Company Recognized for Delivering Outstanding Safety, Consistency and Financial Performance

San Diego (PRWEB) July 17, 2015

ICW Group Insurance Companies, a group of property and casualty carriers, proudly announced today that it has been named to the 2015 Ward’s 50 group of top performing property-casualty (P&C) insurance companies. The company stood out from nearly 3,000 P&C carriers for its phenomenal financial results and performance over the last five years.

“We’ve previously been on the Ward’s top 50 list, and are pleased to return and be included in this year’s elite top 50 insurance companies,” said Kevin Prior, president and CEO of ICW Group. “It’s an exceptional distinction, given Ward’s nearly 25-year heritage of showcasing the very best in our industry. This honor goes hand-in-hand with the valuable relationships we have built with our agents and brokers, and further underscores our commitment to partnering with them as they provide trusted advice to their clients.”

ICW Group was evaluated and ranked based on six core metrics, including:·     Five year average Return on Average Equity
·     Five year average Return on Average Assets
·     Five year average Return on Total Revenue
·     Five year growth in Net Premiums Written
·     Five year improvement in Leverage Ratio
·     Five year average Combined Ratio

“Ward Group recognizes ICW Group for achieving outstanding financial results in the areas of safety, consistency, and performance,” said Jeffrey J. Rieder, partner and head of Ward Group. “From 2010 through 2014, ICW Group demonstrated its ability to consistently generate outstanding results.”

Annually, Ward Group analyzes the financial performance of nearly 3,000 P&C insurance companies, as well as nearly 800 life-health insurance companies domiciled in the United States, and identifies the top performers in each segment. It has conducted the Ward's 50 analysis since 1991—a financial analysis of the insurance industry based on publicly available data and conducted independently of the Ward Group annual benchmarking programs.

Connect with ICW Group on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/companies/icw-group, on Twitter via @ICWGroup and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/icwgroup

About ICW Group
Based in San Diego, ICW Group Insurance Companies is the largest privately held group of insurance companies domiciled in California. Quoting more than $3 billion annually, ICW Group represents a group of Property, Auto and Workers’ Compensation insurance carriers, including Insurance Company of the West and Explorer Insurance Company. ICW Group is recognized nationally as an industry leader in helping policyholders achieve fewer and less costly claims, and is committed to meeting the needs of its policyholders and elevating the trusted agents and brokers who advise them. More information is available at http://www.icwgroup.com.

# # # Reported by PRWeb 23 hours ago.

Patch Fairfield, CT -- The deadline is August 3rd. Reported by Patch 20 hours ago.

San Francisco will begin offering subsidies to thousands of city residents who are struggling to purchase health insurance, Mayor Ed Lee announced Friday. The new program, which will be rolled out next year, will immediately benefit roughly 3,000 low-to-moderate income residents, city officials estimate. Eligible participants are legal residents who make $58,000 a year or less working for a company that takes part in the City Option program. Under that program, a company that employs at least 20 people may pay the city a fee instead of providing health insurance, and the city then provides its workers reimbursements for medical expenses. The new initiative expands the scope of the City Option program by providing subsidies — instead of the reimbursements — for the workers to purchase insurance through Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange. “In San Francisco, no one will be left out of the promise of health reform and access to quality health care,” Lee said in a statement. Reported by SFGate 16 hours ago.

[This is a continuing series of candidate speech transcripts from all the Democratic presidential campaigns, which will be running all week long. Please see the introduction to this series for more information.]

 

*Bernie Sanders*

https://berniesanders.com/

Bernie Sanders Announcement Speech

Waterfront Park, Burlington, Vermont
5/20/15

Thank you all very much for being here and for all the support that you have given me over the years: as the mayor of this great city, as Vermont's only congressman and now as a U.S. senator. Thanks also to my longtime friends and fellow Vermonters Bill McKibben, Brenda Torpey, Donna Bailey, Mike O'Day and Ben and Jerry for all that you do -- and for your very generous remarks. Thanks also to Jenny Nelson for moderating this event and for your leadership in Vermont agriculture.

I also want to thank my family: My wife Jane, my brother Larry, my children Levi, Heather, Carina and Dave for their love and support, and my seven beautiful grandchildren -- Sonny, Cole, Ryleigh, Grayson, Ella, Tess and Dylan who provide so much joy in my life.

Today, here in our small state -- a state that has led the nation in so many ways -- I am proud to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America.

Today, with your support and the support of millions of people throughout this country, we begin a political revolution to transform our country economically, politically, socially and environmentally.

Today, we stand here and say loudly and clearly that: "Enough is enough. This great nation and its government belong to all of the people, and not to a handful of billionaires, their Super-PACs and their lobbyists."

Brothers and sisters: Now is not the time for thinking small. Now is not the time for the same-old/same-old establishment politics and stale inside-the-Beltway ideas.

Now is the time for millions of working families to come together, to revitalize American democracy, to end the collapse of the American middle class and to make certain that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy a quality of life that brings them health, prosperity, security and joy -- and that once again makes the United States the leader in the world in the fight for economic and social justice, for environmental sanity and for a world of peace.

My fellow Americans: This country faces more serious problems today than at any time since the Great Depression and, if you include the planetary crisis of climate change, it may well be that the challenges we face now are direr than any time in our modern history.

Here is my promise to you for this campaign. Not only will I fight to protect the working families of this country, but we're going to build a movement of millions of Americans who are prepared to stand up and fight back. We're going to take this campaign directly to the people -- in town meetings, door to door conversations, on street corners and in social media -- and that's BernieSanders.com by the way. This week we will be in New Hampshire, Iowa and Minnesota -- and that's just the start of a vigorous grassroots campaign.

Let's be clear. This campaign is not about Bernie Sanders. It is not about Hillary Clinton. It is not about Jeb Bush or anyone else. This campaign is about the needs of the American people, and the ideas and proposals that effectively address those needs. As someone who has never run a negative political ad in his life, my campaign will be driven by issues and serious debate; not political gossip, not reckless personal attacks or character assassination. This is what I believe the American people want and deserve. I hope other candidates agree, and I hope the media allows that to happen. Politics in a democratic society should not be treated like a baseball game, a game show or a soap opera. The times are too serious for that.

Let me take a minute to touch on some of the issues that I will be focusing on in the coming months, and then give you an outline of an Agenda for America which will, in fact, deal with these problems and lead us to a better future.

*Income and Wealth Inequality:* Today, we live in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world but that reality means very little for most of us because almost all of that wealth is owned and controlled by a tiny handful of individuals. In America we now have more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on Earth, and the gap between the very rich and everyone is wider than at any time since the 1920s. The issue of wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of our time, it is the great economic issue of our time, and it is the great political issue of our time. And we will address it.

Let me be very clear. There is something profoundly wrong when the top one-tenth of one percent owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent, and when 99 percent of all new income goes to the top one percent. There is something profoundly wrong when, in recent years, we have seen a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires at the same time as millions of Americans work longer hours for lower wages and we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country on Earth. There is something profoundly wrong when one family owns more wealth than the bottom 130 million Americans. This grotesque level of inequality is immoral. It is bad economics. It is unsustainable. This type of rigged economy is not what America is supposed to be about. This has got to change and, as your president, together we will change it.

*Economics:* But it is not just income and wealth inequality. It is the tragic reality that for the last 40 years the great middle class of our country -- once the envy of the world -- has been disappearing. Despite exploding technology and increased worker productivity, median family income is almost $5,000 less than it was in 1999. In Vermont and throughout this country it is not uncommon for people to be working two or three jobs just to cobble together enough income to survive on and some health care benefits.

The truth is that real unemployment is not the 5.4 percent you read in newspapers. It is close to 11 percent if you include those workers who have given up looking for jobs or who are working part time when they want to work full time. Youth unemployment is over 17 percent and African-American youth unemployment is much higher than that. Today, shamefully, we have 45 million people living in poverty, many of whom are working at low-wage jobs. These are the people who struggle every day to find the money to feed their kids, to pay their electric bills and to put gas in the car to get to work. This campaign is about those people and our struggling middle class. It is about creating an economy that works for all, and not just the one percent.

*Citizens United:* My fellow Americans: Let me be as blunt as I can and tell you what you already know. As a result of the disastrous Supreme Court decision on Citizens United, the American political system has been totally corrupted, and the foundations of American democracy are being undermined. What the Supreme Court essentially said was that it was not good enough for the billionaire class to own much of our economy. They could now own the U.S. government as well. And that is precisely what they are trying to do.

American democracy is not about billionaires being able to buy candidates and elections. It is not about the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson and other incredibly wealthy individuals spending billions of dollars to elect candidates who will make the rich richer and everyone else poorer. According to media reports the Koch brothers alone -- one family -- will spend more money in this election cycle than either the Democratic or Republican parties. This is not democracy. This is oligarchy. In Vermont and at our town meetings we know what American democracy is supposed to be about. It is one person, one vote -- with every citizen having an equal say, and no voter suppression. And that's the kind of American political system we have to fight for and will fight for in this campaign.

*Climate Change:* When we talk about our responsibilities as human beings and as parents, there is nothing more important than leaving this country and the entire planet in a way that is habitable for our kids and grandchildren. The debate is over. The scientific community has spoken in a virtually unanimous voice. Climate change is real. It is caused by human activity and it is already causing devastating problems in the United States and around the world.

The scientists are telling us that if we do not boldly transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energies, this planet could be five to ten degrees Fahrenheit warmer by the end of this century. This is catastrophic. It will mean more drought, more famine, more rising sea level, more floods, more ocean acidification, more extreme weather disturbances, more disease and more human suffering. We must not, we cannot, and we will not allow that to happen.

It is no secret that there is massive discontent with politics in America today. In the mid-term election in November, 63 percent of Americans did not vote, including 80 percent of young people. Poll after poll tells us that our citizens no longer have confidence in our political institutions and, given the power of Big Money in the political process, they have serious doubts about how much their vote actually matters and whether politicians have any clue as to what is going on in their lives.

Combatting this political alienation, this cynicism and this legitimate anger will not be easy. That's for sure. But that is exactly what, together, we have to do if we are going to turn this country around -- and that is what this campaign is all about.

And to bring people together we need a simple and straightforward progressive agenda which speaks to the needs of our people, and which provides us with a vision of a very different America. And what is that agenda?

*Jobs, Jobs, Jobs:* It begins with jobs. If we are truly serious about reversing the decline of the middle class we need a major federal jobs program which puts millions of Americans back to work at decent paying jobs. At a time when our roads, bridges, water systems, rail and airports are decaying, the most effective way to rapidly create meaningful jobs is to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. That's why I've introduced legislation which would invest $1 trillion over five years to modernize our country's physical infrastructure. This legislation would create and maintain at least 13 million good-paying jobs, while making our country more productive, efficient and safe. And I promise you as president I will lead that legislation into law.

I will also continue to oppose our current trade policies. For decades, presidents from both parties have supported trade agreements which have cost us millions of decent paying jobs as corporate America shuts down plants here and moves to low-wage countries. As president, my trade policies will break that cycle of agreements which enrich at the expense of the working people of this country.

*Raising Wages:* Let us be honest and acknowledge that millions of Americans are now working for totally inadequate wages. The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage and must be raised. The minimum wage must become a living wage -- which means raising it to $15 an hour over the next few years -- which is exactly what Los Angeles recently did, and I applaud them for doing that. Our goal as a nation must be to ensure that no full-time worker lives in poverty. Further, we must establish pay equity for women workers. It's unconscionable that women earn 78 cents on the dollar compared to men who perform the same work. We must also end the scandal in which millions of American employees, often earning less than $30,000 a year, work 50 or 60 hours a week -- and earn no overtime. And we need paid sick leave and guaranteed vacation time for all.

*Addressing Wealth and Income Inequality:* This campaign is going to send a message to the billionaire class. And that is: you can't have it all. You can't get huge tax breaks while children in this country go hungry. You can't continue sending our jobs to China while millions are looking for work. You can't hide your profits in the Cayman Islands and other tax havens, while there are massive unmet needs on every corner of this nation. Your greed has got to end. You cannot take advantage of all the benefits of America, if you refuse to accept your responsibilities.

That is why we need a tax system which is fair and progressive, which makes wealthy individuals and profitable corporations begin to pay their fair share of taxes.

*Reforming Wall Street:* It is time to break up the largest financial institutions in the country. Wall Street cannot continue to be an island unto itself, gambling trillions in risky financial instruments while expecting the public to bail it out. If a bank is too big to fail it is too big to exist. We need a banking system which is part of the job creating productive economy, not a handful of huge banks on Wall Street which engage in reckless and illegal activities.

*Campaign Finance Reform:* If we are serious about creating jobs, about climate change and the needs of our children and the elderly, we must be deadly serious about campaign finance reform and the need for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. I have said it before and I'll say it again. I will not nominate any justice to the Supreme Court who has not made it clear that he or she will move to overturn that disastrous decision which is undermining our democracy. Long term, we need to go further and establish public funding of elections.

*Reversing Climate Change:* The United States must lead the world in reversing climate change. We can do that if we transform our energy system away from fossil fuels, toward energy efficiency and such sustainable energies such as wind, solar, geo-thermal and bio-mass. Millions of homes and buildings need to be weatherized, our transportation system needs to be energy efficient, and we need a tax on carbon to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuel.

*Health Care for All:* The United States remains the only major country on Earth that does not guarantee health care for all as a right. Despite the modest gains of the Affordable Care Act, 35 million Americans continue to lack health insurance and many more are under-insured. Yet, we continue paying far more per capita for health care than any other nation. The United States must join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee health care to all as a right by moving toward a Medicare-for-All single-payer system.

*Protecting Our Most Vulnerable:* At a time when millions of Americans are struggling to keep their heads above water economically, at a time when senior poverty is increasing, at a time when millions of kids are living in dire poverty, my Republican colleagues, as part of their recently-passed budget, are trying to make a terrible situation even worse. If you can believe it, the Republican budget throws 27 million Americans off health insurance, makes drastic cuts in Medicare, throws millions of low-income Americans, including pregnant women, off of nutrition programs, and makes it harder for working-class families to afford college or put their kids in the Head Start program. And then, to add insult to injury, they provide huge tax breaks for the very wealthiest families in this country while they raise taxes on working families.

Well, let me tell my Republican colleagues that I respectfully disagree with their approach. Instead of cutting Social Security, we're going to expand Social Security benefits. Instead of cutting Head Start and child care, we are going to move to a universal pre-K system for all the children of this country. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt reminded us, a nation's greatness is judged not by what it provides to the most well-off, but how it treats the people most in need. And that's the kind of nation we must become.

*College for All:* And when we talk about education, let me be very clear. In a highly competitive global economy, we need the best educated workforce we can create. It is insane and counter-productive to the best interests of our country, that hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college, and that millions of others leave school with a mountain of debt that burdens them for decades. That must end. That is why, as president, I will fight to make tuition in public colleges and universities free, as well as substantially lower interest rates on student loans.

*War and Peace:* As everybody knows, we live in a difficult and dangerous world, and there are people out there who want to do us harm. As president, I will defend this nation -- but I will do it responsibly. As a member of Congress I voted against the war in Iraq, and that was the right vote. I am vigorously opposed to an endless war in the Middle East -- a war which is unwise and unnecessary. We must be vigorous in combatting terrorism and defeating ISIS, but we should not have to bear that burden alone. We must be part of an international coalition, led by Muslim nations, that can not only defeat ISIS but begin the process of creating conditions for a lasting peace.

As some of you know, I was born in a far-away land called Brooklyn, New York. My father came to this country from Poland without a penny in his pocket and without much of an education. My mother graduated high school in New York City. My father worked for almost his entire life as a paint salesman and we were solidly lower-middle class. My parents, brother and I lived in a small rent-controlled apartment. My mother's dream was to move out of that small apartment into a home of our own. She died young and her dream was never fulfilled. As a kid I learned, in many, many ways, what lack of money means to a family. That's a lesson I have never forgotten.

I have seen the promise of America in my own life. My parents would have never dreamed that their son would be a U.S. Senator, let alone run for president. But for too many of our fellow Americans, the dream of progress and opportunity is being denied by the grind of an economy that funnels all the wealth to the top.

And to those who say we cannot restore the dream, I say just look where we are standing. This beautiful place was once an unsightly rail yard that served no public purpose and was an eyesore. As mayor, I worked with the people of Burlington to help turn this waterfront into the beautiful people-oriented public space it is today. We took the fight to the courts, to the legislature and to the people. And we won.

The lesson to be learned is that when people stand together, and are prepared to fight back, there is nothing that can't be accomplished.

We can live in a country:

· Where every person has health care as a right, not a privilege;· Where every parent can have quality and affordable childcare and where all of our qualified young people, regardless of income, can go to college;· Where every senior can live in dignity and security, and not be forced to choose between their medicine or their food;· Where every veteran who defends this nation gets the quality health care and benefits they have earned and receives the respect they deserve;· Where every person, no matter their race, their religion, their disability or their sexual orientation realizes the full promise of equality that is our birthright as Americans.

That is the nation we can build together, and I ask you to join me in this campaign to build a future that works for all of us, and not just the few on top.

Thank you, and on this beautiful day on the shore of Lake Champlain, I welcome you aboard.

 

Chris Weigant blogs at:Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Become a fan of Chris on The Huffington Post

 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 16 hours ago.

*The people of Greece are facing further years of economic hardship* following a Eurozone agreement over the terms of a third bailout. The deal included more tax rises and spending cuts, despite the Syriza government coming to power promising to end what it described as the "humiliation and pain" of austerity. With the country having already endured years of economic contraction since the global downturn, The BBC asks, just *how does Greece's ordeal compare with other recessions and how have the lives of the country's people been affected?*

 

*The long recession*

It is now generally agreed that Greece has experienced an economic crisis on the scale of the US Great Depression of the 1930s.

According to the Greek government's own figures, the economy first contracted in the final quarter of 2008 and - apart from some weak growth in 2014 - has been shrinking ever since. The recession has cut the size of the Greek economy by around a quarter, the largest contraction of an advanced economy since the 1950s.

Although the Greek recession has not been quite as deep as the Great Depression from peak to trough, it has gone on longer and many observers now believe Greek GDP will drop further in 2015.

 

*Dwindling jobs*

Jobs are increasingly difficult to come by in Greece - especially for the young. While a quarter of the population are out of work, youth unemployment is running much higher.

Half of those under 25 are out of work. In some regions of western Greece, the youth unemployment rate is well above 60%.

To make matters worse, long-term unemployment is at particularly high levels in Greece.

Being out of work for significant periods of time has severe consequences, according to a report by the European Parliament. The longer a person is unemployed, the less employable they become. Re-entering the workforce also becomes more difficult and more expensive.

Young people have been particularly affected by long-term unemployment: one out of three has been jobless for more than a year.

After two years out of work, the unemployed also lose their health insurance.

This persistent unemployment also means pension funds receive fewer contributions from the working population. As more Greeks are without jobs, more pensioners are having to sustain families on a reduced income.

According to the latest figures from the Greek government, 45% of pensioners receive monthly payments below the poverty line of €665.

 

*Plummeting income*

The Greek people are also facing dropping wages.

In the five years from 2008 to 2013, Greeks became on average 40% poorer, according to data from the country's statistical agency analysed by Reuters. As well as job losses and wage cuts, the decline can also be explained by steep cuts in workers' compensation and social benefits.

In 2014, disposable household income in Greece sunk to below 2003 levels.

 

*Rising poverty*

Like during all recessions, the poor and vulnerable have been hardest hit.

One in five Greeks are experiencing severe material deprivation, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2008.

Almost four million people living in Greece, more than a third of the country's total population, were classed as being 'at risk of poverty or social exclusion' in 2014.

According to Dr Panos Tsakloglou, economist and professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business, the crisis has exposed Greece's lack of social safety nets.

"The welfare state in Greece has historically been very weak, driven primarily by clientelistic calculations rather than an assessment of needs. In the past this was not really urgent because there were rarely any particularly explosive social conditions. The family was substituting the welfare state," he told the BBC.

Typically, if a young person lost his or her job or could not find a job after graduating, they would receive support from the family until their situation improved.

But as more and more people have become jobless and with pensions slashed as part of the austerity imposed on Greece from its creditors, ordinary Greeks are feeling the impact.

"This has led to many more unemployed people falling into poverty much faster," Dr Tsakloglou said.

 

*Cuts to essential services*

Healthcare is one of the public services that has been hit hardest by the crisis. An estimated 800,000 Greeks are without medical access due to a lack of insurance or poverty.

A 2014 report in the Lancet medical journal highlighted the devastating social and health consequences of the financial crisis and resulting austerity on the country's population.

At a time of heightened demand, the report said, "the scale and speed of imposed change have constrained the capacity of the public health system to respond to the needs of the population".

While a number of social initiatives and volunteer-led health clinics have emerged to ease the burden, many drug prevention and treatment centres and psychiatric clinics have been forced to close due to budget cuts.

HIV infections among injecting drug users rose from 15 in 2009 to 484 people in 2012.

 

*Mental wellbeing*

The crisis also appears to have taken its toll on people's wellbeing.

Figures suggest that the prevalence of major depression almost trebled from 3% to 8% of the population in the three years to 2011, during the onset of the crisis.

While starting from a low initial figure, the suicide rate rose by 35% in Greece between 2010 and 2012, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.

Researchers concluded that suicides among those of working age coincided with austerity measures.

Greece's public and non-profit mental health service providers have been forced to scale back operations, shut down, or reduce staff, while plans for development of child psychiatric services have been abandoned.

Funding for mental health decreased by 20% between 2010 and 2011, and by a further 55% the following year.

 

*The brain drain*

Faced with the prospect of dwindling incomes or unemployment, many Greeks have been forced to look for work elsewhere. In the last five years, Greece's population has declined, falling by about 400,000.

A 2013 study found that more than 120,000 professionals, including doctors, engineers and scientists, had left Greece since the start of the crisis in 2010.

 

A more recent European University Institute survey found that of those who emigrated, nine in 10 hold a university degree and more than 60% of those have a master's degree, while 11% hold a PhD.

Foteini Ploumbi was in her early thirties when she lost her job as a warehouse supervisor in Athens after the owner could no longer afford to pay his staff.

After a year looking for a new job in Greece, she moved to the UK in 2013 and immediately found work as a business analyst in London.

*"I had no choice but leave if I wanted to work, I had no prospect of employment in Greece. I would love to go back, my whole life is back there. But logic stops me from returning at the moment," she said.*

*"In the UK, I can get by - I can't even do that in Greece."* Reported by Zero Hedge 14 hours ago.

Workers at the Trump Taj Mahal have authorized a strike against the troubled Atlantic City casino hotel as they await a federal appeals court ruling on whether the casino must restore the health insurance and pension benefits it scrapped last year. Reported by philly.com 7 hours ago.

Dozens of local families are being given the opportunity to sign their children up for state health coverage just in time for school. Reported by cbs4.com 1 hour ago.

ACAenroll.com is hosting two free Employer Wellness Seminars on July 21st and July 23rd aimed at addressing ACA Wellness Plan Compliance and What’s Needed In the Real World of Wellness.

Bedford Park, Illinois (PRWEB) July 18, 2015

ACAenroll.com is hosting two free Employer Wellness Seminars on July 21st and July 23rd aimed at addressing ACA Wellness Plan Compliance and What’s Needed In the Real World of Wellness.

“Employees are the most valuable assets to any company. The welfare of the employee has a direct impact on the success of the company,” began Bill Hallberg, Chief Enrollment Officer, ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions (ACAenroll.com).

“The bottom line of an employee wellness program is that they provide the company with strategic advantages by investing money in a program that will bring them lowered expenses in return. Healthy employees tend to be happier more productive employees. By providing workers with these services, companies are improving wellbeing and job satisfaction, as well as raising retention rates,” remarked Hallberg.

An employee wellness program must be implemented correctly using thorough, company-specific research and planning. The program must also follow guidelines outlined by the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as the ACA. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), worksite wellness programs will become part of a national public health strategy to address the increase in chronic diseases, which are predicted to cost the US health care system an estimated $4.2 trillion annually by 2023. (1) ACA contains many new provisions designed to improve public health and wellness.

“With depth of changes that have taken place with the ACA, it is imperative that employers have a through understanding of the new guidelines put in place in regards to employee wellness initiatives. To assist employers have a solid understanding of the guidelines, the first half of the upcoming Employer Wellness Seminar will focus on ACA Wellness plan compliance presented by Larry Grudzien, a nationally known Affordable Care Act (ACA) expert attorney.

Employee wellness programs can benefit employers by:· Lowering health care costs
· Reducing absenteeism
· Achieving higher employee productivity
· Reducing workers’ compensation and disability-related costs
· Reducing injuries
· Improving employee morale and loyalty

In order for an employee wellness program to be effective for both the employee and employer alike, factors such as budget, expected return on investments to deciphering the company’s involvement in the program must be clearly outlined. Hallberg continued, “We are fortunate to have Steve Van Der Watt, CEO, The Vitality Group lead the second half of the Employee Wellness Seminar. The Vitality Group is an internationally recognized health promotion program based on behavioral, actuarial and clinical principles. Mr. Van Der Watt will be sharing his insight on how to build and maintain an employee wellness program.”

The Employer Wellness Seminars will be held on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at Lisle Hilton, 3003 Corporate W Dr., Lisle, IL 60532 and Thursday, July 23, 2015 at Hallberg Commercial Corporate HQ, 6640 S. Cicero, Bedford Park, IL 60638. The Employer Wellness Seminars will begin at 8:30a.m. and conclude at 11:30p.m. Visit http://wellnessprograms.instapage.com/ to register for one of the Employer Wellness Seminars. Virtual attendance is available on Thursday, July 23rd; please select the “virtual attendance” tab which can be found by clicking on the registration button.

To register for one of the Employer Wellness Seminars please visit, http://wellnessprograms.instapage.com/. Please contact Janie Vulich at 630-242-3245 for additional seminar information.

Source:
(1) http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2012/12_0092.htm

About ACAMES:
ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions (ACAenroll.com) is a national enrollment firm specializing in the Health Insurance Marketplace and the Senior Product Market. ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions is not affiliated with any governmental agency. We work with consumers to determine their subsidy eligibility, review benefits and plans that will meet their healthcare needs and get them enrolled for coverage. We offer opportunities for producers to have access to our carriers on a national level. Our Call Center is staffed with multi-lingual and licensed health insurance agents who also are certified on the exchange. The company’s website http://www.ACAenroll.com and our Call Center staff are available to assist enrollees through the entire enrollment process. Go to http://www.ACAenroll.com or contact 1-800-342-0631 for more information. Reported by PRWeb 52 minutes ago.

India Network Foundation, under the direction of Dr. KV Rao, is helping NGOs serving Pilgrims in West Godavari and East Godavari Districts during the 12 days of celebration of River Godavari, Andhra Pradesh

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) July 19, 2015

India Network Foundation, a non profit organization in the US, sponsors various programs for the benefit of Asian Indian community in the United States and in India. In response to a request from members, Dr. KV Rao, President, India Network Foundation announced a special package to distribute rice to NGOs based on their work and services to the pilgrims during the 12 days of celebration of river Godavari Maha Pushkarams, Andhra Pradesh.

A team of volunteers surveyed various Ghats located on the banks of holy river Godavari in Rajahmundry, Kovvur, Siddhantham, Narasapuram, Andhra Pradesh and distributed rice bags to selected NGOs that meet strict criteria. Many pilgrims and NGOs appreciated India Network Foundation assistance in providing high quality rice to help millions of pilgrims during the 12 days of celebration of river Godavari that started this week. All members are invited to contribute to this project quickly by completing the donation form on the secure server web site. All donated funds will be immediately put in to action by the Foundation. Individual members may designate the donation in the name of their parents, grandparents etc.

India Network Foundation sponsors a visitor health insurance program that helps thousands of elderly parents visiting the US every year from India. The India Network Health Insurance has been the only source of accident and sickness insurance for US bound parents, and grandparents with one or more pre-existing conditions.

Dr. KV Rao, Founder & President, India Network Foundation, said that the Foundation supported several projects in rural India and NGOs in India who are doing excellent work. As a matter of principle, India Network does not distribute funds but in kind. During the current ongoing Godavari Pushkarams, India Network decided to donate rice to help NGOs serving the pilgrim community in Godavari basin area. All NGOs in the area that require any kind of assistance may contact local project volunteer, Mr. Ravi Kanth at nawabpalem(at)gmail(dot) com. India Network members who wish to donate funds to this rice distribution project may do so by visiting the India Network Contribution Page.

About India Network Foundation
India Network Foundation, established as a US non-profit organization, has been helping the Asian Indian community in North America with programs and grants to academics from India for more than two decades. India Network Foundation sponsors visitor health insurance to tourists, students, temporary workers (H1 visa holders) and their families. All insurance products are administered by India Network Services.

For more information, visit http://www.indianetwork.org.

About India Network Health Insurance

India Network Services is a US based company that administers visitor health insurance to visiting parents, transient residents, tourists, students, temporary workers and their families. Cashless Visitor health insurance plans are offered for all age groups with network based comprehensive coverage and with pre-existing condition coverage
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For more information, visit http://www.kvrao.org. Reported by PRWeb 8 hours ago.

Every year, thousands of people like Blanca Guerra call the National Cancer Information Center, desperate to find some kind of health insurance. Reported by L.A. Times 5 hours ago.

Years after Obamacare became law, some people are having second thoughts about a potential new tax on high-value health-insurance policies. Reported by Motley Fool 3 hours ago.

On June 25, 2015 the Supreme Court upheld President Obama's hotly debated Affordable Care Act in a 6-3 decision. For those following the debate intently, it is understood that the verdict now authorizes federal tax credits for eligible Americans living in states with their own exchanges and also those in the 34 states with federal marketplaces. For many people, "President Obama won" is a sufficient takeaway. Tying health law to a political line, however, understates the gravity of imminent reform at a critical juncture where we must all be invested without partisanship.The chief complaint of consumers, providers, and third-party stakeholders in our system originated from the recent acknowledgement of spiraling costs. Historically, health insurance companies were born not to decouple the sacred doctor-patient relationship from the business of medicine but actually to combat massive inflation post-World War II. Since then, the industry today is shifting towards financial transparency and the "consumer experience." Patient satisfaction - not diagnoses made or lives saved - is becoming one of the most relevant outcomes. Outcome optimization and cost containment are desired end points, but the current strategy suffers from three fundamental roadblocks in achieving total satisfaction.

First, "informed consent" is lacking. In medical practice, informed consent is defined as permission granted by a patient acknowledging receipt of knowledge of possible risks and benefits. The medical marketplace is saturated with coverage by the media to the point that receiving and processing the relevant questions has become as complex as the system itself. In a recent paper from Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, Bal and Brenner highlighted informed consent as a driver of mutual discovery and shared decision-making. Why not apply the same principle to the policy of health reform? Given that every American is a potential patient, each individual has the right to understand, question, and contribute to the discussion now more than ever. The health care dilemma affects every American, and thus every American needs informed consent to reconcile any information disparities before legislation is solidified.

Second, no standard mechanism is in place for customer intelligence. Passage of the Affordable Care Act on a macroscopic level indicates the fundamental need for change. Both sides of the debate agree we are far from a finished product, and many more iterations are needed before stakeholders can smoothly operate and innovate within the system. The long-term benefit of the reform, contrary to popular belief, will be less the specifics of the current bill and more the general public's heightened awareness of the issues at hand. Before future policy iterations can occur, capitalizing on this awareness is critical in building a system set up for success. Given the new shift towards satisfaction as a primary outcome metric in the medical industry, we look to firms within the competitive business world for the answer to satisfying health care customers. The common denominator of these successful business models is an intimate understanding of the user experience by rigorous probing of the customer and his or her needs. In medicine, however, the current forum is not conducive to soliciting the day-to-day experiences of those interfacing with the system. It is important to note that the customer in health care includes the provider as well as the patient since the greatest strain arises from administrative factors (i.e. scheduling appointments, prescription changes, waiting time) extrinsic to the doctor-patient relationship. With further changes inevitable, now is the time to listen and adapt to user needs.

The final challenge preventing satisfaction is lexical. We have failed to define basic terminology. The corollary of this notion means we have failed to define our goals. No consensus exists on the definition of health. For some, health means being free from disease, but the World Health Organization contradicts this by defining it as the "state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The simple answer is that "everyone" - from doctor to patient to insurance firm - is responsible for patient wellness, but failure to define roles and jurisdiction causes confusing cross-talk. Even more difficult is defining value in health care. In the past, the answer was simply "spare no expense and provide the best possible care." Today the answer leans towards balancing cost and quality. A prognostic litmus test for which of these two considerations will win out in the future is how we decide to handle end of life care. Articulating these concepts will not be easy but are prerequisite for the American people to define as a well-informed, vocal unit.Medicine has culturally shifted from a closed trade of the erudite and esoteric to a behemoth of an industry under intense scrutiny. The problem lies in the fact that today we judge its output like we would a business, except we never took the time to it set up like one. "Health care" is a colossal buzzword that stands for something broad and overwhelming, but it can also be made to stand for something manageable when applying a strategic approach centered on informed decisions, feedback from everyday consumers, and goal-oriented behavior. When combining this strategy with broad engagement, we have on our doorstep the opportunity to build into practice an architecture finally set up to meet our expectations from the health care industry.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 2 days ago.

On June 30, I got an email from "Team Walker" -- the campaign of Scott Walker, the revolting, opportunistic governor of Wisconsin. "There is no time to waste!" Team Walker declared. "We need your contribution to show Governor Walker you want him to run for president."

I responded in writing.

Dear Governor Walker,

F-- you!

I am appalled by 35 years of soaring inequality in the U.S., and by politicians like you who promote policies that make it worse -- tax cuts for the 1 percent, deregulation and relentless attacks on working people and the unions that advocate for them.

I'm appalled by your willingness to trade off the well-being of working people and the health of a fabulous state university system for your grandiose, selfish ambition.

I am appalled by your pandering -- to the worst impulses of right wing voters, and to the Koch brothers.

I'll do whatever I can to make sure you will not become president.

Stop writing to me.

Now, it seemed to me that, with this note, I'd made my position quite clear. I expected that this would be the end of my correspondence with Governor Walker and his "team" of sycophants. But apparently not! On July 13, I got second note from Team Walker -- actually, from Governor Walker himself!

TIMOTHY,

I am running for President of the United States and I need your support.

The first hours of this campaign are critical. Obama, Clinton and the liberal media are watching us very closely and we must show we have grassroots leaders on our side.

Your contribution of $35, $50, $75, $100, $250, $1000, or even $2700 will show them you are tired of their radical left-wing agenda* and ready for something new.

It's not too late. We can make our country great again...

Scott Walker
Governor of Wisconsin

Later that day, Scott Walker officially announced that he is a candidate for president (of the United States!). Jason Easley (of PoliticusUSA) got it just right: During Walker's presidential announcement, "you could almost see the Koch brothers' lips moving."

In his announcement, Walker bragged that, as governor of Wisconsin ... "We took on the unions and won! ... We defunded Planned Parenthood. We passed castle doctrine and concealed carry. We now require a photo ID to vote in the State of Wisconsin."

In short, Scott Walker has proudly worked to dis-empower workers, women and people of color -- while making it easier for a Wisconsin gun owner to use lethal force against an unarmed person.

Egad. This is what Scott Walker brags about!

But wait! There is much more! Walker is also an enthusiastic advocate of trickle-down economics -- tax cuts for corporations and the rich, a frayed social safety net, diminished corporate accountability (aka deregulation) and attacks on worker pay and bargaining power. For 35 years, right wing politicians -- encouraged and financed by corporate money and right wing think tanks -- have insisted that these policies "create wealth." They don't, and they haven't. They have made the rich richer, our financial system more fragile, our work places less safe, and our environment more toxic.

Scott Walker opposes same sex marriage, and LGBTQ rights of every imaginable kind.

Walker has attacked education and educators at every turn -- from primary schools to higher education. He is in the process of gutting the University of Wisconsin, one of the best state universities in the country, and one of the world's great research institutions. His new state budget cuts $250 million from UW's budget.

Walker continues to call for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which has brought health insurance to millions across the U.S. Meanwhile, Walker and Wisconsin's Republican legislature have enthusiastically turned down billions of dollars in federal funds ("Medicaid expansion"), money that could have provided health coverage for thousands of poor residents of Wisconsin.

As always with Scott Walker, ideology and self-aggrandizement prevail over the well-being of his constituents.

Scott Walker has also sued the EPA over regulations designed to limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal fired power plants. He has worked to de-regulate and encourage open pit iron mining in Wisconsin, he favors lightly regulated fracking, and he expresses disdain for those who are concerned about global climate change.

And Walker has shamelessly adopted the right-wing's racist play book, at every opportunity, blaming the low pay, insecurity and anxiety of white working class people on "undeserving" people of color -- "welfare" recipients,** "illegal" immigrants, Muslims and, of course, President Obama.

Apparently, from Scott Walker's point of view, the problem with the U.S. is that corporations and the super-rich are getting too little, while people of color, workers, teachers, students, the elderly, and the poor are getting too much!

The opening line of Scott Walker's announcement is: "I love America" -- an odd claim, given that Governor Walker appears to disdain most Americans.

So, I wrote back to Governor Walker.

Dear Governor Walker,

To reiterate the main point of my last note: F-- you.

I will never vote for you. And I'll do whatever I can to make sure you will not become president.

Please stop writing to me!Pretty clear, no? Well, late last week I got a third note from Team Walker. "I'm running for president and I need your support."

Along with many other shortcomings, it appears that Scott Walker doesn't get that "no means no."

For those of us who care about fairness, social justice, democratic participation, education, civil and human rights...we have met the enemy, and he is Scott Walker. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has the same idea: "Scott Walker is a national disgrace."
--------------
*Who, I wonder, are "they," with "their radical left-wing agenda"? If only!

** In fact, a minority of "welfare" recipients are African American. But it is clear that the relentless denunciation of those receiving "food stamps" and "welfare" is a slightly subtler version of Reagan's racist narrative about "welfare queens."

For a short, detailed defense of unions, Tim Koechlin, "Which Side Are You On? Inequality and the Case for Unions," Huffington Post, 6/24/2014

See, also, Tim Koechlin, "Winner Take All: Soaring Inequality in the US and Why It Matters," Huffington Post, 1/24/2014

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 2 days ago.

Apparently not much has changed when it comes to child wellness in New Mexico. According to the latest KIDS COUNT Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, New Mexico is still ranked 49th in the country based on a slew of markers. The ranking uses 16 indicators of child well-being. While New Mexico did improve in some categories, it was not enough to bump it up in the rankings. Children without health insurance dropped to nine percent from 14 percent, due mostly to the Affordable Healthcare… Reported by bizjournals 1 day ago.

Patients will save on a variety of medications used to promote successful outcomes in egg donation and surrogacy.

Laguna Hills, CA (PRWEB) July 21, 2015

Fertility SOURCE Companies has just announced a new partnership with Avella Specialty Pharmacy. Avella will be providing significant discounts on specialty medications to promote successful outcomes in egg donation and surrogacy. These medications include Follistim, Pregnyl, Ganirelix, Menopur, Progesterone and many others.

Fertility SOURCE Companies includes The Donor SOURCE and The Surrogacy SOURCE. Fertility SOURCE Companies is among the largest egg donor and surrogacy agencies in the United States, and is committed to a reputation of compassionate care for all intended parents, egg donors, and surrogate mothers.

“This partnership is truly beneficial for our intended parents,” said Donna Raidy, Chief Operating Officer of Fertility SOURCE Companies. “Fertility SOURCE Companies strives to help our intended parents financially while balancing education for our egg donors by providing them with the quality service of Avella.”

Avella has served fertility patients for nearly two decades with specialty drugs as well as compassionate support and education. For example, pharmacists can instruct patients on the proper procedures for self-injection, and provide advice for managing side effects related to treatment. In addition, Avella connects patients with financial assistance programs such as this one. This assistance is especially valuable for individuals purchasing fertility medications, since these drugs are not typically covered by health insurance benefits.

“People who are pursuing fertility options such as egg donation and surrogacy are often dealing with a lot of emotional and financial challenges,” said Jason Ott, Pharm.D., clinical fertility pharmacist at Avella. “Avella is proud to be able to help these individuals by not only providing guidance and premier service, but also through access to more affordable medications.”

______________________________________________________________________

About Fertility SOURCE Companies
Established in 2003, Fertility SOURCE Companies (FSC) has served thousands of satisfied Intended Parents through egg donation and surrogacy. FSC is registered with the FDA and compliant with all regulations and standards set forth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). FSC takes seriously its commitment to fertility practices to provide a high level of coordinative services for egg donors and surrogates who are working with Intended Parents. Our mission is to provide individuals who are unable to conceive with the assistance they need to become parents, by “Creating Pathways To Parenthood.” For more information, visit http://www.FertilitySOURCECompanies.com.

About Avella Specialty Pharmacy
Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Avella Specialty Pharmacy is a National Accredited Specialty Pharmacy, providing individualized care and support to patients since 1996. Avella's clinical pharmacists and staff members are experts in managing complex disease states and providing compassionate care. The company offers a nationwide distribution service to complement its retail locations. Avella reached 1,772nd on Inc. Magazine's 2014 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. In addition, the Arizona Corporate Excellence Awards has named Avella Specialty Pharmacy as the fastest-growing private company based in the state. For more information, please visit http://www.avella.com. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.

Hospital worker broke law by reading husband’s records Concerned in Massachusetts (Feb. 20) used her status as a hospital employee to access her husband’s medical records and found a history of STDs. Every health care organization I know of teaches all their employees about violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and that accessing private patient medical information is a criminal offense. At my institution, she would be terminated for violating organizational policy and federal law. Like Concerned’s husband, I, too, am labeled as high risk for STDs based on a medical survey I completed, although I have had a monogamous 30-year marriage and do not do drugs of any kind. Concerned” indicated that her husband had been treated twice for STDs “some years back. Perhaps there is something deeper in the relationship that needs addressing — such as why there are weeks between sexual contact with her husband. [...] I did find someone who appreciates holding hands and whispering sweet words without more physical contact. Abby, you said: Not only do I think you can (find companionship), I suspect you may need police protection to control the crowd of applicants. Years ago, my aunt, the late Ann Landers, polled her female readers asking if they would prefer ‘holding and cuddling’ to actually doing ‘the deed.’ (The Bible says, “Love thy neighbor,” so I married her!) We also enjoy cuddling, even without doing “the deed.” Reported by SFGate 1 day ago.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting rules that apply to health insurance carriers and to employers that sponsor group health plans are complicated and demanding. Reported by Mondaq 1 day ago.

Growing Demand for IoT Solutions Drives Customer Acquisition and Retention, Expansion in Global Markets and Staff Additions

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) July 21, 2015

CloudOne (http://www.oncloudone.com), a leader in delivering enterprise applications to the cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) services and solutions platform, today announced annual projections for 2015 monthly recurring revenue (MRR) were met and exceeded during the second fiscal quarter of 2015. Significant customer acquisition, international expansion, job creation and growing demand for IoT solutions have all been contributing factors to sustained growth.

As of June 30, 2015, the company cited it is on track for 100 percent growth in revenue year over year for the fifth year in a row. Additionally, key drivers to performance can be attributed to the following:

•Customer retention and growing enterprise client list. Over the past 12 months, CloudOne has signed agreements with a global automotive supplier, a leading health insurance provider, a major financial institution in the U.K., a Fortune 50 healthcare manufacturer and a multinational automobile manufacturer, among other Fortune 500 companies.
•International expansion. Headquartered in Indianapolis, CloudOne now has a presence in McKinney, Texas; Chicago; the U.K.; France and Germany.
•Increased staff. CloudOne grew their employment base by more than 50 percent from 2014. The team is projected to double again in 2016.

“We attribute our growth to our ability to cleverly enable customers to exploit cloud economics and global sharing without abandoning everything they’ve built,” said John Annakin, executive vice president of sales at CloudOne. “The broad potential of IoT for enterprise users has allowed us to unlock and drive innovative solutions for customers and in turn has created a significant growth opportunity for CloudOne.”

The news of CloudOne’s growth comes shortly after it was announced the company was named No. 4 on the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Fast 25, an annual ranking of the fastest-growing companies in the Indianapolis area. To see the full list, please visit http://www.ibj.com/fast25-2015.

About CloudOne
CloudOne helps the world’s best companies make their things for the Internet of Things. The company brings enterprise applications to the cloud, enabling global collaborative development, production and analysis of software and products in real time on individual, secure, private hybrid cloud environments. Trusted by leading brands, CloudOne’s scalable technology is supported by a team of experts and partners who share a passion for making it easier, faster and more economical to make things for the Internet of Things. For more information, visit http://www.oncloudone.com. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.

The North American Pet Health Insurance Association presents first time award

Boise, ID (PRWEB) July 21, 2015

Dr. Jack Stephens, founder of pet insurance in North America, has received a first-of-its-kind Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA).

Dr. Stephens was honored by NAPHIA not only for his role in founding pet insurance for Americans, but for his work galvanizing support from competitors to grow the industry as a whole. This is the first Lifetime Achievement Award ever given by the organization.

“The industry in North America has not just grown and evolved because of Jack’s contributions, it literally exists because of them,” said NAPHIA Executive Director Kristen Lynch. “The association’s executive came up with the award as a way to recognize him formally and thank him for his unparalleled contributions.”

After working as a veterinarian, Dr. Stephens started the pet insurance industry in the U.S. in 1981 as a way to end economic euthanasia – the practice of having to choose to end a pet’s life because the owners were unable to afford necessary veterinary care. He presented the first policy to canine television phenom Lassie. He went on to found Pets Best Insurance LLC in 2005 and act as a founding member of NAPHIA.

More than two decades after establishing the industry, Dr. Stephens said it became clear that competitor back-biting was hurting everyone in an industry that had a clear social mission. He and three other companies formed NAPHIA, which now boasts a 100 percent participation rate among pet insurance companies on the continent.

“The proudest moment of my veterinary and pet insurance career is experiencing the camaraderie and cooperative efforts of the entire industry to further our goal of providing pet owners with the financial means to always be able to treat their ill or injured pets without concern for the cost,” Dr. Stephens said.

Dennis Rushovich, President of NAPHIA, said it was an honor to present the award to Dr. Stephens at NAPHIA’s annual summit in May.

“Jack dedicated over thirty years of his life to this industry, exhibiting tenacity, creativity and diligence,” Rushovich said.
Using his model and, in many instances, from the benefit of his insight, the pet insurance industry has grown from a novel idea to more than 1.4 million pets insured in North America at year-end 2014. This represents an annual growth rate of 12.6% in the last two years.*

NAPHIA has grown to include the providers of more than 99 percent of pet insurance policies in the United States and Canada. The collaboration has been positive for all members, Lynch said.

“His foresight in driving the creation of NAPHIA has helped the industry to become formally recognized by the media, by professional organizations and the like. More importantly, his leadership in forming NAPHIA helped create and entrench a spirit of collegiality among our members that has positioned us to tackle challenges and opportunities that face us - today and in the future,” she said.

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be reserved for singular achievement in the industry.

“There really is no one else at present who would be eligible to receive such an award, so we don’t see NAPHIA handing these out regularly,” Lynch said.

*According to the NAPHIA 2015 state of the industry report.

About NAPHIA
The North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) is comprised of reputable pet health insurance (PHI) organizations from across Canada and the United States. NAPHIA’s membership makes up over 99 percent of all pet health insurance coverage in effect in North America.

As a coalition, NAPHIA works to advance and grow the PHI industry through proactive research, data sharing, benchmarking initiatives, advocacy efforts, strategic partnerships, resource sharing and the dissemination of information to collaboratively address challenges and opportunities.

Each year, the industry marks its performance and growth with the release of its State of the Industry Report at the annual NAPHIA Summit.

About Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC
Dr. Jack L. Stephens, founder and director of Pets Best, founded pet insurance in the U.S. in 1981 with a mission to end euthanasia when pet owners couldn’t afford veterinary treatment. Dr. Stephens went on to present the first U.S. pet insurance policy to famous television dog Lassie. Pets Best provides coverage for dogs and cats. Dr. Stephens leads the Pets Best team with his passion for quality pet care and his expert veterinary knowledge. He is always available to answer questions regarding veterinary medicine, pet health and pet insurance. The Pets Best team is a group of pet lovers who strive to deliver quality customer service and value. Visit http://www.petsbest.com for more information.

Pet insurance coverage offered and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company, a Delaware insurance company. Independence American Insurance Company is a member of The IHC Group, an organization of insurance carriers and marketing and administrative affiliates that has been providing life, health, disability, medical stop-loss and specialty insurance solutions to groups and individuals for over 30 years. For information on The IHC Group, visit: http://www.ihcgroup.com. Additional insurance services administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC are underwritten by Prime Insurance Company. Some existing business is underwritten by Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut. Each insurer has sole financial responsibility for its own products.

Pets Best is a founding member of the North America Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA).

### Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.

The Affordable Care Act has made it possible for smaller businesses to offer health insurance but nothing about it is simple. Reported by FOXNews.com 1 day ago.