As the world continues to be in the grip of panic over the deadly Ebola virus, North Korea has taken drastic action to stop the disease from crossing its borders.

Tour operators have said that the secretive Communist state is to ban all foreigners entering the country on tourist trips in case they may have the virus - regardless of where they have been travelling.

So far, recorded deaths from Ebola are 4,877 with the World Health Organisation estimating that 10,000 cases were recorded by 19th October. However due to the more primitive administrative procedures in many rural areas in West Africa the real figure could be three times as much.

"We have just received official news from our partners in the DPRK that, as of tomorrow, tourists from any country, regardless of where they have recently visited, will not be permitted to enter," Gareth Johnson, of Young Pioneer Tours, according to the Metro.

"It is unknown how long this closure will be in effect, and due to the very changeable nature of DPRK policy, we are still hopeful we will be able to run the three tours we have scheduled for the remainder of 2014," added Nick Bonner, whose Beijing-based Koryo Tours runs trips to the region.

Unsurprisingly, the country is not top on the list of tourist destinations for many people with visitors being allocated an official state guide to show them round at all times.

The official news agency in North Korea, KCNA, said in late September there would be an increase in efforts to quarantine any foreigners or tourists who may be carrying the virus.

In 2003, the country closed its borders due to the threat of SARS despite not a single case being reported there.

North Korea has a national medical service and a health insurance system. The state insists that it provides universal health care for all citizens regardless of ability to pay, but this had been disputed by health professionals working abroad who say that such services only exist for those who can pay for them.

In 2001 the World Health Organisation (WHO) said North Korea's healthcare system was in a state of near-collapse. However by 2010 it said the healthcare system was “the envy of the developing world” in stark contrast to a report by Amnesty International which said there were “barely functioning hospitals”. Reported by Breitbart 20 hours ago.

The healthcare experts at hipaapoliciesandprocedures.com are now offering newly revised HIPAA policies for both Covered Entities and Business Associates that are seeking to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) October 24, 2014

The healthcare experts at hipaapoliciesandprocedures.com are now offering newly revised HIPAA policies for both Covered Entities and Business Associates that are seeking to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Available for instant download, the documentation has been thoroughly researched and developed by healthcare veterans with years of security and compliance expertise. When purchasing the HIPAA policies today, health care organizations will receive a comprehensive packet containing the following documents:·     HIPAA Information Security Policies and Procedures Manual
·     HIPAA Information Systems Hardening Checklists
·     HIPAA Disaster Recovery Plan
·     HIPAA Handbook & Reference Manual
·     HIPAA Security Awareness Training PowerPoint (PPT) Presentation
·     HIPAA Security Awareness Training Manual & Employee Quiz
·     HIPAA Security Rule & Privacy Rule Checklist & Readiness Assessment
·     HIPAA Risk Assessment Template
·     Essential HIPAA Forms
·     Additional HIPAA Policies and Procedures
·     And much more!

Avoiding costly fines and penalties from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) begins by putting in place high-quality healthcare documentation, such as the HIPAA policies for Covered Entities and Business Associates available for instant download. With growing regulatory compliance mandates for HIPAA being pushed heavily by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, it’s time to get serious about healthcare compliance, and it begins by obtaining, adopting, and implementing broad-based, enterprise leading HIPAA policies for covered entities and business associates today. Becoming compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act can be incredibly challenging and time-consuming, which is why the HIPAA policies for Covered Entities and Business Associates is just what the doctor ordered! Reported by PRWeb 20 hours ago.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Oct. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey of insurance brokers unveiled today reveals that many employers are concerned that existing benefit packages are not adequately meeting employees' most critical needs, particularly with regard to financial stability in... Reported by PR Newswire 18 hours ago.

If Republicans take the Senate next month (and if he wins his own reelection race), Mitch McConnell will be that body's next Majority Leader. Then what happens?

McConnell's been frank about what the GOP would do with the Senate -- at least when he thinks nobody's listening. This quote comes from audio, obtained by Undercurrent's Lauren Windsor, of a talk McConnell gave to a Koch Brothers group in August:
"Most things in the Senate require 60 (votes) ... but not the budget. So in the House and Senate, we own the budget. What does that mean?

"... No money can be spent to do this or do that. We're going to go after them on healthcare, on financial services, on the Environmental Protection Agency, across the board ..."
McConnell attacked the Dodd/Frank financial reform bill in further audio obtained by this week by Windsor, calling it "Obamacare for banks."

McConnell said he would "definitely" defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, calling it "the biggest part of the Dodd/Frank bill."

But then, that's been his position all along. Senate Republicans refused to accept anyone's nomination to lead the CFPB when it was formed. Said McConnell at the time: "We're simply not going to ... confirm him or anybody else to this agency that shouldn't exist in its current form."

Last year McConnell remarked, "If I had my way, we wouldn't have the [CFPB] at all."

The course of action McConnell lays out in these audio clips would:

*1. Expose Americans to toxic threats, and make additional disasters like the BP oil spill more likely.*

Cuts in EPA funding are intended to meet the GOP's stated goal of deregulating high-polluting industries like those of the Koch brothers themselves. That would lead to more fracking, more poisons in the groundwater, a higher risk of water-supply crises like the one recently experienced in West Virginia, increased air pollution...

The result? A sicker population which is at greater risk of environmental disaster.

*2. Deprive millions of American of health insurance.*

The Affordable Care Act isn't perfect. But it has extended health insurance to millions of Americans, both through the exchanges and through Medicaid extensions at the state level (excepting those states where Republican governors have refused to accept Federal funds for that purpose).

Denying funding for the law would, in all likelihood, close down the exchanges and end the Medicaid program. That would lead to thousands of additional deaths like that of Charlene Dill, a young working mother in Florida. (We discussed her death and related topics with Rep. Alan Grayson here).

In addition, millions of Americans would lose their exchange-based health insurance under a Republican Senate, including people who have pre-existing conditions or are under 26 years old.

*3. Ensure that money that financial institutions obtain dishonestly -- money like the $4.6 billion the CFPB has already returned to consumers -- would remain in the banks' pockets from now on.*

The CFPB reports that it arranged the return of $4.6 billion in improperly obtained fees in its first three years of operation. The money was distributed to 15 million customers. In addition, more than three quarters of a million customers will receive remediation from financial institutions (that is, they'll be made whole) as a result of the CFPB's actions.

These actions will stop under a McConnell-led Senate, according to the senator himself.

*4. Give a green light for credit-card companies to resume the "deceptive marketing practices" and other abuses that the CFPB has red-flagged.*

In its very first enforcement action the CFPB ordered giant credit-card company Capitol One to repay $150 million to ripped-off customers, as well as $60 million to regulators, after the CFPB and another agency identified dishonest marketing practices that resulted in people being saddled with costly and ineffective add-on services they didn't want or need.

Since then a total of three major credit card companies (American Express and Discover are the others) have returned a total of $425 million. Interventions like this would end under a GOP Senate, according to McConnell, and credit-card companies would be free to resume their past deceptive practices.

*5. Make credit-card agreements and mortgage documents harder to understand.*

The CFPB's rule require credit-card companies and mortgage lenders to write their agreements in plain English. That will end if McConnell has his way.

The end result? Mortgage agreements that are impossible to understand, with provisions that could lead to foreclosure and/or prove financially ruinous to borrowers.

*6. Make it harder to shop for student loans.*

Defunding the CFPB would put an end to rules which make it easier for students and their families to comparison-shop for student loans.

The student-loan ombudsman's office, which reviews complaints about student loans, would also be shut down.

*7. Decrease oversight of credit bureaus.*

That would mean, among other things, that it would become harder for you to obtain your own credit report or correct misinformation on your credit record.

*8. Close down the CFPB complaint database.*

Consumers can now complain to the CFPB whenever they feel they have been cheated, abused, or misled by financial institutions. The CFPB tracks these complaints and intervenes with lenders where appropriate to resolve problems.

That would end, according to McConnell, under a Republican Senate.

*9. Increase racial discrimination in auto loans.*

The CFPB has been active in monitoring racial discrimination in auto lending, through its review of the business practice of the "indirect lenders" who underwrite these loans. That would stop.

The remediation which has occurred under this program would also end if the Republican Senate and House act as McConnell indicates they would.

*10. Protect "too big to fail" banks.*

Although Mitch McConnell claims otherwise, defunding Dodd/Frank would be a boon for too-big-to-fail banks. While he claims the law benefits them, the evidence suggests otherwise. As Mike Konczal observes in The New Republic, banks would pursue that designation if it were advantageous to them. Instead they're making every effort to avoid the label.

*11. Help shady derivatives dealers *

While more needs to be done, the Dodd/Frank law was a definite improvement over the status quo. Konczal also offers a good overview of its other useful features, most of which would cease to exist if McConnell and the Republicans make good on their threats.

*12. Allow more sneaky dealing in mortgages*

In Undercurrent's audio clips, McConnell seems to suggest that mortgage lenders didn't contribute to the 2008 financial crisis. This is nonsense. Fraud and excessive risk-taking were endemic throughout the mortgage financing system, from the underwriting of new loans to the bundling and selling of mortgages to third parties. That epidemic of fraud and risk-taking was central to the financial crisis, and to a massive loss of wealth for the American majority.

Americans were persuaded to take out loans without understanding their provisions, based on deceitful projections of their homes' future worth. Investors were deceived, too, as banks knowingly and deceptively bundled and sold junk-value mortgages as high-grade investments (with the collusion of the ratings "agencies").

"I have a friend who runs a mortgage business," McConnell says on the audio recording, "and he says the cost of writing a mortgage has gone up $1000 for him."

Underwriting a mortgage clearly takes more time and effort that generating reams of "liars' loans." Businesses would not rather bother, especially when it's more lucrative to cut corners. That's why they support politicians like Mitch McConnell -- and why the rest of shouldn't.

  Reported by Huffington Post 16 hours ago.

It's dangerous to  ascribe too much to any one issue. But by its nature, income inequality extends into vast amounts of life. For example, combine low wages with high deductible health insurance and you can create a disaster that keeps on giving, as seriously ill people fall into long-term debt [...] Reported by Forbes.com 14 hours ago.

In the past three years, more abortion restrictions have been enacted in the United States than in the entire previous decade. At the same time, 85 colleges and universities are now under federal investigation for their handling of sexual violence. While these two issues are not divergent, campus feminists have devoted much of their energy to challenging their universities’ failure to adequately handle sexual assault cases—often at the expense of abortion rights advocacy.

But the growing threats to reproductive justice—like the Texas law that could shut down most of the state’s abortion clinics, and looming ballot measures in Colorado, Tennessee, and North Dakota that could result in women losing their legal right to terminate a pregnancy—have catalyzed the ongoing efforts of national pro-choice organizations to invest in student leaders. Campus activist priorities and national women’s rights goals might finally be aligning—sort of.

For many students attending schools in East and West Coast states, the legislative efforts to restrict abortion access commonly found in red states can seem quite distant from their own daily gender struggles. Changing local culture around rape and sexual assault, on the other hand, seems far more urgent.

“Campus activism tends to be reactionary, and women are generally kept on the defense,” says Sarah Beth Alcabes, a recent graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. “It’s hard to organize for coherent proactive action beyond the immediate threats we face. Maybe if campuses were safe for women, there would be energy for them to focus on places not in their immediate vicinity. But that’s not the case.”

At Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, students have filed an anoymous Title IX complaint alleging that the school failed its responsibility to ensure the safety of students when it allowed a fraternity to continue throwing parties even after police began an investigation into an alleged gang rape that took place at the frat house. One of the complainants says that the focus of leaders on her campus has been the enforcement of federal sexual assault laws for a simple reason: “There’s no equivalent to those sorts of laws for abortion," she explains, "so the pro-choice movement doesn’t occupy the same place as gender-based violence on the college campus.”

But geographic distance from the most pressing abortion battles and political momentum around sexual assault prevention are only part of the story. Even in those states where access is regularly threatened, many college feminists have avoided tackling the issue of abortion directly—in part because the abortion debate is so polarizing, and in part because many campuses are unwilling to institutionally support such activism.

At Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Sophia Dominguez*, *the president of the Texas Tech Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA), says she believes that reproductive rights are an important feminist issue, but her group must “recognize the political culture of Texas and adapt [its] advocacy accordingly.” She says her peers feel “repressed in the ways in which to openly discuss and address reproductive freedom.” As such, Tech FMLA has been fighting Texas Tech’s rape culture, which students believe is a more immediate problem to tackle, even in light of the Texas legislature’s anti-abortion efforts.

Kierra Johnson, executive director of URGE, a national campus organization committed to reproductive and gender equity, says that the leaders of many URGE chapters tend to focus on sexual assault because there is less official support for abortion work, even when a group is affiliated with a campus women’s center. “We might be able to push for more access to contraception,” Johnson says. “But the more the conversation centers around abortion, the more uncomfortable the administration is with getting behind it. Regardless of how people feel about abortion, when you talk about it, it charges an environment, and that’s the last thing campus administrators want.”

Several national organizations—the Feminist Majority Foundation, Planned Parenthood for America, NARAL, and URGE—are trying to change these campus dynamics by building networks of college students who will advocate for reproductive justice and gender equality. While coordinated inter-campus solidarity is currently pretty minimal, efforts to build a larger college pro-choice infrastructure are growing.

But even with support from outside organizations, building a student pro-choice movement is tough. Molly Waters, a senior at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri, works as one of NARAL’s campus representatives for the Choice Out Loud campaign, an effort to help millennials engage in conversations about reproductive rights.

“I don’t think abortion is the first thing feminist students would organize around, just because it’s so polarizing and has such a stigma,” Waters says. “I understand it. I myself am a Christian. I think a lot of people are more tempted to discuss birth control or general reproductive rights and not so much abortion rights.”

NARAL donates supplies to campus chapters, organizes conference calls between campus representatives in different states, and facilitates national communication through Facebook groups. Yet Waters observes that many students just seem to have a general lack of interest in political activity. “One thing that can be really frustrating is just how many people don’t want to protest or be active as much,” Waters says. “And that’s understandable; we’re in college, we have a lot on our plates. But there does seem to be a lack of energy for action.”

Kaori Sueyoshi, a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, feels more optimistic. “The student movement here in North Carolina has been growing quickly with the Republican takeover of our state,” she explains.

In 2010, Republicans won the majority in the state legislature, and won the governor’s mansion in 2012. Since then, North Carolina has enacted a controversial set of abortion restrictions, as well as a stringent voter ID law. In turn, over the past two years, college students across North Carolina have gathered together to network, strategize, and advocate for reproductive rights in their communities. Sueyoshi has been involved with Planned Parenthood’s network of campus activists, known as Generation Action, and attended the Youth Organizing & Policy Institute, a national student conference that Planned Parenthood hosts in Washington, D.C. “I think the national college advocacy movement is growing much stronger,” she says.

 She may be right. At Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, Marlies Biesinger, co-president of the Vanderbilt Feminists, says that advocacy around abortion politics has never been a real priority for them. But for the first time, in light of the political buzz around Tennessee’s Amendment 1—which could give the state legislature, not the state Supreme Court, full authority to decide the legality of abortion—the Vanderbilt Feminists have started to hold educational events to raise awareness about the ballot measure’s implications and push students to vote this November. And at Rice University in Houston, Rice for Reproductive Justice formed just last year to campaign for gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis and organize around a broad set of issues that inhibit reproductive freedom.

If threats to safe and legal abortion access continue to drive both college advocacy and the formation of relationships between student leaders, the questions then become: What can these activists actually do together? How, when anti-choice measures are primarily passed through state legislatures, can national advocacy play an effective role?

“The movement has shifted,” Johnson says, because anti-choice activity has moved from the federal to the state level. “For a long time there were lots of opportunities to engage on a national level. But we’re not going to mobilize people in Alabama to work on Texas. No matter how much noise you make, at the end of the day the elected officials only care how people are voting in their state and districts.” While broad-based online petitions exist, like those organized by Change.Org and Moveon.org, right now there just are not a lot of opportunities for pro-choice activists, in or out of college, to campaign on the federal level.

Despite the relatively limited array of federal policy opportunities, the need to mobilize and educate students about reproductive rights remains pressing. The All* Above All campaign, which is focused on lifting health insurance bans on abortions, is one possible avenue for students to pursue. “There’s just a real lack of awareness about what these abortion restrictions are, so we need to educate constituents and our elected officials,” Johnson says.

For Waters, the more progressive culture of her Missouri liberal arts college feels worlds away from the conservative southern Illinois town she grew up in, where mentioning abortion rights would “automatically make you a Satanist.” Coming to college and finding a new environment to educate herself, and later educate and agitate others, has been transformative. “You know, it’s taken a while for me to get there,” Waters says. “It takes a lot of education that many people just don’t usually have.”

 
 

  Reported by The American Prospect 16 hours ago.

Health Partners America, a company that provides training, tools, and technology solutions for insurance agents and employers who are navigating the health reform legislation, announces the release of its new white paper – Understanding Special Enrollment Periods.

Birmingham, AL (PRWEB) October 24, 2014

Health Partners America, a company that provides training, tools, and technology solutions for insurance agents and employers who are navigating the health reform legislation, announces the release of its new white paper – Understanding Special Enrollment Periods. This 14-page document was written to help health insurance agents advise clients who have a qualifying event.

With the upcoming open enrollment period in the individual marketplace, the timing of this paper may seem strange to some because they can purchase individual coverage with or without a life-changing event. However, even though the annual enrollment period starts November 15th, coverage wouldn’t begin until January 1st at the earliest. Those who qualify for a special enrollment period, in contrast, may be able to get coverage right away.

“It’s important for people to know their options,” explains Mel Blackwell, CEO at Health Partners America, “and that’s what this paper’s about – the various choices an individual has if he or she loses coverage or has some other qualifying event. It’s also important that employers are aware of their notification requirements.”

To elaborate on Blackwell’s point, an employee who loses their job may now have four options available to them: 1) they could elect COBRA continuation coverage; 2) they could enroll in his/her spouse’s plan within 30 days because the job loss creates a HIPAA special enrollment period; 3) they could purchase short-term coverage for less money if they are healthy and only expect to be out of work for a short period of time; or 4) they could purchase coverage in the individual market within 60 days because the job loss creates an ACA special enrollment period.

The paper divides those who might qualify for a special enrollment period into two groups: previously uninsured and individuals losing coverage. While there could be some overlap in the qualifying events between the two groups, it is helpful to look at their options separately to help insurance agents and brokers identify families who might be eligible for coverage outside of the open enrollment window.

“There’s a lot to learn,” explains Blackwell, who points out that this is not meant as an exhaustive report but rather a helpful overview for brokers and their clients. “There are so many questions,” he says, “that we just wanted to develop a resource that would help people understand both the options and the opportunities.” Links to additional resources are also provided in the report.

Health Partners America is offering the full report at no cost through the company’s website.

About Health Partners America

Since 2007, Health Partners America has been providing game-changing training and solutions to agents and brokers nationwide. HPA is a technology and consulting company that works with and through brokers in order to engage with the marketplace through healthcare reform. HPA Partners with agents and brokers nationally to bring them technology solutions, private exchange sites, marketing tools, training, and leverage to help them be more successful.

###

If you’d like more information about this topic or about HPA, please contact Katie Burns at media(at)healthpartnersamerica(dot)com or visit http://www.healthpartnersamerica.com. Reported by PRWeb 13 hours ago.

STONY BROOK, N.Y., Oct. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Softheon, Inc., Softheon today announced that 16 new Health Insurance Carriers, its largest number of new clients, have selected Softheon Marketplace Connector Cloud (MC2) as their ACA integration and implementation platform, within... Reported by PR Newswire 13 hours ago.

With just over a week until election day, backers of Proposition 45, the health insurance rate regulation initiative, are finally putting ads on television. Reported by L.A. Times 11 hours ago.

Imagine a massive space where members of the Seattle-area health care community, from startups to health insurance companies to heavy-hitting research universities, could collaborate to solve pressing health care problems. That's the vision for the Cambia Grove, a 9,000-square-foot facility that is currently under construction and set to open in 2015 at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Olive Way. The new facility won't be far from where Amazon is building its new campus and where several new biotech… Reported by bizjournals 10 hours ago.

BY CHRISTOPHER E. CONDELUCI - Beginning in 2017, the ACA allows a State to elect to permit the sale of fully-insured large group health plans through the newly created ACA Exchange operating within the respective State. If such an election is made, the same insurance market reforms that currently apply to fully-insured group health plans purchased by small employers will apply to the fully-insured large group health insurance market. Reported by Forbes.com 6 hours ago.

With just over a week until election day, backers of Proposition 45, the health insurance rate regulation initiative, are putting their ads on television. Reported by L.A. Times 8 hours ago.

Umbrella insurance is now quoted for small business owners who use the system to find price data at the Quotes Pros website at http://quotespros.com.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) October 24, 2014

The increasing risk of liabilities for small companies has expanded the interest in various forms of insurance protection, according to new business studies. The Quotes Pros company is now helping to connect owners of small businesses with umbrella insurance prices through its portal at http://quotespros.com/business-insurance.html.

The database of U.S. insurers that can be reviewed for commercial coverage plans has been updated through the QuotesPros.com portal this month. Umbrella plans as well as customizable policies can be reviewed or quoted for annual pricing using the elite finder system.

"A new or existing business can have thousands of customers and obtaining a policy for protecting the company or owners could be beneficial," said one Quotes Pros source.

The small business owner insurance premiums that can be reviewed using the open system this year are supplied on behalf of rated insurers. Part of the new group of companies that are found inside of price database available supply more than one type of policy and price structure that can be examined.

"Costs at the state and national level for coverage plans can be researched using our finder tool in order to present options to save business owners money," said the source.

The Quotes Pros website was redesigned earlier this year to improve the performance and usability by consumers. By adding new companies into the database, it is now a possibility for a person using the system to find more than commercial based coverage. The automotive, health and motorcycle insurer finder can now be used at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company supplies a format for researching and reviewing insurance companies using its website this year. The company first launched its test portal a couple of years ago and has made swift changes in technology to improve consumer usage. The QuotesPros.com company supports users of its database tool who are ready to buy coverage from a sorted list of agencies that appear inside of the formatted system daily. Reported by PRWeb 8 hours ago.

Medical insurance is now searchable through the finder tool at the Quotes Pros website to help low income families at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 24, 2014

Locating precise annual pricing for health insurance policy will now be easier thanks to the Quotes Pros portal online. Individuals or low income families who are without coverage can use the medical insurance finder at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html to connect with companies delivering price data in real time.

The insurer platform that has been modified to include the new providers uses state zip code information apart from health information to connect users of the system with insurers. This change has increased privacy of users who prefer to search anonymously for quotes for short or long-term protection plans.

"We installed our finder system to provide a faster resource of obtaining price or policy information when connecting with a complete list of agencies," said one Quotes Pros rep.

The activated search tool that is available for easy use on the QuotesPros.com portal also does not require health exam information. While some providers have different requirements for price quote distribution, the only data needed to begin researching available agencies is a matched zip from a U.S. state.

"The increases in medical costs often prevent adults from buying a plan of coverage and our system is meant to promote affordable policy providers," said the rep.

The Quotes Pros company system now offered for research provides instant access to other companies that are located in the U.S. that underwrite non-health coverage plans. The automotive, renter, homeowner and motorcycle coverage providers available can be accessed at http://quotespros.com/homeowners-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company offers open access to its research database that is linked to national insurers supporting consumers with price and policy research information. Consumers who use the available tools this year make entry to the systems using zip codes. The QuotesPros.com company promotes use of its systems 24/7 and for no cost to the public when men and women begin insurance agency shopping in the U.S. Reported by PRWeb 8 hours ago.

Consumers can now learn how to shop for car insurance through the expanded database of West Coast providers at the Quotes Pros website at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) October 24, 2014

Regulations in the insurance industry in the U.S. have impacted the ways that some consumers use to connect with providers of coverage plans on a national level. The Quotes Pros company has expanded its price database to teach the public how to shop for car insurance this year. The new expansion includes West Coast agencies at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

The automobile related policies that are available to review using the open platform are not limited to only state liability coverage. Men and women who access the revised portal can search California, Oregon, Washington State or Nevada providers that specialize in underwriting plans for West Coast vehicle owners.

"The filled database of companies that we've enabled for consumers to access from our website now includes agencies on every Coast in the U.S.," said one Quotes Pros rep.

The new expansion agencies inside of the finder system used for exploration this year has enhanced the coverage types available to the average consumer. Aside from regular automobile insurance protection, users of the search tool can also find motorcycle insurance companies that prepare Internet quotations.

"The improvements that are now found through use of our system are expected to provide more options for obtaining coverage for consumers unable to find plans through offline providers," said the rep.

The Quotes Pros company installed its search by zip finder in 2013 to promote state minimum car insurance to the public. Since the original installation, demand from consumers has increased to promote providers of coverage not in the automobile industry. Adjustments this month now make it easier to review health or medical plans from the system at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company allows men and women in the U.S. to research its open database of companies in the insurance industry to help find better policy pricing. The consumers who use the system tools available gain entry by entering zip codes instead of other data types. The QuotesPros.com company is now in the planning stages of increasing the listings of providers that appear in the system in order to promote different coverage agencies. Reported by PRWeb 7 hours ago.

A program note, before we get started: there will be no Friday Talking Points column next week. We have to make room for our traditional Hallowe'en column, where we try to scare the pants off of everyone across the political spectrum with spooky tales of what the upcoming election might mean (plus, we get to show off our politically-inspired Jack-o-lanterns). So don't miss that, but the Friday Talking Points column won't be back until after the election.

Campaign season has reached its peak, and is getting downright frenetic in all the big battleground Senate races. One of these is Kentucky, where first Democrats thought their candidate didn't have a chance, but then Alison Lundergan Grimes got some good polling numbers so the money is now flowing back in. Maybe some of it should go towards exposing what is supposed to -- no, really! -- be a pro-Mitch McConnell ad. An organization called the National Association of Realtors Congressional Fund tried to give McConnell a boost with a mailer. The only problem? Well, it's how they chose to present their message:



In large letters, you see "Mitch McConnell."

Below that, a sign with even larger letters: "FOR SALE."



Check the link out for the image of the mailer -- it's (pun intended) priceless!

A reader of ours in Kentucky also pointed out pointed out that the black line under the words "FOR SALE" is a flap on the mailer -- when you lift it up the word "SOLD" appears.

Now, everyone knows that the public really prefers to elect politicians who are bought and paid for, right? How could the positive message: "Mitch McConnell -- FOR SALE" not resonate with the voters? Maybe this is a cautionary story about how groups like this are not supposed to coordinate with campaigns -- which often leaves them to come up with their own ads, which can occasionally be off message. I mean, who in their right mind would think "FOR SALE" is a valid (again, pun intended) selling point to the voters?

In other bad campaign advertising news, we have a "Sharknado" ad attacking Gary Peters in Michigan. The idea's not that bad for what they trying to accomplish (they're trying to tie him to a loan shark), but the execution is pretty pathetic. Hire a better cartoonist next time, guys.

In Minnesota, Republicans are running an ad exploiting the death of a 4-year-old child without ever asking the family's permission. Stay classy, GOP ad creators!

Up in Alaska, Republican Don Young is saying some insulting things on the subject of suicide, and then when asked to respond to the controversy, saying even more insulting things. Now that's the way to win voters over!

Down in Georgia, a Republican House candidate showed how Godwin's Law relates to politics, by comparing public schools in America to Hitler's Third Reich. Here's the full quote: "Obviously, if we have government -- which is what the public school is -- if we have government indoctrinating what students are learning, then we have a problem. This took place in Germany, friends. I'm not trying to say we are necessarily headed in that direction, but it is undeniable that one of the first things Hitler did was to grab, so to speak, the minds of the youth."

Over in Wisconsin, a co-chair of the Republican National Committee showed how to respect a state's voters -- by calling them stupid. The full quote: "I don't want to say anything about your Wisconsin voters but, some of them might not be as sharp as a knife." Hoo boy.

North Carolina Republicans are fighting hard to keep college students from being able to easily cast their ballots. This is a prime example to use when arguing with anyone who swears the GOP is just interested in "voter fraud" and not outright voter suppression. How does making college kids travel further to vote have anything to do with "fraud," guys?

And finally (for campaign news this week), Republicans are now -- are you sitting down? -- portraying themselves as the saviors of Social Security. That's right, groups (like Karl Rove's) are attacking Democrats from the left for even considering the Bowles-Simpson plan a few years back. Democrats would have had to accept such "entitlement reform" in exchange for Republicans accepting some tax increases -- that's the way the "Grand Bargain" was supposed to work. It fell apart because Republicans would not accept it -- for the higher taxes, not for the Social Security changes. They were all for changing Social Security in fact, and now they're trying to flim-flam the public into believing it was the Democrats who were pushing for such changes. My guess is the public's just not that stupid, personally. Mitch McConnell apparently missed the memo, though, and is bizarrely out there bragging that he was trying to be "bipartisan" in passing George W. Bush's idea to privatize Social Security, showing that Republican logic is impossible to understand ("We're saviors of Social Security, except for Mitch!" maybe?)

Speaking of swimming against the tide in Republicanland, Michael Gerson wrote an interesting article about how the GOP may misread a Senate victory. Warning his fellow Republicans not to get too exuberant if they win, he writes some sobering thoughts, looking ahead to the national situation the GOP will face in the next election: "At the presidential level, the GOP brand is offensive to many rising demographic groups. Republicans are often perceived as indifferent to working-class struggles (because they sometimes are). The GOP appeal seems designed for a vanishing electorate."

In other sober news, this week saw a brief respite from Ebola panic on the nightly news, but then OH MY GOD ALL OF NEW YORK CITY IS GOING TO DIE!!! So I guess we're going for another trip on this insane merry-go-round. Buckle up, folks!

On the political side of Ebola, Think Progress has a great piece on all the politicians who use the cop-out "I'm not a scientist..." when talking about climate change, but then feel fully qualified to talk about Ebola and spread false information about it. Those dots needed to be connected, so hats off to Think Progress for doing so. To be fair, though, some Democrats are also fond of this cop-out.

Republicans came very close to admitting that all the political hay they're making over Ebola is precisely that -- a campaign issue to grandstand, not a serious crisis that needs an immediate response. Here's the quote: "In reality, Republicans are not planning a legislative response, at least for now, Republican leadership aides said Monday. They merely want their voices heard." Got that? They are not planning a legislative response for now. In other words, the issue will likely die right after the election is over. They're telling everyone to panic, but also that it's not important enough for them to act now. Cynical politics at its worst, or par for the course -- you decide.

Ebola is not exactly an "October Surprise," properly defined, since neither political party caused the Ebola outbreak to embarrass the other side. But it is October, and it is a surprise that the issue is so central in the heart of an election. What is being absolutely lost is that the system now appears to be working just fine, and none of the idiotic political responses would have changed things in New York City one tiny bit. The latest Ebola patient is an American, needs no visa to come here, did not take a direct flight from the affected country (since such flights do not actually exist), was self-monitoring his temperature, and immediately when he became symptomatic called the health authorities and was successfully quarantined. Not only is this precisely the way things are supposed to work, but none of the proposed travel bans would have affected him at all -- but try telling that to the politicians. Or the media.

It's not like there weren't interesting stories to report elsewhere. This week saw the court conviction of four Blackwater guards, for the massacre they perpetrated in Iraq years ago. This is a rather monumental court case, but you certainly wouldn't know that by reading much about it in the American media.

One amusing note that provided some comic relief this week was talk of secession. South Florida apparently wants to break off from the northern part of the state, but this isn't really "secession" so much as an attempted political divorce over irreconcilable differences. But the truly amusing story was of a bunch of Southern states that one man wants to see break away from America (refresh my memory: didn't they try that 150 years ago?), and then call their proud new country "Reagan." You just can't make this stuff up, folks.

And we have to end on a not-so-amusing note. Global warming has forced a town in Alaska to cancel door-to-door trick-or-treating on Hallowe'en. Because of polar bears. The bears used to be fine out on the ice shelf, but the ice receded and now they're walking through the town's main street. The town will put on a Hallowe'en party indoors, but still, you'd think this would be on the news (with video of some polar bears strolling down the street), wouldn't you?

 

It's not really "impressive," but Paul Begala got off a funny line, in an article talking about the "Fangate" debate in Florida between Rick Scott and Charlie Crist. In Begala's own words: "To begin with, Scott has all the telegenic appeal of a garden slug: lean and hairless and slick and creepy. But then again, I've been a friend and business partner of James Carville for 30 years, so who am I to judge?" Heh.

Joking aside, our *Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week* this week is a House candidate from Massachusetts. An article in the Boston Globe exposed candidate Seth Moulton's not-so-dirty secret: he was a war hero.

In a stunning display of modesty (real heroes never call themselves heroes, that's a pretty good rule of thumb to use), Moulton declined to make his military record part of his campaign. From a story in the Washington Post by E. J. Dionne:



Seth Moulton, an Iraq veteran and Democratic congressional candidate on Massachusetts's North Shore, has done something with little precedent in political campaigning: He was caught underplaying his war record.

You read that right: An investigation by the Boston Globe found that, unlike politicians who go to great lengths to puff up their military backgrounds, Moulton, as the paper's Walter Robinson wrote, "chose not to publicly disclose that he was twice decorated for heroism until pressed by the Globe."

It took Robinson's reporting to discover that Moulton had won the Bronze Star and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for valor during the battles for control of Najaf and Nasiriyah.

In a telephone interview, Moulton said his reluctance reflected a "healthy disrespect" among his comrades-in-arms for boasting about citations.

. . .

"The relative few of us who really were on the front lines don't like to talk about it and don't like to brag about it," he said. "I saw a lot of heroic kids who were on the front lines ... and didn't get the recognition they deserved."



Nothing more really needs be said. Seth Moulton now has another award he can add to all his military decorations: the *Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week*.

[We do not as a rule (for legal reasons) link to candidates' web sites. You'll have to search the name Seth Moulton yourself to contact him to let him know you appreciate his efforts.]

 

Pennsylvania's pornography scandal just keeps getting worse. In the wake of the sexual assaults at Penn State by Jerry Sandusky, an internal review was conducted in the Pennsylvania legal system. What it turned up was porn emails. Lots of them. So far, four people employed by prosecutors' offices have been forced out. Next in line is a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Justice Seamus McCaffery. From the sordid story:



The court's action followed disclosures last week by Chief Justice Ronald Castille, a Republican, that McCaffery had sent or received 234 emails with sexually explicit content or pornography from late 2008 to May 2012. McCaffery apologized, calling it a lapse in judgment, but blasted Castille for "a vindictive pattern of attacks" against him.

A third justice, Michael Eakin, also a Republican, on Friday went public with a claim McCaffery had threatened to leak "inappropriate" emails Eakin had received if he didn't side with McCaffery against Castille.

McCaffery denied threatening Eakin, who reported the matter to the Judicial Conduct Board. Neither Eakin nor McCaffery participated in the court's decision.



Once again, there's not much left to say about this one. It's pretty obvious that Seamus McCaffery deserves this week's *Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week*.

[We couldn't find public contact information for Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery on his official webpage, but then again he probably won't be reading much email right about now anyway.]

 

*Volume 325* (10/24/14)

OK, since this will be the last Friday Talking Points before the election, I thought I'd just do a rundown of the issues I'd run on if I were a Democratic candidate for Congress. These are pretty generic Democratic issues, although not every Democrat is on board with every idea. But for the most part, these are the things Democrats should be trying to make the case for, when convincing people to vote for them.

Campaigning is full of lots of mudslinging and bickering, but even at the heart of nasty tactics, there should always be a comparison: Democrats stand for "X," Republicans stand for "Y." Too often, this clear contrast gets muddied by Democratic candidates who listen to campaign consultants and try to run as inoffensive a campaign as possible ("Don't talk about X, our focus group shows 10 percent of the people don't want to hear about it").

My attitude is to go ahead and make the case. Tell the people why your views on governing are different than your opponents. Leave the gotcha stuff to the media, and make a strong case for the positive ideas Democrats can get behind to provide a better future. All of this week's talking points are a variation on: "I am a Democrat, and the difference between me and the Republican is pretty easy to see...."

 *   Hike the minimum wage*I have no idea why Democrats haven't made this a much bigger issue in this campaign.

"Elect Democrats to Congress and we will raise the federal minimum wage to at least ten bucks an hour. Giant corporations right now pay their full-time workers so little that a minimum wage earner qualifies for benefits such as food stamps. That is just wrong. If you work a full-time job, then you should be able to buy food for your family. If we raised the minimum wage to a living wage, not only would it not cost any tax dollars, but it would save the federal government money, because we wouldn't have to pay benefits to someone making a decent wage. Republicans' answer to every economic problem is to give big tax breaks to those on the top of the ladder. But trickle-down just doesn't work. Instead, Democrats want a rising tide to lift all boats -- raise the minimum wage, and wages will begin moving upward from the bottom up. Democrats are fighting for the little guy, while Republicans fight for the fat cats -- it's as simple as that."

 *   Scrap the cap*Save Social Security in one fell swoop.

"Democrats want to save Social Security not by raising retirement ages, cutting benefits, or privatizing it, but by making the program fiscally sound in a much easier and less painful way. We want every dollar earned taxed at the same rate. Right now, a firefighter or nurse pays a much higher rate than a doctor or hedge manager. Once you make about $120,000 each year, everything else you make above that is not taxed to pay for Social Security. Why? Why not tax every dollar multimillionaires make? Why should a policeman pay five times the tax rate as a banker? I support what is called 'scrapping the cap' on Social Security taxes -- making the system fair by taxing everyone exactly the same, instead of taxing the lower-wage worker at a much higher rate than the ultra-wealthy. By making this one change -- which would not raise taxes on anyone making less than the cap -- we could save Social Security and make it solvent for the next 75 years. Republicans' answer to the problem is always to make sure the little guy gets less. Democrats do not consider that an acceptable answer. That is the difference."

 *   Consumers first!*Once again, Democrats are on the side of the little guy. So point it out!

"Republicans have hated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ever since it was created. They have sworn to destroy it. Why? Why, in the name of all that holy, would you remove an agency whose only purpose is to be on the side of the little guy and not the banks?!? The C.F.P.B. has already saved American consumers billions of dollars, and has done away with many of the 'stick it in the fine print' ways banks used to screw consumers. There is still a lot of work to be done, but Republicans want the banks to have free rein and for some reason hate the idea that the little guy should have anyone in his or her corner. There is only one reason for this: Republicans take their marching orders from Wall Street, even when it means crushing Main Street as a result. Why on Earth would Republicans want to kill a bureau that has helped millions of Americans, if it wasn't to do the bidding of the big banks? Democrats will fight hard to keep the C.F.P.B., because we fight for the little guy, not the banks."

 *   Millions insured*Defend Obamacare by pointing out what "repeal" would actually mean.

"Millions of people now have health insurance who didn't two years ago. Millions of people can now go to the doctor without wondering if they'll have enough money to pay for food afterwards. That is an enormous success story. Republicans want to end this. They want to take away that insurance from millions and millions of Americans. Don't be fooled by the way Republicans now wistfully try to claim that they can keep all the good parts of Obamacare and just get rid of the bad parts -- because that is never going to happen. When they say 'repeal, root and branch' what they mean is taking health insurance away from millions. In a world where incurable diseases do not check for a health insurance card before infecting, why would any sane individual want fewer people in the population insured? The more people we can get insured, the healthier the population will be. Obamacare is achieving this already, and repealing it would mean tossing millions of people off their health insurance. Republicans have held the House for four years now, and they have never come up with a replacement for Obamacare. Their magic 'we'll keep all the good stuff and toss out the bad' answer does not exist. Democrats will fight hard for those millions who now have health insurance they couldn't previously afford. Republicans will fight to take it away from them."

 *   Expand Medicaid*This is an issue Republicans are particularly vulnerable on.

"Why are Republican governors so dead set against expanding Medicaid? Well, not all of them, to be fair -- nine or ten states with Republican governors have realized that expanding Medicaid is good for their citizens, and have joined the Obamacare program. More Republican governors will likely realize in the future that they're fighting to keep their people uninsured which doesn't help anybody. But Republicans in Congress want to repeal the whole program, even though it has been a huge success so far. Once again, they like to pretend that the Medicaid expansion is somehow a separate thing from Obamacare, but this is not actually true. If they repeal Obamacare, they will end Medicaid for millions of people. They don't like to talk about it, but that doesn't make it any less true. Medicaid expansion has been a big success, and Democrats will fight to keep it. Republicans -- or, at least, those Republicans who don't have a state to run -- will fight to kill it. It's that simple."

 *   Doctor's First Amendment*Once again, I don't know why Democrats are so timid on this one.

"Democrats stand strongly for the First Amendment's right to free speech for all -- including doctors! We do not think politicians should dictate what a doctor can and cannot say to anyone seeking medical advice. Why in the name of Thomas Jefferson would you limit free speech by a professional medical practitioner? Why would you dictate what they have to -- or cannot -- say? Republicans are busy passing laws all over the country which do exactly that. Democrats want conversations between a doctor and a patient to be sacrosanct -- no politician should be in that room with them. When a rape victim asks a doctor for a morning-after pill or an abortion, the doctor should not have to preach a sermon before practicing his profession. He should not have to do medical procedures because some politician thought it'd be a good idea. The First Amendment should be absolute, for all American citizens including doctors. Democrats want to get the government out of the examining room, and protect the Bill of Rights. Republicans do not. That's the difference."

 *   Comprehensive immigration reform*Hammer Republicans with how their inaction has caused our current situation.

"Republicans are fear-mongering about Ebola, telling everyone who will listen that a wave of sick people is about to cross the southern border and infect everyone. They whine about border security and try to paint Democrats or Obama as being the problem somehow. This is laughable. Democrats and Republicans passed a bipartisan bill in the Senate which would -- if the House had voted on it promptly -- have doubled the number of Border Patrol agents. Yes, you heard that right -- we could have twice as big a Border Patrol right now if Republicans had just voted on the bill. In fact, there is nothing stopping the House from voting on this bill today. Democrats already voted to double the Border Patrol. Republicans refuse to. They complain about other parts of the bill and say they want to pass immigration reform piecemeal, starting with securing the border. But they have not done so. They've had years to act in the House, and no bill has appeared -- even one just dealing with the Border Patrol. Republicans are lying when they say they're concerned about the border, because they refuse to pass the bipartisan Senate bill and they also refuse to pass their own bill. The status quo must be just fine with them, which is why I have to scratch my head when they try to fearmonger on the issue during a campaign. Want the border secure? Then pass a freakin' bill. There is absolutely nothing stopping them from doing so."

 

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  Reported by Huffington Post 6 hours ago.

Catastrophic health insurance policy prices can now be reviewed when using the open portal for adults at the Quotes Pros website at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 24, 2014

Sudden illness or terminal diseases are two unexpected events that some consumers try to plan for when buying different medical insurance coverage plans from agencies in the U.S. The Quotes Pros company is now helping men and women to price catastrophic health insurance policy prices through its system at http://quotespros.com/health-insurance.html.

The insurer system that has been activated for daily use is now responsible for linking consumers with the health provider companies available for price review. The long-term planning that some adults hope to conduct is expected to be easier when using the automated tool to review policy data from agencies.

"The health insurance costs system that we've helped introduce to the public promotes the option of locating standard and non-traditional coverage types from national agencies," said a Quotes Pros source.

The pricing that is delivered through use of the system comes in the form of a price quote that is calculated through selected insurers. The quotation tool that is accessed from the QuotesPros.com website provides the initial review of companies although some agencies could require medical data before prices are exchanged.

"The men and women who will utilize our national tool to review medical insurer costs can enter zip codes to start the procedure of price reviews," said the source.

The Quotes Pros company has integrated other insurers that are now quoting policies for different coverage plans this year. The non-health agencies that appear do provide homeowner, automotive, business and renter plans that can be accessed at http://quotespros.com/auto-insurance.html.

About QuotesPros.com

The QuotesPros.com company has made it simpler in the past several years for consumers to find out direct insurance costs using its open database. The finder currently used daily in most areas of the country promotes rated agencies. The QuotesPros.com company helps introduce the American public to agencies in order to assist with price reviews and examinations of coverage types using its sole database for research. Reported by PRWeb 5 hours ago.

In a recent decision, an RLA System Board of Adjustment has ruled that unilateral termination of a pilot retiree health insurance plan was permissible because the underlying CBA had terminated. Reported by Mondaq 22 hours ago.

BY HADLEY HEATH MANNING - The debate centers on whether the government should mandate that all health insurance plans must include this specific coverage package. It is strange that such a proudly pro-choice organization wouldn’t recognize the irony in such efforts to limit consumers’ choices and force all women to pay for contraceptives (inefficiently) through insurance coverage. Reported by Forbes.com 18 hours ago.

Pro-life groups have written to the City Council of the District of Columbia to protest a proposed bill that would violate federal law by forcing them to provide elective abortion coverage through their insurance plans as well employ those who do not believe in their pro-life mission. Reported by Christian Post 18 hours ago.