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Answering Trump Supporters

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Wayne Grudem, a Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona, writes at the conservative website Townhall.com about why he supports Donald Trump. His article, "Why Voting for Donald Trump Is a Morally Good Choice," acknowledges several of Trump's character and behavioral flaws and then says it doesn't matter if the alternative is worse. He goes into a long list of issues on which he claims that Trump is better than Hillary Clinton.I could not disagree more with Professor Grudem, so here I will respond to several of them. Given the enormous gulf between the candidates with regard to experience and qualifications, this election should not be close. The fact that the race is close should be a stark reminder not to treat the frightening prospect of a Trump presidency as something to dismiss lightly. Perhaps you may find some of my arguments useful in making the case to friends and family members who are sticking with Trump despite his almost daily barrage of appalling statements. Here goes, for what it's worth.*Abortion.* I am sick of the religious bullying on this issue. The utter contempt for people making different choices in this area is very disturbing. I am personally troubled by abortion, and think that the ideal situation is for unwanted pregnancies to be prevented through contraception. But the question of whether to continue or end a pregnancy is not my decision. It is up to the woman. You can say a thousand times that this makes me pro-abortion, but that is not true. Respecting people's right to make a different choice than mine does not mean I agree with that choice. The point is that IT IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS.As for contraception, the Catholic Church, in which I was raised, is stoutly opposed to it. A leading anti-choicer, former senator Rick Santorum, has made it clear that he does not just want to overturn Roe v. Wade, but also Griswold v. Connecticut, which legalized contraception for married couples, and Eisenstadt v. Baird, which did the same for single women. I find it stunning that people in this day and age are willing, much less determined, to mind their neighbors' business in such an intrusive way. The constitutional separation of church and state protects everyone by prohibiting us from imposing our religious dictates on one another.*Religious freedom.* We live in a religiously diverse society. This key point is routinely ignored by the religious bullies, who see it as their divine mandate to force their views on everyone else using the power of the state. When they talk about "religious freedom," they mean there should be no church-state separation, and that they must be able to discriminate in commerce against people of whom they disapprove. I am a gay rights activist, and I routinely say that any minister of any congregation must have the right to do three things: bar me from their sanctuary, deny me their sacraments, and denounce me from their pulpit. This would cease to be America in a fundamental way otherwise. But they are not entitled to use my taxes to do it.People running for-profit business should not be able to cite their personal beliefs to justify discriminating against customers. What if everyone started doing that? How would our (again, highly diverse) society cohere? Some people even think that a pharmacist should have the right to refuse to fill a prescription (say, for contraceptives) by citing his moral opposition. How in the world is this reasonable? How is it a pharmacist's job to put his moral judgment in place of a customer's and her doctor's decision? This intrusiveness is revolting and obnoxious.*Military.* The notion that America's military is in decline is gaspingly absurd. The United States spends more on defense than the next ten countries combined, according to data published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. We have the strongest military force in the world. But Republicans insist on acting as if we are a helpless weakling the moment anyone opposes their latest orgy of unnecessary spending, even when the Pentagon brass say a particular weapons system is not needed.*Alleged bullying by Russia.* Overreach is not just a sin of the West. President Obama said last year, "A military solution alone, an attempt by Russia and Iran to prop up Assad and try to pacify the population, is just going to get them stuck in a quagmire, and it won't work and they will be there for a while if they don't take a different course." Obama also notes how much stronger our economy is than Russia's, and how much stronger our dollar is. We have an awful lot of military resources in the Mideast, from Turkey to the Persian Gulf. But reckless interventionism by the Bush administration only destabilized the region further and helped the rise of ISIL. Hillary Clinton is known to be relatively hawkish; but she also has shown a respect for the tools of diplomacy.We must use all the tools at our disposal to advance our interests in the world -- economic and diplomatic as well as military. Meanwhile, Trump has caused an uproar among our allies by calling our NATO defense alliance into question. He talks as if it is a protection racket. He also openly admires Putin, while depending on Russian oligarchs for business capital. Do not talk to me about Russian bullying when the Republican nominee appears to be in the tank for Russia.*Iran and Israel.* America gives a great deal of military aid and intelligence coordination to Israel. Hillary Clinton gave a saber-rattling speech to AIPAC making it clear that her commitment to that alliance is strong. The fact that Netanyahu made a disgraceful effort to interfere with America's decision on the nuclear accord does not erase the clear evidence of Obama's support for Israel. Netanyahu is utterly reckless. Our long term policy, through Democratic and Republican administrations for decades, has been support for a two-state solution. Netanyahu is openly contemptuous of this, continuing his slow de facto annexation of the occupied territory despite demographic trends that will ultimately force Israel to choose between being a democracy and being a Jewish state.The Iran nuclear accord is a multilateral accord that has extensive verification provisions. Nonetheless, we have non-nuclear-related sanctions against Iran that remain in place. The insistence by Republicans that we are abandoning Israel and handing nuclear weapons to Iran is outrageously, absurdly, insultingly false.*Securing our borders.* Obama has increased border patrols and increased deportations. The charge that he has left us unprotected is just not true. Nor is it true that refugees are not screened, as Trump claims. There is a rigorous screening process in place. You do not convey strength when your position is based on ignorance and falsehoods.*Bathrooms.* There is no more evidence of assaults by transgender persons in bathrooms than there is of voter fraud, which is used by Republicans to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters. If you want to protect your children, keep them away from right-wing politicians and priests. Trump has been accused of raping an underage girl, incidentally. I do not assume his guilt. Charges need to be proven. As it is, trans people are slandered as child-molesters with zero evidence. They just want to use the bathroom appropriate to their gender identity. There is nothing responsible, safe, or Christian about stirring up gender panic. It only endangers trans people. Trying to erase them legally does not change reality, which again is that we are a diverse society and we are best served by respecting and tolerating one another.*Healthcare.* It is not true that our healthcare has been harmed by the Affordable Care Act, which was originally proposed by the conservative Heritage Foundation and was first enacted in Massachusetts under Gov. Romney. Liberals wanted Single Payer and a public option. We accepted ACA because that was the best we could get, given Republican resistance which was based not on the merits but a determination to obstruct every single thing Obama tried to do. Still, millions more have health insurance. If you want to improve it, fine. Work with Democrats to make it better, instead of posturing by passing repeal legislation in the House sixty times.That's more than enough for one sitting. Overall point to conservatives: stop the demonizing and caricatures, and focus on cleaning your own house. Trump repeatedly shows himself to be grossly uninformed, selfish, cruel, and reckless. The evidence for this is overwhelming and comes out of his own mouth, in contrast to the endless politically motivated investigations of Hillary Clinton, which have turned up nothing, though gullible people assume that she must be awfully crooked with so many investigations against her. Conservatives themselves are increasingly balking at Trump, as seen with Bill Kristol and George F. Will. All recent Republican presidential nominees stayed away from Trump's convention, as did the governor of the host state, because they were so disgusted. If you loved your country more than you hated Hillary, you would vote for her over Trump.

Copyright © 2016 by Richard J. Rosendall. All rights reserved.-- 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 6 hours ago.

This Is Clearly The Best Perk Of All Time

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At his last job, Ian Nate worked for a company that offered unlimited vacation time. That didn’t mean he actually took a lot of vacation.

Now Nate works for a small HR company that offers three weeks vacation time to new employees, but with a twist: BambooHR, an eight-year-old startup, gives full-time employees $2,000 a year to take a real vacation. The Linden, Utah-based company covers your expenses ― airfare, hotel, etc. The idea is to truly compel people to take real time away from work.  

For the past two years, Nate has taken his wife and four kids, ages 2 - 10, to Disneyland. “My family knows we’re guaranteed at least a week’s vacation every year and it’s going to be awesome,” Nate told The Huffington Post, explaining that it would be tough to compel him to ever leave his job as a business operations specialist. “They’ve got their hooks in me.”Bamboo is one of a few companies offering what I’ve informally decided is the best job perk ever: Paid, paid vacation. Of course, there are other benefits that are more necessary like paid sick time, ordinary paid vacation days, health insurance, paid parental leave etc. And yes, the most important way an employer can compensate you is with a good salary. But really, is there a better way to truly communicate to your employers that you want them to be fully realized human beings? Free snacks and lunch ― standard perks in Silicon Valley at this point ― say, “stay at the office forever.” Paid, paid vacation says, “we want you to have a life.”

Go tell your boss about this right now.

Airbnb, Evernote, Afar Media, G Adventures and Think Parallax also offer pay for employees vacations, according to a Bloomberg Business report written by Rebecca Greenfield last year. At Basecamp, a software company, employees can choose from a curated list of expense-paid vacations ― and the company arranges your travel.

The rationale behind the perk is to attract and retain workers and to truly encourage them to take a break. “We want you to get away,” Basecamp CEO Jason Fried told HuffPost earlier this year.

BambooHR also wants to emphasize its commitment to work-life balance. There’s also an “anti-workaholic” policy that limits employees to no more than 40 hours a week. The belief is that happier employees who get breaks are actually better workers.

“Studies show that longer vacations help you recharge better. We feel the impact when employees get back,” Bamboo cofounder Ryan Sanders told HuffPost.

The appeal here is pretty obvious. Americans, even the lucky ones who get paid time off, don’t take enough vacation.  

Even if you do take time off, you might just wind up at home or perhaps visiting family. Once you’ve got kids, a mortgage and a million bills, forgoing a “real” vacation is unfortunately all too easy. Why shell out hundreds of dollars to take everyone to a far off beach or thousands for a Disney trip, when you’ve got to replace your oil heater or fund another school trip or pay an unexpected hospital bill? 

Even if you do go away, you might not truly get away. Nate said that before he got to Bamboo, he’d spend a lot of time on his phone with work during vacations.

Since implementing the policy two years ago, Sanders said he’s noticed workers take longer vacations. And just about everyone takes advantage of the policy. Bamboo’s not just footing the bill for family vacations. Sanders said one developer who never took a honeymoon with his wife, was able to finally do it and took off for Kauai. One guy has taken his sibling to New York City. Another employee went on a service trip to Africa.

Other firms who offer paid, paid vacation might have more specific motives. Afar, wants employees to write about their trips for the magazine, according to Bloomberg. The company offers a $2,000 stipend. 

Bamboo does ask that employees share at least one photo with colleagues via internal social media network Yammer. Sanders said he’s heard no complaints about Bamboo’s program; and that no one has ever asked for cash instead of going away.

This is about “spending time with loved ones in places they’d never go.”

Sounds good to me.

-- 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 5 hours ago.

CareSource hires Kettering Health executive to help with roll-out of new program

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CareSource has named a new vice president to help it implement a case management program. The company announced it has hired Jason Coons as its new vice president for its corporate care management division, Care4U. He will help the company lead the roll-out of that project, a case management program the company has been developing for some time to complement its Medicaid managed care business as well as its health insurance product, CareSource Just4Me. “Jason’s strong background in implementing… Reported by bizjournals 3 hours ago.

Broad partnership brings together Aetna, Duke and WakeMed

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In a broad partnership, those who buy health insurance from Aetna (NYSE: AET) can access a new health care network that combines Duke Health and WakeMed Health and Hospitals. At a high level, the health providers formed an accountable care model with the insurer. These kinds of partnerships are proliferating and health care experts say they have the potential to cut down on costs because providers and payers share in the financial responsibility of keeping patients healthy – not just treating… Reported by bizjournals 3 hours ago.

Colorado health insurance study: Single geographic area could lead to higher premiums

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Making Colorado a single geographic area for purposes of setting health insurance premiums wouldn't solve the problem of much higher mountain rates, according to a study mandated by the legislature and released Monday by the Division of Insurance. Reported by Denver Post 2 hours ago.

Illinois' Obamacare plans seek big 2017 premium hikes

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Insurers want to crank up the cost of health insurance premiums by as much as 45 percent for Illinois residents who buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act's marketplace.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the most popular insurer on the state's Obamacare exchange, is proposing increases... Reported by ChicagoTribune 23 hours ago.

Health Insurers in Illinois’ Affordable Care Act Marketplace Propose Big Premium Increases for 2017

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Affordable-Care-Act.jpg

Residents of Illinois, who buy health coverage through the Affordable Care Act's marketplace, could have to pay much higher health insurance premiums as has been proposed by insurers. Made public on Monday, the health premiums could increase as much as forty five percent.

read more Reported by TopNews 16 hours ago.

United Benefit Advisors Welcomes Paradigm Group as Newest Partner Firm

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Middle Tennessee’s Largest Independently Owned Benefits Broker Joins Global Network of Independent Employee Advisory Firms

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) August 02, 2016

United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, is pleased to welcome Paradigm Group as its newest Partner Firm. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1996, Paradigm Group is an award-winning agency and Middle Tennessee’s largest independently owned employee benefits consultant and health insurance broker. Their mission is to help their clients stay competitive, compliant, and in command of their employee benefits and human resource programs.

“We are delighted to announce our new partnership with UBA,” says Paradigm Group President & CEO, Bob Levy. “This strategic relationship will bolster Paradigm Group’s mission to keep our clients competitive, compliant and in command of their benefits programs by providing access to expert resources within UBA. We look forward to working with fellow UBA Partners across the country to share learnings and ideas as we work to provide value and support to our clients.”

Recipients of the 2015 and 2016 Nashville Business Journal Best Places to Work and The Tennessean Top Work Places awards, Paradigm Group’s competitive advantage is their people – their high-level expertise and experience combined with a shared commitment to excellence and advocacy for their clients. Their emphasis on teamwork means that a hand-selected team of benefits and human resource subject matter experts supports each client. Their core values of excellence, advocacy, teamwork, collegiality, work/life balance, and relationships based on mutual trust and respect are the lifeblood of Paradigm Group’s culture and business approach.

“Everything from their longevity in the community they serve, their size as being the largest independently-owned insurance broker in Middle Tennessee, and the multiple awards they’ve won for being one of the best places to work makes Paradigm Group a sensational fit with the UBA family of Partner Firms,” says UBA CEO Les McPhearson. “It’s evident that the emphasis they place on quality, excellence, and a total commitment to their clients is what separates them from their competition and enhances their growth.”

As the newest Partner Firm of UBA, Paradigm Group joins a network of employee benefits advisory firms that serve employers of all sizes across the United States, Canada, and Europe. As a combined group, UBA’s annual employee benefit revenues rank it among the top five employee benefit advisory organizations in the U.S.

ABOUT Paradigm Group
Paradigm Group is Middle Tennessee’s leading health insurance broker/consultant – delivering custom benefits solutions to prominent employers in Nashville’s business community. Paradigm Group provides unbiased vendor guidance tailored to your business needs. Averaging more than 15 years of experience, our dedicated team of consultants are ready to help you determine the best benefits offerings while meeting the highest standards of compliance and employee satisfaction. Our business approach is guided by our core values that cultivate excellence, teamwork, and mutual trust with our valued clients, carriers, and vendors. This approach has resulted in more than 20 years of successful advocacy on our clients’ behalf. For more information, visit http://www.paradigmgroup.net.

ABOUT United Benefit Advisors®
United Benefit Advisors® (UBA) is the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. UBA empowers more than 2,000 Partners to both maintain their individuality and pool their expertise, insight, and market presence to provide best-in-class services and solutions. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit http://www.UBAbenefits.com.

# # # Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.

Pharma Industry Experts to Detail Effective Strategies for Managing Specialty Drugs in AIS Webinar

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In an upcoming Aug. 11 webinar sponsored by Atlantic Information Services, two pharmacy industry experts will offer details of strategies health plans and employers are using to effectively identify and manage specialty therapeutics under the pharmacy and medical benefits, and the results they are achieving.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) August 02, 2016

Atlantic Information Services, Inc. (AIS) is pleased to announce “Effective Specialty Drug Strategies for the Pharmacy and Medical Benefits,” an upcoming Aug. 11 webinar. Participants will learn what’s working, what’s not and what new strategies are on the drawing board from two pharmacy industry experts: Debbie Stern, R.Ph., senior vice president of medical oncology and specialty drugs at eviCore healthcare, and Beckie Fenrick, Pharm.D., M.B.A., a consultant with the Cambridge Advisory Group and leader of their pharmacy practice.

In a 90-minute program, including a 30-minute question and answer session, Stern and Fenrick will address questions such as:· How is the robust specialty drug pipeline impacting the overall pharmacy benefit spend and trend for plan sponsors? How is it impacting the overall medical benefit spend and trend? Where are these trends heading for the future?
· What have been the most effective specialty drug benefit design approaches? What level of success should be anticipated from specialty tiers, deductibles, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximums, and per-claim minimums and maximums?
· What are the most effective strategies today for managing specialty drugs under the pharmacy benefit? The medical benefit?
· How are payers utilizing new value tools to determine the cost-effectiveness of high-cost therapies?
· As biosimilars hit the U.S. market, what can be expected with formularies, utilization management and benefit design?
· What are the most difficult challenges related to data in the medical benefit?
· How has the shift from physician office administration of specialty drugs to hospital outpatient departments impacted the cost and management of these drugs?
· What strategies will be most successful for payers to direct members to the most efficient site of care?

Visit https://aishealth.com/marketplace/c6p18_081116 for more details and registration information.

About AIS
Atlantic Information Services, Inc. (AIS) is a publishing and information company that has been serving the health care industry for nearly 30 years. It develops highly targeted news, data and strategic information for managers in hospitals and health systems, health insurance companies, medical group practices, purchasers of health insurance, pharmaceutical companies and other health care organizations. AIS products include print and electronic newsletters, databases, websites, looseleafs, strategic reports, directories, webinars, virtual conferences and training programs. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.

Health For California Outreach Saves Covered California Enrollees From Cancellations

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Insurance Agency Partners with Covered California to Secure Proof of Citizenship / Immigration Status to Prevent Plan Terminations

Santa Rosa, CA (PRWEB) August 02, 2016

Recently, Health for California Insurance Center, a leading insurance agency for Covered California, finished a three-month long outreach to their clients who were required by the Exchange to supply supporting documentation in order to avoid having their health plan cancelled.

According to Covered California guidelines, when an individual enrolls through Covered California, and especially if they qualify for a subsidy, the Exchange is mandated to verify their identity, immigration status, and incarceration status, when applicable. If the information is not confirmable, Covered California will require proof of citizenship or immigration status, and proof of non-incarceration status. If proof is not received, Covered California is forced to terminate the health plan.

Insurance Agent, Esmer Mercado, advised, “Covered California also was doing an outreach. The Health Exchange and our agency take it seriously when clients become at-risk of losing their insurance.” She added, “We weeded through thousands of applications to identify affected clients. Most of the approximately 1,300 consumers that we communicated with were receptive and glad we called. Some claimed that they never received a request by mail from Covered California for proof of lawful presence. Others claimed that they did send proof, but it wasn’t received by the Exchange.”

About Health for California Insurance Center
Since 2004, Health for California Insurance Center has ranked as one of the top online individual and group health insurance agencies. The company consists of certified Covered California insurance agents who provide personalized insurance services to individuals and businesses needing assistance with enrollment through the Health Marketplace, as well as directly with the top insurance carriers.

### Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.

Morning Roundup: Teachers say they have had it; New building coming to downtown Wichita

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Teachers union says their members have ‘had it’ Wichita School District teacher contract talks began Monday. Union leaders sent a message that teachers can’t take another pay freeze if health insurance costs and their workloads increase, according to a Wichita Eagle report. USD 259 lead negotiator Tom Powell says the district understands teachers are facing challenges but there’s not much they can do because of state budget issues and projected education budget cuts. Tax collections miss… Reported by bizjournals 12 hours ago.

Major Consumer Harm Hidden in Proposed Federal Rule on Short-Term Health Insurance

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Vulnerable Populations Included Among Affected Groups Reported by Marketwired 10 hours ago.

America's 3rd largest health insurer is losing $300 million a year on Obamacare (AET, UNH)

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America's 3rd largest health insurer is losing $300 million a year on Obamacare (AET, UNH) Aetna, the third-largest health insurer in the US, said Tuesday that it is reconsidering its offerings on the state exchanges that make up the back-bone of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).Here's a quick rundown of the announcement:

· Aetna will not expand its Obamacare offerings into the New Jersey and Indiana state exchanges in 2017, as they originally planned.
· Aetna's CEO also said the company is "undertaking a complete evaluation" of the Obamacare business.
· On its conference call, the company said it expects an annual loss on its ACA business "in excess of $300 million."
· The move comes after the US' largest health insurer, United Healthcare, said in April it was abandoning the exchanges almost completely.

In a conference call following the company's earnings announcement, CEO Mark Bertolini said that the firm has halted its plans to expand into two new states' exchanges in 2017 and is looking into the reasons for losses in the exchanges it is currently participating in.

Here's Bertolini (emphasis ours):

"In light of the disappointing year to date performance and updated 2016 projections for our individual on and off exchange products, combined with the significant structural challenges facing the public exchanges, we believe it is only prudent to reassess our level of participation on the public exchanges. *Our initial action will be to withdraw our 2017 public exchange expansion plans.* Additionally, given the deadline to attest to our final rate filings for 2017, *we are also undertaking a complete evaluation of our current exchange footprint as the poor performance of these products warrants such an analysis."*

Originally Aetna was planning to expand to New Jersey and Indiana in 2017. It currently operates in 15 states across the US.

The decision by Aetna comes less than 4 months after the nation's largest insurer, United Healthcare, decided to roll back almost all of its Obamacare offerings after sustaining losses and after the Department of Justice denied Aetna's proposed merger with fellow-insurer Humana.

The move could also be worrying for consumers, since the number of insurers offering plans in a state is tightly correlated to the price of insurance.

*SEE ALSO: The government is suing to stop two colossal health insurance mergers*

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We asked a Navy SEAL what he ate during training, and his answer shocked us Reported by Business Insider 9 hours ago.

Irish Life to enter Irish health insurance market

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Acquisition of Aviva Health and GloHealth will give new brand 21% share of the market Reported by Irish Times 7 hours ago.

Tips For Working Moms To Feel Like They Are Winning At Life

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Long story short? I had a baby. I spent six blissful months at home with her. I returned to work. I hated it and cried myself to sleep every single night. I became a stay-at-home mom again. I built my own business from my home office. Which propelled me back into full-time working mom mode more quickly than you can say "there are not enough hours in the day."

Only now, things are a bit different. I am not working for another company or large corporation. I am working for myself. I launched my own business. It's doing pretty well, if I do say so myself. But all of the pressure is on my shoulders. No one is handing me a biweekly paycheck. No one has offered to foot the bill for my health insurance like back in the day. If I don't hustle, I don't make money -- end of story.

But if I don't also commit a pretty solid amount of time in my day to my daughter, none of the money is even worth it. So what's a girl do to? Drive herself nuts? Kind of -- but a good kind of nuts. An empowered sort of crazy. The kind that comes with finally getting a grip on life, finding a way to stay organized, and tackle all of your daily challenges with a smile on your face (even if it's a fake one). Because it's all part of the process - and you can't really figure it out until you've been faced with the hell that is a cancelled babysitter twenty minutes before one the biggest meetings of your career.

That's right, I have somehow found how to combine being a #bossbabe with being a #bossmom, which in its own right, is a marriage of sorts. And lord if it isn't as difficult as the other kind of marriage (you know I'm right). Because in all honesty, the real secret to the finding your success in working mom life is the same one that comes from marriage...
Say it with me now ... COMPROMISE.For example -- I often compromise my nightly television time to fit in the work I put aside when my daughter gets home from her half-day at camp. That way, all of my attention can be focused on her until she goes to sleep, and then I can delve guiltlessly back into my work.

It's hard. Sometimes my body is just screaming out for some horizontal Housewives of New Jersey television time. But sometimes, it's a matter of taking a step back and figuring out what will make you feel the most accomplished tomorrow. What will take a little bit of the load off of your overfilled plate. What will help you lay your head on your pillow at night feeling as if you did the best you could -- for your child AND your business.

Aside from compromise on all levels, here are my tips for working moms to feel like they are winning at life.

5. *Ask for help.*
The second any mother realizes that they would be just a little bit better off with an extra set of hands, is the day your life will change. I'm not saying go out and hire a full-time nanny - though sometimes I wish I could. But know who you can count on and call upon in those moments of despair, when your sitter cancels on you last minute and your make-or-break business meeting is just minutes away. If you are in a marriage or relationship with another adult under your roof, be open to asking for certain blocks of time where you can use two hands on your laptop, without a child trying to bang away on your keyboard (I speak from experience).

4. *Get Organized*
Whether it's a regular old paper-and-pen to-do list or a whiteboard tacked up on your fridge, make a commitment to getting organized. Spend some time at the end of the weekend allotting just enough work time to hit your deadlines or goals, and plan out the kid's schedule as well. If your job regularly involves time with clients, or scheduled conference calls, make sure to set blocks of time aside (with room for error) to take care of these needs instead of scattering appointments throughout your day. The day I began limiting my meetings to two days per week and allotting the rest of my time for actual work, my life changed, my afternoons magically lightened up for my child, and I felt more accomplished over all.

3. *Have a sense of humor!*
...and be realistic. There are days that will you feel as if you are walking on water. Days where your accomplishments will come coupled with a hair flip and a finger snap. And days where you'll feel like a failure. And want to cry. And throw in the towel. And just say screw it and crawl into your child's IKEA tent with a bowl of goldfish and sing the ABC's over and over again (like I said, I speak from experience). But if you can't have a sense of humor about the very-skilled dance you have begun to do, then it will be a much rougher road for you. Learn to laugh at yourself. Learn to grow from your mistakes. Don't take yourself too seriously. And don't be afraid to ensure yourself that tomorrow will be a better day.

2. *Just say no.*
The first thing any working mother realizes once they enter their new world of too many responsibilities, is that if you think you can tackle every single thing, you will quickly burn out. Don't be afraid to say no to plans that make you feel overwhelmed or will infringe on the great work flow you've got going at that moment. Don't be hesitant to blow off a playdate to spend some quality one-on-one time with your children. Don't be afraid to say no - to anyone, at anytime. Know your limits, and set your boundaries.

1.* Make time for YOU.*
Just like they tell us on the airplane, in case of emergency, put the air mask on yourself before attempting to help anyone else. As mother's we all know that the bulk of the daily responsibilities and burdens that come with taking care of a home and children tend to fall more or our shoulders than anyone else's. Throw a job into the mix and it can sometimes feel like it's hard to breathe. But you have to breathe -- because if you run out of steam, how can you give to anyone else?

When you organize your calendar for the week, make sure you set aside a chunk of time every week that is dedicated solely to yourself. Read a new book. Call an old friend. Heck, get a freakin' manicure. *You've earned it mama*.

"Definitely schedule that 'me' time in," suggests Emily Kapit, a 3X Certified Master Resume Writer, the head of ReFresh Your Step, a career advisory firm, as well as mom to a toddler. "It's so easy to allow yourself to get lost in the haze of running a company and handling kids. You, your business, and your children will thrive when you give yourself a much-needed timeout."

*
Because you're a working mom, and you're already winning at life.
*

For more working mom goodness or to connect with Michelle, visit her site or follow her on the 'gram!

-- 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 7 hours ago.

Aetna Posts $300 Million Obamacare Loss, Warns May Exit Altogether

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Aetna Posts $300 Million Obamacare Loss, Warns May Exit Altogether After every other major US health insurance provider already admitted to generating substantial losses on the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamcare, earlier today Aetna became the latest to report that its annual loss on Obamacare plans would be more than $300 million, and said it had scrapped plans to further expand its Obamacare business next year. More ominously, Aetna joined the biggest US health insurer UnitedHealth in reviewing how, if at all, it would continue providing ACA services in the 15 states it's currently in.

The move, coming after a similar shift in tone last week by Anthem, is the latest sign of instability and financial pressures in the marketplaces that are at the heart of the health law. It also confirms that in its current iteration, Obamacare simply does not work and will require a major overhaul by the next administration, one which could lead to even higher premiums for plan participants as well as for subsidy providers, i.e., taxpayers.

Aetna, which had previously expressed relative optimism about the ACA exchanges, said it was setting up a reserve of $65 million to account for expected losses on individual plans over the rest of 2016.  The company also said it no longer expects to reach breakeven in 2016 on individual plans.

“While we are pleased with our overall results, in light of updated 2016 projections for our individual products and the significant structural challenges facing the public exchanges, we intend to withdraw all of our 2017 public exchange expansion plans, and are undertaking a complete evaluation of future participation in our current 15-state footprint,” said Aetna Chief Executive Mark T. Bertolini. Aetna had previously made regulatory filings indicating it was considering growing into five new state marketplaces in 2017.

“*Nobody is getting adequately reimbursed*,” unless we start including specialty pharma which current risk adjustment mechanism doesn’t, Bertolini added during the Q2 call, explaining that the risk-adjustment mechanism “a zero sum game."

Aetna's shift represents a significant revision to its previous position on Obamacare. In April, the insurer said that after a loss last year, it was aiming to roughly break even on its exchange business this year and move toward profitability in 2017. Then, Mr. Bertolini called its position in the ACA marketplaces a “good investment.” The five new states in which Aetna was considering expanding were Maine, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Kansas and Indiana.  Not so much anymore: according to Bertolini, "*we are evaluating our footprint as it exists today to understand what solutions we can put forward to either fix the business or exit the business.*”

Surprisingly, despite the poor exchange results, Aetna still posted better-than-expected profit and revenue growth in the second quarter and reaffirmed its 2016 operating earnings guidance.

As the WSJ adds, Aetna’s darkening perspective on the ACA business echoes comments by Anthem, which last week went from projecting a slight profit this year to expecting a mid-single-digit loss on ACA plans. Anthem roughly broke even on individual plans in 2015 and had a positive margin in 2014. Anthem said it expected improvement on its results next year, but also that it would re-examine its full-on commitment to the exchanges. UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Humana have in recent weeks deepened their projected 2016 exchange losses and confirmed they will largely withdraw from the business next year.

In what is likely a shocking revelation for the administration, a big part of the problem, according to S&P analysts, has come from insurers finding that *enrollees were running up medical costs greater than they expected when the companies set their premiums*. Who would have thought that when presented with a quasi-blank check, the recently uninsured would milk it for all it is worth?

So what happens next?

WSJ predicts that the pullbacks by UnitedHealth and Humana, in addition to Aetna’s possible move, *will likely sharply increase the regions with limited or no competition among insurers on the exchanges. *That will put a heavy weight on Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers, which in some states, including Alaska, as well as several largely-rural areas of others, are now expected to offer the only ACA marketplace plans. “What you end up with is the not-for-profit Blues and other regional plans becoming the insurer of last resort in parts of the country,” said Sam Glick, a partner with consulting firm Oliver Wyman, a unit of Marsh & McLennan Cos. *The situation is “a real concern,” he said, particularly since a number of the Blue insurers are themselves losing money on the exchange business*.

In other words, all the negatives of a single-payor system with none of the positives.

What about those states where the ACA services will remain? Why more of the same, which means another year of double-digit increases in premiums.

The punchline? As we reported back in May, most Americans will see the surge in their health insurance premiums on the unfortunate, for Democrats, date: November 1, or just one week before the presidential election. As Politico said: "the last thing Democrats want to contend with just a week before the 2016 presidential election is an outcry over double-digit insurance hikes as millions of Americans begin signing up for Obamacare."

Then again, what difference will a double digit health insurance price surge make? Reported by Zero Hedge 5 hours ago.

Partners in Association Management Makes Top 100 Best Companies List

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Partners in Association Management, an accredited professional services firm that specializes in delivering strategic and operational management for state, regional and national not-for-profit associations and other organizations, was again included in Florida Trend magazine’s list of the Best Companies to Work for in Florida.

(PRWEB) August 02, 2016

Partners in Association Management (PIAM) has participated in the Best Companies to Work for in Florida program for the past several years. This year, they were again included in the list of The Best Companies to Work for in Florida.

The Best Companies to Work for in Florida program was created by Florida Trend magazine and the Best Companies Group and is endorsed by the HR Florida State Council. The annual Best Companies list is featured in the August issue of Florida Trend magazine. One-hundred companies are ranked in small, medium and large employer categories.

“PIAM is pleased to be recognized as a multi-year winner. Our team of talented professionals drives our culture, so we thank them for their commitment to a passionate work environment,” says CEO of the company Bennett Napier, CAE.

Companies that chose to participate underwent an evaluation of their workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The process also included a survey to measure employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking.

"Top companies provide excellent pay, health insurance, 401k plans and other "hard" benefits, but they also offer the leadership and communications that encourage employees to participate in the organization's overall success," says Florida Trend Publisher Andy Corty.

About Partners in Association Management and PS Squared:

Partners in Association Management just celebrated its 18th anniversary. The company was founded in 1998 by its current CEO Bennett Napier and has 34 full-time equivalents.

Partners provides full service association management to state, regional and national not for profits including strategic leadership, membership recruitment and retention; financial management; publication management; convention and educational seminar management; certification program development and management and more. For more information on the firm, visit http://www.yoursearchisdone.com Reported by PRWeb 5 hours ago.

ACA Marketplace Enrollment Solutions Provides Tips To Assist Land of Lincoln Policyholders Avoid A Potential Gap In Health Insurance Coverage

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The 49000 Illinois Land of Lincoln policyholders whose health insurance policies are being terminated, now have a short enrollment window available to them under the Affordable Care Act to secure health insurance.

Bedford Park, Illinois (PRWEB) August 02, 2016

The firm based in Bedford Park, Illinois, has already begun reaching out to its clientele who had enrolled in a Land of Lincoln plan. “We are definitely being proactive,” began Robert Dial, Vice President Operations, ACAenroll.com. “We want our clients to know and understand the options available to them.”

Land of Lincoln, the three-year-old health insurance co-op created under the Affordable Care Act, will cease coverage for all of its individual policyholders on October 1, 2016. Land of Lincoln has suffered major financial losses, causing the Illinois Department of Insurance to take action to shut down the insurer. Illinois Acting Director of Insurance Melissa Dowling has worked with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to create a special enrollment period for the individuals and families losing Land of Lincoln coverage.

Dial continued, “By working with the federal CMS, the Illinois Department of Insurance was able to create a way for the Land of Lincoln customers to enroll in a new plan and avoid a potential gap in coverage.”

Starting on August 2, 2016, individuals and families covered by Land of Lincoln will be able to begin shopping for a new health plan on the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace. For coverage to begin on October 1, 2016, affected Land of Lincoln members will have to enroll in a plan by September 30. The Special Enrollment Period will remain open until November 29, 2016. However, coverage will not begin until the first day of the following month for those who enroll after September 30.

“Anyone who enrolls in a plan from August 2 through September 30 will begin their new coverage on October 1 and avoid a gap in coverage,” explained Dial. “Affected Land of Lincoln customers will still have up to November 30 to secure coverage for the rest of the year, but they will go uninsured for a short time while they wait for their coverage to begin.”

A big downside to switching coverage mid-year is that any deductible or out of pocket expenses would have to start over with the new plan. Because of this, some Land of Lincoln policyholders have been interested in switching to a Short Term Major Medical plan to ride out the year with.”

Short Term Major Medical plans cover many of the same benefits of a major medical plan, although they do not have to cover all of the essential health benefits that a plan from the Marketplace does. Short Term Major Medical plans also typically do not cover pre-existing conditions, which is why they tend to come in at a lower premium. “Short Term Major Medical plans are not necessarily for everyone,” Dial explained. “If you have a health condition for which you are receiving ongoing treatment, or if you have some other procedure scheduled, you’ll want to go with a Marketplace plan.”

Under the Affordable Care Act, most Americans can only purchase major medical health insurance during the annual Open Enrollment Period. However, if an individual or family experiences a Qualifying Life Event, they become eligible for a Special Enrollment Period. This allows them to gain access to major medical coverage outside of the annual Open Enrollment Period. Typical Qualifying Life Events include such experiences as losing employer-sponsored coverage, getting married, and the birth of a child, among others.

About ACAenroll.com
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 6 hours ago.

Illinois insurers ask for higher premiums on ACA exchange

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Illinois insurers who offer coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace have asked to raise premiums by as much as 45 percent. The state’s most popular insurer on the exchange, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, asked for different increases for its different plans, as low as a 23 percent increase and as high as a 45 percent increase, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune. The insurer told the Tribune in a statement that it is “working toward continuing to provide health insurance… Reported by bizjournals 5 hours ago.

Premera exec tapped to make health insurance easier to understand

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With an former-Alaska Airlines employee now in charge of customer experience at Premera Blue Cross, the Mountlake Terrace-based health insurer hopes to follow the airlines' award-laden path and use his skill to become a "customer obsessed" health plan. Premera created Kopf's role as vice president of customer experience and hired him last summer. He had worked most recently for Alaska rebuilding its website and mobile apps to better focus on the customer experience and what customers really wanted.… Reported by bizjournals 3 hours ago.
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