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H&R Block helps customers sign up for health insurance

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H&R Block has teamed up with GoHealth to offer free health insurance enrollment services to help clients avoid tax penalties under the Affordable Care Act. The ACA requires most people to have health insurance or face a tax penalty that will increase substantially in 2015. Penalties will increase from $95 a person to $325 in 2015, or from 1 percent of household income above the filing threshold to 2 percent, whichever is greater. So a married couple with no children earning $65,000 could see a penalty… Reported by bizjournals 34 minutes ago.

Language Access Key to Keeping Health Care Doors Open to All

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Imagine losing your health coverage after doing everything you were supposed to do under the new health reform law. You filled out the forms, sent in the paperwork, chose your health plan, and began paying premiums. Now you learn that you're going to lose coverage anyway.

That was the situation for approximately 115,000 people around the country who were recently dropped from the federal health insurance exchange. The reason they lost coverage? They didn't send in immigration documentation that the exchange was requesting. But, in many cases, the enrollees had a good reason not to: the exchange didn't tell them about the requirement in a language they could read.

The federal exchange is not alone in failing to provide adequate interpretation and translation for people of limited English proficiency.

Even states that led the country in establishing health exchanges and had robust enrollment overall are seeing a serious under-representation of enrollees with limited English proficiency. Recently, the Greenlining Institute found that "80 percent of enrollees in private plans spoke English, even though 40 percent of those eligible for coverage were limited-English proficiency individuals."

With health exchange enrollment opening again on Saturday, Nov. 15, it's crucial that both federal and state exchanges get it right when it comes to language access. That means providing the interpretation, translation, outreach and enrollment support in languages potential enrollees can understand.

Without these measures, the results are disastrous - families without access to health care - and undermine health reform's goal of getting coverage to everyone in the United States.

Recently, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), along with two organizations assisting immigrant communities in other parts of the country, filed administrative complaints with the federal government, claiming that language access failures violate potential enrollees' civil rights.

One of the organizations joining NILC is the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition (SEAMAAC), which works with refugees and immigrants in Philadelphia. In its complaint, SEAMAAC describes an enrollment process full of obstacles - the sorts of obstacles that have been resolved for most people seeking coverage, but that remain for many immigrants.

As these immigrants sought coverage, they were pressed for additional information and documents, without the translation and interpretation needed for them to meet this demand.

SEAMAAC's complaint and supporting statement describe barrier after barrier for immigrants. The enrollment websites often didn't accept special identifier numbers that non-citizens were required to submit.

Immigrants who attempted to submit applications online, called the call center (which often had no interpreters available), sent in documents, and often had to repeat the process multiple times. SEAMAAC staff notes that, on average, they submitted clients' immigration documents two or three times.

For many, though, even that wasn't enough, and the federal exchange sent out notices requiring more documentation. However, the full notices were sent only in English and Spanish, without warnings in other languages indicating that recipients' health insurance was at stake. Notices such as these are meaningless for people whose primary language is Chinese, Vietnamese, or any language that isn't English or Spanish.

Groups working with immigrants around the country echo the experiences described by SEAMAAC, whether in states that have established their own exchanges or those using the federal exchange.

Without improvements in language access, the exchanges are sending a troubling message to immigrants: the doors to our new health care system - and to health care itself - are shut to you.

The drafters of the federal health reform bill knew, as the song says that "good intentions just ain't good enough," and that's why they included civil rights protections in their legislation.

These protections were intended to ensure that people get information about the enrollment process in a language they understand--and that, when they go to the doctor's office, they receive professional interpretation so they can communicate with their health care providers.

These language access requirements should be more than just good intentions written on paper. They should be real obligations designed to get health care to everyone who falls under health reform's protections. Health reform won't be a success until language access becomes a reality. Reported by Huffington Post 29 minutes ago.

Democratic National Committee Needs a Shake-up- Who does the Shaking?

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In a recent IJReview column Larry O'Connor reported that "Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) delivered a post-election video message to her fellow Democrats and donors and it was not very upbeat." She said "Our party has a problem as she laid out the party's plan for a "top to bottom assessment" of their campaign strategy that delivered historic losses this past Tuesday.""We know we're right on the issues," Wasserman Schultz quickly added. "The American people believe in the causes we're fighting for."

O'Connor went on to report "that according to Gallup, the American people polled say the "most important problem" in the nation is: Economic Problems (38); Economy in general (17); Dissatisfaction with government (16); Unemployment/Jobs (10); Healthcare (8); Immigration (7); Federal budget deficit/Federal debt (5); and Lack of money (3)." Clearly anyone watching the Democratic candidates' ads across the nation realizes this wasn't the message the Democratic Party took to the voters. They apparently felt women's issues and attacks on the Koch brothers would suffice.

The issue isn't what Wasserman Schultz said with regard to a 'top to bottom assessment' but rather who will do the assessment. If it is the same people who planned the mid-terms' non-message we are in for the same problems next time around. The only salvation for the Party in 2016 is hopefully Hillary Rodham Clinton will set and deliver the message. It has to be one of economic justice; that includes jobs, education, minimum wage, healthcare, opportunity and immigration.

We need to look at what happened and why with a President who has accomplished some really great things we still had an incoherent message. Except for some meme's on FB you didn't hear that everyone with 401(k) retirement accounts has seen huge increases since he took office. One had a hard time finding anyone talking about gas being less than $3 a gallon and going down, or the drop in unemployment, or that the Party supports raising the minimum wage and Republicans are against it. Somehow the fact that millions of people now have affordable health insurance was lost as well. Then there were no ads with a military family thanking the President for reuniting them with their loved ones because he brought husbands, wives, mothers and fathers home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

All the successes of the Barack Obama presidency were forgotten in a rush to disassociate from him and he was afraid to speak out. He didn't sign an immigration executive order for fear some candidates would lose because of it. The ones that feared it all lost anyway and those that could have benefited from it like Charlie Christ in Florida and Mark Udall in Colorado ended up losing as well.

Then there was Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky who wouldn't even admit she voted for Obama. Maybe she didn't and didn't want to lie or was embarrassed about it. Whatever the reason it was the dumbest mistake a candidate has made in recent years. Grimes is exhibit one why we need to train candidates that telling the truth about what you believe is crucial and remind candidates to really understand their constituencies and not talk down to them. Be proud of who you are and what you stand for because people will see right through you if you're not.

Understand your voters and who will vote for you no matter what and who you need to excite to get to the polls. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) was so intent on making himself stand for nothing, explaining why he really didn't vote with Obama 97% of the time, he turned himself into the dullest possible candidate and young people, and people with strong Democratic principles just stayed home.

Being a Democrat stands for something and if you run from that you lose. Democrats want to rebuild our nation's infrastructure and provide high paying jobs. Democrats want to increase the minimum wage and stand up for women's rights. We want a great public education; human and civil rights for all Americans including minorities and the LGBT community. Democrats want to make it easier to vote not harder. Democrats believe that social security and Medicare must be protected for generations to come and believe that all Americans are entitled to decent affordable healthcare. We are the Party that believes corporations must pay their fair share of taxes and workers need unemployment insurance if they find themselves out of work. Democrats believe in a safety net for the elderly and those who come upon hard times through no fault of their own.

A message about what Democrats stand for got lost in the mid-term elections. Instead we ran ads against the Koch brothers. No one knows who they are and I bet half the population thinks they own Coca-Cola. Everyone agrees the time has come to refocus the message and the only question now is who will do that? Reported by Huffington Post 29 minutes ago.

CVS Health Introduces Robust Consumer Education Resources for Upcoming Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment

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WOONSOCKET, R.I., Nov. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced a robust educational effort to increase its customers' understanding of available insurance options during the upcoming Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period... Reported by PR Newswire 4 minutes ago.

College Prices Continue To Creep Up

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Time to stock up on the ramen noodles. The average cost of attending college crept up again this year, the College Board said Thursday.

The average sticker price, with room and board included, for undergraduate students attending a four-year college or university in their home state was $18,943. Out-of-state students at those schools paid, on average, $32,762. At two-year public schools, in-state students paid an average $11,052.

The cost to attend a private, four-year nonprofit college: $42,419, on average, including housing and meal plan.

For-profit schools cost about $15,230, but housing figures weren't available.

Books and transportation costs can add more than $2,000 to the cost of attending college, and that rises even more for commuters.

The highest rate of increase of 3.7 percent was among private, nonprofit colleges. And even though the increases across higher education outpaced inflation, the rates of increase were lower than those students saw five, 10 or 30 years ago, the College Board said.

When adjusted for inflation, students are paying more than triple what students paid 30 years ago to attend a public, four-year institution and about 2.5 times more to attend a private nonprofit or two-year public one.

"The price increases are actually quite moderate this year, but still, what people are paying, and this is before financial aid, is the accumulation of many years of price increases," said Sandy Baum, a co-author of the nonprofit College Board's annual college pricing report. "So, if the price goes up just a little bit this year, people aren't really going to breathe a sigh of relief because the price is already high from their perspective."

Baum said during tough economic times, college costs tend to go up because public institutions receive less in state dollars and private ones see a decrease in endowments and in giving. Other contributing factors are wide ranging from the increasing costs of technology to health insurance for university employees.

Only the wealthiest of Americans are seeing their incomes rise, so most students feel the tuition upticks more, Baum said.

The number of full--time undergraduate students increased by 16 percent in the three years leading up to fall 2010 to 13.7 million, but then declined to 13 million in fall 2013. The number of students taking out student loans and the amount taken out, on average, by students has been declining, the College Board said. It said about 60 percent of students who earned a bachelor's degree in 2012-2013 from public or private, nonprofit schools from which they began their studies graduated with debt, borrowing an average of $27,300.

The breakdown in pricing:
· Sticker prices, on average, for in-state tuition and fees at public four-year schools increased to9,139 this school year - a 2.9 percent increase over the 2013-2014 school year. The average out-of-state price tag was22,958, an increase of 3.3 percent increase. Room and board was9,804.
· Public two-year schools had a3,347 published price on average for tuition and fees- an increase of 3.3 percent. Room and board was7,705.
· Tuition and fees at private, nonprofit schools rose 3.7 percent to an average of31,231. Room and board was11,188.
· For-profit schools saw a 1.3 percent increase in tuition and fees.
Published prices don't necessarily reflect what students actually pay because they don't include grant dollars provided by institutions or government aid such as Pell Grants, the GI Bill and tax credits. This school year, full-time students received an average of about $6,110 in aid at public four-year schools, $5,090 at public two-year ones, and $18,870 at private colleges.

The average in-state prices at four-year schools ranged from $4,646 in Wyoming to $14,712 in New Hampshire.

For out-of-state students, the most affordable tuition of $9,910 was in South Dakota. On the other end, the most expensive was $34,331 in Vermont. Reported by Huffington Post 50 seconds ago.

Small business insurance exchanges seek rebound

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Early enrollment for the health overhaul's small business insurance exchanges fell far short of the 2 million workers who were expected to sign up this year. About 76,000 people had purchased coverage on 18 exchanges through June 1, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Government officials say they've worked to improve the exchanges, and both coverage choices and the pool of businesses that participate are expected to grow in the coming years. "SHOP was created to give small business owners and employees access to a choice of quality, affordable health insurance plans," Health and Human Services Department official Rhett Buttle said in an email. The overhaul created insurance exchanges for both individuals and small businesses as part of its push to cover millions of uninsured people. Some companies also skipped offering health insurance altogether and simply gave their employees money and sent them to the overhaul's other exchange, which is designed for people buying insurance on their own, not through an employer. Aside from employers and brokers, the exchanges also will have to attract insurers who don't save their best deals for products they sell off the exchanges, noted Kevin Lucia, a senior research fellow at the Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute. Reported by SeattlePI.com 50 seconds ago.

UrgentCareTravel Celebrates Veterans With Discounted Healthcare Services Throughout the Month of November

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UCT Healthcare Centers offer a comprehensive set of services including: DOT Physical, Primary Care, Chronic Disease Screening and Management, Minor Illnesses and Injuries, Occupational Medicine and Labs.

Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) November 14, 2014

UrgentCareTravel (UCT) celebrates veterans who have proudly served our country by offering them discounted healthcare services throughout the month of November. Located exclusively at Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J Travel Plazas, UCT Healthcare Centers offer a comprehensive set of services including DOT Physicals, Primary Care, Occupational Medicine, Complete History & Physical and Labs.

“UrgentCareTravel values the sacrifices that veterans have made for our country and recognizes that they have healthcare issues that need to be addressed," said Siva Suresh, Executive Chairman of UrgentCareTravel. “It’s important that we support veterans, so offering a discount on our services is a tangible way to show our appreciation.”

Throughout November, any veteran visiting a UCT Healthcare Center in Knoxville, TN (I-40, Exit 398 – 7200 Strawberry Plains Pike) and Oklahoma City, OK (I-40, Exit 140 – 406 S. Morgan Road) will receive $10 off any service received. No appointments are necessary and veterans need only show a valid ID.

About UrgentCareTravel

UrgentCareTravel (UCT), in partnership with Pilot Flying J, addresses one of the trucking industry’s biggest challenges of offering easily accessible and affordable healthcare services for truck drivers. With health insurance plans costing more, providing less medical coverage and requiring higher deductible payments, UrgentCareTravel’s membership program is a cost-effective option to address the healthcare needs of truck drivers, local businesses and communities. UCT Healthcare Centers offer a comprehensive set of services including: DOT Physical, Primary Care, Chronic Disease Screening and Management, Minor Illnesses and Injuries, Occupational Medicine and Labs. For additional information about UrgentCareTravel’s healthcare membership programs, locations and services, please visit the website at http://www.UrgentCareTravel.com. Reported by PRWeb 9 hours ago.

Open enrollment back; assistance is available

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Open enrollment back; assistance is available The second open-enrollment period for federally mandated health insurance will be different from the first. Reported by Journal Gazette 9 hours ago.

State Health Insurance Exchanges Hope To Woo Urban Minorities

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With Obamacare signups resuming this week, California and Connecticut have deployed new strategies to reach people who resisted signing up last year. Step one: Avoid previous cultural gaffes. Reported by NPR 9 hours ago.

HealthCare.Gov’s Open Enrollment : Health insurance enrollment period opens Saturday

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As another open enrollment period approaches for the controversial Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration is expecting 9.9 million Americans to enroll in private health plans through state and federal exchanges by next year. The second open enrollment season begins Nov. 15 and ends Feb. 15, 2015. For those who are already enrolled in an […]

The post HealthCare.Gov’s Open Enrollment : Health insurance enrollment period opens Saturday appeared first on Sports News Magazine. Reported by Sports News Magazine 7 hours ago.

Consumer Reports’ Health Insurance Tool Helps Consumers Navigate Open Enrollment

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HealthLawHelper.org can help people understand their options and take advantage of tax benefits. Open enrollment starts November 15.

Yonkers, NY (PRWEB) November 14, 2014

With the open enrollment period for health coverage beginning on Saturday, November 15, Consumer Reports has a web-based tool at HealthLawHelper.org offering valuable information to help consumers navigate their healthcare options.

The newly updated web-based tool at http://www.HealthLawHelper.org offers personalized guidance to help consumers better understand how they may be affected by the Affordable Care Act. The tool is also available in Spanish at http://www.aseguratusalud.org and across a variety of platforms, including mobile and tablet.

“Health Law Helper is designed to help consumers quickly and easily get information about how the health care law may affect them and their families, understand any new options that may be available, and provide direction on how and when to take action,” said DeAnn Friedholm, Director of Health Reform at Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports.

Launched in September 2013, Health Law Helper has been updated to connect consumers with critical information about tax credits under the health law and how to qualify. Last year, 80 percent of people who signed up for coverage under the new law also qualified for tax credit discounts.

The site allows consumers to get connected with advice from Consumer Reports experts about what to do if a plan is being cancelled. Consumers can submit their coverage questions and stories to Consumer Reports experts. The revised site also reflects all the changes for the new open enrollment season, which is much shorter this year and ends on February 15, 2015.

A recent survey on health care costs conducted by Consumer Reports in 2014 found one-third of all consumers indicated they had postponed doctor visits, tests, filling prescriptions, or surgery, due to cost. Nearly half (46 percent) of the underinsured denied themselves medical treatment for reasons of cost. And, more than half of consumers said their deductible is too high (52 percent) and their premium is too high (51 percent).

HealthLawHelper.org is a customized, consumer-tested platform that takes complex insurance information and breaks it down into practical and useful nuggets for the average consumer. The tool has been designed to address a wide variety of individual situations and circumstances. Using the online tool is a simple process for consumers. They are asked to answer basic questions about their whereabouts (state and citizenship status), their family (including size and household income), and their current health insurance status.

Some things about the site haven’t changed. You can still use it to:· Get personalized advice on our best options for insurance coverage and whether you need to make any changes during the open enrollment season.
· Learn about penalties and tax requirements under the new law.
· Connect with resources including in-person assistance, tips on picking a health plan, and much more.

“Make sure you have the coverage you need,” Ms. Friedholm said. HealthLawHelper.org can help you understand your options—and make the smartest decision for you and your family.”

Consumer Reports is the world’s largest independent product-testing organization. Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over eight million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications. Its advocacy division, Consumers Union, works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace.

Consumer Reports Poll Methodology

This survey was designed by the Consumer Reports National Research Center and conducted by GfK Research in July, 2014. The online survey was conducted using the web-enabled KnowledgePanel®, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population.

The survey design also included two supplemental sample groups to ensure ample sample sizes for analysis: (1) 500 “heavy users” of health care services (2) 500 uninsured respondents. For analysis, these supplement samples were added to those identified belonging to each group in the original sample of 1,000 resulting in 1,079 heavy users and 620 uninsured.

Sample error for each group at the 95% confidence level is as follows: 1,000 general population +/- 3.3; heavy users of health care services = +/- 3.3%; uninsured respondents = +/- 5.1%. Initially, participants were chosen scientifically by a random selection of telephone numbers and residential addresses. Persons in selected households are then invited by telephone or by mail to participate in the web-enabled KnowledgePanel®. For those who agree to participate, but do not already have Internet access, GfK Custom research, LLC (including its subsidiary Knowledge Networks, Inc.) (“GfK”) provides at no cost a laptop and ISP connection. People who already have computers and Internet service are permitted to participate using their own equipment. Panelists then receive unique log-in information for accessing surveys online, and then are sent emails throughout each month inviting them to participate in research.

More technical information is available at http://www.knowledgenetworks.com/ganp/reviewer-info.html.

Funding for this survey was provided in part by The Atlantic Philanthropies. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.

Consumer Reports' Health Insurance Tool Helps Consumers Navigate Open Enrollment

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YONKERS, N.Y., Nov. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the open enrollment period for health coverage beginning on Saturday, November 15, Consumer Reports has a web-based tool at HealthLawHelper.org offering valuable information to help consumers navigate their healthcare... Reported by PR Newswire 6 hours ago.

Opting Out of Obamacare? Here's How Much It Will Cost You

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Opting Out of Obamacare? Here's How Much It Will Cost You Filed under: Health Insurance, Planning

*Andy Dean Photography/Shutterstock*

Open enrollment for insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act begins on Nov. 15. Between then and Feb. 15, you'll be able to enroll in a new health care plan, re-enroll in the one you picked for 2014, switch plans, and apply for subsidies, depending on your income.

Crucially, as HealthCare.gov points out, "If you don't enroll in a health plan by Feb.15, 2015, the only way you can get health insurance for 2015 through the Marketplace is if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period." And unless you have other health coverage, enrolling in Obamacare is the only way you can avoid having to pay the government's fee for failing to secure health care coverage.

*Hold Up a Sec -- What Was That About a Fee?*

To ensure that insurers have enough healthy persons in the system, paying premiums and offsetting the cost of taking care of those who get sick, Obamacare requires that everyone either sign up for health insurance -- or pay a fee (sometimes referred to as a "tax" or even a "penalty") to opt out.

And the fee the government requires you to pay in 2015 for not signing up for insurance may be double or even triple what it was in 2014 during the slow ramp-up of the Affordable Care Act.

There's a long list of exceptions. For example, if you meet the government's definition of being too poor to afford even Obamacare -- no penalty. If you're an American Indian -- no penalty. Or if you're in jail -- no penalty. (This is what we call a "mixed blessing.")

*Crunching the Numbers*

Those exceptions aside, in 2014, the first year in which fees were charged for opting out of Obamacare, opt-outers were required to pay either $95 per person or 1 percent of their income above a certain threshold. Whichever number worked out to be greater was the one you paid for forgoing health care insurance. In 2015, these fees jump to the greater of either $325 or 2 percent of income over the filing threshold.

And that's just if you're single. If you have a family to provide for -- and insure -- then forgoing Obamacare could cost you as much as $975 (or 2 percent of income over the threshold). And in 2016, the numbers will jump again. Individuals will pay $695 (or 2.5 percent of income) for opting out of health insurance coverage. Families will pay up to $2,085 or 2.5 percent.

Result: If you didn't pay attention to the Obamacare debate last year, this year it's more important than ever to study the math on whether you can afford to opt out.

Unfortunately, the numbers can quickly get tricky. For example, you probably noticed mentions of a "threshold" above, right? Well, there's not just one threshold, but 10 that could apply to you, depending on your filing status and age. So your penalty can vary based on whether you are a single tax filer, a married couple filing jointly, a married couple filing separately, etc.

*The Internet to the Rescue!*

Fortunately, the good folks at insuranceQuotes.com, a subsidiary of Bankrate (RATE), have an online calculator that will help you do the math based on your replies to three short questions:

· How many adults are in your household?
· How many children are in your household?
· What is your estimated annual household income?

The Obamacare Penalty Calculator will quickly estimate what your penalty should have been in 2014, and what it will probably rise to in 2015.

*A Few Examples, Please?*

Our pleasure. The calculator's pretty simple, so we won't spend a lot of time on this, but just to satisfy your interest, here are a couple examples:

A single taxpayer earning an adjusted gross income of $33,422 a year -- which, according to the Internal Revenue Service, was the average earned by single filers in 2012 (the latest year for which the IRS has complete data) -- would have paid a penalty of $232.72 in 2014, rising to $462.44 in 2015 for refusing to buy insurance.

The IRS estimates average adjusted gross incomes at $110,769 for married couples filing jointly. Such a couple, at such an income -- regardless of whether this couple has no children, one child or several children -- would have owed a family penalty of $904.69 for forgoing health insurance in 2014, rising to $1,803.38 in 2015.

These are, of course, just examples. As Leo Tolstoy once wrote: "Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." To find out how unhappy you will be if you miss the deadline for signing up for health insurance, check out insuranceQuote's Obamacare penalty calculator.

Motley Fool contributor Rich Smith doesn't have Obamacare (yet), and he has no position in any stocks mentioned above, either (also yet). The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. To read about our favorite high-yielding dividend stocks for any investor, check out our free report.

 

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

The New Health Care: First Look at Health Insurance Rates for Next Year Is Encouraging

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Premiums are barely rising in major cities, according to two studies, but shopping around is a key. Reported by NYTimes.com 5 hours ago.

7 things you can do now to lower next year’s tax bill

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Tax season is coming up, and it isn’t expected to be an easy one.

For the first time, people will have to report their health insurance status on their tax returns. As it happens every couple of years, there are a slew of tax breaks that will go away next year if Congress doesn’t act to renew them. The whole thing is enough to potentially push back the start of the tax filing season — not to mention delay tax refunds. Reported by Washington Post 3 hours ago.

How Early Retirees Can Get Cheap Health Insurance Through Obamacare

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How Early Retirees Can Get Cheap Health Insurance Through Obamacare Reported by ajc.com 4 hours ago.

Obamacare: Courts shouldn’t be revising laws

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Paul Krugman does not respect your readers. He asks us to believe that the language in the Affordable Care Act that specifies federal subsidies will be provided for those who purchase health insurance through state-run and not federal exchanges is due to sloppy drafting of the legislation [“De Reported by Seattle Times 2 hours ago.

UnitedHealthcare to Offer Consumers Health Insurance Coverage on 23 Individual Exchanges for 2015

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UnitedHealthcare to Offer Consumers Health Insurance Coverage on 23 Individual Exchanges for 2015 MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--People looking to buy health insurance coverage for 2015 will now be able to choose plans from UnitedHealthcare through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Plans will be available in 23 states. Reported by Business Wire 4 hours ago.

Federal Judge Issues Injunction, Protects Swindoll Ministry From Abortion Pill Mandate

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Federal Judge Issues Injunction, Protects Swindoll Ministry From Abortion Pill Mandate A federal magistrate judge issued a preliminary injunction on November 12th, protecting Pastor Charles Swindoll’s ministry from the federal government’s Health and Human Services abortion mandate. Insight for Living Ministries (IFLM) filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas challenging the federal government’s expansive edict requiring employers to facilitate insurance coverage for abortion-inducing treatment and drugs. The mandate does not exclude Christian and other ministries. The Liberty Institute obtained the ruling on behalf of IFLM.

IFLM filed a lawsuit in federal court on October 22, 2014, challenging regulations issued under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that forces employers to provide, directly or indirectly, insurance plans with coverage of abortifacient drugs and devices.

In its complaint, IFLM pled that “[u]nder the regulations, IFLM has until its first group health insurance plan renewal after January 1, 2014, to either include certain drugs, devices, and/or procedures that are abortifacients or arrange for its insurance carriers or others to provide the same.”

IFLM’s health insurance is self-insured and renews on December 1, 2014. The ministry has more than fifty full-time employees covered by its group health insurance plan and the plan is not a “grandfathered” plan under the PPACA. IFLM is not a “church” for purposes of exemptions under PPACA.

Defendants named in the lawsuit include Sylvia Mathews Burwell, in her official capacity as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; the United States Department of Health and Human Services; Thomas E. Perez, in his official capacity as the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor; the United States Department of Labor; Jacob J. Lew, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury; and the United States Department of the Treasury.

IFLM is the ministry of Pastor Charles R. Swindoll who is the former President and current Chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also the Senior Pastor and Teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas.

IFLM pled that it is “IFLM’s sincerely held religious belief that it is forbidden, under the religious principles and teachings. . .from providing or assisting in the provision of any abortion-inducing drugs or services. IFLM not only opposes the direct provision of abortion-related drugs, devices and services on religious grounds, but it also opposes being associated with or participating indirectly with the provision of such services, deeming such association a form of formal or material cooperation with the evil of abortion.”

In a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas, Liberty Institute’s Deputy General Counsel Matthew Kacsmaryk stated “We are very encouraged by today’s outcome. This is an important victory for faith-based ministries that seek to provide life-affirming healthcare insurance for all their employees.” Mr. Kacsmaryk continued, “IFLM believes it is a religious imperative to provide healthcare insurance and defend unborn human life.  Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the federal government cannot force IFLM to choose between these two religious beliefs.”

Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of the Liberty Institute, told Breitbart Texas "No ministry should be forced by the federal government to violate their faith. This is a victory for every American." Mr. Shackelford has argued before the United States Supreme Court and has testified before the U.S. House and Senate on constitutional issues. He has won three state landmark First Amendment and religious liberty cases in the past few years.

 

Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2. Reported by Breitbart 3 hours ago.

Health Insurance Kiosk Concept Launches To Help Valley Residents Enroll in a Health Insurance Policy

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Local Enrollment Services Will Offer a Convenient, Fast & Free Service to Aid Health Care Shoppers at Christown Spectrum Mall

Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) November 14, 2014

Local Enrollment Services, the first health insurance kiosk in Arizona, will open at Christown Spectrum Mall in conjunction with the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment for health insurance on November 15. Local Enrollment Services and its staff will provide self-service solutions for people to enroll in the healthcare marketplace and to educate Valley residents about the 2015 health care changes.

The Affordable Care Act mandates that every U.S. citizen must have health insurance coverage by February 15, 2015 and the Health Insurance Exchange, which includes all of the public plans mandated by the Affordable Care Act, begins open enrollment on November 15. Local Enrollment Services is designed to be a convenient, fast, free way for people to sign up for health insurance. Licensed agents will be a the kiosk helping individuals, families and businesses navigate the health care changes and become savvy health care shoppers, enabling them to take control of the many health insurance options.

Located at Christown Spectrum Mall on 1703 W. Bethany Home Road in Phoenix, Local Enrollment Services will be set up right outside Costco for shoppers’ convenience. The kiosk will be able to help four shoppers at a time. To participate in the quick sign-up process that can take as little as 15 minutes, shoppers will only need to know their address, social security number, income for this year and an estimate of their income for 2015.

Local Enrollment Services Owner Nate Plett launched Local Enrollment Services to help people get the best health insurance for themselves and their families at the best possible price.

“We are committed to help Arizona consumers make the most intelligent and informed decisions about purchasing health insurance,” said Plett. “We want our customers to feel confident in making a decision to get the best health insurance policy available. Even if people enrolled last year, they should make sure their policy is still the best option for them. Local Enrollment Services is here to be a true community resource and help educate the public on why it’s important to have health insurance and have the right policy for themselves and their family.”

Local Enrollment Services will be open seven days a week starting November 15 during regular mall hours. For more information visit http://www.localenrollment.com or call 866.400.8901.

ABOUT LOCAL ENROLLMENT SERVICES
Local Enrollment Services is the first accessible, free service in a kiosk setting in Arizona that assists people with attaining health insurance. Local Enrollment Services has been designed to help people get the best health insurance for them and their families at the best possible price. They are the Valley’s only health insurance kiosk that specializes in multiple health insurance carriers and plans. For more information about Local Enrollment Services, please visit http://www.localenrollment.com. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
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