Affordable Motorcycle Insurance Finder Updated to Feature NY Agency Rates at Insurer Website

October 8, 2014, 3:09 pm

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The affordable motorcycle insurance tool is now updated to provide NY agency rates through the Quotes Pros website at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 08, 2014

Bikers in the state of New York will now have a simpler method of finding affordable motorcycle insurance when using the Quotes Pros portal this year. A modified list of agencies is now searchable at http://quotespros.com/motorcycle-insurance.html to help bike owners find the best rates available.

The statewide access now offered using the updated search portal should make it simpler for motorcycle owners to find basic or customized plans for coverage. The full pricing that is distributed by individual insurers located in the system takes place once quote information is received.

"The NY agencies that are located within our research system offer different coverage levels to owners of bikes who require varied protection plans," said one Quotes Pros source.

The updated provider list that is now displayed upon use of the insurer system this year includes New York insurers providing more than liability coverage. It is now possible for motorists using motorcycles or automobiles to find state agency price data easier online.

"The access to review, sort and compare company rates information that our system provides is based on the city zip code that consumers are asked to provide," said the source.

The Quotes Pros company intends to increase the listings of companies that consumers have access to while conducting searches for insurers this year. A new trial database is offered to connect the public with renter, life or health insurance providers at http://quotespros.com/life-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company is one of the sources that men and women in the U.S. use to find costs for different coverage policies in the insurance industry. The price information now delivered with help from the private system is accurate for this year. The QuotesPros.com company opens its website portal 24/7 to assist seekers of automotive, motorcycle, health, renters, homeowners and business insurance in the United States. Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.

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Why Are CA Doctors Breaking Their Hippocratic Oath on Prop 45?

October 8, 2014, 4:01 pm

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An Open Letter to my fellow medical professionals about California's Proposition 45 and the primary obligation we have to protect the well being of our patients.

Like generations of doctors before us, when each of us graduated from medical school, we were asked to raise our hand and recite the Hippocratic Oath. This was a defining moment in many of our lives. Reciting the words carried great weight and purpose: "I will apply all measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice."

It is through the prism of these words that I watch you appearing in advertisements against Proposition 45 and react in horror. Dr. Amy Nguyen Howell, Dr. Marshall Morgan, and Dr. John Maa, I believe you are betraying your Hippocratic Oaths, and Registered Nurse Candace Campbell, I believe you are betraying the Nightingale Pledge. In fact, in your roles advocating against Prop 45, you are spreading lies designed to mislead and scare the public - our patients - in order to protect the insurance industry. It is unconscionable.

The facts are that since 2002, health insurance premiums have increased 185%, while wages for the bottom 70% of our state have remained stagnant. During this same time, California health insurers have issued over 45.7 million denials of treatment, while making record profits which have translated into record cash reserves in the billions.

So let's take a real look at your arguments:

In advertisements paid for by the health insurance industry, you claim that we should keep the new "independent commission" and that special interests are sponsoring Proposition 45 to give "one politician" new power over our health care -- including what treatment options our health insurance covers.

First off, there is absolutely no conflict between this new "independent commission" - Covered California - and Prop 45. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was written to accommodate just this sort of rate regulation, and 35 other states already have some version of it.

Covered California is actually run by purely political appointees, some of who have a long cozy history with the private insurance industry. Unlike the State Insurance Commissioner, who is publicly elected to serve as the ultimate consumer protector, the citizens of California have no say in who is appointed to this "independent commission" whereas the Insurance Commissioner is publicly accountable and can be voted out of office.

As for giving the Insurance Commissioner new power over treatment options, this is false on on so many levels. First and foremost, it is the private health insurance industry and their administrators, many of who have never cared for a patient, who are denying care, while telling doctors what treatment and drugs they can provide. Our Insurance Commissioner does not do this now and Prop 45 will not give him the authority to do so in the future.

In fact, Prop 45 would simply apply the same regulatory framework to health insurance which has proven so successful regulating auto, home, and medical malpractice insurance in California. Auto insurance rates have actually decreased in the 26 years since Prop 103, saving Californians billions of dollars in premiums. In 2012, our state Insurance Commissioner actually saved doctors like yourselves over $44 million in excessive malpractice premiums using the very same system proposed in Prop 45.

With regard to special interests funding Prop 45, it is actually Big Insurance - Kaiser Permanente, Well Point, and Blue Shield -- that is spending $37 million of our patients' premium dollars to try and kill Prop 45.

For every dollar that is spent on this campaign trying to protect patients against excessive, unreasonable health insurance rate increases, Big Insurance is spending almost 40 times as much to protect their lucrative status quo.

So, I urge you to stop spreading these lies. I challenge each of you to publicly debate the facts in person. Our patients are suffering mentally and physically from outrageous rate increases, and as the Hippocratic Oath makes clear, we must "keep them from harm and injustice." I call on you to renounce your opposition to Prop 45 and remember the promise you once made to all of your future patients. Reported by Huffington Post 17 hours ago.

Catholic health sharing touted as evangelizing alternative to insurance

October 8, 2014, 5:27 pm

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Washington D.C., Oct 8, 2014 / 05:24 pm (CNA).- The first Catholic health care sharing ministry in the U.S. will promote the “Gospel of Life” in health care, leaders announced at the ministry’s Oct. 2 launch in Washington, D.C.

Louis Brown, director of the new CMF CURO ministry, said that it will enable “Catholics to actively practice their faith, utilize affordable access to health care for themselves and their families, protect religious liberty and the individual right of conscience, and most importantly affirm the Gospel of life.”

CMF CURO is a partnership between the Christian health care sharing group Samaritan Ministries International and the Catholic health care non-profit Christ Medicus Foundation.

Unlike the standard procedure for a health insurance policy, members of the health care sharing ministry do not pay monthly premiums and deductibles for their health care, Instead, they cover each other’s health care costs through monthly share payments made directly to those in need.

The health sharing ministry also abides by Catholic social teaching, which means that no payments will cover practices that violate Church teaching, such as contraception or abortion.

“We want to make sure that Catholics can practice their faith in health care,” Brown said.

CMF CURO is exempt from controversial federal regulations requiring insurance policies to cover contraception and related products. Its members are also exempt from the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which requires individuals to purchase insurance plans. The law allows health care sharing groups created before 1999 to continue operating as insurance alternatives. Samaritan Ministrires was founded in 1991.

Under the health care sharing ministry, monthly share payments are made directly to those in need. Members are responsible for three of their own annual health care costs under $300, which includes preventative care and routine check-ups.

When an individual or family encounters a more expensive health care costs, other members are notified and invited to make a payment directly to them.

The share payment may come with a personal note and prayers from the community, a Christian touch the speakers said helps distinguish the ministry from the private insurance market.

In addition, if costs exceed $250,000, members can draw from the SMI Save to Share program, where enrollees can pay extra into a pool for high-cost needs.

Generally speaking, however, the costs of health sharing are lower than normal health insurance, CMF CURO co-founder David Wilson said. “The truth is that 80 percent of the cost in health care is driven by lifestyle,” he said, claiming that churchgoing Christians are seen as more responsible about their personal health than others because they take stewardship of their bodies and their health.

Non-Catholics are also eligible to participate in the ministry.  Among the requirements for eligibility are regular church attendance – which is confirmed by a prospective member’s pastor – and a promise to “abstain from sinful practices such as drug abuse and sexual immorality.”

Wilson said that among those most interested in the ministry may be the uninsured, individual contractors, small business owners, and those wishing to opt out of the health care law’s state exchanges.

When asked how the ministry will deal with the rising costs of health care, Samaritan Ministries membership director Anthony Hopp acknowledged the ministry is “not immune” to the rising costs, but the increases “that we’ve seen have been modest and fewer compared to what happens with insurance.”

All members vote on whether or not to raise the monthly share amounts after three consecutive months in which there are “more medical needs presented than shares available.” In addition, the amount shared may be lessened if necessary, to the point a member in need receives 80 percent of the coverage instead of the normal 100 percent.

The health sharing ministry is part of the “new evangelization” because members are caring for each other’s needs in addition to their own, leaders said, explaining that prayer and Christian community makes up a fundamental part of the ministry.

“CURO empowers Catholic Christian charity. It is a witness to the New Evangelization. It fosters authentic Christian community, and it is not insurance, but is rather Christian caring, Christian charity, Christian sharing with your brothers and sisters in Christ,” said Brown.

Wilson called it “the ‘yes’ of Mary.”

“It is a reality that allows the Christians in the Catholic community, Catholics, to say I want to participate in an authentically Catholic-sharing ministry for my health care expenses and the needs of my family.”
  Reported by CNA 16 hours ago.

Californians Split On Official Vetoing Insurer Rate Boosts

October 8, 2014, 5:26 pm

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Californians are split over a voter initiative that would grant a state official new powers to veto health-insurance premium increases. Opponents say it could complicate the work of the state health-care exchange. Reported by Wall Street Journal 16 hours ago.

Southland Mall Welcomes New Merchants

October 8, 2014, 5:04 pm

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Southland Mall welcomes six new tenants.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) October 08, 2014

The new additions include Gelateria 4D, one of the most prestigious brands in the Gelato industry, will be located near the fountain area, next to Lids. Soon joining them will be T-Mobile’s Simply Prepaid, a new concept offering customers a whole new way to prepay, will be located in the main mall corridor, next to GNC. Popular categories like fashion jewelry and shoes will be represented as well with Eli Shoes and Jewelry Galore in the new mix.

Also opening this fall in the JC Penney Wing is insurance specialist, ACA Advisor, assisting the public with all health insurance questions and registration for the Affordable Care Act. Lastly, Florida Technical College will be opening its newest branch at Southland Mall, occupying nearly 26,000 square feet of space in areas of the Theater and JC Penney Wings. “We welcome these new additions to the Southland Mall family” said Maggie Anzardo, marketing director for Southland Mall. “We’re confident the new lineup will quickly become favorite destinations at Southland.”

About Southland Mall
Southland Mall, located in South Miami-Dade County, Florida, the densest, most populous county in the southeastern portion of the state of Florida, has over 1 million square feet of gross leasable area. Southland Mall is conveniently located on U.S. 1 and SW 205th Street, off the Florida Turnpike, Exits 11 or 12, and is the only enclosed regional mall servicing South Miami-Dade County down to the Florida Keys. Southland houses over 100 specialty stores, including Macy’s, Sears, JC Penney, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Starbucks, a 16-Plex Regal Cinema and diverse Food Court. For more information about Southland Mall, go to http://www.mysouthlandmall.com or call (305) 235-8880.

About Gumberg Asset Management Corp.
Gumberg Asset Management Corp., a diversified real estate retail organization with a tradition of uncompromising integrity and unbeatable performance is the manager of Southland Mall. For further information, visit the Company’s website at http://www.gumberg.com. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.

Texas Homeowner Insurance Quotes Now Obtained Online Through Updated Insurer System

October 8, 2014, 5:04 pm

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Texas homeowner insurance can now be quoted using the insurer system built at the Quotes Pros website at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) October 08, 2014

Protection for owners of properties in the form of long-term insurance coverage is now available to research using the Quotes Pros portal online. Companies now offering Texas homeowner insurance quotes are now selectable using the open portal at http://quotespros.com/homeowners-insurance.html.

A different process to find companies has been included this year to increase the success of locating affordable policy types of owners of homes. The portal now accessible to TX residents provides a list of companies specializing in all forms of personal and commercial real estate protection.

"A quote through our system takes place once a zip code is provided to make sure that only Texas companies are selected for coverage exploration," said one Quotes Pros source.

The review of price data through the QuotesPros.com portal this year is made possible due to new connections with insurers. Because the database of providers provides a statewide link, owners of homes in most Texas cities will be able to review the rates offered for different types of policies.

"Some companies might require more than a zip code to start the initial quotation process and home values, length of ownership or other data could be required," said the source.

The Quotes Pros company has taken steps to plan for a larger system upgrade early next year to supply a better listing of companies inside of its database system. The automotive, motorcycle, health and business insurance providers in the current system can still be reviewed at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company remains one of the resources for U.S. consumers to find and review insurer coverage pricing on the Internet. The programmed tool that exists on the homepage showcases companies to the public in most states. The QuotesPros.com company has integrated a zip search tool that now makes the entire procedure of evaluating company pricing easier through a secure portal. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.

18 Sobering Facts About The Unprecedented Student Loan Debt Crisis In The US

October 8, 2014, 5:30 pm

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Submitted by Michael Snyder of The End of The American Dream blog,

*The student loan debt bubble in America is spiraling out of control, and it is financially crippling an entire generation of young Americans.*  At this point, the grand total of student loan debt in the United States has reached a staggering 1.2 *trillion* dollars, and an all-time record high 40 million Americans are currently paying off student loan debts.  Just when our young people should be planning on buying homes and starting families, they find themselves financially paralyzed by oppressive levels of debt.  What makes all of this even worse is that only some of our college graduates are able to get the “good jobs” that we promised them.  *So with limited job prospects and suffocating levels of debt, this generation of young Americans is increasingly putting off major life commitments such as buying a home and getting married.*  As a society, we really need to rethink how we are “educating” our young people, because what we are doing now is clearly not working.  The following are 18 sobering facts about the unprecedented student loan debt crisis in the United States…

*#1* According to the Wall Street Journal, the class of 2014 is “the most indebted ever“…



As college graduates in the Class of 2014 prepare to shift their tassels and accept their diplomas, they leave school with one discouraging distinction: They’re the most indebted class ever.

 

The average Class of 2014 graduate with student-loan debt has to pay back some $33,000, according to an analysis of government data by Mark Kantrowitz, publisher at Edvisors, a group of web sites about planning and paying for college. Even after adjusting for inflation that’s nearly double the amount borrowers had to pay back 20 years ago.



*#2* In 1994, less than half of all college graduates left school with student loan debt.  Today, it is over 70 percent.

*#3* Approximately 15 percent of graduate and professional school students leave school with student loan debt balances in the six figures.

*#4* At this point, student loan debt has hit a grand total of 1.2 trillion dollars in the United States.  That number has grown by about 84 percent just since 2008.

*#5* According to the Pew Research Center, nearly four out of every ten U.S. households that are led by someone under the age of 40 is paying off student loan debt right now.

*#6* The median net worth of young households that have student loan debt is 20 percent lower than the median net worth of young households that do not have any student loan debt and that are led by someone with only a high school education.

*#7* Among college educated people, the median net worth of young households that do not have student loan debt is seven times higher than the median net worth of young households that do have student loan debt.

*#8* In 2008, approximately 29 million Americans were paying off student loan debts.  Today, that number has ballooned to 40 million.

*#9* Since 2005, student loan debt burdens have absolutely exploded while salaries for young college graduates have actually declined…



The problem developing is that earnings and debt aren’t moving in the same direction. From 2005 to 2012, average student loan debt has jumped 35%, adjusting for inflation, while the median salary has actually dropped by 2.2%.



*#10* According to CNN, 260,000 Americans with a college or professional degree made at or below the federal minimum wage last year.

*#11* Even after accounting for inflation, the cost of college tuition increased by 275 percent between 1970 and 2013.

*#12* Debt for law school students has risen dramatically over the past decade or so…



J.D.s certainly don’t come cheap. It’s almost unheard of to attend law school without taking out significant loans. What’s more, the average debt load is mounting: in 2001-2002, JDs borrowed on average $46,500 at public law schools and $70,000 at private law schools; by 2011, those numbers rose to $75,700 and $125,000, respectively.



*#13* Last year it was being reported that 34.9 percent of all student loan borrowers under the age of 30 are at least 90 days behind on their student loan payments.

*#14* One survey found that 27 percent of those with student loan debt moved back in with their parents after college.

*#15* Another survey found that 70 percent of all college graduates wish that they had spent more time preparing for the “real world” while they were still in school.

*#16* Student loan debt is causing many young Americans to delay getting married.  The following is from a recent NBC News article…



While there is no specific data on student debt-related delays to marriage, a recent study by the Pew Research Center shows that a record number of Americans have never married. The study found the median age at first marriage is now 27 for women and 29 for men. In 1960, the median age was 20 for women and 23 for men.



*#17* Many Americans are not even using most of their student loan money to pay for college.  Instead, many are using much of that money to pay bills or stock the fridge…



Take Ray Selent, a 30-year-old former retail clerk in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was unemployed in 2012 when he enrolled as a part-time student at Broward County’s community college. *That allowed him to borrow thousands of dollars to pay rent to his mother, cover his cellphone bill and catch the occasional movie.*

 

…

 

Tommie Matherne, a 32-year-old married father of five in Billings, Mont., has been going to school since 2010, *when he realized the $10 an hour he was making as a mall security guard wasn’t covering his family’s expenses*. He uses roughly $2,000 in student loans each year to stock his fridge and catch up on bills. His wife is a stay-at-home mother who also gets loans to take online courses.

 

“*We’ve been taking whatever we can for student loans every year, taking whatever we have left over and using it to stock up the freezer just so we have a couple extra months where we don’t have to worry about food*,” says Mr. Matherne, who owes $51,600 in federal loans.

 

Some students end up going deeper into debt. Early last year, when Denna Merritt lost her long-term unemployment benefits, the 49-year-old Indianapolis woman enrolled part-time at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s online program, aiming for a degree in graphic design. *She took out $15,000 in federal loans, $2,800 of which went to catch up on unpaid bills, including utilities, health-insurance premiums and cable.*

 

*“Obviously, it’s better not to use it that way if you can help it, because you’re just going to owe that much more later,” *says Ms. Merritt, a former bookkeeper.



*#18* Only 28 percent of Americans know that the U.S. government can garnish wages and withhold tax refunds if student loan debts are not repaid.

It should come as no surprise that the delinquency rate on student loan debt in this country is far higher than the delinquency rate on mortgages, auto loans and credit card debt.

*This is a financial bubble that gets worse with each passing year, and if we continue on our current course it is going to end very, very badly.* Reported by Zero Hedge 16 hours ago.

Alison Grimes Field Organizer: Obama's Legacy Depends on Kentucky Senate Race

October 8, 2014, 7:40 pm

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Akshai Bhatnagar, a field organizer for the Alison Grimes Senate campaign in Kentucky, wrote an article for the John Hopkins Politik Magazine in April of this year titled "Why Barack Obama's New New Deal Depends on This Year's Kentucky Senate Race."

In the article, Bhatnagar, a 2014 graduate of Johns Hopkins who previously worked as an intern at the House Majority PAC and the Democratic National Committee, wrote, "Since the 2010 midterms, Republicans in Congress have managed to block even routine legislative action. Major policy initiatives, like immigration reform, cap-and-trade legislation, or gun-control, are frustratingly out of reach."

"Despite President Obama's surprisingly comfortable re-election margin," Bhatnagar wrote, "it seems the New New Deal Coalition is not strong enough to pass its own legislative agenda. That means Democrats must expand the political map beyond the current Obama comfort zone. This election cycle, there is no more promising opportunity to do so than the Kentucky Senate race between Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes."

Bhatnagar expressed a fairly negative view of Kentucky in his article.

"[P]erhaps no state benefitted [sic] more from the original New Deal than Kentucky," he wrote, "and as, one of the poorest, unhealthiest, and shortest-lived states in the country, it also stands to benefit from the liberalism of the New New Deal."

Bhatnagar sang the praises of the benefits Kentuckians are experiencing from Obamacare.

"Obamacare alone has helped almost half a million Kentuckians sign up for health insurance," he wrote, adding that "polling shows Kentuckians prefer Democratic positions on economic issues like the minimum wage and pay equity. Kentucky is a state both willing to listen to Democratic ideas and in need of more liberal policies."

"The Kentucky Senate race is important," Bhatnagar concluded,"because it is emblematic of the type of states Democrats need to win to break the gridlock in Washington. Liberals, minorities, and young people may have elected Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, yet that coalition is not yet broad enough to overcome GOP opposition in Congress."

Federal Election Commission reports indicate that Bhatnagar has been on the payroll of the Kentucky State Democratic Central Executive Committee since July.

Breitbart News asked Grimes campaign spokesperson Charly Norton if Bhatnagar was hired to work in Kentucky based on the views he expressed in this article but has not yet received a response.

Bhatnagar's LinkedIn profile, which contained his work history, was deleted on Wednesday. Reported by Breitbart 14 hours ago.

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The New Health Care: HealthCare.gov Still Suffers From Lack of Transparency

October 8, 2014, 9:44 pm

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This year people will again be buying health insurance without a simple way to check which doctors and hospitals are in their network. Reported by NYTimes.com 12 hours ago.

HealthCare.gov Relaunches With 1 Embarrassing Error

October 9, 2014, 5:56 am

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration unveiled a new version of HealthCare.gov on Wednesday, with some improvements as well as at least one early mistake and a new challenge.

Officials also said that HealthCare.gov won't display premiums for 2015 until the second week of November. Open enrollment season runs Nov. 15 through Feb. 15. Coverage can start as early as Jan. 1.

On the plus side, the health insurance website will feature a streamlined application for most of those signing up for the first time. Seventy-six screens in the online application have been reduced to 16, officials said. The site has been also optimized for mobile devices.

The goof is a mistranslation in large type on the home page of the Spanish-language version of the site. It's the very first word on the page. Trying to translate "get ready," someone came up with the wrong word in Spanish.The Spanish-language site had lots of problems last year, ranging from technology issues to clunky translations that left some native speakers puzzled. The administration struggled to sign up Hispanics, the nation's largest minority and more likely to be uninsured than other ethnic groups.

This time, the website designers translated "get ready" as preparase. It should have been preparese — with an "e'' instead of an "a." The same mistake appears three times on the Spanish home page, which is supposed to be a mirror-image of HealthCare.gov. Such a prominent error can unintentionally send a message that the site was not designed to professional standards.

HealthCare.gov is the online portal to subsidized private health insurance for consumers who don't have access to a job-based plan. It served 36 states last open enrollment season, while the remaining states ran their own insurance exchanges. The feds as well as some states experienced crippling technical problems, and officials are vowing things will be different this time.

"Where we are focusing in on is a successful consumer experience," said Andy Slavitt, a tech industry executive brought in by the Health and Human Services department to oversee the relaunch.

Insurers say one big challenge for next year will involve millions of returning customers. It's not really a technology issue, but a time crunch that also coincides with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Those returning customers will have just one month — until Dec. 15— to go back into their existing accounts and update their financial information. Acting by that date will ensure that they are getting the right amount of financial assistance with their premiums at the very start of the new plan year.

It's estimated that more than 6 million of the 7.3 million people who signed up under President Barack Obama's health law are receiving subsidies, which greatly reduce their premiums.

After those returning customers update their financial information, insurers say they'll have to enter a 14-character plan identifier number on the website if they want to keep their current insurance policy.

The industry says insurers had hoped that number would be automatically provided by HealthCare.gov — but that wasn't possible.

Administration spokesman Aaron Albright says there's also a simpler way to do it. Consumers can select their plan from a list of all the plans they are eligible for on the website.

Existing customers who do nothing will be automatically re-enrolled in their current plan as of Jan. 1. But they will receive this year's subsidy amount, which could be lower than what they'd be entitled to for 2015.

And that could mean sticker shock over their new monthly premiums.

Officials downplayed those industry concerns on Wednesday, saying many returning customers will want to shop around to make sure their current plan is still the best deal for them.

And those returning customers who miss the Dec. 15 date will still have until the end of open enrollment on Feb. 15 to update their financial information. The change would take effect March 1, and in the meantime they might have to pay more. Reported by Huffington Post 3 hours ago.

Exigent MED Group, LLC and DevelopMED, LLC to Service the “Self-Pay” Health Care Market in South Florida

October 9, 2014, 12:10 am

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The rise of “cash-friendly” physicians.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) October 09, 2014

Exigent MED Group, LLC (dba: SelfPayMD), a South Florida company catering to “self-pay” patients, announced a deal with DevelopMED, LLC for marketing and business development of a select group of "cash friendly" primary care physicians, medical specialists and surgical specialists. These physicians are board-certified, with hospital privileges. SelfPayMD (SPMD) also directs “self-pay” patients to “cash-friendly” labs and diagnostic imaging centers offering up to 70% discounts. Participating physicians will charge only $99.00 per visit. This price does not include procedures or medications, which are billed at a percentage of standard Medicare rates. All fees are paid directly at the doctors’ office.

Why such low prices? Even the best health insurance companies pay physicians only about 25% of their billed amount, while the latter shoulder rising overhead and labor-intensive collection efforts. Thus, SPMD’s ‘cash-friendly’ physicians lose nothing; and, “self-pay” patients enjoy affordable care, at a fraction of the usual and customary fees. Appointments are guaranteed to be scheduled between 5 – 7 business days. Fees for quicker appointments vary on how soon the “self-pay” patient needs to see the doctor.

Just because a patient is uninsured or under-insured does not mean that they can’t pay for affordable routine medical services. “The trick is to find quality, “cash-friendly” health care providers, and SPMD does this - identifying and listing these physicians on our website, selfpaymd.com,” said Efrain Arroyave, MD, CEO of Exigent MED Group.

While Medicaid and Medicare provide health insurance for the poor and elderly respectively, many in the middle-middle class who don't qualify for ObamaCare subsidies will still be unable to afford health insurance. Tens-of-millions of individuals will remain uninsured; and, millions will be under-insured with hefty deductibles of $5,000 to $9,000. Furthermore, increased insurance rolls, a shortage of physicians, and more government control of healthcare access will result in long wait-times to see a physician. "Moreover, thousands of medical tourists come to South Florida from Latin America for their medical care; and, thousands of foreign nationals live in South Florida, many of whom pay cash," said Seth Gordon, head of GDB, a prominent PR Firm in South Florida.

SPMD will budget tens-of-thousands of dollars per month on a combination of traditional media, Google AdWords, PR, and social media. In addition, SPMD will work with South Florida PR firms, large corporations, hotels and foreign consulates to offer VIP scheduling for individuals in need of quick appointments.

“The South Florida market is ripe for this type of ‘cash-friendly’ health care network,” said Pete Okubo, CRNA, a principal of SPMD. Even if the nation goes into a single-payer health care system, "self-pay” health care services will thrive. Consider England’s socialized health care system where “self-pay” health care practices are growing at a steady 5% per year! In the USA, approximately 4-6% of primary care practices refuse to accept health insurance, opting for direct payments from “self-pay” patients.

“It is extremely expensive for individual physicians to pay for advertising, marketing and public relations. So, at only $250 per month, SPMD makes it very affordable for any qualified physician to participate in this unique, and much needed "self-pay" network. “These physicians have exclusive representation for their specialty, in their city,” said Arroyave. With approximately 30 commonly used medical and surgical specialties, and with about 30 cities in Miami-Dade County, the potential pool of physicians is about 900. SPMD anticipates to enroll about 25% of these physicians. “There is power in numbers”, said Larry Chilson, CEO for DevelopMED.

DevelopMED has over 15 years’ experience with marketing and business development in the “self-pay” health care sector, including major medical centers in Boston, NY, Houston and Miami. They are well-versed with forming strategic alliances with health care providers for ushering high net-worth Latin Americans who come to the US for their health care needs. In addition, they produce and place radio, TV, and magazine ads for their clients. From 1999 through 2001, they produced and managed the health care channel for Terra.com, the largest internet portal for the Global Latin community; and, published the “health care section” for NEXOS magazine, The American Airlines’ Spanish-language inflight magazine, which reaches millions of Latin flyers each month. DevelopMED has also helped launch several “self-pay” health care companies to the national level, including econoLABS.com, a discount lab broker for “self-pay” patients across the USA.

Although this service is being launched in Miami-Dade County, it will be expand regionally in South Florida, and even nationally. Reported by PRWeb 9 hours ago.

Health Network Acquires Key Websites HealthInsuranceMarketplace.com and HealthcareMarketplace.com to Accelerate Growth

October 9, 2014, 12:10 am

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Health Network (HealthNetwork.com), a leading healthcare marketing company with more than 15 million visitors to its websites annually, today announced that it has finalized agreements to acquire both HealthInsuranceMarketplace.com and HealthcareMarketplace.com.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL (PRWEB) October 09, 2014

Health Network (HealthNetwork.com), a leading healthcare marketing company with more than 15 million visitors to its websites annually, today announced that it has finalized agreements to acquire both HealthInsuranceMarketplace.com and HealthcareMarketplace.com. Purchase details of the transactions were not disclosed.

"The acquisition of these two sites is highly strategic and great examples of our commitment to accelerating our growth and footprint within the healthcare space” said Sean Sullivan, CEO and Founder of Health Network. “We’re accelerating the growth of Health Network in every way in which we can, and continuing to focus on providing an industry-leading consumer centric experience, launching industry-leading client acquisition and retention tools to our trusted agent and broker partners, and most importantly, helping millions gain access to the information they need to ensure that they enroll in the right healthcare plan.”

Both sites are designed to help Americans enroll in health insurance by providing objective, independent information and facts, proprietary decision-making web tools, and unique features to connect them to licensed health insurance agents, which is a feature currently unavailable through the government’s website, Healthcare.gov. Starting November 15th, consumers who visit any of Health Network’s websites will be able to view a complete list of plans which include those available on the government-run exchanges and those available direct from insurers on private exchanges.

Health Network acquired HealthInsuranceMarketplace.com from Health Insurance Interactive, Inc, which is based out of Naples, Florida. Wayne Sakamoto, a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) and the Founder and President of Health Insurance Interactive, Inc. says, “I am excited about Health Network’s role in connecting health insurance consumers with the best and brightest insurance agents around the country. Health Network is the perfect company to provide leadership that matters with assisting consumers who need direction with obtaining affordable and relevant health insurance options during the 2015 Open Enrollment. Health Network’s CEO, Sean Sullivan, really cares about the consumer experience. He wants his consumers to receive excellent service and advice from his partner insurance agents – and nothing less. I support the company’s promise to the consumer marketplace and in achieving a high service efficiency with the agent community.” Mr. Sakamoto is currently serving on Health Network’s Agent Advisory Board and their Consumer Satisfaction Committee.

Health Network has been previewing to a select number of its agent partners a SaaS based suite of tools that enable them to better understand and adapt to their client's needs. Health Network will be announcing the official launch of these tools in coming weeks and making them available to licensed agents who meet their requirements and commitment to consumer satisfaction.

As with all of Health Network’s sites, the company adheres to its strict mission of protecting consumer’s data and privacy. In a recent report, the FTC acknowledges the rampant collection and selling of consumer’s personal data by data brokers, including those in the medical and healthcare industries. However, Health Network prevents these anti-consumer-based practices through a rigid platform of security, HIPAA compliance, and anti-SPAM prevention that are unique in the industry.

The Congressional Business Office (CBO) is projecting that 13 million consumers will enroll in healthcare during the second open enrollment period, which runs November 15, 2014 - February 15, 2015.

"We’re not only helping CMS achieve its goals, but we’re enabling agents to be successful and providing consumers with a transparent, secure platform to enroll with unique access to licensed professionals,” said Mike Schrobo, CMO of Health Network.

Health Network had more than 15 million visitors to its network of websites during the 2014 open enrollment period and is expecting to grow to more than 40 million visitors within the next 12 months. Business and insurance agents can learn more at HealthNetwork.com/agents.

ABOUT HEALTH NETWORK
Health Network Group, LLC is a leading healthcare marketing company with 15 million visitors and nearly 100 million page views annually across its network of websites. Health Network’s mission is to provide a unique, consumer-first experience to help individuals obtain healthcare and improve their lives. It also respects consumer privacy and prevents the abuses by traditional industry companies of excessive personal data sharing. Health Network and its properties are not associated with any state exchange or the federal government. Learn more at HealthNetwork.com. Reported by PRWeb 9 hours ago.

New HealthCare.gov improved, but with a glitch

October 9, 2014, 12:30 am

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration unveiled a new version of HealthCare.gov on Wednesday, with some improvements as well as at least one early mistake and a new challenge. On the plus side, the health insurance website will feature a streamlined application for most of those signing up for the first time. The administration struggled to sign up Hispanics, the nation's largest minority and more likely to be uninsured than other ethnic groups. HealthCare.gov is the online portal to subsidized private health insurance for consumers who don't have access to a job-based plan. "Where we are focusing in on is a successful consumer experience," said Andy Slavitt, a tech industry executive brought in by the Health and Human Services department to oversee the relaunch. After those returning customers update their financial information, insurers say they'll have to enter a 14-character plan identifier number on the website if they want to keep their current insurance policy. Reported by SeattlePI.com 9 hours ago.

Next-Level Money Moves: What to Do When Your Basics Are Set

October 9, 2014, 3:20 am

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Filed under: Real Estate, Investing Basics, Personal Finance, Planning

*Shutterstock*

*Q: I have already maxed out my 401(k) and Roth IRA and am contributing to a 529, and my bills are paid off (with the exception of my house) -- and I still have money left over at the end of the month. What should be my next moves in managing my money?*

*A:* I assume you also have an emergency fund and no debt except your mortgage. (If you don't have an emergency fund, building one should be your next move.) Starting with that assumption, here's how to put your extra money to the best use:

*1. Save for Future Purchases*

You have retirement and emergency savings covered, so now's the time to focus on saving for any other big purchases you foresee. This could mean saving up to buy your next car in cash, opening a separate savings account to save for your wedding or starting a vacation fund for that European cruise you hope to take in a few years.

Enter these savings goals into your monthly budget as a line expense. For instance, if you're saving to buy a car, make a "car payment" to yourself each month by setting aside $400 toward your next car purchase.

*2. Reduce Your Mortgage Debt*

Since you're still paying off your mortgage, you should look into ways to reduce that debt. The sooner you pay it off -- and the less you pay in the long run -- the more money you'll have to allocate toward other goals.

If the interest rate on your mortgage is 5 percent or higher, either refinance to a lower rate or focus on paying it down as fast as possible. That's a "guaranteed" 5 percent return.

*3. Open a Health Savings Account*

If your health insurance plan is compatible with a health savings account, open an HSA and max out your contributions. For an individual, the annual limit is $3,000; for families, it's $6,550. If you're 55 or older, you can add an extra $1,000 to each of these amounts. Like a 401(k) or traditional IRA, money in your HSA is tax-deferred.

Consider this possible hack. Your HSA is meant to pay for medical expenses. But you're not obligated to use your HSA money the next time you're at the doctor's office or pharmacy. Instead, pay your medical bills out-of-pocket and let your money grow inside your HSA. You can withdraw it penalty-free once you reach retirement age. In other words, you'll create an extra, "backdoor" tax-deferred account. This tip only applies to HSAs, not flexible savings accounts. An FSA is "use it or lose it."

*4. Open Taxable (Non-Retirement) Investment Accounts*

Since you're already covered with a 401(k) and Roth IRA, you can now open taxable (non-retirement) investment accounts and grow your money there as well.

The default account at brokerages is a taxable investment account. This means that you don't get any special tax advantages. You fund the account with after-tax dollars, and when you sell your investments, you'll pay taxes on the gains. In short, everything is taxed "normally."

Retirement accounts, like the 401(k) and IRA, can also be housed at those same brokerages, and these accounts come with tax advantages. The traditional structure allows people to contribute pre-tax dollars into their retirement account; the Roth structure allows people to be exempt from paying taxes on the dividends and capital gains.

Thanks to the tax advantages, you'll want to prioritize your 401(k), IRA and any other retirement accounts. But if you've maxed out your contribution limits and want to invest more, there's no limit to how much you can invest in an ordinary investment account.

*5. Buy Rental Properties*

A rental (or income) property is a great way to set up an additional income stream. To help you choose a property that's worth the investment, follow these critical rental property investing rules:

· *The 1 percent rule.* You should be able to collect a monthly rent that equals (or exceeds) 1 percent of the property purchase price. So, if you buy a property for $100,000, you should be able to collect at least $1,000 a month in rent. This rule applies to homes in stable neighborhoods with high rental demand. If you're looking at a home in a higher-risk area (say with more crime or where renters may not have the best credit), you're better off aiming to collect 2 percent of the purchase price to balance out your risk.
· *Cap rate.* The capitalization rate tells you how long it will take to recoup your purchase price. You can calculate this rate by dividing your annual net income by the purchase price. Let's say your net income on a property will be $500 per month. This is how much of the monthly rent you will pocket after you've deducted monthly operating expenses like insurance, utilities and repairs (but excluding debt servicing). Multiplying this amount by 12, you predict an annual net profit of $6,000. If you bought the home for $100,000, that amount divided by your annual net profit equals 0.06. Multiply this by 100 to turn it into a percentage, and you're looking at a rate of return of 6 percent on this property. That means it will take you 16 years (100 divided by 6) to recoup the cost of the property.
· *Cash-on-cash return.* This figure will tell you how much far your investment will take you. It's calculated by dividing your annual net income by down payment. Let's use our example above -- you buy a $100,000 home and predict a $6,000 net profit -- and you put 20 percent down. Divide that net profit ($6,000) by your down payment ($20,000), and you've got 0.15, or a 15 percent rate of return. (Not too shabby, right?) Just remember to balance this against the risk that comes with any type of leverage. While you could use just one of these formulas to evaluate the promise of a potential rental income purchase, using all three in combination is a powerful way to get the best bang for your buck.

Paula Pant ditched her 9-to-5 job in 2008. She's traveled to 30 countries, owns seven rental units and runs a business from her laptop. Her blog, Afford Anything, is a gathering spot for rebels who want to ditch the cubicle, shatter limits and live life on your own terms -- while also building wealth, security and freedom.
 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Reported by DailyFinance 6 hours ago.

Walmart Health Insurance Could Leave A Really Sick Worker Broke

October 9, 2014, 3:59 am

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Walmart Health Insurance Could Leave A Really Sick Worker Broke Reported by ajc.com 5 hours ago.

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Fitch: US Hospitals Refine ACA Strategy after Promising Results

October 9, 2014, 7:56 am

≫ Next: Pet Insurance in the US Industry Market Research Report from IBISWorld Has Been Updated

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The for-profit hospital industry's approach to capturing the benefit of coverage expansion contained in the Affordable Care Act appears to work in the first half of 2014, according to Fitch Ratings. We expect companies to follow the same basic approach in 2015, but to expand and fine tune patient outreach efforts to maximize enrollment in health insurance exchange plans and expanded state Medicaid programs. Operating results through the first half of 2014 indicate the Reported by Business Wire 1 hour ago.

Pet Insurance in the US Industry Market Research Report from IBISWorld Has Been Updated

October 9, 2014, 8:08 am

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The number of pets is anticipated to rise, while homeownership rates are forecast to rebound from consistent decreases in recent years. For these reasons, industry research firm IBISWorld has updated a report on the Pet Insurance industry in its growing industry report collection.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 09, 2014

Despite accounting for only a marginal portion of the broader Property, Casualty and Direct Insurance industry (IBISWorld report 52412), rapidly increasing consumer awareness and acceptance of industry offerings has benefited the Pet Insurance industry substantially over the five-year period. According to the latest available data from The Department of Clinical Veterinary Science and the Pet Food Institute, 30.0% of pets in Sweden and 23.0% of pets in the United Kingdom are covered by pet insurance policies. Alternatively, only 1.0% of domestic pets are insured; yet, this figure continues to rise and provides the basis for sustained industry growth. Over the five years to 2014, industry revenue is anticipated to rise.

According to IBISWorld Industry Analyst Stephen Hoopes, "pet insurers largely face the same regulatory trends as their broader property and casualty counterparts, given that pets are considered property in the view of government regulators." However, pet insurance risks and trends tend to be more similar to the health insurance market. For example, the cost of obtaining treatment in both markets has consistently increased at a faster pace than inflation. For veterinary costs in particular, expenditures have risen due to both advancements in medicine and increased utilization of care. According to industry operator Trupanion, more expensive and sophisticated treatments are gaining acceptance, including radiation therapy, CT scans, transplants and chemotherapy. This trend has increased the financial incentive for pet owners to take out industry coverage, while extensive marketing efforts have expanded consumer awareness of pet insurance policy options.

Over the five years to 2019, industry revenue is forecast to increase. "Key fundamental and demographic variables underlying the industry's performance are anticipated to improve in the years ahead," says Hoopes. For example, the number of pets is anticipated to rise, while homeownership rates are forecast to rebound from consistent decreases in recent years. Yet, the industry's market share concentration is anticipated to continue rising over the five years to 2019, as mounting consumer acceptance of industry offerings is forecast to benefit well-branded insurers more than their smaller counterparts.

For more information, visit IBISWorld’s Pet Insurance in the US industry report page.

Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld
Friend IBISWorld on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189

IBISWorld industry Report Key Topics

The Pet Insurance industry underwrites insurance policies for pets and pays veterinary costs related to illness or injury.

Industry Performance
Executive Summary
Key External Drivers
Current Performance
Industry Outlook
Industry Life Cycle
Products & Markets
Supply Chain
Products & Services
Major Markets
Globalization & Trade
Business Locations
Competitive Landscape
Market Share Concentration
Key Success Factors
Cost Structure Benchmarks
Barriers to Entry
Major Companies
Operating Conditions
Capital Intensity
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Annual Change
Key Ratios

About IBISWorld Inc.
Recognized as the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772. Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.

Observations of a Freelancer

October 9, 2014, 8:26 am

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For almost a full year, I was in an amazing relationship. We had tremendous respect for each other, the perfect amount of give and take -- it was easy. No one ever felt like they were working too hard to make things work. I was happy. They were happy. It was as close to relationship bliss as I've ever encountered.

Unfortunately, I'm not talking about a romantic relationship. The near perfect year of my advertising career was the year I worked as a freelancer.

I'd heard amazing things about freelancing. How freeing it was; liberating to be able to come and go (practically) at will. How the hours tended to be more reasonable because when you're being paid a day rate, overtime gets expensive for companies.

More and more these days, advertising is being taken over by freelancers. Since so much of what we do is seasonal and the business operates by hiring people to work on specific brands rather than spacing them out over a range of them, it can be difficult to find enough projects to support a full-time salary. Instead, companies hire employees on a need-to-have basis. This way, if they're good, they can be rotated within a company on various projects rather than assigned to a specific one. Salaries can be more easily justified that way. Sure the work can be sporadic, but the day rate more than compensates for periods of downtime. When I began looking for opportunities, there was work aplenty.

And so, after finishing a year and a half at my third full-time agency job, I embarked into the wide world of freelance. A friend of a friend who was in need of a copywriter partner recruited me. The gig was at a company I'd previously sniffed around for a full-time role. My (future) partner and I had a phone call. We vibed instantly. He told me the pay was good, the work interesting and the environment mellow. They needed us for a month-long project. I didn't need much convincing.

I started the following week and for the first time in my career, felt truly respected. My coworkers were amazing, I enjoyed the work I was producing and, in a business as fickle and cruel as advertising can be, I was lauded daily for my efforts. We did well and were given relative autonomy on our projects. The best part? As a freelancer, I got to keep out of the office politics -- the facet I loathe most about the advertising business. I was getting paid to do a job and as long as I did it, everyone was happy. On top of all this, my partner was amazing which certainly helped -- in advertising, there's nothing quite as important as the relationship between copywriter and art director, and as far as partners go, I'd hit the jackpot.

What started as a month-long project turned into two, then three, then four... you get the point. Every time we got an extension, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was in the clear for a bit longer. But every month that passed, I asked myself, was I capable of this uncertainty? Could I thrive not knowing what tomorrow would bring?

Whereas some fellow freelancing friends told me they loved the week on, week off dynamic because it gave them a chance to relax or focus on other projects, I didn't look forward to the down time -- I was terrified of it. I don't like to think of myself as being defined by my career but I'm a person who thrives on routine and genuinely enjoys what I do. The prospect of not working, even for a week or two, was tantamount to my worst nightmare. After a half a year had passed, it seemed like our contracts would/could be extended indefinitely and though this certainly helped ease my anxious nerves, every time 'the final date' approached, I'd freak out.

Over the course of the year, I interviewed -- and was offered -- full-time jobs at various agencies. But since my freelance situation was so ideal, I knew it would take a near perfect opportunity to make me leave. That said, even with my freelance rate, Obamacare was still a hefty monthly load and, as a woman who at the age of 15 told my parents I needed to open a credit card to begin building a line of credit for my future, the absence of my beloved 401K frustrated me every single day.

As we were coming up on month ten of our time at this company, a recruiter reached out to me with an opportunity that sounded pretty close to perfect. Unlike most advertising interview processes, this one was fast and furious -- I was offered a job the day I met with the company. A week later, I accepted and have been working there ever since. My new job is great. My coworkers are lovely, the work is challenging and the opportunities vast.

Nearly two months in, a part of me feels like I got what I wanted. The 'coveted ring on my finger'. The mutual commitment. I have a great health insurance package, just signed up for my 401K contributions and get to take advantage of company perks. But even with all the positives, I'd be lying to say there aren't days that I wake up wishing I were still single ... and freelancing. Reported by Huffington Post 58 minutes ago.

Candidate Who Says He Spent Weeks Studying Obamacare Doesn't Seem To Understand It

October 9, 2014, 9:14 am

≫ Next: Nashville Based Music Health Alliance Announces An Evening With Emily West At Franklin Theatre on November 8, 2014 at 7:00pm.

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Former Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan, the Republican challenging Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), frequently talks about how he "actually read" the Affordable Care Act and "spent weeks -- weeks! -- reviewing that law."

But that doesn't mean Sullivan is familiar with all of the law's provisions, as an interview with the Alaska Dispatch News published Wednesday revealed:
Sullivan does, however, want to preserve one key element of the Affordable Care Act -- insurance coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions. Sullivan wants to do that through high-risk pools, which have in the past forced those individuals to pay higher premiums than people get on the standard market.

As to other elements of the law that Begich cited in his defense of the measure, Sullivan said he was unfamiliar with a provision guaranteeing that women could not be charged different rates than men, though he added he doesn’t support allowing gender-based discrimination if people 'are similarly situated with regard to health issues.'

Sullivan wouldn’t directly answer a question about whether he supported a provision of the law requiring insurers that offer dependent coverage to provide it to children up to the age of 26, saying he would leave families to design their own health care plans with the help of their doctors.
The Republican was professing ignorance of the Affordable Care Act's ban on the practice known as "gender rating," whereby insurers would charge women higher premiums than men for identical plans. Sullivan perhaps said he supports -- or doesn't know about -- those provisions because polling shows a paradox: Americans dislike the law, but like that it allows children to stay on their parents' plans until 26, bans discrimination based on gender and eliminates lifetime coverage caps.

This paradox is also illustrated in the manner in which Begich's campaign is approaching the law in Alaska. Though Begich has said in in radio ads he has worked to "fix" the law, he has also run television ads featuring a breast cancer survivor describing how the law enabled her to get health insurance despite her pre-existing condition.

The senator has taken pains to distance himself from President Barack Obama, but two new polls this week show Sullivan ahead.

Sullivan's campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Reported by Huffington Post 10 minutes ago.

Nashville Based Music Health Alliance Announces An Evening With Emily West At Franklin Theatre on November 8, 2014 at 7:00pm.

October 10, 2014, 12:10 am

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Music Health Alliance, a Nashville based non-profit organization providing healthcare solutions to music industry professionals is announcing “An Evening with Emily West" benefit performance at the Franklin Theater on November 8, 2014 at 7:00pm. Doors open at 6:00pm.

Nashville, TN (PRWEB) October 10, 2014

Music Health Alliance announces “An Evening with Emily West” at the Franklin Theater on November 8, 2014. This is her first live performance since stealing the hearts of America on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Emily is coming home to heal the music through this one-night only performance benefiting Music Health Alliance.

“I am so thrilled to be coming home to support an organization that helps so many of my own friends within the music community,” says Emily West.
Singer-songwriter Emily West moved to Nashville at age 18 and had some success as a country music artist. But a few months ago, she wanted a clean slate, so she sold her car, packed her bags for New York City and never looked back. Emily's dream is to have a one-woman show that tells stories through her songs. Her music inspirations include Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Rufus Wainwright and Antony and the Johnsons. Most recently, Emily was first runner-up on America’s Got Talent showcasing some of the songs she will perform at The Franklin Theatre.

“Emily’s story is our story,” says Tatum Hauck Allsep, Founder/Executive Director for MHA. “We are honored for her to join our mission to heal the music.”

Music Health Alliance has secured over $4.2 million dollars in life-changing healthcare resources to heal the music in the last two years. MHA has enabled more than 1,200 music industry professionals to receive the care they so desperately needed.

These stories include assisting an uninsured musician with life-saving brain surgery; a Grammy-winning songwriter receive Parkinson’s medication enabling him to buy groceries and stop reusing disposable diapers; helping a southern rocker with a liver transplant; an esophageal cancer patient receive disability financial assistance while undergoing chemotherapy; and finding affordable health insurance for a songwriter for the first time in 30 years.

At Music Health Alliance, there is always a solution. The client is never alone.

Assistance is provided nationwide in all genres of music to anyone who has been in the music business at least two years. As a nonprofit, all of MHA’s services are free. MHA depends on philanthropic donations, fundraising, and grants.

Tickets are available thru The http://www.franklintheatre.com in [Franklin Theatre __title__ link] Box Office starting Tuesday, October 7, in Franklin, TN or by calling (615) 538-2076.

Music Health Alliance is music’s resource for healthcare.

The MHA mission is to heal the music by providing access to healthcare through services that PROTECT, DIRECT & CONNECT music industry professionals with medical and financial solutions. MHA services PROTECT clients with health insurance or alternative ways to pay for healthcare. They DIRECT by providing confidential guidance, education and navigation until one’s healthcare need is resolved. MHA services CONNECT clients with resources like medicine, hospitals, doctors and financial aid to enable clients to pursue wellness. MHA provides compassionate and patient-driven healthcare support with a vision of long-term prevention of illness and overall wellness from the beginning to the end of life.

For donation Information, please click the [link. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.