Oregon’s effort to transition its health insurance exchange from a problem-wracked website originally developed by Oracle to the federal Healthcare.gov platform is going according to schedule and expectations, state officials said this week.

“We’re tracking as we should be tracking,” said project head Tina Edlund during a press conference late Thursday, according to news reports. “We’re making the progress we should be making.”

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Reported by PC World 3 days ago.

*5 things you can negotiate in an early retirement package*

During the recent economic downturn, cost-cutting, restructuring, and downsizing were the norm. Microsoft’s recent announcement that it will lay off 18,000 workers over the next year shows that it can still happen today, and in a big way.

Today many employers are “flattening” their corporate structure, which means they don’t need as many senior people as they used to, says Alan Sklover, a New York City attorney who represents executives with compensation, transition, and severance concerns. Some companies are using the less savory tactic of giving good employees poor performance reviews to get them to leave, he says. But others are offering early retirement deals.

If one of those packages crosses your desk, it will probably include such enticements as an enhanced pension, a cash payment, and continuing health care coverage. But even with those sweeteners, it can be difficult to know whether to take it or to try to hold on to your job.

Start the decision-making process by taking a hard look at your company and its financial strength. If you think it’s sinking in a way that will lead to layoffs, the package is probably the best deal you’re going to get. But if your company is relatively stable, you might want to stick around. You’ll have more time to save for retirement and fewer years to live off your retirement assets. To gauge your value (and the likelihood of a layoff), talk with your boss and others in senior positions with whom you feel comfortable.

Let’s assume you’re inclined to take the offer. Find out what you’re entitled to, which should be in writing. Then decide what else you’d like. “These deals might not be quite as generous as they were in the past, so it’s more important than ever to try and negotiate a better deal if you can,” says Alan Johnson, president of the New York City compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates.

Employers have to be careful not to discriminate when they offer a deal to a group so you’re less likely to negotiate better terms if hundreds of people have received the same offer, says Bedda D’Angelo, a financial planner in Durham, N.C., who has steered several clients through this process. But you won’t get more if you don’t ask.

*The expert advice in our Retirement Guide will ensure that your retirement is as financially secure and satisfying as it can be.*

-Your pension-

If you have a defined benefit plan (one that will pay you a set amount periodically), your benefit is probably based on your age, years of service, salary, and another multiplier, such as a percentage. You must usually work until your company’s normal retirement age to get the maximum benefit, which means you might receive less if you take an early retirement deal. The difference could be significant, because pension benefits usually accrue faster as you near retirement. Good offers will boost your pension benefits by making certain adjustments. “If you’ve been with the company for 18 years, it may change your length of service to 20 years,” Sklover says. “And it may say, ‘Even though you are only 61, we’ll consider you 65 for retirement purposes.’”

-Health coverage-

Cadillac packages offer continued coverage, either by letting you stay on the company’s plan until you’re eligible for Medicare or by giving you its retiree health care coverage. Or it might pay all or part of the cost of COBRA benefits, which last at least 18 months and would otherwise come with a steep price—up to 102 percent of what your employer pays for your health insurance.

-Extra pay-

Good early retirement offers include a one-time cash benefit and any severance pay you’re entitled to. So, for example, you might receive four weeks of severance pay for each year of service, plus an additional six months to a year of regular pay as a cash bonus, says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, outplacement consultants.

-*More perks*-

Your deal might include a continuation of employer-sponsored life insurance. But the time frame is usually limited, often just one or two years. If you don’t need the coverage, ask for the equivalent in cash, Sklover suggests.

One increasingly common benefit is financial-planning help. That can come in handy if you feel overwhelmed by all of the financial concerns that early retirement brings, and it can help you decide whether you need to keep working. Your employer might also offer job-placement assistance. If you have company stock options, you may have more time to exercise them. Will new skills help you land another job? Ask for tuition assistance.

-*Possible postponement*-

One easy and often overlooked way to sweeten any deal you’re offered is to ask for it to take effect at a later time. Working an additional six months or a year will give you more time to save for retirement and figure out your finances. It could also boost your severance pay and give you more time to land another job if you need one. “Human resources might say no,” Johnson says, “but you probably don’t work for human resources, so talk to your boss about staying on a bit longer.” Also consider asking for a part-time or consulting position.

–Mandy Walker

This article also appeared in the June issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser.*Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.*

*Subscribe now!*
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    Reported by Consumer Reports 3 days ago.

Last Saturday, Breitbart News uncovered three reports and analysis written by Jonathan Gruber, an MIT economist and chief architect of Obamacare, stating that subsidies or tax credits will be provided to individuals “to purchase health insurance from private companies through state-organized exchanges.” 

These reports were discovered after a video clip surfaced of Gruber making similar comments on the clip. Gruber said his remarks were a "mistake" made while "speaking off-the-cuff."

One of the three reports, titled “The Facts Straight on Health Care Reform,” was written by Gruber for The New England Journal of Medicine in December 2009. 

Breitbart has since learned that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) used this same article to defend itself in the case filed by the Commonwealth of Virginia. In the lawsuit, the Commonwealth argued that Congress has exceeded its Article 1 powers in enacting Obamacare. Page six of HHS’s October 4, 2010, Reply Memorandum in Support of Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment states:

The “guaranteed issue” and “community rating” reforms are regulations of insurance policies placed into Interstate commerce, and those reforms depend directly on the minimum coverage provision to work. See, e,g., Jonathan Gruber, Getting the Facts Straight on Health Care Reform, 361 NEW ENGL.J. OF MED. 2497, 2498 (2009). 

HHS’s use of the Gruber article raises a key question: Why would the Obama administration and Obamacare supporters claim that the president’s health care law contained a “typo” stating only state exchanges are eligible for subsidies if the Obama administration itself used an article by Obamacare architect Gruber stating the exact opposite?  Reported by Breitbart 3 days ago.

IEC, the premier association for merit shop electrical and systems contractors, today announced Fringe Benefit Group, an industry leader in the design, implementation and administration of health and retirement plans for government contractors, has joined IEC’s community of industry partners as a Silver Partner.

Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) August 01, 2014

Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), the premier association for merit shop electrical and systems contractors, today announced Fringe Benefit Group, an industry leader in the design, implementation and administration of health and retirement plans for government contractors, has joined IEC’s community of industry partners as a Silver Partner. As the first company to offer a complete benefit solution for prevailing wage workers, Fringe Benefit Group has more than 30 years' experience analyzing government contractors' needs, then creating and implementing the right retirement and health plans.

Fringe Benefit Group helps companies bidding and performing on work subject to the Davis-Bacon Act, state prevailing wage laws, and living and responsible wage ordinances realize dramatic savings on their payroll expenses by allocating some or the entire required fringe benefit portion of the prevailing wage to bona fide benefit plans. This leads to savings in taxes and insurance costs, which leads to lower bids, increased profits and improved prospects for winning government projects. Through its product, The Contractors Plan, Fringe Benefit Group offers major medical, dental, vision, life insurance and retirement plans designed specifically for government contractors. Highly skilled at understanding, recommending and implementing Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant health plans, Fringe Benefit Group works with brokers and advisers throughout the U.S. to assist their contractor clients by partnering to deliver high quality prevailing wage benefit programs.

“IEC is proud to welcome Fringe Benefit Group as a Silver Level Industry Partner,” said Thayer Long, IEC National executive vice president/CEO. “Fringe Benefit Group brings diverse expertise and numerous benefits and services to IEC members. They will be a great resource for our members on a wide range of topics including winning government jobs, providing ACA-compliant health plans for employees, and staying compliant with government regulations.”

The Contractors Plan utilizes an innovative concept called hour banking, which allows employees to “bank” extra hours worked during peak periods, then draw from this excess to continue health insurance coverage during slower times. This can be especially valuable with the ACA requirement for all individuals to have health insurance -- and obtaining it pre-tax through an employer is much easier and less expensive than purchasing it on an individual basis. Another key benefit of hour banking is its ability to break the monthly premium into an hourly rate, which makes tracking and accounting much easier for the employer.

“Electrical contractors working on government jobs have significant fringe responsibilities. We can help them save on payroll burden and bid more competitively while providing compliant, robust health insurance and retirement solutions to their employees,” said Adam Bonsky, executive vice president of government markets at Fringe Benefit Group.

About Fringe Benefit Group
Austin, Texas-based Fringe Benefit Group and its affiliate companies have helped employers design and administer fringe benefit programs since 1983. Through its nationwide network of independent brokers and agents, Fringe Benefit Group has established itself as the leader in government contractor health and welfare and retirement plans. Drawing on its expertise in the prevailing wage segment, the company has also emerged as a leader in voluntary benefit plans designed specifically for hourly and part-time workers. For more information about Fringe Benefit Group’s products, visit http://www.fbg.com, http://www.thecontractorsplan.com and http://www.frameworkbenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 3 days ago.

Oregon regulators have set 2015 rates for individual and small employer health insurance plans in preparation for people to sign up for another year of health insurance. Reported by Miami Herald 3 days ago.

Western Pennsylvania’s dominant hospital network on Friday suspended using a controversial surgical procedure that has been linked to the spread of cancer in women. UPMC spokeswoman Gloria Kreps said doctors were notified of the policy change Friday afternoon, but she gave no reason for the decision. Simultaneously, health insurance giant Highmark Inc. said it would no longer pay for the procedure effective Sept. 1. “We are pleased with UPMC’s decision, and we hope that other doctors follow… Reported by bizjournals 3 days ago.

As I write this, the House has still not managed to pass a bill to deal with the border crisis. They've been trying for a few days now, but have been locked in a serious battle between Tea Party hardliners and Republicans from more moderate districts. The Tea Partiers are demanding the harshest possible bill, and the moderates are the ones who actually demanded that Speaker John Boehner attempt to do his job and get a bill through before they all fly home for a lavish five-week vacation. Moderate Republicans know that "we couldn't pass anything" is going to be a tough sell back home. When Boehner tries to make the bill extreme enough to appease the Tea Party hardliners, he loses moderate votes. When he tries to make it appealing enough to the moderates to vote for it, he loses Tea Party votes. Stay tuned, as the last act in this Keystone Kops drama has yet to take place!

Think this is overstating the case? Then you probably didn't hear what Michele Bachmann recently had to say about the border crisis:



President Obama is trying to bring all of those foreign nationals, those illegal aliens to the country and he has said that he will put them in the foster care system.... [W]e can't imagine doing this, but if you have a hospital and they are going to get millions of dollars in government grants if they can conduct medical research on somebody, and a ward of the state can't say "no" -- a little kid can't say "no" if they're a ward of the state -- so here you could have this institution getting millions of dollars from our government to do medical experimentation and a kid can't even say "no." It's sick.



Um, OK, Michele. Got it. President Barack Obama is Dr. Josef Mengele, and he's nefariously allowing children to come into the United States so that he can secretly run medical experiments on them. Personally, I think "Keystone Kops" is actually understating the case.

Apparently, Eric Cantor agrees. Earlier this week, he stepped down as House Majority Leader (as a result of being successfully primaried by a Tea Partier), but by the end of the week he announced he will resign from his seat in Congress as well, in a few weeks, rather than sticking around until January. Can't say I blame him, as sometimes "getting out of Dodge" is the only sane answer when faced with an insane situation.

Pundits struggled to stay abreast of the craziness emanating from the House floor. Here's Dana Milbank of the Washington Post, trying to explain what went on yesterday:



All morning, GOP leaders had been predicting that they had sufficient Republican votes to pass [Speaker John] Boehner's border bill. But then conservatives, under pressure from [Senator Ted] Cruz and far-right interest groups, began to go squishy, and the new [House Majority Leader], Kevin McCarthy, announced that he was pulling the border bill from the floor and that members could depart early for their five-week summer break.

What followed was as close as Congress gets to one of those fistfights in the Taiwanese parliament. Mainstream Republicans besieged Boehner and McCarthy on the House floor, noisily demanding that they do something about the border crisis before going on holiday. Half an hour later, McCarthy announced that "additional votes are possible today."

Boos and jeers rained down on the new leader. The speaker pro tempore, Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), banged the gavel violently for order. Some lawmakers had to be called back from National Airport.



Set it to some old-timey piano music, and film it in black-and-white, and what you've got is indeed the Keystone Kops.

What the House Republicans could all agree upon is that they're ready to sue the president. Not impeach him, mind you (perish the thought!), just sue him. More on that in a bit. Especially, on the ridiculousness of voting one day to sue the president for taking action on his own, and then the next day begging Obama to act because House Republicans are so incapable of action (the hypocrisy of this was so obvious even some conservatives had to point it out). Obama, meanwhile, warned Republicans that if they go off on a month-long vacation without putting a bill on his desk, then he will be forced to act on his own. When he does, you can surely expect howls of rage from Republicans about Obama doing exactly what they are now calling upon him to do.

In other Congressional Keystone Kops news, House Republicans seem to have quietly killed a bill honoring the Pope. Seems he's too liberal, or something. Maybe it's just because he's actually read all those "be kind to the poor" parts of the New Testament that conservatives always seem to skip over, in their never-ending search to find where Jesus talks about lowering capital gains tax rates. Or deportation, for that matter.

While Congress proved completely inept at passing any sort of bill to deal with America's borders, they did manage to pass a bill to supply Israel with more Iron Dome missiles for their own border protection. Make of that what you will.

The national news hasn't really noticed all that much, but down in Florida a judge is going to force the state government to redistrict all the state's House seats, before this year's election. The previously-drawn districts were so obviously created to help Republicans that the judge just threw the whole state map out and told them to redo it, pronto. This is a big story, but again, most of the media has taken a pass on it.

A little story (but an amusing one) that happened this week: California had four different governors, among them the first open lesbian. Due to a quirk in state law, when the governor physically leaves the state, the next person in the line of succession automatically becomes acting governor. But apparently there was a lot of traveling going on, as Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom as well as the president pro tem of the state Senate both became acting governor -- and then left the state themselves. This devolved power to Speaker of the Assembly Toni Atkins. What made the story heartwarming isn't so much the "first" she accomplished, but what she tweeted about it (with photo): "One of my 1st responsibilities today as #ActingGov was to make sure the #ActingFirstDogs got their morning walk." Now that's the spirit!

In not-so-amusing news, a blogger was fired in Utah because he had the audacity to teach English-learners about homophones (you know, like: "to," two," and "too"). The reason? It just sounded too gay for his employers. You can't make this stuff up, folks.

And finally, since we seem to be ending on the subject of sex, you can now publicly peruse the florid love letters from President Warren G. Harding to his mistress, which is precisely as amusing as it sounds (you just know you want to find out what nickname he gave his penis, right?). To set the proper historical mood, maybe run a Keystone Kops soundtrack in the background?

 

Before we get to Democrats, we have to state that we were both surprised and impressed by the New York Times editorial board, who made news this week by not just staking out a position in favor of removing all federal laws on marijuana (which would leave the question of legalization to the states), but then backed up their position with a six-part editorial series to clearly explain their position (scroll down to the bottom of the page to see links to all the related editorials). That's pretty stunning, and it's about as high-profile as you can get in the media world. Personally, I don't think this means the legalization of marijuana has reached the tipping point (where it can be seen as all-but-inevitable), but I do think we are getting a lot closer to that point.

We have three separate *Honorable Mention* awards to hand out this week, although all of them are essentially being given for the same reason: successfully taunting Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid added to the discomfort House Republicans were feeling, by hinting that the Senate would just add the bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill they already passed (with a bipartisan vote) to any border crisis bill the House could agree upon, when it got to the conference committee. Since this is precisely what terrifies House Republicans no end, it served to heighten the disarray over in the House Republican caucus.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi taunted Speaker Boehner from the House floor this week for not being able to say "impeachment is off the table," and Barack Obama taunted the House Republicans during a speech he gave in Kansas City (which we'll have excerpts from later). *Honorable Mention* awards all around!

But the coveted *Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week* award has to go to none other than Senator Dianne Feinstein. We must in all fairness admit that this award is not for anything she did or said this week, but instead for her recent vindication. Back in March, we awarded Feinstein a *(Dis-)Honorable Mention* for complaining about the C.I.A. spying on her staffers (her hypocrisy was obvious, considering her stance on spying on Americans in general).

The C.I.A. vociferously denied the charge, and in payback tried to get the Justice Department to investigate the staffers in question for mishandling secret documents. This week, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency actually apologized to Feinstein. More on all that in the next section, though.

This whole spat is just a precursor to a very explosive document which is almost ready to be released to the public. Feinstein has doggedly been working on a report on the use of torture and all the other "enhanced" things done in all our names by our government, in the time immediately after 9/11. The full report is rumored to be 6,000 pages long. But a publicly-available report (scrubbed of some secret information) is almost ready for release. It may be out as early as next week, or it may come out right after the August congressional vacation. Either way, it is going to make huge headlines.

For both being proven right about the C.I.A. illegally spying on her Senate staffers' computers, for getting the head of the agency to apologize to her, and for her persistence in creating this report in the first place, Senator Dianne Feinstein is our *Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week*.

[Congratulate Senator Dianne Feinstein on her Senate contact page, to let her know you appreciate her efforts.]

 

We're not entirely sure about the accuracy of calling him a "Democrat," but since he's served in important national security posts under both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, we've decided that C.I.A. Director John Brennan is fair game for his own *Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week* award.

In fact, we feel that even this doesn't go far enough, and would like to add our voice to the chorus now crying for Brennan to step down in disgrace or be fired by President Obama.

When Brennan initially heard Feinstein's accusation, he not only tried to sic the Justice Department on Feinstein's staffers, but he also took to the airwaves to make some rather sweeping claims. He boldly and forcefully made statements such as:



When the facts come out on this, I think a lot of people who are claiming that there has been this tremendous sort of spying and monitoring and hacking will be proved wrong.



and:



As far as the allegations of CIA hacking into Senate computers, nothing could be further from the truth. We wouldn't do that. I mean, that's just beyond the scope of reason.



This week, Brennan admitted that he was the one who was wrong, and that it wasn't actually "beyond the scope of reason," because it actually happened.

In other words, Brennan lied his face off to the American public.

There's simply no way to view this charitably. There are only two possibilities, in fact, and both of them lead to the same conclusion.

When Feinstein made her accusation, Brennan no doubt quickly did his own review of the people within his organization who could have been involved. It is inconceivable that he would make such strong public statements without first attempting to get the facts.

This means that the head of the C.I.A. -- an organization whose very purpose is to sift through data to provide intelligence to the government -- couldn't figure out his own people were lying straight to his face. His agency is supposed to figure out what is true and what is a lie all over the world, and the chief couldn't even manage to do that with a few of his own low-level employees. This is sheer incompetence for a leader of such an agency, almost by definition.

The only other possible explanation is that Brennan did indeed know Feinstein was right, and just decided to lie about it and hope he wouldn't get caught. This is also incompetence, of a slightly different sort.

Either way, the man is quite obviously not fit to head the Central Intelligence Agency. So not only are we awarding him this week's *Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week*, we're also calling for his removal from his post, either by resignation or by being fired. By making such strong statements denying something which has now been proven to be true, Brennan has shown he is completely unfit for the duties of his job. To coin a phrase, keeping him where he is now has to be seen to be "beyond the scope of reason."

[Contact President Barack Obama on the White House contact page, to let him know what you think of Brennan's continued employment.]

 

*Volume 314* (8/1/14)

We've got quite a mix of talking points this week. First, we have to debunk some Republican idiocy, then we move right along to some Republicans denouncing their own party's hypocrisy. After some focus on the good economic news, we have the promised excerpt of Obama's speech this week (where he taunts the House Republicans for their lawsuit), and finally we're going to end up with the most stunning statement we think we've ever read on the Republican Party's basic "Government doesn't work; elect us and we'll prove it!" theme, from William Kristol.

Like I said, a whirlwind of subjects, so let's just dive in, shall we?

 *   Take it off the table, John*As Republicans were busily voting to sue the president, they swore up and down that impeachment was the farthest thing from their minds.

"According to the House Republicans, the only ones talking about impeachment are the Democrats. They've created some sort of conspiracy theory that President Obama is somehow pulling the strings on anyone who uses the word. Well, it is true that Democrats are now raising millions of dollars from voters who are disgusted with the Republicans' lawsuit stunt. But that didn't happen in a vacuum, folks. Republicans have been talking about impeachment almost from the day Obama took office, in fact. Many have already pointed this out, such as E. J. Dionne at the Washington Post, who helpfully notes that his own paper ran an article titled 'Republicans See One Remedy For Obama -- Impeachment' last December, and that one year ago the New York Times ran an article titled 'Ignoring Qualms, Some Republicans Nurture Dreams Of Impeaching Obama.' In fact, conservatives such as Charles Krauthammer can't seem to stop themselves from bringing the subject up. Personally, I agree with Nancy Pelosi, who pointed out that when she took over as speaker, she ended talk of impeachment with a simple statement: 'Impeachment is off the table.' I join her in calling on Speaker Boehner to now say exactly the same thing, if he thinks this is all some sort of nefarious Democratic plot. All he has to do is say exactly what Pelosi said. So far, he has not. That in itself speaks volumes."

 *   Yes, it is ridiculous*Speaking of Krauthammer, he was actually one of those conservatives who realized the depths of hypocrisy coming from the House this week -- most notably by voting one day to sue Obama for acting without them, and then the next day begging him to take action because they are incapable of doing so. This is a direct quote, which really needed no embellishment at all.



It is, to me, incomprehensible that Republicans aren't getting together on this. It is ridiculous to sue the president on a Wednesday because he oversteps the law, as he has done a dozen times illegally and unconstitutionally, and then on a Thursday say that he should overstep the law, contradict the law that passed in 2008 and deal with this himself.



 *   You may not be able to say it, but Boehner did*This one's a direct quote, too, from Republican Tom Cole, House member from Oklahoma.



Look, you can't say on the one hand that the president is overreaching by acting without legislative authority and direction and then refuse to give him legislative authority and direction in another area.



 *   Obamacare's continued good news*Democrats really need to make the case for how well Obamacare is working as designed. Because virtually all the news is good. So let people know!

"The Republicans tried to scare seniors for years by making outrageous claims about how Obamacare was going to kill off Medicare, but what we now see is that the Medicare program's life was just extended by a whopping four years, as Obamacare is fully implemented. Once again, Republicans were just flat-out wrong. Also this week, the White House noted that Obamacare's provision to close the Medicare prescription drug 'doughnut hole' has, since 2010, saved 8 million seniors $11.5 billion on out-of-pocket drug costs -- an average of $1,400 each. In California, an astounding 58 percent of the population who were previously uninsured now have the peace of mind health insurance brings -- due to Obamacare. Also from California comes news that next year's price increases for the Obamacare exchange plans will be quite modest -- under 8 percent, in fact, after years of seeing double-digit increases. There's a reason you don't hear all those scary predictions from Republicans on Obamacare anymore -- because as the actual data appears, the news continues to be good."

 *   Economic news good, too*Once again, get out there and make the case, Democrats!

"Have you seen the good economic news this week? In the second quarter of the year, the American economy grew at a healthy 4 percent rate -- much higher than had been expected. The new job numbers are also out, and for the sixth straight month we have seen over 200,000 jobs added per month. In fact, I think President Obama put it best, in a recent speech, when he said:"



The unemployment rate is at its lowest point since September of 2008. It's dropped faster than any time in 30 years. This morning, we found out that in the second quarter of this year our economy grew at a strong pace, and businesses are investing, workers are building new homes, consumers are spending, America is exporting goods around the world. So the decisions that we made -- to rescue our economy, to rescue the auto industry, to rebuild the economy on a new foundation, to invest in research and infrastructure, education -- all those things are starting to pay off.



 *   "They're mad because I'm doing my job"*Both this one and the previous quote were taken from Obama's Kansas City speech, I should mention. Below are the soundbites most of the media ran with, since Obama's taunting of congressional Republicans is so blatant.



So some of the things we're doing without Congress are making a difference, but we could do so much more if Congress would just come on and help out a little bit. Just come on. Come on and help out a little bit. Stop being mad all the time. Stop just hatin' all the time. Come on. Let's get some work done together.

. . .

I know they're not that happy that I'm president, but that's okay. Come on. I've only got a couple of years left. Come on, let's get some work done. Then you can be mad at the next president.

. . .

But think about this -- they have announced that they're going to sue me for taking executive actions to help people. So they're mad because I'm doing my job. And, by the way, I've told them -- I said, I'd be happy to do it with you. So the only reason I'm doing it on my own is because you don't do anything. But if you want, let's work together. I mean, everybody recognizes this is a political stunt, but it's worse than that, because every vote they're taking like that means a vote they're not taking to actually help you. When they have taken 50 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, that was time that could have been spent working constructively to help you on some things. And, by the way, you know who is paying for this suit they're going to file? You.



 *   If we do nothing, maybe people will vote for us!*As previously mentioned, this one is just flat-out stunning. While reading the following, written by William Kristol, keep in mind that while he is talking about the border crisis bill in the House, this statement could easily be applied to just about any subject, because it truly admits the core Republican plan for governing: do nothing, and hope nobody notices. I've never heard it so plainly stated before, personally.



If the GOP does nothing, and if Republicans explain that there's no point acting due to the recalcitrance of the president to deal with the policies that are causing the crisis, the focus will be on the president. Republican incumbents won't have problematic legislation to defend or questions to answer about what further compromises they'll make. Republican challengers won't have to defend or attack GOP legislation. Instead, the focus can be on the president.



 

Chris Weigant blogs at:Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
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  Reported by Huffington Post 3 days ago.

Insure It Forward (http://www.insureitforward.com) announced today the launch of free seminars to help employers and individuals navigate the Affordable Care Act. The first seminar, "The Health Insurance Marketplace, What you don't know that's costing you money" will take place August 12th from 10:00 am-11:00 am in the Edmond Public Library Room #1.

Oklahoma City, OK (PRWEB) August 02, 2014

The seminar is the first in a series of free seminars Insure It Forward will be offering the public in the upcoming months. The seminars will cover a wide variety of Affordable Care Act questions, including what employers don't know that could cost them or their employees’ money. Attend a seminar to learn how Insure It Forward saved a Blue Cross Chamber plan member nearly $3000 per family annually by making one small change.

With the vast amount of confusion over the Affordable Care Act from business owners to individuals, Insure It Forward offers their services free of charge to Oklahoma City and surrounding communities as a guide and resource to use when signing up for insurance. In addition to the seminars, they help community members regularly choose and enroll in healthcare plans, dental plans, or small business health insurance. They are especially reaching out to employers right now looking for help with the ACA, as the deadline is fast approaching.

Insure It Forward’s owner, Jim Scheihing has been serving the Oklahoma City community’s insurance needs for over twenty years, specializing in small group and individual insurance. “In 2010, with the passing of the Affordable Care Act, I sold my insurance agency and opened Insure It Forward, with the idea of helping people and non-profits,” said Jim. “In 2013 with more and more confusion about ACA, I began to focus all of my energy on health insurance for the community, hoping to help people make sense of it all. I also continued my non-profit efforts; donating 50% of all profits to WATERisLIFE and Water4, non-profits which provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene programs throughout the world.”

For more information and help navigating the Affordable Care Act or other insurance plans, please call Insure It Forward at 405-585-0648. Insure It Forward is located at 3200 East Memorial Road, Suite 900, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73013.

About Insure It Forward
Oklahoma owned and operated independent health insurance brokerage helping individuals, families and businesses (SHOP) the Affordable Care Act, aka “Obamacare”.  Providing free online quotes designed around saving time, work and money. Call for help with Health, Dental, Small Business Health Insurance, Employee and Cobra benefits needs.

About NALA™
The NALA is a full service marketing agency for local business owners offering online advertising, marketing and branding expertise, great business benefits, education and money-saving programs, as well as a charity program.

PR Contact: Tiffani Tendell
805.650.6121 x361
ttendell(at)starkartthenala(dot)com Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

San Diego is among a number of California cities embattled over hiking the minimum wage as Mayor Kevin Faulconer promised to veto a City Council vote Monday that approved an increase.

The vote inflates the minimum wage for San Diego to $11.50 per hour, a significant rise above the July statewide raise to $9. San Diego’s City Council vote Monday to raise the minimum wage left council President Todd Gloria calling Mayor Faulconer not to use his veto, Faulconer pledging to veto, and the council having the power to override Faulconer’s veto, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The LA Times predicts the vote will set “up a clash that will pit the Republican and the business establishment against the city's labor unions and Democrat-controlled council.”

Yet more than one California city has faced this battle over minimum wage, with the Coalition of L.A. City Unions pushing for a raise in Los Angeles and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Board of Supervisors in San Francisco pushing a measure for increases as well. Under current state legislation, Assembly Bill 10, the statewide minimum will rise to $10 in January of 2016.

San Francisco voters will vote in this November’s general election on an increase from their current $10.74 rate that would take place in stages, to an eventual $15 rate in 2018, reported NBC Bay Area. Restaurant owners in the city have expressed outrage over the burden the new rate would place on their ability to continue to operate. Breitbart California Editor Joel Pollak reported in April on the SEIU’s push for the $15 minimum wage hike in San Francisco.

San Jose, California, saw a rise from $10 to $10.15 in their minimum wage, effective January 1 of this year. City of San Jose voters approved the ordinance to raise the wage annually in step with cost of living on November 6, 2012; adjustments began January 1, 2014. SEIU local 521 posted a 2012 “Fall Campaign Kickoff” event in support of the increase in San Jose along with the statement, “It’s the right thing to do!”

As Breitbart previously reported, questions have been raised as to union motives for pushing for minimum wage increases. A Wall Street Journal op-ed by Richard Berman pointed to the connection between union contracts and minimum wage rates: “The two most popular formulas were setting baseline union wages as a percentage above the state or federal minimum wage or mandating a flat wage premium above the minimum wage.” 

Currently the small area of Sea-Tac, Washington, carries a minimum wage of $15 an hour for hospitality and transportation workers; however, local hotel workers have been quoted as experiencing negative effects from the new rate. In a post on Northwest Asian Weekly, Assunta Ng reported the response of one hotel worker receiving the $15 minimum wage, “It sounds good, but it’s not good.” The woman interviewed went on to explain, “I lost my 401k, health insurance, paid holiday, and vacation.” Ng also recalled the woman’s comment that she used to receive overtime pay for extra work, but now overtime pay is no longer offered. Seattle, Washington’s, City Council also made headlines in June, voting to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by no later than 2018.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana. Reported by Breitbart 2 days ago.

The Affordable Care Act is reaching many people who have not had health insurance in years, if at all, and they are struggling to understand their policies. Reported by NYTimes.com 2 days ago.

The Affordable Care Act is reaching many people who have not had health insurance in years, if at all, and they are struggling to understand their policies. Reported by NYTimes.com 1 day ago.

Since July 22^nd, when a federal appeals court panel dealt a potentially major blow to Obamacare by ruling that participants in health exchanges run by the federal government in 34 states are not eligible for billions of dollars in tax subsidies, several facts have emerged which question Jonathan Gruber, an MIT economist and chief architect of Obamacare, and his views on whether the intent of Obamacare was that subsidies should only be available for state-run Obamacare exchanges. 

Here are the seven most important facts we have learned in the last ten days about Gruber’s views:

*The tapes are clear* - Two clips from two different speeches in January 2010 have surfaced wherein Gruber clearly states that subsidies are only for state exchanges. Specifically:· The clips are confirmed as Gruber speaking and in one of the clips his state-only exchange comment was made during the prepared portion of his speech
· Gruber makes the same argument, provides significant detail, and uses similar language in both clips
· Both speeches were made more than a year and a half after Obamacare had been signed into law by President Barack Obama, but only ten months before the time individual states were required to not only notify Health and Human Services (HHS) of their intent to set up an exchange but also submit a plan to HHS specifying the implementation details of their exchange

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**Numerous Gruber publications support the tapes *- *After the first clip was discovered, Gruber claimed his remarks were a "mistake" made while "speaking off-the-cuff." However, a second video and three separate reports and articles were discovered by Breitbart that demonstrate Gruber believed Obamacare subsidies were only for state run exchanges.  

*HHS relied on a Gruber article* - In order to defend itself in its Virginia Commonwealth Obamacare lawsuit, HHS used one of the three uncovered reports, titled “Getting the Facts Straight on Health Care Reform” written by Gruber for The New England Journal of Medicine in December 2009. In the lawsuit, the Commonwealth argued that Congress exceeded its Article 1 powers in enacting Obamacare. Page 6 of HHS’s Reply Memorandum in Support of Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment specifically names Gruber’s article – “See, e,g., Jonathan Gruber, Getting the Facts Straight on Health Care Reform, 361 NEW ENGL.J. OF MED. 2497, 2498 (2009).” 

*Gruber spent significant time reviewing the Senate-proposed Obamacare bill and strongly supported the plan* – As an article published on the Huffington Post by Jane Hamsher titled “How the White House Used Jonathan Gruber’s Work to Orchestrate the Appearance of Broad Consensus” makes clear: 

On Monday the 23rd, the DNC was sending the Brownstein column around in its entirety…one of 71 emails they would send touting Gruber’s work and it was included in OFA’s Monday Morning News Clips on BarackObama.com.

The Brownstein article mentioned above was published on November 21, 2010. The Senate bill had been read into the record and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders only a week earlier on November 16, 2009. Brownstein starts this widely distributed article by saying:

When I reached Jonathan Gruber on Thursday, he was working his way, page by laborious page, through the mammoth health care bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had unveiled just a few hours earlier. Gruber is a leading health economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is consulted by politicians in both parties.

The article quotes Gruber as saying “Everything is in here... I can't think of anything I'd do that they are not doing in the bill. You couldn't have done better than they are doing."

*Congress relied on Gruber –* As Michael F. Cannon, Cato Institute's Director of Health Policy Studies, points out in his blog, “Gruber is not a member of Congress, so this isn’t direct evidence that Congress intended to offer tax credits only in state-established Exchanges.”

However, as highlighted in the Hamsher article, then-Speaker Pelosi touted “the Gruber Analysis” on her website. Furthermore, Senator Reid read from the piece on the floor of the Senate, saying that it provided substantiation from someone “who is one of the most respected economists in the world.” Moreover, on December 3, Kathleen Sebelius released a statement on the “Benefits of Health Insurance Reform for Businesses.” She substantiated claims made in the statement by citing Gruber’s November 3 testimony before the HELP Committee, and his November 5 paper. 

*Gruber’s argument is logical* – During the January 2010 time period when these two recently uncovered clips of Gruber occurred, individual states were considering whether or not to set up their own exchanges. Even though HHS was pressuring states to establish their own exchanges, many governors, especially Republican governors, were balking. Gruber’s comment—“I think what's important to remember politically about this is if you're a state and you don't set up an exchange that means your citizens don't get their tax credits”—is a logical argument and a form of leverage HHS and the Obama administration likely used to pressure GOP governors to set up their own exchanges.

*Gruber’s independence and credibility are damaged* – Having a second tape and several publications emerge after Gruber claimed it was a "mistake"he  made while "speaking off-the-cuff" has severely damaged Gruber’s credibility. Unfortunately for Gruber and the Obama Administration, this is not the first time Gruber’s credibility has been questioned. In January 2010, after he had made numerous speeches and had several of his publications widely distributed and heralded as credible independent work, Gruber had to admit he was not independent. And, as Jane Hamsher wrote in her article, “In December 28, Gruber published an op-ed in the Washington Post — in which he neglected to mention his contract to consult with the White House on this very issue. He was asked point-blank if he had any contracts related to the piece for which he was being paid, and he said ‘no.’  The Post subsequently published a correction.”

In the less than two weeks since the federal appeals court decision, the Obama administration’s claim that Obamacare always intended to include subsidies for the Federal exchange has been dismantled. Now, Obamacare appears headed back to the Supreme Court, where even more damaging material is sure to emerge. Whatever the outcome, Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber’s own words and writings make one thing abundantly clear: the language stating only state Obamacare exchanges are eligible for subsides is no “typo.” Reported by Breitbart 2 days ago.

Auto insurance prices for drivers seeking rates from Texas agents are now included for display at the Quotes Pros website. New prices for coverage are accessible at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) August 03, 2014

The state of Texas is now one of the most expensive states in the U.S. for automobile insurance, according to newly released industry data. The Quotes Pros company is now helping drivers find auto insurance prices from Texas agents this year at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

The national tools that have been activated on the company website have opened up the new statewide research platform that adults can access for this year. Texas motorists who are searching for discounts and other rates decreases from agencies can find new price points by using the calculation system.

"Our system is now open for TX car owners and other owners of vehicles across the country to explore and easily compare the rates that insurers are currently supplying," said a Quotes Pros rep.

The agency rates that are tabulated while entering the QuotesPros.com website system are offered through various licensed agencies that are selected for entry into the system. A driver has the option to find state coverage or to search for a national provider underwriting Texas car insurance policies.

"The ease of use of our nationwide system is one of the instant benefits that a vehicle owner receives when entering our website," said the rep.

The Quotes Pros company is now expanding its provider search tool this year by opening up new routes to explore other coverage plans besides automobile insurance. It is now easy for a person to find health insurance or life insurance when using the open system now at http://quotespros.com/life-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company helps American motorists to explore rates and discounts that insurance agencies publish online. The company has designed its open tools for easy access to annual price data for different policies. The QuotesPros.com company has changed its entire focus this year and now supplies life, renters, health and auto insurer price structures using its 24/7 accessible system now posted for use on the company homepage. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.

Direct auto insurance costs listed by state are now found in the Quotes Pros database at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html. This pricing is good for all states in the U.S.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 03, 2014

A new way to find direct auto insurance costs state-by-state is now activated at the Quotes Pros website. A consumer-friendly system has been installed that instantly searches rates decreases and other package discounts that insurers are calculating for motorists at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

The statewide database that is now accessible in any part of the U.S. can be used to find a number of different policies that U.S. agencies are offering for this year. Every agency that is found and explored inside of the search system is a licensed company that instantly prepares a quote in price.

"The immediate display of rates is one of our system benefits apart from the security that each motorist using our database receives," said one Quotes Pros company source.

The state agencies that are contributing the different data for the public to review also underwrite more than state level insurance coverage. A driver who has an interest in reviewing full coverage, SR22, collector or broad form insurance can use the system to review all pricing that is available.

"The state-by-state system we've built for owners of motor vehicles to use this year is currently being updated with new price content that every agency supplies," said the source.

The Quotes Pros company has added to its growing partner network for this year to make it an easier process to research life, automotive and health insurance online. An alternate system to find new policies is updated for the public to use at http://quotespros.com/life-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company is known throughout the United States for helping American citizens to find and easily compare rates for annual insurance packages. The Internet based tools this company provides are free of charge to use. The QuotesPros.com company directly showcases some of the leading U.S. insurers inside of its system to make locating any type of coverage policy easier for the average person. Rates are changed frequently inside the company database tool. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.

Classic car insurance is now searchable by zip code using the Quotes Pros website at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html in the U.S. Rates are now displayed online for drivers.

Huntington, WV (PRWEB) August 03, 2014

The classic motor vehicles industry has expanded in the U.S. market as more types of vehicles are now considered vintage after surpassing 30 years of initial manufacturing. The Quotes Pros company is now allowing a zip code search for classic car insurance through its new tool at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

The tool provided is now centered around locating all forms of price markdowns and discounts that companies supply to vintage vehicle owners. Because the open system uses a zip code, immediate rates can be prepared for a motorists based on a number of useful location factors.

"Crime rate, neighborhood thefts, collisions per area and other data is now used by insurance companies when tabulating rates that owners of vehicles pay for a coverage plan," one Quotes Pros source said.

The searchable zip code system that is now added involves more than viewable average rates per policy. The system has the capability to help a used car owner find state minimum insurance coverage as well as to help a new vehicle owner to find full coverage policies that are able to protect all brands of autos.

"We've created our system with the help of U.S. insurers to make it a little easier and a lot faster for someone who requires coverage plans to evaluate different prices," confirmed the source.

The Quotes Pros company is planning to overhaul its search system in the coming months to include more ways that adults can view costs for insurer policies online. Companies added this month are now tabulating rates for life and health insurance at http://quotespros.com/life-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company has enabled new ways to explore the rates that agencies offer in the U.S. for insurance packages. The nationwide finder that is installed now locates state, local or national price structures at the touch of a button. The QuotesPros.com company has designed an informative policy search tool that instantly showcases different coverage options that any adult can select during a search for a policy in any USA state. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.

Auto insurance quotes are now prepared for Florida drivers through the Quotes Pros tool online. This tool finds state providers discounting plans at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) August 03, 2014

Motorists in the state of Florida could be paying higher premiums for insurance if no source of price comparisons are available. The Quotes Pros company is now expected to help more statewide drivers find auto insurance quotes in Florida through its open tool at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

The insurer price structures that are now showcased using the open system are tabulated by zip code. This method of calculating a policy price is a new and faster way for a driver to begin the process of evaluating more than one insurer for a rates decrease. Each driver who enters the public system can view all prices in real time.

"States like Florida and California currently lead the market for the highest insurance premiums on average, and our system is providing a free way to compare multiple companies," a Quotes Pros source said.

The motorists who choose to enter the new system to find insurer rates are not limited to add-on PIP coverage prices. A full range of minimum coverage, full coverage, broad form, collector and collision coverage packages are available to review for prices. Every company supplying the price information is licensed in FL.

"There are national and regional providers that exist in our database to help a person to review policies that are based around low prices," the source included.

The Quotes Pros website is now an open source format to include a number of select policies that a person can evaluate this year. The automobile providers have the ability to underwrite life, term, renters, homeowners and health insurance plans through the secondary search database at http://quotespros.com/homeowners-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company helps motorists to compare or to buy insurance from leading companies through its easy to use search system posted on the homepage. The company connects insurers directly with adults who are unable to find better prices at the local or state levels. The QuotesPros.com company uses all of its connections in the U.S. to increase the rates discounts and lists of providers that are positioned in the database for research now available to any citizen online. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.

Cheap insurance for homeowners is now searchable using the instant finder system developed at http://quotespros.com/homeowners-insurance.html. The Quotes Pros company is now introducing this search system.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) August 03, 2014

A new strategy for connecting owners of homes to national insurance companies is now helping one company to expand its Internet offerings this year. The Quotes Pros company is providing the tools to search cheap insurance for homeowners using its accessible system at http://quotespros.com/homeowners-insurance.html.

Because the search database is linked nationally, companies across the country are capable of providing competitive prices for single or multi-home insurance coverage this year. Homeowners who are rates shopping on the Internet should benefit from this feature.

"Any homeowner who can enter a zip code to help the system calculate policy pricing based on city and town data in the U.S. can enter our insurer portal online," said a QuotesPros.com source.

The less expensive plans for insurance that exist for review this year are partly based on brokerage data inputted for homeowners to review. Independent brokers of homeowner insurance contribute the price levels that owners of properties review during access to the searchable tool.

"The daily use of our system will help someone who owns one or more homes in the U.S. to find the right level of protection at the most affordable price possible," the source included.

The Quotes Pros company is planning to help consumers to calculate more forms of insurance coverage by way of its database this year. Aside from the auto or homeowner plans, policies related to health and family insurance are now available for price review at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company now provides the tools and resources that adults in the U.S. need to find cheaper rates for insurance policies using the Internet. The company has added a search platform that is now easy to access nationally. The QuotesPros.com company uses the current partner providers inside of its system to generate the pricing that consumers can review for nearly any type of coverage plan that is requested. Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.

Leading travel fulfillment agency, Club Resort Intervals, offers tips that will allow travelers going out of the country to avoid some common complaints this summer.

Manchester, New Hampshire (PRWEB) August 04, 2014

Traveling abroad is a truly exciting experience for travelers all over the world. The Club Resort Intervals complaints avoidance squad knows that people look forward to their annual vacations for the duration of the year. However, there are always some possible issues that can occur while on vacation. For those who are traveling to an unfamiliar destination, it is best to be prepared for any and all situations that could arise. The Club Resort Intervals complaints avoidance squad wants to make sure that all travelers can have the vacation of a lifetime and experience no complaints while traveling abroad this summer. Here are some of this luxury vacation provider’s best tips.

1.    Invest in traveler’s insurance. No one knows when something may go wrong medically or when a valuable item may be lost. It is important that when a traveler leaves the country, they make sure that they are covered for all possible outcomes while they are so far from home. Health insurance is especially important, so travelers must make sure that their plans will still cover them when they are out of the country.

2.    Keep valuables safe. The last thing that any traveler wants is to have something valuable misplaced while they are outside of the country. Travelers should make sure that purses and travel bags are not easily accessible just in case. Any valuable that travelers bring along should be safely stored away and kept in sight at all times. Money should be secured and put in a couple of different places so that there is always an emergency stash.

3.    Pick the right partner. When travelers go to a new country, many like to bring friends or family members along. Sharing a trip with loved ones makes it more fun. However, it is important that travelers choose people that they know they can get along well with so that the proximity does not cause issues. Also, travelers should make sure that their travel partner is going to want to partake in similar activities.

For those headed out of the country for exciting adventures, the Club Resort Intervals complaints prevention team knows that these tips will allow them to have the perfect complaint-free trip. For more information on great travel experiences, visit http://www.crivacation.com/. To view this release in Spanish visit: http://enterateahora.com.mx/prportal/club-resort-intervals-proporciona-informaci%C3%B3n-para-evitar-quejas-de-viaje-al-extranjero.

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Club Resort Intervals
(800) 274-3979
service(at)crivacation(dot)com Reported by PRWeb 8 hours ago.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, attempting to cope with what he says is a growing mental health crisis among inmates at the county jail, said up to 9,000 people who have been incarcerated have signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in an attempt to get the care they need. Reported by ChicagoTribune 4 hours ago.

Grant proposals must address factors contributing to poor birth outcomes, infant mortality.

Baltimore (PRWEB) August 04, 2014

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) is committing up to $3.3 million over the next three years in programs seeking to improve birth outcomes and lower infant mortality rates in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia.

CareFirst, the region’s largest health insurer, has issued a request for proposals from community health centers, nonprofit organizations and public health programs focused on initiatives that address factors that contribute to improved birth outcomes and infant mortality, including:·     safe sleep habits;
·     smoking and substance use cessation;
·     prenatal care;
·     spacing between pregnancies;
·     breastfeeding;
·     treatment of maternal mental health; and,
·     maternal obesity prevention.

Proposals must be completed using the online Maternal and Child RFP Application and submitted no later than Sept. 15, 2014. Ideal proposals will improve infant health among minority and underserved populations, be easily expanded or replicated in other communities, address at least one of the identified contributing factors to infant health and provide a plan for sustainability beyond the period of CareFirst’s funding. Collaborative programs are encouraged.

Although infant mortality rates have declined locally and nationally in recent years, the U.S. infant mortality rate exceeds that of most other developed countries. Infant mortality rates in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia lag behind the national average of 6.14, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Generally, maternal and child health outcomes in our service areas continue to lag behind the national average, and significant disparities along racial and socio-economic lines persist,” said Maria Harris Tildon, CareFirst Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Community Affairs. “By expanding access and eliminating the barriers these mothers and their children face in seeking quality, affordable care, we hope to achieve lasting change that will have a real, measurable impact in these communities.”

Since 2007, CareFirst has contributed more than $10 million to maternal and child health, which is one of the insurer’s five areas of focus for its funding. CareFirst is not accepting applications for this RFP for new programs in Baltimore City because of its ongoing commitment to B’More for Healthy Babies, a program that has helped lower the city’s infant mortality rate since its launch in 2009. The company made an additional two-year commitment to B’More for Healthy Babies in 2013.

About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
In its 77th year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.4 million individuals and groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. In 2013, CareFirst contributed nearly $57 million to community programs designed to increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit our website at http://www.carefirst.com or follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CareFirst_News. Reported by PRWeb 3 hours ago.