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Guest column: Insurance commissioner’s new regulations will send health costs soaring

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New regulations from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner will limit consumer choice and drive up the cost of health insurance in Washington. The new regulations, which will be finalized this month, dramatically exceed federal requirements under the Affordable Care Act. In fact, they are by far the most extensive, complex and restrictive in the nation. And this is only the first half of what is to be a two-part rule-making process. The problem is that the new rules will limit insurers’ ability… Reported by bizjournals 14 hours ago.

This Is Who They Are: The Republican Budget Vote

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This week, the House of Representatives will vote on the Republican budget, presented by Republican Budget Chair Paul Ryan (as well as alternatives from the Democratic leadership, the Congressional Progressive Caucus "Better Off Budget," the right-wing Republican Study Group budget and Congressional Black Caucus)." Republicans are reportedly lined up to vote for the Ryan budget, with the exception of a handful that think it is not extreme enough.

The budget, of course, is dead on arrival in the Senate. So this is a message statement, a voluntary vote to let Americans know where Republicans stand. As Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), the chief deputy majority whip. stated, "This is now viewed as something that identifies who we are. It's strongly identified with [House Republicans]. It'll pass." (emphasis added)

This "identifies who we are." So who are they. In brief summation, the Ryan budget is a remarkably disingenuous document. Its authors claim to be putting the "tough choices" before voters. But it identifies the taxes that Republicans would cut, but not the loopholes they would close or the taxes they would raise to pay for the cuts as promised. It identifies the savings that they would create, but not the programs that they would cut in achieve them.

Even with that the Republican budget does identify "who we are," what they value, what their priorities are. These are unsurprising but remarkably unconscionable.

The budget that Republicans will choose to vote for will...

*Cut taxes on the rich *

The Citizens for Tax Justice estimates that even if Republicans eliminated every loophole claimed by the wealthy, lowering the top rates to 25 percent will still hand millionaires an average tax cut of $200,000 a year.

*Cut taxes on multinationals*

It would lower the top rate of corporate taxes. But most important it calls for moving toward a territorial system for taxing multinationals which in essence turns the entire world outside the US into a tax haven where corporations can move jobs and report profits without having to pay US taxes.

*Hike spending on the Pentagon*

The Pentagon is slated to spend $6 trillion over the next decade, with annual spending up at the end of the current five-year plan up 27% over 2001 in constant dollars. Republicans argue that is not enough, adding nearly $500 billion over the 10 years over sequestration levels (about $273 billion higher than President Obama's budget). This will pay for policing the world; it does not include the costs of the wars that inevitably result from that policing.

*Eliminate health insurance for an estimated 40 million Americans.*

The Republican budget repeals Obamacare without replacing it. It would turn Medicare into a voucher of declining value -- known as a "premium" -- for today's 55-year-olds and younger. It would gut Medicaid, repealing the Obamacare expansion, turning it into a bloc grant and cutting it one of four dollars by 2024. Private insurance companies will ration health care by the ability to pay.

*Inflict savage cuts in domestic investments*

The Republican budget cuts domestic programs by a staggering 1/3 compared to inflation adjusted levels over the next decade. This includes aid for schools, Head Start, child nutrition, roads and bridges, water systems, border security, the FBI, environmental protection and more. In relation to the size of our economy, spending levels would end up at about ½ where they were under Ronald Reagan. Republicans will not specify where the cuts come from, which is just as well, since it is inconceivable that they will take place.

*Slash programs for the most vulnerable*

Even while cutting taxes on the rich and the multinationals, the Republican budget would slash support for the most vulnerable -- Pell grants, Supplemental Nutrition, housing, home heating, child care, and more would be rolled back. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that fully 69 percent of the Republican budget cuts are taken from the poorest and most vulnerable Americans. But of course, poor people don't contribute to campaigns or hire lobbyists.

*This Is Who They Are*

House Republicans will line up to pass this budget. At the same time, they will not even allow a vote on raising the minimum wage or extending unemployment benefits to the long-term unemployed.

There are many things wrong with the Republican budget. Its austerity will cost jobs and cripple the economy. Its tax cuts will add to Gilded Age inequality. Its Big Oil agenda continues to ignore catastrophic climate change. Its numbers don't add up. Its claim to balance the budget in a decade depends on funny money -- assuming faster growth, keeping Obamacare's tax revenue while repealing its benefits, etc.

But put the disagreements aside. Simply accept Republicans at their word: This is who they are. These are their values. These are the priorities that they choose to endorse. And then pray for the future of this country. Reported by Huffington Post 13 hours ago.

Competing for the Latino Vote in Texas Part II: The Democrats' Dilemma

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By Loren McArthur, Deputy Director, Civic Engagement, NCLR

This two-part blog series explores the challenges and opportunities that a rising Hispanic electorate presents to both the GOP and Democrats. You can read Part I here.

The conventional narrative is that Democrats need only wait for the rising tide of Hispanic population growth to lift their political fortunes in Texas. But unless Democrats do a better job at mobilizing Hispanic voters, they may end up waiting for a long time. Just 39 percent of eligible Hispanic voters in Texas participated in the 2012 elections. The Center for American Progress projects that there will be more than 900,000 new eligible Hispanic voters in Texas by 2016. However, if Hispanics and non-Hispanics participate at rates similar to 2012, Latino vote share will essentially remain flat at 22 percent of the Texas electorate. Democrats can bend the curve on these trend lines, but doing so will require a concerted effort to reach out to Hispanic voters and speak to the issues important to the Hispanic community.

Many factors contribute to low Hispanic participation rates in Texas, but one that looms large is the lack of competitive races in districts where Latinos reside. As a result both of gerrymandering and geography, Latino voters are packed into just nine Hispanic opportunity districts on the congressional level. Virtually none of these districts are competitive. The absence of competitive races has translated into a lack of investment in Hispanic voter outreach. In 2012, just 25 percent of Hispanic voters in Texas reported being contacted by a campaign, political party, or community organization regarding voting. By comparison, in the swing states of Colorado and Nevada, 59 percent and 51 percent of Hispanic voters were contacted, respectively; and Latino participation rates were greater than 50 percent in both states. If Democrats want Texas to resemble Colorado and Nevada, they must make similar investments in Hispanic outreach.

Democrats must also provide substantive policy proposals that can galvanize Hispanics, who vote based on issues rather than party affiliation. Obama's decision to stop deporting DREAMers is a good case study: 59 percent of Hispanic voters in Texas reported that they were more enthusiastic about his candidacy as a result of the policy. In 2014, health and education issues provide opportunities for Democrats in Texas to distinguish themselves from Republicans and attract Hispanic support and participation. In 2011, the Republican-controlled state legislature cut $5.4 billion in public education funding, with a disproportionate impact on Hispanics, who represent 48 percent of all public school students in Texas. Governor Perry's decision to block Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act has denied health insurance to 583,000 Hispanics.

Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, may be the Democrats' best hope for galvanizing Hispanic voters in 2014. Van de Putte is Hispanic and a self-described "sixth generation Tejana." As a state senator, Van de Putte has been a champion on issues important to Hispanics, including education and Medicaid expansion. In contrast, Dan Patrick, a potential Republican opponent, has used campaign rhetoric demonizing Hispanic immigrants, repeatedly calling for an end to the "illegal invasion from Mexico." A general election contest between Van de Putte and Patrick would provide a real contrast for Latinos that could spur Hispanic participation.

In the governor's race, Democrat Wendy Davis has made education a centerpiece of her campaign, an agenda that could resonate with Hispanic voters. Davis performed poorly in the Democratic primary in heavily Hispanic border counties; however, she has since stepped up her Hispanic outreach, making campaign appearances in a number of border communities. To attract and mobilize Hispanic voters, Davis must intensify her Hispanic outreach and prioritize issues important to the Hispanic community.

For the moment, gubernatorial candidates from both parties appear to recognize the importance of winning Hispanic voters: the Republican nominee, Greg Abbott, has declared his goal of surpassing George Bush's record for Hispanic voter support. Having both Democrats and Republicans compete for the Hispanic vote is good for the Hispanic community. A growing and engaged Hispanic electorate should be welcomed by all those in Texas who want a strong economy, good schools, and healthy communities, since those are priorities shared by Hispanic voters.

This was first posted to the NCLR Blog. Reported by Huffington Post 12 hours ago.

Covered in Oregon: Meet Carol, who bypassed Cover Oregon and went for a pricey premium

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When Carol Robinson went shopping for a new health insurance plan for 2014, she didn’t mess around. She and her husband, who are both in their 50s, joined the ranks of the self-employed last year after having employer-based coverage, so they had some decisions to make.  "I wanted to go into 2014 knowing our costs," she said. Robinson, now a Beaverton-based health IT consultant, did her homework. She compared plans on Einsurance and Cover Oregon and ran the numbers. In the end, she purchased… Reported by bizjournals 12 hours ago.

New Obamacare Patients Stock Up on Drugs, Except Birth Control

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New patients who bought health insurance on the Obamacare exchanges have been stocking up on prescriptions, with one notable exception — birth control, new data show. Reported by msnbc.com 12 hours ago.

Save the Economy: Bring U.S. Manufacturing Home

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The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO is meeting up in Pittsburgh this week for it's biannual convention. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a confederation of labor unions, so there are all kinds of folks here. There are steel workers, fire fighters, nurses, teachers, home health aids, truck drivers, even college professors.

Pennsylvania state president, Richard Bloomingdale, says the only people who aren't at the event are labor bosses, because "there aren't any bosses, there are only elected officials." That's one of the things the delegates are in Pittsburgh to do this week, elect their officers and approve or reject several dozen resolutions and a few constitutional amendments. It's the democratic nature of labor unions that Bloomingdale emphasizes when he speaks about collective bargaining.

The event -- like all conferences -- attracts exhibitors and vendors as well. Many of those folks are private entrepreneurs. People like Bill Birtle who owns All Union Signs in Harrisburg and is proud of his employees who come to work everyday and earn not only a paycheck, "but health insurance and a decent retirement."

Other exhibitors come to work the crowd. Many hope to make the delegates more aware of the political world outside their job or their union. Alliance for American Manufacturing's (AAM) steel worker liaison, Ike Gittlen, is packing a big message. Gittlen wants the delegates to go home to their locals and agitate at a grassroots level to get Congress to make China "stop cheating."

Gittlen explains -- with the help of research provided in the tome "Remaking America" -- 63,300 U.S. factories have been shuttered since 2001. Since that time the investment in foreign products has exceeded sales abroad by $7.08 trillion. That's $22,556 per American and an average of $90,224 for a family of four that's left the U.S. economy.

Gittlen's acknowledges the theory that the U.S. can survive on a service economy but he's not buying it. Gittlen says that China is manufacturing and China is in much better financial shape than the U.S. with greater growth and lower unemployment.

Gittlen says that repairing the U.S. economy requires the, "revitalizing of manufacturing." And Gittlen isn't alone in that thinking. "Rebuilding America" cites "A survey conducted in 2012 by Republican and Democratic pollsters, 89 percent of voters said they favor a strategy for supporting U.S. manufacturers." Gittlen explained, "The one thing everyone agrees on -- Tea Partiers agree with liberals -- is manufacturing. All people want a couple of things. They want good jobs and manufacturing can provide good jobs. They want to live in a first world nation with decent trade policies."

Gittlen and his field team at the convention want the union delegates to go home and pressure politicians -- especially during the primaries -- to get right about reshoring American manufacturing and enforcing existing trade agreements. Gittlen says the difference between foreign manufacturing and American-made that makes the imported goods cheaper isn't so much the difference in the price of labor as it is the massive subsidies and currency manipulation practiced abroad, especially in China.

When it comes to Chinese currency manipulation it appears that Congress agrees. Year after year hundreds of congresspersons co-sponsor legislation to bring China into line -- the Senate has even approved the legislation -- but the bills are never allowed out of committee for a vote in the House.

Because of this, not only is there an unfair lower price placed on Chinese goods -- says Gittlen -- but they are often manufactured in a manner that would be illegal in the U.S. Gittlen advocates for a level playing field for domestic manufacturers. He says that they shouldn't have to compete with factories that can kill their workers or destroy the environment.

AAM warns that if manufacturing stays gone from the U.S. that the high tech jobs will follow. AAM field organizer, Mark Musho, explained, "Research and Development will go where production is. MIT did a study saying that sooner or later R&D has to be near manufacturing. The scientists have to be able to walk onto the factory floor."

AAM doesn't just warn that private industry will suffer from all this off-shoring of manufacturing but national security is at risk as well. In AAM's publication Remaking American Security, author Brigadier General John Adams details what he sees as "supply chain vulnerabilities" as everything from smart bombs to rubber gloves are made overseas by folks who may not remain enamored of U.S. interests.

For the first time in America, the number of people out of work exceeds the number of people working in manufacturing, and that means that AAM's message is being heard loud and clear by the AFL-CIO delegates this week and AAM hopes that message will go straight from the Pittsburgh convention to their congressional representatives back home. Reported by Huffington Post 11 hours ago.

HUFFPOLLSTER: New Jerseyans Divided On Christie

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New Jersey residents don't buy Christie's defense, but half still approve of his performance. An ACA focus group in Colorado gets a long form write-up from USA Today. And non-representative XBox polls are both a scientific advance and the most boring video game ever. This is HuffPollster for Wednesday, April 9, 2014.

*TWO NEW POLLS FIND NEW JERSEY DIVIDED ON CHRISTIE* - Quinnipiac: "The investigation clearing New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie of involvement in Bridgegate was a 'whitewash,' Garden State voters say, as *the governor's job approval drops to 49 - 44 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll* released today. New Jersey voters are divided 48 - 48 percent on whether Gov. Christie is more of a leader or more of a bully, his worst "bully" score ever. The governor's job approval is down from a 55 - 38 percent score in a January 15 survey by the independent Quinnipiac University, in which 54 percent of voters said he was more of a leader while 40 percent said he was more of a bully." Quinnipiac

*Rutgers poll finds skepticism of Christie defense* Rutgers-Eagleton Poll: "While Christie has stemmed the fall in his personal ratings after a double-digit drop in the wake of 'Bridgegate', voters are generally negative about Christie’s truthfulness and recent developments in the investigation. Half of voters have a favorable impression of the governor while 42 percent feel unfavorable, essentially unchanged since February. Job performance numbers also show little change: 55 percent approve and 41 percent disapprove. But, just 22 percent fully believe Christie’s explanation regarding the lane closures while 26 percent say they somewhat believe him. The largest group, *49 percent, says they do not believe him at all*. As for the recent taxpayer-funded report commissioned by the governor’s office that cleared Christie of all wrongdoing, nearly two-thirds say the internal review does not offer an objective assessment, versus three in ten who say it does. [Eagleton Poll]

*Why the approval rating matters* - NBC's First Read: "In today’s political climate, having an approval rating near 50% is more of a blessing, especially given all the negative scrutiny surrounding Christie. But here’s what is problematic for the governor when it relates to 2016: *A rationale for a presidential bid was going to be predicated on being the INCREDIBLY popular Republican governor of a blue state*, not someone who was close to 50% in job approval." [NBC]

*And nationally?* - Kathleen Frankovic does a "reputation audit" on Christie using YouGov's national polling: "Economist/YouGov Polls in January found opinions of Christie becoming more negative after Bridgegate became better known...In the latest poll, *just 30% have a favorable opinion of Christie. Nearly half are negative*... Democrats, who began the year judging Christie positively, are now overwhelmingly unfavorable...The Governor has had problems with Republicans for a while. Compared to other possible more conservative GOP 2016 candidate, Republicans have tended to view Christie less favorably. Most Republicans call themselves conservatives, and don’t see Christie that way. 38% of Republicans agree that Christie is conservative, but more think of his as a moderate – or even a liberal. But the poll finding that may be the most disturbing to Christie and to those who support his presidential candidacy in 2016 is that today relatively few Republicans want him. *Just 30% of Republicans say they want Christie to run for President*; only 41% of Republicans even think he has the qualifications to do so. [YouGov]

*HOW NON-RANDOM SAMPLES CAN WORK* - Andrew Gelman: "The traditional gold standard of polling is probability sampling, where you contact people selected at random from a list of the population. But probability sampling isn’t so great anymore. With response rates in the 10 percent range, there is concern that the select group of people who happen to respond to surveys are nothing like a random sample of the population of adult Americans, or even the population of voters…An alternative approach is opt-in polling, often performed on the Internet…We analyzed data from an opt-in poll from the Xbox—that’s right, the Xbox gaming platform—collected during the month or so before the 2012 presidential election...After adjusting the Xbox responses via multilevel regression and poststratification, we obtain estimates in line with forecasts from leading poll analysts, which were based on aggregating hundreds of traditional polls conducted during the election cycle…*The moral of the story is not that Xbox always wins or that a non-representative poll will always do fine. It’s all about the adjustment.* For a political poll with background variables such as age, ethnicity, state, and previous vote, we have a lot of good information that allows a sharp adjustment. In more unknown settings, we have to be more careful. But for many purposes it looks like we can move beyond the brute force approach of calling thousands of people on the phone." [WashPost]

*Twitter reactions*:

-Political scientist *Drew Linzer*: "Some people aren't going to like this, but count me a fan: Scientific polling from biased samples." [@DrewLinzer]

-Pollster *Steve Koczela*, responding to Linzer: "Indeed some aren't. But the conversation is well-past due." [@skoczela]

-Political Scientist *Kevin Collins* (D): "Opt-in polling, when adjusted using MRP, can predict election outcomes..." [@kwcollins]

-Political scientist *Michael McDonald*, responding to Collins: "in pres elections maybe (N=1). Relies heavily on party weighting so maybe key is party weighting" [@ElectProject]

-Loyal Democrat *DCCyclone*: "Well even if it works 'Election Poll!' is still the most boring X-box game ever." [@DCCyclone]

*FOCUS GROUP FINDS EVOLVING REACTIONS TO ACA* - Susan Page: "Six months ago, USA TODAY brought together 10 uninsured Coloradans in the Mile High City to discuss what they thought about the Affordable Care Act as the law's first enrollment period was about to open. A few hours before the March 31 midnight deadline when enrollment would close, six of those participants and five additional people in similar circumstances gathered over soft drinks in a conference room at KUSA-TV to discuss what they had done about it. Their stories reflect the promise and the problems of the biggest expansion of health care in America in a half-century. Four are delighted and relieved to finally have health insurance. Three made at least some efforts to sign up but found the process too complicated or confusing to complete. And the final four decided they'd rather take their chances and pay the fine….A statewide poll taken by USA TODAY and Princeton Survey Research Associates found that *Coloradans, insured and uninsured, have learned more about the law during the past six months but don't like it any better*. Nearly three of four say they understand its impact on them and their families, at least somewhat. Six in 10 have seen TV ads sponsored by Connect for Health Colorado." [USA Today]

*HUFFPOLLSTER VIA EMAIL!* - You can receive this daily update every weekday via email! Just click here, enter your email address, and and click "sign up." That's all there is to it (and you can unsubscribe anytime).

*WEDNESDAY'S 'OUTLIERS'* - Links to the best of news at the intersection of polling, politics and political data:

-Two leading Democrats begin with early leads in the contest for Massachusetts governor. [WNEU]

-The New York tri-state region complains most about high taxes. [Gallup]

-New Jersey residents are divided on legalizing marijuana. [Monmouht]

-California Gov. Jerry Brown's approval rating hits a new high of 59 percent. [Field]

-Democrat Bruce Braley leads his possible Republican rivals for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat. [Suffolk]

-Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisc.) has a double-digit lead over rival Mary Burke. [WBAY]

-Rasmussen finds Republican Senate candidates leading in Nebraska. [Rasmussen]

-Many Republican Senate candidates this year are perceived as relatively mainstream in comparison to 2012 Tea Partiers. [WashPost]

-Asian American voter turnout in midterm elections lags behind that of other racial groups. [Pew Research]

-Democracy Corps (D) tests a "women's economic agenda" they argue "has the power to impact the vote and turnout." [DCorps]

-Micah Roberts (R) sees independents taking Republican stands on key issues for 2014. [POS]

-Mark Mellman (D) finds voters prefer their representatives spend more time at home rather than getting to know their D.C. colleagues and "building the personal relationships that will allow them to break the gridlock." [The Hill]

-David Hill (R) sees an anti-marijuana backlash coming. [The Hill]

-Adrianna McIntyre assesses the RAND report on changes in the uninsured rate. [Incidential Economist]

-White Americans are more likely to describe themselves as conservatives after being told that whites might soon be a minority in the U.S. [Vox]

-Most Americans say doing taxes is easy. [AP]

-eHarmony data shows that people want to date people like themselves. [538] Reported by Huffington Post 11 hours ago.

GOP on MNsure oversight panel want 2015 rates released Oct. 1

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Republicans on the MNsure Legislative Oversight Committee want health insurance rates for 2015 released by Oct. 1 -- prior to the November elections. Reported by TwinCities.com 9 hours ago.

The Stunning Metamorphosis Of An "Obama Girl"

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The Stunning Metamorphosis Of An Obama Girl This is Carey Wedler (the one with the Obama shirt) approximately six years ago, when she was, in her own words, a fervent "Obama girl" who believed the myth about "hope and change."

 

 

And this is Carey Wedler now, grown up, who has finally "googled the news", and having seen through the lies, realizes that Obama has "become exactly like the George Bush" that she "used to so vitriolically hate."

Below are some of her observations on all the "mayhem and crime" committed by the president:

· You bailed out bankers and placed them in your cabinet.
· You placed Monsanto in charge of your FDA
· You helped out pharmaceutical and health insurance companies with Obamacare
· You expanded Bush's wars and started new ones with drones branding yourself a humanitarian war monger
· You bragged about crippling sanctions against Iran though they directly affected civilians
· You extended the patriot act and asserted your right to spy on the American people
· You asserted your right to detain them without trial
· You seized the authority to assassinate Americans without providing any evidence of their guilt or offering them due process of law
· You viciously punish journalists and pursue whistleblowers who expose your crimes though you vowed to protect them when you were running for office
· You arm Al Qaeda insurgents and refused to close Guantanamo, and you along with congress have criminalized protest
· And still you have the audacity to scold dictators about democracy, protests and freedom

Her conclusion:

· Mr. Obama - you are the biggest fraud that has ever been perpetrated on the American people and it's been a long time since I bought into it so I think it's about time to burn your shirt.

Wow - *she got all of that from a google search?*

Watch her full clip below, because it goes on and culminates with Carey's full metamorphosis from an "Obama girl" to a full-blown libertarian.

Congratulations Carey for figuring out at a young age what most Americans will never realize in their entire lives.

h/t @DavidBCollum Reported by Zero Hedge 9 hours ago.

Uninsured Mother of 3 Dies Because She Was Unable to Pay for Treatment for Heart Condition

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Uninsured Mother of 3 Dies Because She Was Unable to Pay for Treatment for Heart Condition Uninsured Mother of 3 Dies Because She Was Unable to Pay for Treatment for Heart Condition
Republicans’ “Callous Neglect” to Blame for Uninsured Woman’s Death
Uninsured Florida Woman Dies from Heart Condition; Lack of Health Insurance Called “Callous Neglect”
Florida Woman in Health Coverage Gap Dies Because Unable to Pay for Heart Condition Treatment
Uninsured Mother of 3 Dies Because She Was Unable to Pay for Treatment for Heart Condition
Not Optimized

Charlene Dill, a 32-year-old mother of three, collapsed and died in March because she was uninsured and could not afford the treatment for her chronic health condition.

President Obama’s Medicaid program was expanded so that low-income citizens would have access to a public health plan; however, the Supreme Court ruled that states have the option to turn down the expanded health coverage program. Florida is one of the states that refused to accept Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion.

Thus, people who make too much money to qualify for a public Medicaid plan, but too little to qualify for the federal subsidies to buy a plan on Obamacare’s private exchanges have been left in a coverage gap.

Dill, a Florida resident, was left working three part-jobs to make ends meet – and without health insurance.

When she used the online calculator to sign up for Obamacare on HealthCare.gov, she found that she fell within the coverage gap. In March, she was selling a vacuum cleaner at a stranger’s apartment when she died of the documented heart condition that she could not afford to treat.

In the past, Dill’s best friend, Kathleen Voss Woolrich, had occasionally turned to crowdfunding sites on the internet to raise money to pay for Dill’s heart medication. In March, Woolrich again turned to crowdfunding, this time to pay for Dill’s funeral.

A recent study conducted by Harvard researchers showed that Dill’s tragic death may soon become a widespread problem: the study estimated that as many as 17,000 people will die directly as a result of their state’s refusal to expand Medicaid.

In Florida, which has one of the highest uninsured rates in the nation, this means that Dill’s death is only one of about six such deaths every single day.

Sources: http://thinkprogress.org, http://www.dailykos.com

Photo Sources: http://thinkprogress.org

Sources: http://thinkprogress.org, http://www.dailykos.com

Photo Sources: http://thinkprogress.org

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Guest Post: 16 Signs That Most Americans Are Not Prepared For The Coming Economic Collapse

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Submitted by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog,

Sometimes I think that I sound like a broken record.  I am constantly using phrases such as "get prepared while you still can" and "time is running out".  In fact, I use them so often that people are starting to criticize me for it.  But the truth is that only a small percentage of people out there are actively taking steps to get ready for what is coming.  Most of the country is not prepared at all.  In many ways, it is just like 2007 all over again.  There were many people that could see what was about to happen and were doing all they could to warn people, but most did not listen.  And then the great financial crisis of 2008 struck and millions of people lost their jobs and their homes.  *Unfortunately, the next great wave of the economic collapse is going to be even more painful than the last one.  It is imperative that people get prepared for what is on the horizon, but for the most part it is just not happening.*

*A lot of it has to do with the fact that we have such short memories and such short attention spans in America today.*  Thanks to years of television and endless hours on the Internet, I find myself having a really hard time focusing on anything for more than just a few moments.  And we are accustomed to living in an "instant society" where we don't have to wait for anything.  In such a society, we are used to "news cycles" that only last for 24 hours and very few people take a "long-term view" of anything.

And another one of the big problems that we are facing is something called "normalcy bias".  The following is how Wikipedia defines it...



The *normalcy bias*, or normality bias, refers to a mental state people enter when facing a disaster. It causes people to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and its possible effects. This often results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster, and on a larger scale, the failure of governments to include the populace in its disaster preparations. The assumption that is made in the case of the normalcy bias is that since a disaster never has occurred then it never will occur. It also results in the inability of people to cope with a disaster once it occurs. People with a normalcy bias have difficulties reacting to something they have not experienced before. People also tend to interpret warnings in the most optimistic way possible, seizing on any ambiguities to infer a less serious situation.



Over the past several years, the U.S. economy has been relatively stable.  And that is a good thing.  But it has also lulled millions upon millions of people into a false sense of security and complacency.  At this point, most Americans consider 2008 to be a temporary bump in the road, and most assume that the U.S. economy will always be strong.

Unfortunately, that is not the truth.  As I have written about previously, the long-term trends that are destroying our economy have continued to get worse since 2008, and none of the problems that caused the last financial crisis have been fixed.

We are steamrolling toward the edge of an economic cliff, and most people in our entertainment-addicted society are totally oblivious to what is going on.  So they are not doing anything to get ready for the immense economic pain that is coming.  The following are 16 signs that most Americans are completely unprepared for the coming economic collapse...

*#1* Could you come up with $2000 right now?  According to a shocking study that was just released, most Americans could not...



Forty percent of individuals in the U.S. said they could not or probably could not come up with $2,000 if an unexpected need arose, according to research by Atif Mian of Princeton University and Amir Sufi of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.



*#2* In that same study, Americans were asked the following question...



"Do you have 3 months emergency funds to cover expenses in case of sickness, job loss, economic downturn?"



An astounding 60 percent of people that responded said that they do not.

*#3* Another study found that less than one out of every four Americans has enough money stored away to cover six months of expenses.

*#4* Some people are actually trying really hard to get ahead, but admittedly that is really tough to do when we are all being taxed into oblivion.  In fact, it was reported this week that Americans now spend more on taxes than they spend on food, clothing and housing combined.

*#5* Right now, more Americans are dependent on the government than ever before.  In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 49 percent of all Americans live in a home that currently gets direct monetary benefits from the federal government.

*#6* It is estimated that less than 10 percent of the entire U.S. population owns any gold or silver for investment purposes.  That is a stunning number.

*#7* It has been estimated that there are approximately 3 million "preppers" in the United States.  But that means that almost everyone else is not prepping.

*#8-16* The following are nine more statistics that come from a survey conducted by the Adelphi Center for Health Innovation.  As you can see, a significant portion of the population is not even prepared for a basic emergency that would last for just a few days...

· 44 percent don’t have first-aid kits
· 48 percent lack emergency supplies
· 53 percent do not have a minimum three-day supply of nonperishable food and water at home
· 55 percent believe local authorities will come to their rescue if disaster strikes
· 52 percent have not designated a family meeting place if they are separated during an emergency
· 42 percent do not know the phone numbers of all of their immediate family members
· 21 percent don’t know if their workplace has an emergency preparedness plan
· 37 percent do not have a list of the drugs they are taking
· 52 percent do not have copies of health insurance documents

What do you think is going to happen to these people once the economy collapses and there is chaos in the streets?

How are they going to survive?

After all of these years of writing about the coming economic collapse, nothing has changed as far as the long-term outlook is concerned.

*We are still heading toward a complete and total economic meltdown.*

*But most Americans continue to have faith in the system, and the mainstream media keeps assuring them that everything is going to be just fine.*

And in this "dumbed-down" society of ours, most people are perfectly content to let others do their thinking for them.  In America today, only one out of every six Americans can even find Ukraine on a map of the world.  That is how far we have fallen.

In this day and age, it is imperative that we all learn how to think for ourselves.  The foundations of our society are crumbling, our economic system is failing and the blind are leading the blind.  If we do not learn to make our own decisions, we are just going to follow the rest of the herd into oblivion.

In addition, we all need to start taking a long-term view of things.  Just because the economic collapse is not going to happen this month does not mean that it is not going to happen.  When you step back and take a broader view of what is happening, it becomes exceedingly clear where we are heading.

Sadly, most Americans will never do that. Reported by Zero Hedge 8 hours ago.

HCA Cuts Costs for the Uninsured, but Medical Billing Advocates of America asks, What About All Other Payers?

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Hospital Corporation of America has announced a fee discount on “trauma activation” fees to the uninsured. However, MBAA, the nation’s leading medical billing advocacy organization, wants to know what HCA is going to do about those Americans who are under-insured, who receive small participating discounts, or who have to deal with soaring deductibles and other consequences of these alarmingly high charges.

Salem, VA (PRWEB) April 09, 2014

On Tuesday, April 8, 2014, a press release for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) – one of the largest for-profit hospital chains in the United States - stated they will offer a fee discount for uninsured patients, which could potentially save those patients tens of thousands of dollars. Stephen Ecenia, an attorney for HCA, stated they will provide a “100 percent” discount on “trauma activation” fees. These fees have garnered much negative attention with the media in past months, especially in the state of Florida.

News media has asked the question of whether or not this move is HCA’s way of trying to gain a positive spin from the media in the midst of a legal battle which threatens to close at least three HCA trauma centers. Several HCA trauma centers in Florida are struggling to stay open. The Senate and House of Representatives are determining how may trauma centers should be able to operate within the same area. The House of Representatives decided that any level 1 and level 2 trauma centers who have operated for at least 12 consecutive months, as long as the facility complies with regular visits from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.

“Trauma activation” fees can be charged when a designated trauma center who is licensed or verified by the state or local government receives pre-hospital notification of a trauma patient’s arrival from pre-hospital caregivers, such as an emergency medical technician. This fee is meant to cover the availability of specialized physicians and nurses, as well as employees from laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy and other key departments necessary for working with the trauma case. These fees have been known to top $30 thousand at HCA hospitals.

Mrs. Palmer, founder and CEO of Medical Billing Advocates of America, is calling out Hospital Corporation of America by asking how they will provide relief to under-insured Americans and those who are insured but can only afford health insurance plans with very high deductibles.

MBAA is providing further comments on this issue: http://billadvocates.com/blog/hospital-corporation-america-announces-trauma-activation-fee-discount-uninsured/ Reported by PRWeb 8 hours ago.

Lower Health Care Costs and Obtain Low-Cost Access to Treatment Options for Individuals and Families Nationwide!

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The WMC Discount Health program offers treatment options to help individuals and families lower health care costs and many companies lower health insurance premiums. One inexpensive membership for the entire immediate family!The Affordable Care Act has brought about change for all of us. These changes may be difficult for some. Ask yourself these questions:

- Are you frustrated with your new health insurance options and paying more premiums for less coverage?

- Are you on Medicare and pay more for your care with fewer doctors willing to provide care?

- Are you and your family without health insurance because the plans on the exchange are too expensive for you and your family to afford?

- Is your company plan shifting higher premiums, higher copays and/or higher deductibles to you and your family?

- Do you travel a great deal of the time in your work?

- Do you live in a rural community where you have fewer treatment options or where those options are far away?

- Are you looking for ways to lower out-of-pockets costs for your health care?

Individuals, families, and companies are being forced to make changes. The WMC Discount Health is a new and innovative program that can be incorporated along with your current health care and health insurance program to help lower costs for you and your family.

The WMC Discount Health program can help in these and other circumstances with special and discounted pricing:

- Even if you do have insurance through your employer or an individual policy in or out of the exchange, this program is an additional resource that can help you and your family save money.

- If you are one of the unfortunate Americans that are without health insurance coverage, the program is an inexpensive option to help while you work toward obtaining health insurance for you and your family.

- If you are on Medicare and see more cost shifted to you and worry about Medicare payment cuts to Doctors, limiting your access to care, this program can give you expanded access at a low-cost rate.

- If you are the owner or CEO of a company looking for ways to lower costs, our program can be integrated with your company's current health insurance program to expand treatment choices and lower costs for employees and their families.

This program can benefit almost anyone in the U.S. no matter if you have health insurance or not. We encourage you to check out the videos and websites for more information on the WMC Discount Health program and how it can help you and your family save money.

Watch this short video presentation for an introduction to the WMC Discount Health program.

You can also visit us at our webpage for additional information, educational videos, and the online membership link for the WMC Discount Health program. You can also learn more about WMC Business Services, LLC and our other cost cutting programs and educational resources.

To learn more about WMC Business Services LLC (CA dba WMC Integrated Insurance Services LLC), you can visit our website.

Disclosures:

This plan is NOT insurance.

The plan is not insurance coverage and does not meet the minimum creditable coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act or Massachusetts M.G.L. c. 111M and 956 CMR 5.00.

This plan provides discounts at certain healthcare providers for medical services. This plan does not make payments directly to the providers of medical services. The plan member is obligated to pay for all healthcare services but will receive a discount from those healthcare providers who have contracted with the discount plan organization. This discount card program contains a 30 day cancellation period. The range of discounts for medical or ancillary services provided under the plan will vary depending on the type of provider and medical or ancillary service received. Member shall receive a full refund of membership fees, excluding registration fee, if membership is cancelled within the first 30 days after the effective date. AR and TN residents: A refund of all fees will be issued if membership is cancelled within the first 30 days. Discount Medical Plan Organization: New Benefits, Ltd., Attn: Compliance Department, PO Box 671309 Dallas, TX 75367-1309, 800-800-7616. Website to obtain participating providers: MyMemberPortal.com. Not available to KS, WA or VT residents.

Company Contact Information
WMC Business Services LLC
John Barker
3435 Martin Way E, Ste F
Olympia, WA
98506
(360) 339-7801

News and Press Release Distribution From I-Newswire.com Reported by i-Newswire.com 7 hours ago.

Blue Prairie Group Adds a Top 100 Retirement Advisor to Network of Retirement Plan Consultants

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Blue Prairie Group, a Chicago-based institutional retirement and investment consulting firm, is pleased to announce the addition of defined contribution industry veteran, Carmela Elco, to its growing network of affiliated retirement consultants.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 10, 2014

Blue Prairie Group (“BPG”), a Chicago-based institutional retirement and investment consulting firm, is pleased to announce the addition of defined contribution industry veteran, Carmela Elco, to its growing network of affiliated retirement consultants.

Ms. Elco will lead the Philadelphia office of Blue Prairie Group and will maintain an independent business model. “I am excited by the opportunity to join a successful ERISA-focused advisory firm like Blue Prairie Group,” said Carmela. “The affiliation with Blue Prairie Group provides my clients with access to a powerful suite of proven tools and resources, while giving me more time to provide superior client services that has been the hallmark of my approach to retirement consulting.”

Ms. Elco has worked as a retirement consultant for nearly 15 years. Prior to joining Blue Prairie Group, she was President of Resources for Retirement where she managed and consulted with numerous public, private and non-profit organizations. As a recognized leader in the retirement industry, she has testified before the U.S Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council, helping to shape how plan sponsors evaluate target dates funds and was recently named as one of the top retirement advisors in the country by PlanAdviser Magazine.

Ty Parrish, Blue Prairie Group’s Managing Partner, said, “We are extremely pleased that Carmela chose Blue Prairie Group to continue her successful career as a retirement consultant. Her experience and leadership are exactly what we are looking for as we continue to expand our footprint nationally. Ultimately, we expect to add 15-20 high quality retirement-focused advisory firms to our affiliate network over the next few years as advisors and firms look to gain scale and become more efficient.”

Matt Gnabasik, Blue Prairie Group’s Managing Director, added, “We’re excited to have Carmela join our team. We look forward to helping her grow her practice and delivering superior service to her clients.”

Ms. Elco has extensive training as a human resources professional as well as experience in investment analytics. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and holds a M.A. in Human Resources Management from St. Francis University. She has her FINRA License 6, 63, 65, 7 & 24, Pennsylvania Health Insurance Representative Registration, has obtained her Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) from the foundation of Fiduciary Studies and serves on the Retirement Advisory Council.

About Blue Prairie Group

Blue Prairie Group is a fee-only investment consulting firm headquartered in Chicago. We provide unbiased and objective financial consulting through our three main practice areas: ERISA Retirement, Foundations & Endowments, and Wealth Management. We act as fiduciaries to all of our clients’ portfolios and are remunerated solely by our clients. BPG passionately advocates low cost investments, full fee transparency, and offers a broad service suite for both institutions and individuals. Like any good neighbor, we contribute to the communities we live in, and for us this means giving 5% of our pre-tax profit to local charitable organizations.

For more information, please contact Ty Parrish at 312-376-8440 or go to http://www.blueprairiegroup.com.
### Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.

Coverage for kids on the rise

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Coverage for kids on the rise The percentage of Indiana children without health insurance coverage decreased to 8 percent from 10 percent in the four-year period ending with 2012, according to results of a study being released today. Reported by Journal Gazette 1 hour ago.

Covered California: Health Insurance Deadline Looms

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Covered California: Health Insurance Deadline Looms Patch Carlsbad, CA --

The deadline to apply for health coverage is April 15. Reported by Patch 8 hours ago.

Sebelius resigns after turbulent stint at HHS

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Embattled Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has resigned, ending a turbulent five-year tenure that saw her become the public face of the troubled federal health insurance marketplace, HealthCare.gov. Reported by Miami Herald 8 hours ago.

Kathleen Sebelius to Resign as Health Secretary

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Kathleen Sebelius, who oversaw the bug-ridden rollout of a federal health insurance program that she herself called "miserably frustrating," is resigning as secretary of Health and Human Service, U.S. officials told NBC News on Thursday. Reported by msnbc.com 6 hours ago.

Sylvia Mathews Burwell To Replace Kathleen Sebelius As U.S. Health And Human Services Secretary

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WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning after overseeing the botched rollout of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, a White House official said on Thursday.
Her departure removes one lightning rod for critics as Obama and nervous Democrats try to retain control of the U.S. Senate in November midterm elections, but Republicans continue to see problems with the Affordable Care Act as a winning issue.
"If the Obama people thought this was going to calm the waters, I think they misread it. I think it's just going to embolden Republicans," said David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.
The Oct. 1 launch of new Obamacare health insurance marketplaces, which was plagued by computer problems that stymied access for millions of people, has been condemned by Republicans as a step toward socialized medicine.
Obama has chosen Sylvia Mathews Burwell, his budget director, to replace Sebelius, the White House said. Well-known inside Washington, where her appointment was praised by the likes of Republican Senator John McCain, Burwell will have to manage the program through its next major challenges in the height of elections season.
But Burwell is relatively unknown outside the Beltway, and has a "tall order" to fix all the detailed issues with the law, and improve its standing among voters, Yepsen said.
Polls show Obamacare remains unpopular. In March, 46 percent of people said they had an unfavorable view of the law, while 38 percent said they liked it, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Obama was due to announce the change with Sebelius and Burwell at his side at a White House event at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1445 GMT) on Friday. Sebelius remains on the job until Burwell is confirmed by the Senate, an administration official said.
"HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE"
Sebelius, 65, became the public face for the problem-plagued start to the enrollment period for Obamacare, which was meant to reduce the number of Americans without health insurance and cut into massive U.S. healthcare costs.
When enrollment opened in October, the federal HealthCare.gov website used by consumers in 36 states failed to work for weeks. The White House called in a team of management and technology experts to fix the site, which began working more or less smoothly by December.
Even as she took responsibility for the failures, Obama stuck by Sebelius, brushing aside pressure to fire her.
"Hold me accountable for the debacle. I'm responsible," Sebelius said at an Oct. 30 hearing.
The enrollment period was ultimately successful, surpassing the 7 million figure the Obama administration had predicted. But Sebelius, a former governor of Kansas, told Obama in early March she wanted to leave the administration, a White House official said.
"She believed that once open enrollment ended it would be the right time to transition the department to new leadership," the official said.

MANAGEMENT CREDENTIALS
Burwell, 48, is no stranger to top-level administrative positions, having served as deputy White House chief of staff during the Clinton administration and in top roles at the Treasury Department and the National Economic Council.
She served at the Office of Management and Budget twice, as deputy director under Jack Lew from 1998 to 2001, and took over as director about a year ago. She helped the administration manage its response to a shutdown of the federal government brought on by a budget battle with Republicans in October.
In the intervening years, she worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and as head of the Wal-Mart Foundation.
Burwell "seems to have a strong background in management, and that's what we need now," said Timothy Jost, a healthcare expert who teaches at Washington and Lee University.
"We're over some of the biggest hurdles now, and what we need is somebody who can stay the course."
Her nomination into the contentious position will likely be eased by a Senate rule change last year known as the "nuclear option," which lowers the vote threshold needed to overcome procedural hurdles for confirmation of presidential nominees.
Instead of the previous 60 votes required to override a senator's objection to a nominee, only 51 votes are needed to advance to a final vote under the changes made by Senate Democrats, who currently control the Senate 55 votes to 45.
One of the first challenges for Burwell will be to work with health insurers in the coming months as they set prices for Obamacare plans in 2015. Industry executives have warned that many states could see double-digit increases in monthly premiums as they try to account for the higher proportion of older policyholders who often cost more to cover. Such price hikes would provide fodder for Republican opponents of the law who say it creates financial burdens for individuals and businesses.
She will also be challenged to improve the health insurance exchanges before the next enrollment period begins in November, and with the Treasury Department, implement new penalties for Americans who did not buy health insurance.
Democrats facing tough races in November are pushing for politically palatable changes to the law, while Republicans will push to get rid of it.
"Secretary Sebelius may be gone, but the problems with this law and the impact it's having on our constituents aren't," said Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate.
"Obamacare has to go, too," McConnell said in a statement.

BUTT OF LATE-NIGHT JOKES
Sebelius's resignation caps a series of departures by lower-profile officials responsible for implementing the law.
Sebelius testified to Congress about the law as recently as Thursday, giving no sign that she was about to step down.
In an interview with the New York Times, Sebelius said she wished she could take "all the animosity" toward Obamacare with her when she departs.
"If that could just leave with me, and we could get to a new chapter, that would be terrific," she said.
Lawmakers from both parties gave Sebelius credit on Thursday for persevering through what Republican Senator Orrin Hatch called "one of the toughest jobs in Washington."
Analysts said Sebelius's career as secretary hit a low point soon after the Oct. 1 launch, when she continued to travel the country to promote enrollment, including an embarrassing appearance on "The Daily Show," a cable television comedy program, and regular skewering on "Saturday Night Live."
Republicans including her fellow Kansan Senator Pat Roberts called for her to step down for what he called "gross incompetence", and administration insiders said relations with the White House grew increasingly tense thereafter.
"You won't find a piece of paper saying she was fired. But it had to be uncomfortable, and not having a change in personnel after the disastrous rollout must have rubbed the administration's Democratic supporters the wrong way," said Joe Antos of the conservative American Enterprise Institute. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Additional reporting by David Morgan, David Lawder and Tom Ferraro; Editing by Sandra Maler, David Storey and Lisa Shumaker) Reported by Huffington Post 4 hours ago.

Cover Oregon narrows exchange future to 2 options

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Officials with Oregon's troubled health insurance exchange say they've narrowed the options for the site's future to two: switching to the federal exchange, or staying with the current technology and hiring a new contractor to fix it. Reported by Miami Herald 5 hours ago.
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