even for those who want to spend just a few months each year in an exotic location, the authors show that in many cases, “halfway is the right way.” In some of the locations they have identified, total cost of living can be less than winter utility bills alone back home.

Topics covered in The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget include –· How to find the best (and best-value) housing opportunities…
· Whether to rent or buy…
· What kind of health insurance makes sense (and the best locales with low-cost but top-quality public health systems)…
· The places where a car isn’t needed…
· How to manage finances abroad…
· Overcoming language barriers…
· And, of course, detailed information about the most affordable places in the world to retire…

In the right destination, it’s more than possible to live in a charming villa with a gorgeous ocean view, buy a week’s supply of fresh produce from the local farmer’s market for $5 or $10, hire a housekeeper or gardener, and live a high-quality life on a budget of $2,000 a month or less. The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget provides a practical and inspirational blueprint to making it happen.

The authors share budgets, recommendations, tips, advice, and hard-won strategies for success that can be applied by anyone to secure a happier, more affordable, more rewarding life in some of the most beautiful and relaxing locations around the world.

The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget is the comprehensive, all-in-one guide that retirees have been waiting for to help them successfully plan and accomplish their move to the overseas paradise of their choice.

The book, available in hardcover, currently appears on the Amazon.com “Hot New Releases” list and at the top of the Retirement Planning and Personal Finance categories. Details here.

You can read more about what’s in the book, including the table of contents (and watch a video interview with the authors), here.

Editor's Note: Members of the media have full permission to reproduce the article linked above once credit is given to InternationalLiving.com.

Media Contact: For information about InternationalLiving.com content republishing, available source material or to book an interview for radio, TV or print with one of our experts, contact Associate Editor Carol Barron, 772-678-0287 (US), CBarron@InternationalLiving.com or visit the Media Center. For automatic updates on the most current stories, follow International Living Media on Twitter.

For more than 30 years, InternationalLiving.com has been the leading authority for anyone looking for global retirement or relocation opportunities. Through its monthly magazine and related e-letters, extensive website, podcasts, online bookstore, and events held around the world, InternationalLiving.com provides information and services to help its readers live better, travel farther, have more fun, save more money, and find better business opportunities when they expand their world beyond their own shores. InternationalLiving.com has more than 200 correspondents traveling the globe, investigating the best opportunities for travel, retirement, real estate, and investment.

### Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.

National report finds 34,000 uninsured in Hawaii eligible for health care savings

March 20, 2014, 6:39 pm

≫ Next: Sebelius, Veasey urge North Texans to get health insurance by March 31

≪ Previous: The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget tops Amazon Best-seller Lists for Retirement Planning and Personal Finance

$

0

0

About 34,000 uninsured Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders living in Hawaii are likely  eligible for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program or tax credits that would lower the cost of premiums,   according to a repor t by the  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Honolulu alone accounts for 25,000 of those 34,000 estimated to be eligible for no-cost or discounted health insurance premiums. Tom Matsuda, interim executive director of the Hawaii Health… Reported by bizjournals 4 hours ago.

Sebelius, Veasey urge North Texans to get health insurance by March 31

March 20, 2014, 6:39 pm

≫ Next: Connecticut health official accuses Massachusetts of hoarding $45 million federal grant for New England health insurance collaborative

≪ Previous: National report finds 34,000 uninsured in Hawaii eligible for health care savings

$

0

0

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visited North Texas Thursday to urge residents to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act before the March 31 deadline. Sebelius made a stop at Tarrant County College’s south campus, joining U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth; state Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth; Tarrant County Commissioner Roy C. Brooks; and TCC Chancellor Erma C. Johnson Hadley. Statewide, more than one in four Texans lack health insurance. More than… Reported by bizjournals 4 hours ago.

Connecticut health official accuses Massachusetts of hoarding $45 million federal grant for New England health insurance collaborative

March 20, 2014, 9:25 pm

≫ Next: Tea Party Candidate First Ever to Win as Write-In for PA State Senate

≪ Previous: Sebelius, Veasey urge North Texans to get health insurance by March 31

$

0

0

The Obama administration’s hopes that Massachusetts would serve as a model for New England states enrolling residents in health insurance has collapsed in a bitter regional feud over tens of millions of dollars, victim of the botched rollout of the Bay State’s online insurance portal.
 
 
 
  Reported by Boston.com 52 minutes ago.

Tea Party Candidate First Ever to Win as Write-In for PA State Senate

March 20, 2014, 8:35 pm

≫ Next: Discrimination's Religious Cloak

≪ Previous: Connecticut health official accuses Massachusetts of hoarding $45 million federal grant for New England health insurance collaborative

$

0

0

A Tea Party candidate became the first ever state senator in Pennsylvania to win as a write-in candidate on Tuesday in a special election that showed how dissatisfied voters are, even at the local level, with both organized political parties.

During the campaign, conservative Republican Scott Wagner was blistered by establishment Republicans that he accused of "orchestrating the special election in such a way to hand the seat, vacated by Mike Waugh in January," to the establishment Republican candidate Ron Miller. 

According to the Patriot-News, Wagner captured 48 percent of the vote in York County while Democrat Linda Small got 26 percent and establishment Republican Ron Miller 27 percent. Wagner will immediately "serve as the state senator representing the 28th District through Nov. 30, allowing Republicans to maintain their 27 to 23 majority in the chamber. The seat is up for election for a four-year term later this year."

"You sit down at the table. You drink a cup of coffee or you have lunch in somebody's office and you have to learn a little bit of their story, and they have to learn a little bit of my story," Wagner said, according to the Patriot-News. "But what I'm all about is more representative of what's reality on the street… I didn't get where I am today by not sitting down.”

Wagner, who owns a trucking company, "comes to the Senate planning to be a maverick by not accepting a taxpayer-funded pension or health insurance, limiting himself to two terms, limiting his contacts with special interests, and working to downsize state government." 

"I don't fear the Republican Party, trust me," Wagner said, according to the York Dispatch. "They ran their best guy... and he broke his legs halfway around the track."

Wagner simply ran on “a platform of smaller government and fiscal conservatism," and that focused message allowed him to survive the onslaught of negative ads against him and his trucking business.

He has to go right back into campaign mode, though, because Wagner will face a primary on May 20 for the Republican nomination in November against two candidates, including Miller.

 
 
 
  Reported by Breitbart 2 hours ago.