Go to the gym. Read more books. Quit biting your nails. With so many resolutions for 2014 on your list, taking care of your finances might feel like it can wait … until next month. But there's really no time like the present to start taking control of your money. So in the spirit of making 2014 your best money year yet, we’ve put together a comprehensive, manageable financial calendar of all the must-do money tasks that could help you achieve your goals in the coming months—whether it's buying a house, saving for retirement, growing your family or just about anything else. Once you've read through the to-dos for each month, you can create calendar reminders through your email or phone to help keep you on track. And since we've picked months for each task, rather than specific days, you get to choose the days of the week that work best for scheduling those to-dos. In other words, there's no excuse not to start setting those reminders today! January 1. Reset Your Budget While the New Year is a great time to look forward, it’s also a good opportunity to look back at the past year—especially when it comes to your saving and spending habits. If you’ve been using LearnVest’s free iPhone or iPad app, you can easily review your spending from 2013 to see where your money went each month. (And if you haven’t been using the app, it's never too late to start!) Once you have a clear sense of your financial habits from 2013, you can figure out how to tweak your budget for the coming year. And don't forget to factor in occasional necessities, like vet bills, insurance premiums and maintenance costs. Of course, you'll need to adjust your budget as your needs change throughout the year, but January is a good time to reassess your spending and saving. Related:  I Want to Set Up a Budget 2. Organize Your Savings Accounts LearnVest suggests putting 20% or more of your income toward financial priorities (this can include savings and debt payments)—but what you’re squirreling away for is up to you. Maybe it’s an African safari, a renovated kitchen or a comfortable emergency fund. Regardless of the goal, figure out exactly how much you need to save, and then create a separate savings account for each goal, so you can easily track your progress and gauge if you need to ramp up your efforts throughout the year. 3. Set Your Retirement Savings on Auto-Pilot Retirement contributions should be a priority, so make it a point now to set up automatic, monthly contributions of at least 1% to 2% of your income into a Roth or Traditional IRA or a 401(k) through your employer. If you have a 401(k), your goal should be to contribute at least enough to get your full employer match, as well as increase your contribution by 1% every six months, working your way up to 10% of your income over time. Already doing this? Then it's time to increase your contribution percentage. For 2014, the limits for all three accounts are the same as they were in 2013, so you'll want to do your best to work toward maxing them out. 4. Put Your Annual Bonus to Good Use Financial responsibility doesn’t have to mean all work and no play. If you received a year-end bonus, pat yourself on the back and enjoy it by spending 10% on something fun—and then allocate the remainder toward a financial priority. (You have until April 15 to max out your IRA. Just saying!) 5. Pay Your Tax Bill If You're Self-Employed, Own a Small Business or Freelance You have until January 15th to pay your fourth-quarter estimated tax payments for 2013. And be sure to put reminders on your calendar to pay quarterlies on time for 2014, as well. 6. Map Out Your Annual Travel Budget Vacations are a common financial goal, but taking your own Tour de France (or Asia … or South America …) doesn't come cheap. So make a list of any expected trips this year—like a friend’s wedding or a relative’s big birthday celebration—and start saving for them now in a separate account earmarked for travel. And then plan any other getaways around these trips, as your budget permits. While lounging on the beach each February may seem like a “necessary” cure for the winter doldrums, financial priorities should never suffer for travel. February 1. Prep for Tax Time By the beginning of February, you should have received your tax forms, such as a W-2 from your employer, or 1099s for supplementary income. Keep them in a safe spot, and start collecting any other information that you’ll need to do your taxes, like records of charitable donations and receipts for expenses you’ll be itemizing. Need more guidance? Check out LearnVest’s free Ace Your Taxes Bootcamp. 2. Get Your Credit Score SATs are a thing of the past. As an adult, the only score that really matters is your credit score, which can have a major effect on the rates you lock in for mortgages and other loans. To get your credit score for free, head over to Credit Karma. Not happy with what you see? Use LearnVest's checklist to monitor and improve your credit score. 3. Have the Money Talk With Your Significant Other It may not be the most romantic thing to think about this Valentine's Day, but the effects of a successful money chat last much longer than that bouquet of roses. No matter what stage you are in your relationship—be it dating or happily married—significant others can either be great partners to help you stay on track with your finances ... or seriously sabotage your best efforts. So make sure that you’re both on the same page when it comes to financial goals and priorities by having a forthright conversation (or two). 4. Fill Out Your FAFSA If your child plans to attend college this September, it's time to submit your government application for financial aid, known as the FAFSA. You must re-submit the form each year that you request aid, and while it can vary somewhat by state, the forms are released in January, with a filing deadline of June. That said, it's a good idea to submit your application well in advance—many institutions award aid on a first-come, first-serve basis. And even if you're not sure that you qualify for aid, go ahead and fill out the form, because you'll never know if you don't ask! March 1. Wrap Up Your Taxes Your goal should be to finish your taxes in March—well, in advance of the April 15 deadline. If you get a tax refund from the government, treat it the same way as your year-end bonus: Put 10% toward something fun, and funnel the rest toward financial priorities. 2. Start Your Spring Cleaning Spring doesn’t officially start until March 20—but this doesn’t mean you can’t get a head start early in the month. So take stock of your belongings and decide what you still need ... and what can go. In addition to donating items to charity, you can also resell goods on sites like eBay or take gently worn clothes to a consignment shop. Plus, going through your drawers gives you one last chance to make sure that you didn’t miss any hidden receipts that you can itemize on your taxes. 3. Take Stock of Your Personal Possessions Speaking of going through your house ... in the event that your home is burglarized and your belongings are stolen or damaged, you’ll need detailed documentation to prove their value to your insurer. So spend a few hours photographing the items that made the spring-cleaning cut and create a running list of the value of all household goods. Then lock these files (be they paper or flash drive) in a waterproof and fireproof safe, or back them up on a secure file-sharing website, such as Box. 4. Pin Down Your Child’s Summer Plans If you have kids, you know that their attention spans last only so long. In order to keep them busy when school’s out, research options like summer camp, enrichment programs and other activities—and start budgeting for them now. April 1. Put Those Taxes to Bed The deadline for filing your taxes is April 15th ... although you finished them in March, right? If, for whatever reason, you could use a little more time, you need to get in touch with the IRS now. The deadline for filing an extension, which will buy you six more months to complete your taxes, is also April 15. And if you’re self-employed, freelancing or running your own business, Q1 estimated tax payments are due April 15th, as well. 2. Review Your Insurance Policies Why not knock this indoor task off your list before that summer weather sets in? And if you’ve recently had a major life event—say, a marriage or a child—it’s an especially good time to reevaluate your current insurance coverage. Check out quotes for home, auto and life insurance policies online, and then call your current agent to make sure that you’re getting the best rate possible. 3. Finalize Summer Travel If a vacation is in the cards, now’s the time to hammer out the details. Whenever possible, it's a good idea to book airfare three to five months in advance—before prices start inching up. So now is a good time to nail down July and August flights. For more tips, check out these insider hints to save on summer airfare. May 1. Revisit Your Credit Score It's been three months since you checked your credit score—and it's time to review your score on free site Credit Karma to make sure that you haven’t been the victim of fraud or any errors that may have caused your credit score to take a hit. And if you've been paying off your debts on time, your score may have improved—enabling you to qualify for better rates on loans. 2. Get a Copy of Your Credit Report Your credit report is akin to a report card: The free document offers a full record of your financial activity that's visible to creditors. Annualcreditreport.com lets you pull your credit report from each of the three major bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) once a year for free. So pull one to make sure that there are no errors, like unfamiliar credit cards or lines of credit. If you see something suspect, promptly dispute it with the bureau that produced the report. 3. Look Into Whether Your Child Qualifies for Scholarships Now that the school year is winding down, you can turn your attention to the next frontier: college. If your kid is in high school, start checking out scholarships that could make higher education more affordable. The College Board’s Scholarship Search offers details on more than 2,200 programs, which provide nearly $6 billion in financial aid annually to students. Need inspiration? This enterprising student applied for 100 college scholarships—all on her own. June 1. Revisit Your Budget Does the budget that you set up at the beginning of the year still square up with your lifestyle, or have major life events since then thrown your saving and spending out of whack? Reviewing your budget at the six-month mark—and making any necessary changes to reflect your spending and saving needs—is a key part of taking control of your money. 2. Pay Your Tax Bill if You're Self-Employed, Own a Small Business or Freelance Estimated tax payments for the second quarter are due June 15. 3. Hone in on Your Health If you haven’t had an annual exam with a primary care physician this year, now is the time to schedule an appointment. And if your health regimen includes a workout plan, check in with your HR representative to see if your employer or insurer reimburses gym fees or offers any discounts. It can’t hurt to ask! Related: Health Insurance Exchanges: What Are You Really Buying? July 1. Up Your Retirement Contributions If you’re saving in a 401(k) and aren’t already on track to max it out, increase your contributions by 1%. If you have an IRA, and you’re not saving $458.33 each month (or $541.66 per month if you're 50 or older), try to increase your monthly contributions by $100. 2. Analyze Your Energy Spending The heat of the summer can drive up energy costs, so review your bills and get an idea of appropriate rates for your area using this handy tool. If you discover that you're overpaying, call providers and ask if there's any wiggle room on your bill. 3. Buy Big Ticket Items on July 4th The holiday isn't an excuse to go on a shopping binge, but if you’re looking to purchase a pricey item, like a flat-screen TV or a grill, now may be the time to pull the trigger. Independence Day promotions often offer great deals on these larger items—just be sure to do a little researchbefore you head to the store. 4. Review Your Investing Strategy You'll probably want to focus on some R&R in August, so consider checking off this important money task before you power down next month. Specifically, if your major life goals—like buying a home or saving for a wedding—are more than ten years away, you may want to retool your approach to investing to help you reach your target more quickly. To set up investments outside of a 401(k) or an IRA, set up an appointment with a financial professional and read LearnVest’s checklist: I Want to Set Up an Investment Account. August 1. Check Your Credit Score It's that time again: Review your credit score at Credit Karma, paying special attention to any fraudulent charges, so you can report it to your credit card company immediately. 2. Look Into Your Employer's Open Enrollment Period Each fall, employees have a brief window of time when they can make changes to their insurance policies or set up and adjust contributions to health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs). So review your current benefits situation, check out any new options that are available and decide whether you should make any switches. And don’t forget to consider disability insurance and life insurance, if your employer offers them. 3. Start Saving for College The start of a new school season is just around the corner, and even if your kid isn't close to heading off for college yet, it's never too early to begin investing for the university years. A good first step? Set up a college savings account for your child, like a 529 plan. Already have one? Consider asking family to contribute to that account in lieu of gifts for your kid's next birthday or holiday. September 1. Pay Your Tax Bill if You're Self-Employed, Own a Small Business or Freelance Q3 estimated tax payments are due September 15. 2. Start Planning for Year-End Taxes It’s never too early to get a head start on your taxes. Reach out to your CPA or another tax professional to make sure that you’ve been withholding enough, and whether there are any other steps you can take now to lower your tax bill for 2015. Related: 11 Things You're Embarrassed to Ask About Taxes 3. Confirm Your Thanksgiving Travel Plans It may be two months away, but for the best deals on flights, book your tickets on the Tuesday after Labor Day. 4. Review Your Credit Report For the second time this year, download a copy of your credit report from Annualcreditreport.com. Just remember that each of the bureaus will only give you one free copy a year, so if you received a copy from Equifax in May, pull your report from either TransUnion or Experian now. 5. Update Your Roth IRA If you converted to a Roth IRA in 2013, and it subsequently lost a lot of money, you can “recharacterize” until October 15. This means that you can revert back to a traditional IRA or move the money into your 401(k) and get back the taxes you paid on the higher amount, before changing it once again to a Roth IRA. Unsure of whether this is a good move for you? You may want to speak with a LearnVest Planning Services Certified Financial Planner™. October 1. Organize Your Estate Planning Documents Now that the weather is getting cooler, it's time to buckle down and focus on some serious stuff. Although it isn’t fun, estate planning is necessary if you want to save your loved ones a lot of time, money and stress in the event of a debilitating illness or death. Everyone should have a living will (also called a health care directive), which provides instructions for your care if you’re unable to make decisions yourself. It's also a good time to review the beneficiary forms on your retirement accounts, and if you have kids, set up an appointment with an attorney to draft a will and name a guardian for your children. Once you take care of these tasks, you won’t have to do them again unless there’s a change in your family setup. 2. Book December Holiday Travel Consult that travel budget that you set up in January, and lock in your holiday plans now. Just like with Thanksgiving flights, the best time to buy airline tickets is on a Tuesday. 3. Submit Your Taxes if You’ve Filed for an Extension October 15 is the last day that you can submit your 2013 taxes if you’ve filed for an extension. November 1. Review Your Credit Score You’ve done it three times this year, so you should be a pro by now: Check your credit score at Credit Karma, honing in on any surprising changes. 2. Budget for the Holidays Well before those twinkling lights and yards of tinsel go up, prep your budget ahead of time to cover all of those seasonal costs: gifts, decor and entertaining. Set a budget for each category of your spending—and stick to it! You can start with these low-cost, creative ideas for decorating your home, throwing the perfect holiday party and even recipes for a gift everyone will love: festive holiday cookies. 3. Make Your Charitable Donations If you budgeted for charitable giving, start sending those checks! Note: Itemizing your deductions may help to reduce your year-end tax bill. December 1. Review Your Retirement and Brokerage Accounts We're nearing the end of 2014, so now is prime-time to go through your investing accounts with a fine-tooth comb, and rebalance as needed. An accountant can help you determine if you should take any capital gains or losses in non-retirement accounts before the year officially comes to a close. 2. Don’t Blow Your Holiday Bonus! Aside from a year-end bonus that’s based on your performance, some generous companies also give employees an additional holiday payout. Since you’ve already set aside money for holiday gifts, treat this bonus the same way you would a tax return and year-end bonus: Put 10% toward some fun spending, and allocate 90% for financial goals. 3. Revisit the Financial Highs and Lows of 2014 Take the time to review your spending and saving habits over the past year. Did you achieve your money goals? Did you successfully stick to a budget? Congratulate yourself for making progress on your money—and then focus on how you’re going to make even greater strides in 2015! More From LearnVest 10 Helpful Money Habits to Adopt Today 11 Money Excuses to Stop Using in 2014 Need Financial Motivation? Try a 'Phrase to Save' Reported by Forbes.com 3 hours ago.

*7 ways to save money on a gym membership*

*Joining a gym is an investment in your health, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to trim the cost.* Our annual New Year’s resolve to get in shape means that clubs sign up more new members early in the year than at any other time, and they’re all competing for your business. But there’s no reason to rush. “You can often get the biggest discount if you sign up late in the month, because health clubs have monthly sales quotas,” says Andrea Metcalf, a certified trainer and health coach in Chicago. So take the time to research your options and ways to save.

Interested in activity trackers from Fitbit, Jawbone, and others? See the video below about our lab tests of those products. We've also included our videos on treadmill desks and our health club survey.Call health clubs near your home and office to ask for a no-commitment trial. “Most clubs will give you a day or week-long pass to try out the facility,” says Pam Kufahl, editor-in-chief of Club Industry, a magazine for fitness pros. Visit at the times you’ll be most likely to work out so you can see how crowded it is. Try classes you're likely to take. Ask members what they like and don’t like about the facility, and get a copy of the fee schedule.

While you’re deciding where to join, look for additional deals on gym websites, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as offers on sites like Groupon, Living Social, and Gilt City. “These usually include discounts on memberships or classes,” Kufahl says. If a gym has a mailing list, sign up.

Paired with companion activity tracker software or a mobile app, the best activity tracker for you will give you new insight into the habits that make up your lifestyle. Most activity trackers still count how many steps you take, but also tally the miles you travel, show you day-by-day how much physical activity you get, calculate the calories you burn, and often collect data about your sleep patterns.

Use our activity tracker buying guide to discover the features that are most important to consider when looking for the body tracker. Our unbiased activity tracker Ratings will help you choose the best model for your needs.

When you decide on a club to join, speak with a manager, who is more likely to have the clout to negotiate. Ask what the cost would be if you paid for a year (or more) in full instead of paying month-by-month. “You can often get a month for free or get them to drop an initiation fee if you pay up front,” Metcalf says. Also see if you can get some things you would usually be willing to pay for—such as a wellness assessment or a personal training session—free. If the membership includes things you won’t use, like child care, classes, or a pool, ask for a reduced rate that doesn’t include them.

For instance, see if a club offers different levels of membership or discounts if you agree to go at non-peak hours or on nonpeak days. “When I joined 24-Hour Fitness they offered me a cheaper membership limited to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays,” Kufahl says. These special rates often aren’t advertised, she says, so be sure to ask.Call health clubs near your home and office to ask for a no-commitment trial. “Most clubs will give you a day or week-long pass to try out the facility,” says Kufahl. Visit at the times you’ll be most likely to work out so you can see how crowded it is. Try classes you're likely to take. Ask members what they like and don’t like about the facility, and get a copy of the fee schedule.

Many fitness facilities will lower their monthly rates for large groups. One of the easiest ways to take advantage of this benefit is through your employer. The Sporting Club in Philadelphia, for example, offers discounts of up to 20 percent to Temple University’s full-time employees. Ask your human resources department if your employer has deals with local clubs; if it doesn’t, ask if it be open to setting one up.You can also gather a group of friends and ask a gym manager if he or she would be willing to cut a deal if you join together. Or you might get deals on additional services, like small group personal training sessions, says Kufahl.Some health plans provide discounts on gym memberships. For example, some United Healthcare plans reimburse members up to $240 a year if they belong to a participating fitness center. Call your insurance plan's member services number (often on the back of your health insurance card) or check with your company's human resources insurance expert to see if you're eligible for a discount.One of the most expensive charges you might encounter is a club’s cancellation fee. Although you might not be able to get it removed, so you should be aware of the stipulations so you don’t get stuck paying a penalty for a membership you can no longer use. You might have to let the club know you want to cancel two months in advance, for example, or send it a notarized letter to end the contract.

We've also surveyed people about their health clubs. The video below reveals what they told us.

If you find it hard to get to the gym regularly, you can still keep that New Year's resolution to get in shape by purchasing some workout equipment. Read our treadmill, exercise bike (including spin bikes), elliptical, and rowing machine buying guides to see which machine is right for you, and for some shopping tips.

Subscribers can see how well this workout gear did in our treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical, and rowing machine Ratings.–Mandy Walker

*Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2007-2013 Consumers Union of U.S.*

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    Reported by Consumer Reports 22 minutes ago.

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina (BCBS SC) and its subsidiaries, BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina Inc, Companion Life Insurance Company (Companion Life) and Niagara Life and Health Insurance Company (Amherst, NY). Additionally, A.M. Best has upgraded the FSR to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the ICR to “a” from Reported by Business Wire 3 hours ago.

Governor Jerry Brown said while touring inland California a few days that he's not planning to run for president in 2016.

"No, that's not in the cards," he said in a rather off-hand response to a question about weeks of reports touting him as a presidential prospect. "Unfortunately. Actually, California is a lot more governable."

Which is why he's running now for re-election, of course, as I've been saying since was elected to his renewed governorship in November 2010. Brown is already the longest serving governor in California history, with the current term following after his controversial yet largely successful first two terms from 1975 to 1983. He already has to be ranked as one of California's great politicians, not to mention one of the most intriguing American political figures of the modern era. Now he's in position to stake a serious claim to being California's greatest governor, rivaling the past governorships of moderate Republican Earl Warren and his own father, the legendary Governor Pat Brown.

To do that, it's best to win a smashing re-election undistracted by much talk of a presidential campaign, then expend local political capital on driving home some top priorities early in his next term. Former Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, a veteran legislator and Arnold Schwarzenegger appointee whom many touted as the best Republican to run against Brown, just dropped out, tweeting that Brown "is a good governor." Since the issues in play are big issues of concern to America's biggest state concerned with the challenges of the future, they are issues with national implications and scope. Brown loses nothing with regard to his national and international profile by talking them up along with the ongoing story of California challenges and emerging solutions.

For the latest example of that, there is today's declaration of a California drought emergency, "the worst," Brown says, in a century of record-keeping. California has periodic droughts now accentuated by climate change, with the Sierra snowpack ominously disappearing.

As for the presidency, we won't really know for a year or more how strong and resilient Hillary Clinton's front-running candidacy is likely to be. If circumstances favorable to a Brown candidacy exist they will present themselves during that period. For Hillary's issues of vulnerability, if any, will, to a large extent, prove out over the time period in which Brown is running for re-election and setting the stage for his next term.

At the least, Brown clearly wants to influence the politics of 2016, which prompts this discussion of his first three presidential campaigns, each of which was telling and intriguing in its own ways.

One thing he should definitely do, as I wrote last week in the kick-off column for the year, is be a favorite son candidate in the California presidential primary. Having the biggest delegation to the Democratic National Convention would give him plenty of room to maneuver in a variety of scenarios and at the least amplify his voice on behalf of his and California's priorities.

There are already signs that 2016 can be a very flavorful and perhaps surprising year.

I chose last week, as you may recall, to write about former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates's book rather than New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's bridge-closing. Why? I don't like to write about what everybody is talking and writing about. Especially when it's a really obvious situation. With a couple of his top people thrown under the bus over this, he already looks like he encourages a vindictive political hack operation. And if it's shown he specifically knew what was going on -- er, how could he not? -- it will dog him forever. Not that I thought he would be the Republican presidential nominee before this.

The Gates book and the situations it may engender is much more interesting intellectually. Not least with the revelation that it was not the career spook Gates but Hillary Clinton who was by far the biggest hawk in the Obama Administration. And who adopted a false stance of opposition to the Iraq surge not because she opposed the move but because she was concerned about countering then Senator Barack Obama's strength in the first-in-the-nation Iowa presidential caucuses.

You may recall that I was one of the first to write that Hillary had to be considered an odds on presidential favorite. But things can change as events play out over time.

It may be that Hillary's greatest advantage is that, aside from Vice President Joe Biden -- who's called Brown "the smartest politician in America" and who trails Hillary by a big margin in the polls -- the other potential candidates who are not in their 70s as largely unknown and have yet to happen upon a route to real fame.

Before discussing in a forthcoming article how Brown can influence the politics of 2016, either as a straight-out presidential candidate or as something less immediately clearcut, let's look at Brown's first three presidential campaigns.

The reality is that Brown always intrigued but underperformed as a presidential candidate. Like some explorer of the political genetic code, Brown, after the fashion of the bioscientists and genetic engineers developing recombinant DNA as the next phase of California's revolution in technological innovation, engaged in what I called the development of recombinant ideologies.

His experimental approach made Brown look quite opportunistic at times and more than a little inconsistent. But I know from contemporaneous conversations with Brown and his associates that, while of course operating as a politician, a pragmatic breed which by definition is ever on the lookout for opportunity, he was looking for new ways to pursue his consistent values of promoting a society of intellectual exploration and development of capability in which strategies for overall prosperity are pursued in a context of environmental balance and social justice. Not that he didn't go down some blind alleys in the process, the full assessment of which would have to come in book form.
*In May 1976, first term Governor and new presidential candidate Jerry Brown held a rally in San Francisco's Union Square, where he was joined by Warren Beatty and Willie Brown.**1976

A New Spirit*

Brown entered the presidential race very late, after publicly expressing little interest in the contest, by calling a few reporters into his Sacramento office late one afternoon. Prompted by New South figure Jimmy Carter's emergence as the leading Democratic contender and what seemed to be his limited appeal, Brown frenetically geared up an instant campaign, relying on girlfriend Linda Ronstadt -- whose hit songs sometimes played on speakers in the trees in Capitol Park -- and her former back-up band, a little group called the Eagles, to help raise big bucks. (At times, the Democratic campaign seemed like a battle between the superstars of California rock and Southern rock, with the Allman Brothers giving their all to fund former Georgia Governor Carter's campaign.)

In those days, many Democrats and media types were looking for a new JFK. Brown, a former Jesuit seminarian whose unusual blend of skepticism and futurism emerged in the miasma of post-Vietnam, post-Watergate American politics, didn't denounce the idea but he didn't really play along much, either, far less so than many others, including Gary Hart, Brown's Yale Law classmate, who was to conduct a more rationalized and better insurgency-to-leadership campaign in 1984 which established him as the presidential frontrunner for 1988, a status which Brown, for all his superior improvisational and rhetorical gifts, has never had.

Brown presented himself as the man of the future who respects the past, offering a New Spirt from the New West of California. It was all quite vague. But as Brown noted, "A little vagueness goes a long way in this business."

"The country," he said rather famously, in words which echo especially today, "is rich, but not so rich as we have been led to believe. The choice to do one thing may preclude another. In short, we are entering an era of limits."

Once he was on some ballots, Brown won a string of late victories over Carter and the rest of the Democratic field, which included Frank Church, Mo Udall, Fred Harris, and Sargent Shriver.

Brown's friend, San Francisco socialite Nancy Pelosi, was the daughter and sister of Baltimore mayors. As fate would have it, Brown had designs on the Maryland primary as his first target. He made Pelosi, just beginning to think she might want a political career of her own, his political director for Maryland. She helped Brown, who rode to the California governorship in 1974 with an initiative to clean up politics, forge alliances with Maryland machine politicians. That plus his "new spirit" charismatic appeal to younger reform-oriented voters enabled him to roll to a smashing victory over Carter in their first state battle.

This inside/outside approach proved a formula which served Brown well as he won a string of late victories, following Maryland with wins in Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and California.

He nearly won in Oregon, where he lead in the polls but had the disadvantage of not being on the ballot. So he ran as a write-in candidate, finishing a close third behind Church and Carter. I helped organize his big rally at the University of Oregon in Eugene, then as now the national capital of track and field and the center of Oregon's youth culture. Our brochures were single-sheets consisting of a half-profile shot of Brown looking hawkish yet hip, accompanied by two paragraphs of boilerplate about his background and ideas.

It was all terribly vague, yet quite effective. Brown practically mesmerized the huge crowd then, eschewing the motorcade, set off on foot across the campus trailed, like the Pied Piper of yore, by what seemed like most of the crowd. The braver students popped up to the front of the procession to ask Brown questions, to which he gave witty and often acerbic replies. A little in awe, satisfied by the interaction, they then fell back, only to be replaced by their fellows with more of the same.

For all the momentum and even magic of Brown's late run for the nomination, it was too late. Carter had too big a headstart. And Brown was only 38, having been governor for less than a year and a half. Much of Brown's machine support was interested in Senator and former Vice President Hubert Humphrey, a friend of Pat Brown whom Jerry had nonetheless opposed in the 1968 campaign as a delegate for the anti-war candidate Gene McCarthy. But Humphrey was ailing -- he died in 1978 -- and Carter was able to close the deal. Still, for all its lateness and vagueness, Brown's late run garnered him the runner-up slot and seemed to presage a bright future in presidential politics.

If only he hadn't run at the wrong time.
*"The Shape of Things To Come," Jerry Brown's fateful 1980 address at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, produced live for television by Francis Ford Coppola.*

*1980

Protect the Earth, Serve the People, Explore the Universe*

Ironically, Brown's second presidential campaign began in the most conventional fashion and ended up as perhaps the most alternative of his ventures, and certainly the least successful of his presidential forays. Brown, who won re-election in 1978 in an historic landslide over the Republican attorney general, was long expected to take another shot at Carter when the president ran for a second term. Which, not incidentally, is generally a bad idea. Running against an incumbent president of your own party, that is. It all became even more problematic when Senator Ted Kennedy decided to take his long expected shot at a restoration of Camelot.

Carter ran as a centrist Democrat with establishment backing; Kennedy as the unreconstructed liberal his brothers Jack and Bobby never really were. The two big personalities, representing the two biggest ideological tendencies in the Democratic Party, left Brown with very little oxygen in the race. Even though Kennedy stumbled horribly when asked why he wanted to be president, his backers, drawn by the national legend and loyalty to the Kennedy family weren't going to be so easily dissuaded.

Brown continued in the race. It proved, in my opinion, to be one of the most fateful decisions of his career. What it meant is that Brown ran for president in each of his two terms. Put another way, he ran for office every two years. By the time 1982 rolled around, with the end of his second term and the opportunity for a new office he could actually win, a seat in the U.S. Senate, a body for which he was very well-suited, he had typed himself as a perennial candidate. And in his second presidential campaign, with a candidacy that could be characterized as taking him beyond the edge where change can lie out to the fringe which for too many disqualifies you. That was a process come of looking for a distinctive rationale for a candidacy that was failing to engage my voters and activists.

He should have pulled the plug on the campaign, or never run in the first place.

Instead, he continued on, looking for a breakthrough for his E.F. Schumacher/Buckminster Fuller-inflected platform. In the process, he developed an intriguing program. The slogan, of course, was awesome, as was the poster, which my first wife loved so much we had it up for years. "Protect the Earth, Serve the People, Explore the Universe," complete with a hero shot of Brown addressing the massive 1979 anti-nuke/pro-solar rally in Washington. Jerry Brown for captain of Spaceship Earth. No wonder that the campaign arrived as the first Star Trek film was released.

Brown called for a constitutional convention for a balanced federal budget, big increases in the space program, and an energy program based on massive expansion of renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts and the phase-out of nuclear power, which had then just suffered through the Three Mile Island accident. He opposed Kennedy's massive national health insurance proposal, instead pushing the promotion of wellness strategies, including rewards for people who engage in healthful living. He also advocated national service for the nation's youth, non-military in nature for those who don't join the armed forces.

After finishing a distant third in New Hampshire with 10%, Brown spent the month of March getting shellacked in contests around the country, stuck in single digits. It was a far cry from four years earlier.*Notwithstanding the not unpredictable snafus with what was still early stage technology, "The Shape of Things To Come" holds up well as a piece of political oratory and prognostication.*Brown resolved to make a do or die stand in Wisconsin. There, on March 28th, the Friday night before the Wisconsin primary, Brown pulled together the themes of his campaign into a major speech dubbed "The Shape of Things To Come," after H.G. Wells. Director Francis Ford Coppola of Godfather fame, fresh off a little picture called Apocalypse Now, flew in from California to package the speech as a live television production from the steps of the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison.

In those pre-Internet days, I listened to the speech over a speaker phone in a Santa Monica office. "We can invent a future," Brown intoned as he laid out his vision for a high-tech industrial policy encompassing networked personal computers, space exploration, genetic engineering, and new energy and transportation systems. It all sounded very good. (So good that I used to play a cassette of the speech in my car.)

There was just one problem.

Coppola, who still helps Brown with his TV ads today, was clearly a master of big-time Hollywood filmmaking. But the live special effects he employed to accompany Brown's speech didn't work. In fact, they were disastrously distracting, with, among other wonders, a little spaceman walking and somersaulting across Brown's forehead.

Brown got only 12% when the vote went down on, fittingly, April 1st, winning his one and only one national convention delegate of the entire campaign. Yet, as I wrote in December 2010, the speech looks eerily prescient now.

Eerie prescience, however, like irony, is not something that generally plays all that well in run-of-the-mill American politics.

*Things got very heated at times between Jerry Brown and Bill Clinton during their 1992 battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.*

*1992

Take Back America*

By 1992, many counted Brown out, a supposed has-been at 54. After leaving the governorship and losing a closely fought U.S. Senate race to Republican Pete Wilson, Brown ran a couple of think tanks, worked as a lawyer with an LA law firm, ventured to India to work with Mother Teresa, and spent nearly a year living in Japan, where he studied to add to his mastery of Zen Buddhism. It was all a bit too flavorful for most Democratic taste makers. Like most of the smarter set in the political media, they were lining up behind a new hope who had assiduously cultivated them for years, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton.

Running a not infrequently angry populist campaign, Brown vowed to "take back America from the confederacy of corruption,careerism, and campaign consulting in Washington." He called for term limits on Congress and vowed to take contributions only from individuals and in amounts no greater than $100. In those pre-Internet days, Brown financed his campaign largely through an 800 number, which he flogged relentlessly. Just as some do with web sites urls today. Brown still has that 800 number, by the way.

In addition to his now customary themes on renewable energy and climate change, Brown championed a progressive version of a flat tax (in which corporations and some wealthy individuals would pay more), living wage measures and a single-payer health care system, and questioned international trade deals.

Largely discounted this time around, Brown started off slowly, getting nowhere in Iowa and finishing a distant fifth in New Hampshire. But five days later, he won Maine. Eight days after that, he took Colorado, after having been in fifth place there the day he took Maine. He was in the mix.

But he was still losing, with ex-Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas as Clinton's main rival, though he was mostly losing, too. Then Brown put together three successive wins against the other candidates, beginning with a head to head showdown in Connecticut with Clinton followed by Vermont and Alaska. Polls suddenly showed Brown running first in three big primaries on, as fate would have it, his birthday, April 7th: New York, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Brown proceeded to get, as the saying goes, too clever by half. Seeking to win black voters, who had not been turned off by Clinton presiding over the execution of a brain-damaged convict while in the midst of personal scandals that year, Brown floated the idea of Jesse Jackson being his vice presidential candidate. But Jackson was radioactive with the Jewish community then, and the move backfired. Brown plummeted in New York from first to third, finishing behind not only Clinton, who re-established his hold on the race, but also Tsongas, who had suspended his campaign. He also lost narrowly to Clinton in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Also beset by a conveniently timed fake cocaine scandal, which ended up going nowhere, Brown's high water mark had come and gone.

Brown stayed in the race, to the increasing dismay of the party leadership, garnering a host of distant second place finishes. What Brown really wanted was to stay in long enough to get to California, where he knew he would win a trove of delegates to strengthen his position at the Democratic National Convention in New York City.

Though he had plenty of money, mindful of persistent charges that he was being divisve, Brown decided not to run TV ads in California, which helped Clinton to a 7-point win in the Golden State. But with proportional representation, Brown had most of the delegates he wanted for a showing at the New York convention.

Before going to New York, Brown traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the UN's first Earth Summit. Concern about greenhouse gas emissions and climate change was crystallizing, and Brown had plenty to say about his longstanding ideas on renewable energy technology, conservation, and energy efficiency measures.

After returning from the world stage, Brown found the going at the New York convention to be rather less than anticipated. Which is not to say that Brown didn't get plenty of attention, including, in something of a sibling snafu, a CNN skybox interview while sister Kathleen Brown, then California's state treasurer and an aspiring gubernatorial candiate, addressed the convention.

Brown did many interviews, including a very respectful one (I'm four feet outside of frame there in Central Park) by a frightfully talented and quirky young actor named Robert Downey, Jr. for his documentary on the 1992 presidential campaign, The Last Party. Downey, now the world's biggest movie star and an old Brown friend, appeared in November at a $2 million Brown fundraiser in LA.

But even though Brown, as agreed, had ceased hostilities with the Clintons, he didn't really get the sort of high-profile/high-prestige convention speaking slot he deserved. 1992 turned out to be another good showing in presidential politics, another runner-up finish for the Democratic presidential nomination, but not much more. Brown was to go through another wilderness period before emerging finally on the track that took him, two years after his father's death reminded him of "the family business," to two terms as the very hands-on/pop-up everywhere mayor of gritty Oakland, a landslide election as California's attorney general, and then a smashing gubernatorial election victory over billionaire Meg Whitman's biggest spending non-presidential campaign in American history.So, three different Brown presidential campaigns.

Each campaign presented different shades of Brown.

In 1976, the brighter, more pop-inflected shades of Brown, albeit against the backdrop of the Era of Limits.

In 1980, the more programmatic, and more alternative, Brown, caught in exactly the wrong dynamic for his approach.

In 1992, the angrier, more disgusted Brown. In this C-SPAN clip, which unfortunately is not embeddable, I introduce Brown before one of the last speeches of his last presidential primary campaign at Sony Studios, at a summit on urban issues conducted by Hollywood activists and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Here you see the not atypical Brown of the period, serious, intellectual, and more than a little dour. Though not in the scold mode which at times typified the '92 adventure.

Yet for all their differences, there are thematic throughlines running down the spines of each candidacy -- new energy and transportation systems, a global perspective, environmental stewardship, unconventional education, the challenge of making a commonwealth of growing diversity, a rejection of political hackery, faith in innovation and skepticism about conventional economic growth.

And there are other similarities, not the least of which is that, for all their flashes of brilliance, daring, and inspiration, none of these campaigns was especially well-conceived or executed. While Brown did well, far better than most who run for president, a politician this intriguing and talented should do better.

What Brown lacked was an ongoing perch, the ongoing context in which to engage presidential issues without detracting from his larger responsibilities. That would have come had he won the U.S. Senate seat I believe would have been his for the taking in 1982 had he not run a second time for president in 1980. Which would have placed him in potential competition with the likes of Gary Hart, Joe Biden, John Kerry as presidential-oriented senators. With the difference being that Brown had already been the two-term governor of California.

But that was not to be, leaving only the ever intriguing now of Brown's life.William Bradley HuffPost Archive Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.

Specific Rules Apply to Section 105 DCP Plans

Park City, Utah (PRWEB) January 17, 2014

Today, Zane Benefits, the #1 Online Health Benefits Solution, published new information on Defined Contribution Plan (DCP) Rules.

According to Zane Benefits’ website, a new wave of employers, especially small businesses and nonprofits, are offering employees health benefits with an approach called "pure" defined contribution health plans, or DCPs. The DCP is offered using a limited-purpose Section 105 medical reimbursement plan.

Zane Benefits provides the rules on how DCPs work for employees. For example, with a DCP an employer may require employees to have health insurance to be eligible for reimbursement through the DCP. Other rules include:· According to IRS rules, the employer owns the DCP allowances and DCPs are fully funded by the employer.
· Typically, DCP allowances do not earn interest because the allowances usually are not held in individual bank accounts.
· Most often, the unused money stays with the employer when an employee terminates employment.

Click here to read the full article.

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About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits, the #1 Online Health Benefits Solution, was founded in 2006 to revolutionize the way employers provide employee health benefits in America. We empower employees to take control over their own healthcare, while helping employers recruit and retain the best talent. Our online solutions allow small and medium-sized businesses to successfully transition to a health benefits program that creates happier employees, reduces costs and frees up more time to serve their customers. For more information about ZaneHealth, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 2 hours ago.

The second-in-command at the federal Health and Human Services Department says he doesn't recall reporting security concerns about the administration's health insurance website to higher-ups. Reported by WTHR 1 hour ago.

By Sharon Begley
NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The late-December surge that pushed enrollment in private health insurance plans under Obamacare past 2.1 million people continued into 2014, officials of several state-run insurance marketplaces said on Wednesday.
It was encouraging news for White House hopes of signing up 7 million Americans by March 31, the deadline for 2014 coverage under President Barack Obama's healthcare law.
That goal has appeared elusive due to the disastrous performance of HealthCare.gov, the federal enrollment portal through which Americans in 36 states sign up to buy health insurance, in October and November, even as the websites of many of the 15 state-run exchanges fared better.
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange has had about 8,000 enrollments in private health plans since late December, bringing the total to just over 73,000. "We doubled our call-center staff in December" to handle the end-of-year surge, said Richard K. Onizuka, chief executive of the exchange, in a conference call arranged by the nonprofit healthcare advocacy group Families USA. "And now we're almost doubling it again."
The deadline is Wednesday for coverage that starts on February 1. For coverage that begins on March 1, consumers must enroll by Feb. 15. Those who do not have insurance must enroll by March 31 or incur a tax penalty.
Kentucky, whose Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear has been an enthusiastic supporter of Obama's Affordable Care Act, has been logging about 2,000 simultaneous users on its website in January, said Carrie Banahan, executive director of the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange. That compares with 600 before the December surge, when "Kynect" topped 33,000 enrollments in private health insurance. Banahan did not release January enrollment figures.
Connecticut enrolled about 36,000 people in private health plans through late December, spokeswoman Kathleen Tallarita said. Since then it has enrolled "in some cases, 500 to 1,000 in a week," which would put it behind 2013's pace. The state will release January enrollment figures on Thursday.
New York also "is seeing an increase in call volume as we approach today's deadline," said Danielle Hollihan, deputy director of New York State of Health, referring to the Jan. 15 cut-off for coverage beginning Feb. 1. New York has been enrolling about 7,000 people per day in private plans and Medicaid in January, she said, compared with a total of about 230,000 from Oct. 1 through late December.
California, whose 500,000 private-plan enrollments through December lead all states, has not released January numbers, but said it continued "to see a tremendous amount of interest."
Data on sign-up activity for HealthCare.gov in the last two weeks was not available.
Virtually every state is trying to pump up enrollment by young adults, since those aged 18 to 34 so far account for only 24 percent of enrollees nationwide, the Obama administration announced on Monday..
The program needs a higher proportion of younger members, who tend to be healthier and, therefore, less likely to need the costliest medical care, to offset expenses for sicker beneficiaries.
On Thursday, Covered California will hold a six-hour extravaganza at YouTube studios in Los Angeles, with a live broadcast of what it calls "a range of viral entertainment geared toward millennials about the importance of getting covered." (Reporting by Sharon Begley; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Gunna Dickson) Reported by Huffington Post 3 days ago.

VSP® Vision Care, the nation’s largest vision benefits provider, and United Benefit Advisors, offer a complimentary webinar, "What You May Not Know About Vision".

Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWEB) January 16, 2014

With more than 80% of American adults requiring some form of vision correction, vision benefits are the most requested benefit after dental insurance, according to VisionWatch a study conducted by the Vision Council in June 2013. United Benefit Advisors and VSP, the world’s largest managed care company with over 60 million members, are hosting a webinar for HR professionals and employers titled, "What You May Not Know About Vision" on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2013 - 2 p.m. ET.

In the face of the Affordable Care Act, the most substantial change in decades to the US healthcare system, many employers are struggling to stay on top of health plan compliance while focusing on attracting and retaining employees, especially as the economy improves. Employee benefits packages that include vision insurance can help employers reach strategic goals, attract and retain employees, control health care costs, and increase productivity.

To register for the "What You May Not Know About Vision" webinar, visit UBA WisdomWorkplace webinars and enter code " UBAVSP " to receive the $149 discount. This webinar has been submitted to the Human Resource Certification Institute to qualify for 1.25 recertification credit hours.

This webinar will show how a vision plan (even if offered as a voluntary benefit) can help employers by:

1. Enhancing the capability to detect chronic conditions early by focusing on employee wellness.
2. Saving your employees’ already constrained post tax dollars on a health service and product.
3. Developing higher productivity in the workplace.

VSP tracks patient data and recently participated in a study to quantify savings for employers to their overall costs for things like productivity and medical costs. Pat McClelland, Vice President of U.S. Commercial Accounts of VSP Vision Care, will reveal these findings and share what you need to know about vision plans to help organizations achieve success with their group health insurance offerings.

About United Benefit Advisors

United Benefit Advisors is the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. As trusted and knowledgeable advisors, UBA Partners collaborate with more than 2,200 fellow professionals to deliver expertise, thought leadership and best-in-class solutions that positively impact employers and make a real difference in the lives of their employees and families. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit UBA online at http://www.UBAbenefits.com.

Media Contact:
Carina Sammartino
FisherVista
csammartino (at) fishervista (dot) com
(650) 477-4839 Reported by PRWeb 3 days ago.

Affordable Lab Testing Helps Consumers Avoid Surprise Bills

Alpharetta, GA (PRWEB) January 16, 2014

ANY LAB TEST NOW®, the first direct access lab testing services business with more than 150 franchise locations across the U.S., has been aligned with and prepared for changes that consumers will begin seeing due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in order to help families with their lab testing needs who have high deductible insurance. ANY LAB TEST NOW is the alternative solution for affordable lab testing for those who may carry Silver or Bronze Level Insurance Plans with high deductibles, hold Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), or are striving to proactively monitor their health in an effort to reduce their healthcare budget.

ANY LAB TEST NOW does not accept insurance. However, utilizing lab testing with ANY LAB TEST NOW can help families avoid surprise bills and unexpected charges because pricing is provided to customers in advance. Combined with affordability, people are empowered more than ever to take control of their health and able to get the lab test results their doctors need to best treat and diagnose them without worrying about cost.

“Only you can be responsible for your health care budget,” said Clarissa Bradstock, acting CEO of ANY LAB TEST NOW. “But doctors can only diagnose and treat you if they’re given accurate and comprehensive information. Our transparent pricing means you know what you’re paying up front and can avoid a surprising, and hefty, bill.”

ANY LAB TEST NOW has a website devoted to guiding customers through the new healthcare landscape. To help families navigate a high deductible insurance plan or health spending account, ANY LAB TEST NOW recommends, among other things, determining levels of health through affordable out-of-pocket lab testing, creating and maintaining a budget to determine how many out-of-pocket expenses families can afford, choosing a health insurance plan wisely and opting to pay for affordable services, like lab testing, out-of-pocket.

To learn more about ANY LAB TEST NOW, visit http://www.anylabtestnow.com.

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About ANY LAB TEST NOW®

Founded in 1992, ANY LAB TEST NOW is a franchise direct access lab testing company that provides thousands of standard lab tests to consumers and businesses in a professional, convenient and cost-effective, transparent manner. With over 150 facilities around the U.S., ANY LAB TEST NOW offers a variety of affordable and confidential lab tests to consumers and businesses including general health and wellness panels, pregnancy, HIV/STD, drug, paternity and many more tests. To learn more about ANY LAB TEST NOW, visit our website or like us on Facebook. Reported by PRWeb 3 days ago.

Ushering in the Age of Healthcare Consumerization

Durham, NC (PRWEB) January 16, 2014

Medlio is proud to announce the launch of its secure digital health insurance card that can be displayed on a smart phone, similar to the e-boarding passes now available for airline flights.

Medlio provides healthcare consumers with immediate access to current insurance information. Everyone can set up an account today and capture an image of their insurance card. Most users will also be able to access real time benefits including progress towards their deductibles and expected copays or coinsurances for various services. Many insurance companies’ benefits are already accessible, and Medlio is working feverishly to add even more who have signed up through the company’s website.

But Medlio is not just building an insurance card app. The company aims to connect patients directly with their doctors and insurance companies all on one simple communications platform. In addition to insurance benefits data, Medlio also currently allows people to easily find doctors and facilities from the app’s provider search functionality. Soon app users will also be able to schedule an appointment, check in, share insurance information and medical forms, get a cost estimate and pay for their visit all with just a few taps on their smart phone.

David Brooks, Medlio co-founder and CEO developed the idea for Medlio after starting and managing a primary care practice for several years. He realized the lack of cost transparency and antiquated billing processes were a critical problem for healthcare consumers as the rise in High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) shift more and more of the healthcare costs onto them.

This year, 66 percent of companies with 1,000 employees or more offered at least one HDHP. That number is expected to jump to 80 percent by next year. According to Towers Watson, by this time next year, one out of every four big employers will only offer HDHPs. “Yesterday’s patients are swiftly becoming tomorrow’s consumers as more of the cost and responsibility of their care falls upon them,” said Brooks. "It’s become critical to simplify and clarify the healthcare check in and payment process. This is a problem both patients and providers desperately need solved now."

“The new medical consumers are taking an active rather than a passive role in their personal healthcare. They expect a better experience,” explained Tiffany Marum, MD, one of Medlio’s first provider customers. “If their expectations are not met, consumers will seek care elsewhere and share their negative experience with others. We expect this app to help us engage our patients in a dialogue about their care.”

"We've received resounding feedback from the healthcare providers who want to better focus on and respond to the needs of their increasingly empowered and mobile healthcare consumers,” Brooks said. “We have a number of providers who’ve signed up and we are working as quickly as possible to get them all onto the system.”

To use the service, patients download the Medlio app from the Apple App Store™ or Google Play® or visit the Medlio website (medl.io). Registration is a quick three-step process. Patients just enter their name, insurance plan, and their primary provider. Medlio then shows real-time health plan benefits information, along with the ability to share insurance details and medical forms data with their providers.

Providers can register with Medlio at medl.io/providers and payers can register at medl.io/payers to signup for the wait list.

To learn more about Medlio, please visit the Medlio Speakeasy, or access information via Twitter, or on Facebook.

About Medlio

Medlio, founded in 2013, builds tools and technology that empower consumers to get involved as never before in the management of their own care. Medlio graduated from the inaugural DreamIt Health accelerator program sponsored by Penn Medicine and Independence Blue Cross. The company’s first tool, a virtual health insurance card, puts the traditional static insurance card— currently the only intersection between patients, providers, and payers—on a single, secure, real-time communications platform. It is a simple, yet sophisticated solution bringing patients from the periphery to the center of healthcare by fostering new attitudes and awareness around healthcare consumption. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People seeking urgent medical could face longer wait times and other challenges as demand increases under Obamacare, U.S. emergency doctors said in a report on Thursday that gives the nation's emergency infrastructure a near failing grade.

In its latest "report card," the American College of Emergency Physicians said such reduced access earned the nation a "D+" -- that's down from the overall "C-" grade from the group's last report in 2009.

Shortages and reduced hospital capacity make it more difficult to access emergency care, the group said. It also warned about the impact on disaster preparedness.

While the report does not measure the actual quality of care provided, it does offer a snapshot of national and state policies affecting emergency medicine as seen by providers.

Washington, D.C., was ranked the highest in the report, earning a "B-" grade, while Wyoming ranked last and was the only state to earn an overall failing grade of "F."

The group's task force looked at scores of measure in five major categories -- access to care, quality and patient safety, liability, injury prevention and disaster preparedness -- and relied on data from the Centers for Disease Control and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, among others.

The report comes just as the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, comes into full effect this year. The 2010 law aims to expand access to health insurance and reduce the nation's healthcare costs, but it has become a political flashpoint amid a troubled rollout of the federal insurance exchange website.

While the physician's report does not factor in all of the effects of the law -- its grades are based on data from early 2013 -- emergency rooms could be used even more as more Americans gain insurance coverage under Obamacare, it said.

Some health experts have predicted that increasing the number of insured patients should reduce pressure on hospital emergency rooms because access to regular doctor care will improve, something that is hoped would prevent chronic conditions from spiraling out of control or help catch other problems before they worsen.

But insurance coverage could also lead those who might have held off going to the emergency room to seek care, said Jon Mark Hirshon, an emergency medicine doctor and researcher at the University of Maryland who oversaw the group's report card.

Newly insured people also may have a hard time finding a regular doctor who accepts their plan, he said.

"On top of that, emergency departments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If I have a primary care provider but it's 9 o'clock at night on a Friday and they're closed, then people come to the emergency department," Hirshon told Reuters.

The group is asking for congressional hearings to probe whether the law puts "additional strains" on emergency rooms.

Already, beds for patients have fallen from a rate of 358 per 100,000 people four years ago to about 330 beds per 100,000 people now, the report said. Wait times have increased to a median of 4.5 hours compared to four hours in 2009.

Despite the dismal U.S. grade given by the group, it noted that policies and infrastructure varied widely by state.

States with the best emergency care include Massachusetts, Maine, Nebraska and Colorado, while Kentucky, Montana, New Mexico and Arizona rounded out the bottom, just above Wyoming.

States are also still grappling with the uninsured. By law, hospitals must provide emergency care regardless of patients' ability to pay. Under Obamacare, states can expand access to Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance plan for the poor.

Data shows that Medicaid patients use emergency rooms as much as other insured patients, but several recent studies have shown that Medicaid patients utilize them more than the uninsured.

One study this month showed Oregon patients given Medicaid through a lottery increased their emergency room use by 40 percent compared to those not offered Medicaid.

"We have to be leaner and more efficient, but it just becomes more and more challenging," Hirshon said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Leslie Adler) Reported by Huffington Post 2 days ago.

The Affordable Care Act includes a provision to bailout the health insurance companies if things don’t work out as expected. “Unless the program is successful in getting young, healthy Millenial’s to sign up we may be facing another government bailout on the scale of that used to bail out the banks in 2008,” says investments management specialist Jeff Voudrie.

Johnson City, TN (PRWEB) January 16, 2014

Whether or not someone agrees with the basic premise of Obamacare, they should know that the entire scheme to insure all Americans is based on a very tricky formula. If insurance companies are going to make any money by participating in Obamacare, they need about four in ten of the people who sign up for coverage to be young and relatively healthy, according to a recent article from Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

If this equation breaks down, as it likely will, many companies could go bankrupt—unless the U.S. government bails them out. Still smarting over the bailout of several mammoth banks in 2008, taxpayers should howl in protest over the next possible use of tax money for several reasons, says investments management specialist Jeff Voudrie, president of Common Sense Advisors.

For starters, it simply increases the gap between the ultra-wealthy and the average American. “The government bailed out the banks from 2008 on and have made the wealthy even wealthier, a boon to the top shareholders that write large campaign checks,” Voudrie noted.

Secondly, it ensures that taxes will not be decreasing anytime soon, given the huge amount of money needed to keep health insurance companies afloat. “Now, Obamacare is going to do the same to the insurance industry. Once again we are going to see big industry bailed out and paid for by the broken backs of the middle-class--the 99%,” Voudrie added. "And overwhelming majority of today's (and tomorrow's) retirees are in the 99%."

Once the average American realizes that this coming bailout is not only already written into law but quite likely to proceed, Voudrie believes that the public will respond forcefully. He cited one tangible way that taxpayers could protest this possibly unlimited financial help to insurance companies, urging all of his readers and clients to sign a petition protesting this hidden provision, which was artfully tucked into the law that approved Obamacare. The hard numbers in the law state that if health insurance companies’ costs became higher than anticipated (an almost sure bet, at present), then the government would cover up to 80% of their losses.

Make your voice heard before it’s too late. The last blow that most people nearing retirement need is another tax increase to pay for a federal program with loads of built-in problems, Voudrie concluded.

A financial services industry veteran with more than 20 years’ experience, Jeff Voudrie is a new breed of private money manager. Using sophisticated electronic monitoring and software, combined with his 20 years’ experience as a money manager, Jeff works with you to create a personal investments management portfolio that reflects your lifestyle goals and risk tolerance. He specializes in stable growth and prudent profits while applying a robust, patented risk management processes. When you work with Jeff, you have the security of knowing that your life savings is getting the attention it deserves.

Jeff Voudrie, a financial planner in Johnson City, TN has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, CBS MarketWatch, The London Financial Times and the Christian Science Monitor. He is a former syndicated newspaper columnist and the author of two ground-breaking books: How Successful Investors Tripled the Return of the S&P 500 and Why Variable Annuities Don’t Work the Way You Think They Work. He accepts a limited number of new clients in his personal investments management practice. He and his wife Julie live with their seven children in Johnson City, TN. He is heavily involved in his local church and has done missionary work in Hungary and Cambodia.

Contact Information:
Common Sense Advisors
105 Keeview Court
Johnson City, TN 37615
877-827-1463
Jeff(at)CommonSenseAdvisors(dot)com Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

STONY BROOK, N.Y., Jan. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Softheon, Inc., a leader of health insurance marketplace integration and business operation, announced today that it will be hosting a live webinar featuring Gartner titled "A Look into What's Ahead In the Era of Health Insurance... Reported by PR Newswire 2 days ago.

The Number One Advantage for Small Businesses is Controllable Costs

Park City, Utah (PRWEB) January 16, 2014

Today, Zane Benefits, the #1 Online Health Benefits Solution, published new information on the Pros and Cons of Defined Contribution.

According to Zane Benefits’ website, small business all over the US are evaluating how to offer employees health insurance coverage, and considering alternative solutions such as "pure" defined contribution. With "pure" defined contribution healthcare, the employer offers employees a healthcare allowance to use on their choice of individual health insurance, instead of offering group health insurance.

Zane Benefits outlines some of the pros and cons for businesses taking this approach to healthcare.

Pros for Small Businesses: The four main pros of defined contribution for small businesses are: controllable costs, more time, tax savings, and employee recruiting and retention.

Pros for Employees: The three main pros of defined contribution healthcare for employees are: cost savings, choice of plans, and plan portability.

Cons for Small Businesses: The two main perceived cons for small businesses are a change in how benefits are administered and limited tax benefits for some owners.

Cons for Employees: The two main perceived cons for small businesses are that employees pay directly for their policy and are then reimbursed and that change of any kind is hard.

Click here to read the full article.

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About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits, the #1 Online Health Benefits Solution, was founded in 2006 to revolutionize the way employers provide employee health benefits in America. We empower employees to take control over their own healthcare, while helping employers recruit and retain the best talent. Our online solutions allow small and medium-sized businesses to successfully transition to a health benefits program that creates happier employees, reduces costs and frees up more time to serve their customers. For more information about ZaneHealth, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

State Health Insurance Marketplaces Boost Outreach Efforts Reported by ajc.com 2 days ago.

Sound Benefit Solutions, Insurance Services announces the creation of a new agency site at http://www.soundbenefits.net/. With features such as an on-site glossary, informational resources on health care reform and human resources, and individual health and life benefits, Sound Benefit Solutions, Insurance Services’ new site focuses on various kinds of insurance coverages including San Francisco employee benefits and is designed with insurance consumers in mind.

San Ramon, CA (PRWEB) January 17, 2014

Sound Benefit Solutions, Insurance Services has a long standing reputation of delivering affordable and comprehensive employee benefits. The agency has a commitment to keep the insurance buying experience simple. As a demonstration of that commitment, Sound Benefit Solutions, Insurance Services has launched a completely redesigned, interactive site.

The new project was specifically dedicated to provide a more extensive source of insurance resources and services for prospects and current clients. In-depth information for the insurance buyer can be obtained through the useful articles and an in depth insurance glossary shared on the site. These resources give answers to life, health, employee benefits insurance customer's most commonly asked questions.

The new site has been totally redesigned to improve the visitors’ ability to find what they're seeking, regardless of their knowledge of insurance. The website features a modern look and streamlined site navigation. It is more intuitive and very easy to get an employee benefits consultation. In addition to the capability to submit quotes, visitors can also find advice on human resources compliance, information on health care reform and guidance on group health insurance. Visitors are encouraged to visit the News Center to get the latest health care reform news.

The site is designed to provide insurance shoppers the ease of doing business that the internet has to offer, but still maintain the personalized service the insurance agency has been providing for a long time. Visit the site at http://www.soundbenefits.net/ to find out more. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

California Gov. Jerry Brown announced his new budget last week, almost 50 years to the day after the nation's highest officials undertook a decidedly ambitious effort to radically reduce inequality in America. When President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an unconditional war on poverty, he created public investment programs intended to lift the poorest among us in ways that would ultimately serve the larger society's and economy's interests. The anniversary strikes a chord because California certainly needs a war on poverty today.

Over the past five years, poverty has increased significantly in California, to the point that the incidence of poverty in our state is the highest in the nation (24 percent, according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which takes into account living expenses such as rent, clothing and food).

One in four of our state's children is living in poverty. Yes, the job market is slowly recovering, but one in three single mothers is barely making ends meet. That's because as recently as 2012, women's employment gains lagged behind those of men, and the jobs available to single mothers are often part-time and minimum- or low-wage. The result is that in California, women, especially women of color and immigrant women, are disproportionately living in poverty. Shamefully, our poverty rate is growing at seven times the rate of the nation's poverty rate.

Yet Gov. Brown did not declare a war on poverty. Why not? The national war on poverty was a success. From 1964 to the early 1980s, this bipartisan endeavor, launched by President Johnson and then expanded by President Richard Nixon, included public investments in early childhood development programs, health insurance programs for the elderly and the poor, cost-of-living increases in Social Security benefits, food stamps for needy families, and affirmative action programs in hiring. These programs sharply reduced the worst impacts and rates of poverty for the elderly, children and families.

The problem is that it didn't go far enough. In recent decades, based largely on conservative claims, starting in the late 1970s, that these social investments had created a welfare state in America, the federal government has significantly reduced its active commitment to poverty reduction and upward mobility for the nation's most vulnerable people.

California's staggering poverty rate reflects similar disinvestment. California once had a good system of safety net programs that was proven to be successful in helping people move out of poverty. Unfortunately, over the last 30 years, particularly since the Great Recession, those programs, such as CalWORKs (California's welfare-to-work program) and subsidized childcare for working mothers, have been severely cut. Meanwhile, wages have stagnated for all but the wealthiest Californians. According to the California Budget Project, between 1987 and 2010, more than three quarters of the total income gains in California went to just the top 10 percent of taxpayers.

Much of today's poverty is rooted in structural inequalities that systematically preclude upward mobility for most women and children, racial minorities, immigrants and seniors. Robust public programs and innovative private ventures that invest in families help dismantle the systems that make it almost impossible for impoverished families to get access to the tools of upward mobility, such as higher education and well-paying jobs that allow for asset building. For example, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that a sustained increase of $3,000 annually has been linked to a 17-percent increase in annual earnings when economically vulnerable children reach adulthood.

After devastating budget deficits, we are now in a position to recommit to public investments. We recognize the importance of Proposition 30, proposed by Gov. Brown and supported in 2012 by the people of California, which has led to our projected budget surplus of $3.2 billion. We commend Gov. Brown and the legislature for last year's work of raising the minimum wage and raising the CalWORKs cash assistance grant by 5 percent. But given the fact that California is one of the most expensive states in the nation, these actions are simply not enough to reverse the trend of increased impoverishment that shortchanges individual families of a chance to do well and robs our state of talent. The governor's proposed budget offers very little to those families living in extreme poverty.

As California regains fiscal solvency, we can't leave out our state's poorest. We must seize this real opportunity in California to declare a new war on poverty by investing a larger portion of our budget surplus in a way that allows us to A) support high-functioning safety net programs that sustain families during periods of unemployment and enable them to afford basic necessities, and B) build a workforce development system that trains people with lower incomes for good jobs in the future.

Doing so will put us back on course to lessening inequality and strengthening California and, in turn, our country.

Judy Patrick is President and CEO of the Women's Foundation of California. Henry A. J. Ramos is President and CEO of the Insight Center for Community and Economic Development. Reported by Huffington Post 20 hours ago.

The majority of the more than 2 million Americans who signed up for health insurance under ObamaCare through the end of December previously bought their own coverage or were enrolled in employer-sponsored plans, The Wall Street Journal reports. Reported by FOXNews.com 13 hours ago.

Following an article published by The Wall Street Journal, CFO Consulting Services, a leading CFO services company, details a new tax on small business.

Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) January 18, 2014

Lawrence Teicher, founder of CFO Consulting Services, a leading CFO services company, responds to an article published by The Wall Street Journal on December 29, which details a new insurance tax that takes effect this year.

According to The Wall Street Journal article titled “A Large New Tax on Small Business,” ObamaCare gave birth to a new tax on January 1st, which places a levy on health insurance premiums and targets small businesses. The article says the new tax is “larger than ObamaCare’s taxes on medical devices and prescription drugs combined.”

While the IRS identifies this tax as a “fee,” the article says it works more like an excise tax on premiums. Unfortunately, only large businesses that employ over 500 workers and are self-insured are exempt from this tax, meaning most small businesses and self-employed individuals will have to pay.

Lawrence Teicher, founder of CFO Consulting Services, a leading CFO services company, advises small business owners to prepare this season by analyzing the new healthcare tax laws set forth by the Affordable Care Act. “ObamaCare has placed some new financial burdens on small businesses,” he says. “Higher insurance costs inflated by ObamaCare could ultimately slow the hiring process in many small businesses. This could be detrimental to productivity, profit and the economy. Business owners must make sure they are correctly budgeting for the anticipated increase in medical insurance premiums. If they need extra help estimating how much they will have to pay, they should consult their employee benefits advisor, a CPA or part time CFO. Given the uneven implementation of Obamacare and the constant changes being made by the Executive Branch, the full impact will not be clear for some time."

CFO Consulting Services, LLC provides outsourced, part-time CFO services on an as-needed basis to both small and mid-sized businesses located in the NY metropolitan region. Founded by Long Island CPA and financial expert Lawrence Teicher, CFO Consulting Services follows four main principles: independence, objectivity, competence and confidentiality. These core values have led its clients to achieve lasting success in their businesses. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.

A conscientious watch dog of government actions, Ed Knight had a question during discussions about county employee health insurance coverage. Reported by Harrison Daily 13 hours ago.