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The Fatty Liver Bible And Ezra Protocol Review – How To Cure Fatty Liver Effectively– Vinaf.com

January 20, 2014, 12:11 am
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The Fatty Liver Bible And Ezra Protocol is a useful program that teaches people how to cure fatty livers naturally and effectively. An overview on the website Vinaf.com shows if the program is helpful for people to use.

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) January 20, 2014

The Fatty Liver Bible And Ezra Protocol was made by Debra Elkin, a health consultant, who suffered from her fatty liver for many years. The program is a 5-step and holistic system that enables people to cure their fatty livers. Many people in the world have used the program since it was released. Therefore, the website Vinaf.com tested and has reported an overview.

The full overview on the website Vinaf.com indicates that The Fatty Liver Bible And Ezra Protocol helps users treat fatty liver issues without drugs, pills. With the program, people will know exactly kinds of food which harm to their livers. The program offers a list of healing foods which support the body in regenerating liver tissues. Besides, the creator shows users a precise guide to remove toxic from the body. Furthermore, customers will receive 4 helpful bonuses from the program. These bonuses are the Boost Your Metabolism AndPeel The Fat Off book, the Natural Detox book, the Nostrum Of Herbal Remedies book and the Back Door To The Health Insurance System book.

Maria from the website Vinaf.com comments: “Thanks to The Fatty Liver Bible And Ezra Protocol, people with fatty liver will stay healthy and enjoy life. The program guides customers on how to take exercises on the right way to get a healthy liver. Besides, people will discover a deadly mistake made by most sufferers in treatment process. Moreover, users get not only a good health but also a fit body. Purchasing the program, customers will get a 60-day money back guarantee if they are not happy with the results.

If people want to get pros and cons of the product, they should visit the website: http://vinaf.com/fatty-liver-bible-ezra-and-protocol-review/

If people want to know more information about the overview of the product, get a direct access to the official site:
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About Maria: Maria is an editor of the site Vinaf.com. She provides people with many trustable reviews on health. People can send any question and feedback to her on any digital product via email. Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.
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Experient Health Kicks Off 2014 Living Well Blog Series With Squash Soup, Cervical Cancer and Shopping On A Budget

January 20, 2014, 12:11 am
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The Richmond, Va.-based health insurance firm uses the Blog to educate the community on living well to stay well as a method of preventative care.

Richmond, Va. (PRWEB) January 20, 2014

The Live Well Blog series on the Experient Health web site kicked off 2014 by giving advice on cervical cancer screenings, how to grocery shop on a budget and tips on how to make a savory winter squash soup.

Experient Health, the health insurance arm of the Virginia Farm Bureau, launched its Live Well Blog series in 2013 as a way to educate the community about how to live a more healthy and engaging lifestyle. The goal? Help individuals and families more easily find healthy living tips and apply them to their days.

Healthy living means healthier people which is, Experient Health wrote, a method of preventative medicine.

The cervical cancer screenings post defined cervical cancer and described the tests used to screen for it.

"Cervical cancer is highly preventable in the United States because of screening tests and an HPV vaccination," Experient Health wrote. "When cervical cancer is found early, it is highly treatable and has high survival rates."

The shopping for groceries on a budget post gave several tips on how to better plan and shop for food ans save money.

"Start the new year off right with this nourishing soup made from fresh, cost-effective seasonal winter vegetables," Experient Health wrote in its Savory Squash Soup post. "This delicious dinner will taste extra savory when you know that healthy eating and bargain buys are among the best decisions you can make over the next 12 months."

Follow these and other Live Well Blog posts here.

About Experient Health:

For years, Experient Health, a Virginia Farm Bureau company, has helped people find the right insurance coverage and get the most for their health care dollars. The Richmond, Va.-based group is dedicated to providing high quality health insurance options to customers in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. As a result, its consultants, with an average of more than 20 years experience, are intimately familiar with the states’ provider networks, products and regulations.

Representing the top national insurance carriers, Experient Health provides customers with multiple policy options designed to meet wellness needs and financial requirements.

Experient Health grew out of Virginia Farm Bureau and is a “hometown agency” in that it operates a network of more than 100 offices. However, it boasts the resources and technology of larger firms.

Consultants are available online, via phone and through their offices.

Learn more at http://www.experienthealth.com, utilize the online health insurance quote calculator or contact a consultant directly at 855.677.6580. Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.
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Study Reveals About Half of Country's Psychiatrists Don't Accept Health Insurance

January 20, 2014, 5:18 pm
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Just as more and more attention is being paid to the importance of mental health care, a new Weill Cornell Medical College study reveals that access to psychiatrists is decreasing. Reported by NY1 28 minutes ago.
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Personal Accident and Health Insurance in India, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2017

January 20, 2014, 7:08 am
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LONDON, Jan. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportbuyer.com just published a new market research report:Personal Accident and Health Insurance in India, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2017SynopsisThe report provides industry analysis, information and insights into the Indian personal accident... Reported by PR Newswire 11 hours ago.
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Flu is Widespread in NY, Protect Yourself Today

January 20, 2014, 7:03 am
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The Healthy Living Center will offer public flu clinic on Wednesday, January 22 from 4-8 p.m. The Healthy Living Center is a partnership between the Capital District YMCA, CDPHP, and Hannaford Supermarkets.

Albany, NY (PRWEB) January 20, 2014

If you haven’t gotten the flu shot, it’s not too late. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting widespread flu activity throughout New York State. Because the influenza vaccine is your best line of defense, the Healthy Living Center is hosting a flu clinic inside the Hannaford Supermarket at 900 Central Avenue in Albany, NY.

The clinic is scheduled for Wednesday, January 22 from 4 – 8 p.m. No appointments are necessary. Walk-ins are welcome. The vaccination is covered by most insurance plans, including CDPHP, with no copay.

While you’re there, take a tour of the Healthy Living Center. The Center offers the community a variety of programs that support healthy living and wellness, as well as assistance with health insurance needs. The Center represents a unique partnership between the Capital District YMCA, CDPHP, and Hannaford Supermarkets.

The Healthy Living Center offers a variety of free classes that support health living, such as Zumba, prenatal yoga, nutrition seminars, group exercise classes, and more. Register for a class today.

About Capital District YMCA
The Capital District YMCA is one of the 35 largest YMCA associations in the country and one of the largest membership-based community service organizations in the capital region. The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits, strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Y nurtures the potential in children and teens, improves the nation’s health and well-being, and provides opportunities to give back and support neighbors. For more information, visit http://www.CDYMCA.org or call 518.869.3500.

About CDPHP
Established in 1984, CDPHP is a physician-founded, member-focused and community-based not-for-profit health plan that offers high-quality affordable health insurance plans to members in 24 counties throughout New York. CDPHP is also on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 183 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. All Hannaford stores feature Guiding Stars, America’s first storewide nutrition navigation system, and most stores have full-service pharmacies. Hannaford employs more than 26,000 associates. Additional information can be found at http://www.hannaford.com. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
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North Carolina Health Insurance for Families from GetNCHealthInsurance

January 20, 2014, 7:29 am
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GetNCHealthInsurance.com is a full-service North Carolina Health Insurance provider offers special family health insurance with added benefits. This family health insurance offers coverage for medical expenses right from the day of policy purchasing.GetNCHealthInsurance.com is a full-service North Carolina Health Insurance provider offers special family health insurance with added benefits. This family health insurance offers coverage for medical expenses right from the day of policy purchasing.

Family Health Insurance Plan is a form of health insurance that is intended for your entire family. You can achieve coverage for your complete family members under a single insurance coverage. Every family member gets protection of the total sum covered by insurance. The best advantage is that since it is a single insurance plan, hence you need to just pay one premium. It therefore turns out to be less expensive than individual insurance.

North Carolina Family Health Insurance from providers like Blue Cross and Blue Shield is an important form of financial security in recent times. But a majority of people take into consideration buying health insurance not until they or a loved one falls severely ill. Furthermore, the cost of quality healthcare is growing every day. If an individual gets stuck up in a situation associated with medical emergency he might have to spend all his hard-earned lifetime savings to meet all kinds of treatment expenses. This is a situation where North Carolina Health Insurance Plans can prove to be quite effective.

Family Health insurance plan that GetNCHealthInsurance.com offers are provided by genuine providers with access to more that 1000+ network medical centers all over the country. This insurance covers all expenses incurred during hospitalization of the insured individual.

About GetNCHealthInsurance.com

GetNCHealthInsurance.com offers an insurance cover especially developed for individual and family, according to which an individual can avail coverage for maternity expenses under the OPD expenses group.

GetNCHealthInsurance.com is partnered with an authorized agent, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC), the largest supplier of insurance plans in NC.

For additional info on various insurance plans and quotes, please visit: http://www.getnchealthinsurance.com/.

Company Contact Information
GetNCHealthInsurance
Gary Smith

News and Press Release Distribution From I-Newswire.com Reported by i-Newswire.com 10 hours ago.
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The Pot is Calling the Kettle Black in This Feigned Obamacare Outrage

January 20, 2014, 8:01 am
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Knowing I've been both a critic of insurance company practices and a supporter of efforts to reform the industry, a FOX news producer reached out last week to get my take on accusations by conservatives that Obamacare will actually result in a bailout of big insurance companies.

Under the headline, "Bailing Out Health Insurers and Helping Obamacare," The Weekly Standard on Monday urged Republicans to insist that future debt ceiling increases contain a no-bailout provision. The magazine also cited Sen. Marco Rubio's, R-Fla., bill to repeal a provision of the Affordable Care Act designed to limit potential initial losses of insurers selling policies on the new health insurance exchanges.

I reminded the FOX producer that Republicans have been supporting -- and vigorously defending -- a much more expensive transfer of taxpayer dollars to private insurers than the one Obamacare foes are now concerned about.

Here's the issue:

Lawmakers who drafted the Affordable Care Act knew that insurers would be reluctant to participate in the new health insurance exchanges -- also called marketplaces -- if the government didn't create a temporary program to protect them against what's known in the insurance world as adverse selection.

Insurers were concerned, for good reason, that the first people to sign up for coverage through the exchanges would be folks previously shut out of the insurance market -- people who were older and sicker than the population at large. Those people couldn't afford to buy coverage previously because insurers were able to charge them far more than younger, healthier people.

In many cases, insurers refused to sell coverage at any price to prospective customers with preexisting conditions. That's a big reason why the number of uninsured Americans had reached nearly 50 million when Congress passed the reform law.

So it wasn't the least bit surprising that the first few million who have signed up for coverage since the exchanges opened on Oct. 1 skew older than many expected. People who have been denied coverage for years are far more motivated to get insurance -- and fast -- than anyone else. There is not the same pent up demand among the young and healthy.

In anticipation of this, drafters of the reform law established a $25 billion risk fund to insulate insurers from big losses during the first three years. Although the risk fund has always been in the law, conservative pundits apparently just became aware of it.

Yes, $25 billion is a lot of money, but it is pocket change compared to the enormous amount of taxpayer dollars that have been flowing to private insurance companies for nearly three decades to keep them in the Medicare Advantage program, which has had the unwavering support of Republicans.

Republicans have long supported efforts to privatize Medicare, and the Medicare Advantage program is one of the ways they've tried to do it. Medicare Advantage is billed as a private alternative to traditional Medicare. When Americans reach 65, they can enroll in traditional Medicare or in a private plan operated by an insurer. If they opt for a private plan, the federal government still picks up the tab and transfers money to the private insurer every month.

As the U.S. Government Accountability Office explains it, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) adjusts the monthly payments it sends to private insurers to account for each beneficiary's health status. As part of this risk adjustment process, CMS assigns each Medicare Advantage beneficiary a risk score -- "a relative measure of expected health care costs," as the GAO puts it.

We're talking a lot of money here. In 2012 alone, the GAO calculated that the federal government spent about $135 billion on the Medicare Advantage program. The problem for taxpayers is that, according to the GAO, the government has been more than generous over the years to private insurers, having paid them way more than it should have because of shortcomings in how the risk scores are developed.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, there was no mention of that, or any reference at all to the Medicare Advantage program, the biggest champion of which are Republicans, in The Weekly Standard's "bail-out" story last week. If they are sincere in their alarm that Obamacare might reward private insurers with an extra $25 billion between now and the end of 2016, they should be apoplectic about the ongoing bailout known as the Medicare Advantage program. Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.
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The Pot Is Calling the Kettle Black in This Feigned Obamacare Outrage

January 20, 2014, 9:47 am
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Knowing I've been both a critic of insurance company practices and a supporter of efforts to reform the industry, a FOX news producer reached out last week to get my take on accusations by conservatives that Obamacare will actually result in a bailout of big insurance companies.

Under the headline "Bailing Out Health Insurers and Helping Obamacare," The Weekly Standard on Monday urged Republicans to insist that future debt ceiling increases contain a no-bailout provision. The magazine also cited Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-Fla.) bill to repeal a provision of the Affordable Care Act designed to limit potential initial losses of insurers selling policies on the new health insurance exchanges.

I reminded the FOX producer that Republicans have been supporting -- and vigorously defending -- a much more expensive transfer of taxpayer dollars to private insurers than the one Obamacare foes are now concerned about.

Here's the issue:

Lawmakers who drafted the Affordable Care Act knew that insurers would be reluctant to participate in the new health insurance exchanges -- also called marketplaces -- if the government didn't create a temporary program to protect them against what's known in the insurance world as adverse selection.

Insurers were concerned, for good reason, that the first people to sign up for coverage through the exchanges would be folks previously shut out of the insurance market -- people who were older and sicker than the population at large. Those people couldn't afford to buy coverage previously because insurers were able to charge them far more than younger, healthier people.

In many cases, insurers refused to sell coverage at any price to prospective customers with preexisting conditions. That's a big reason why the number of uninsured Americans had reached nearly 50 million when Congress passed the reform law.

So it wasn't the least bit surprising that the first few million who have signed up for coverage since the exchanges opened on Oct. 1 skew older than many expected. People who have been denied coverage for years are far more motivated to get insurance -- and fast -- than anyone else. There is not the same pent-up demand among the young and healthy.

In anticipation of this, drafters of the reform law established a $25-billion risk fund to insulate insurers from big losses during the first three years. Although the risk fund has always been in the law, conservative pundits apparently just became aware of it.

Yes, $25 billion is a lot of money, but it is pocket change compared to the enormous amount of taxpayer dollars that have been flowing to private insurance companies for nearly three decades to keep them in the Medicare Advantage program, which has had the unwavering support of Republicans.

Republicans have long supported efforts to privatize Medicare, and the Medicare Advantage program is one of the ways they've tried to do it. Medicare Advantage is billed as a private alternative to traditional Medicare. When Americans reach 65, they can enroll in traditional Medicare or in a private plan operated by an insurer. If they opt for a private plan, the federal government still picks up the tab and transfers money to the private insurer every month.

As the U.S. Government Accountability Office explains it, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) adjusts the monthly payments it sends to private insurers to account for each beneficiary's health status. As part of this risk adjustment process, CMS assigns each Medicare Advantage beneficiary a risk score -- "a relative measure of expected health care costs," as the GAO puts it.

We're talking a lot of money here. In 2012 alone, the GAO calculated that the federal government spent about $135 billion on the Medicare Advantage program. The problem for taxpayers is that, according to the GAO, the government has been more than generous over the years to private insurers, having paid them way more than it should have because of shortcomings in how the risk scores are developed.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, there was no mention of that, or any reference at all to the Medicare Advantage program, the biggest champion of which are Republicans, in The Weekly Standard's "bailout" story last week. If they are sincere in their alarm that Obamacare might reward private insurers with an extra $25 billion between now and the end of 2016, they should be apoplectic about the ongoing bailout known as the Medicare Advantage program. Reported by Huffington Post 8 hours ago.
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UnitedHealthcare Joins The Horton Group Health Insurance Private Exchange

January 20, 2014, 7:49 am
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The Horton Group announced today that UnitedHealthcare of Illinois will join Horton’s private exchange. In October 2013, The Horton Group was one of the first brokers nation-wide to launch their private health insurance exchange, offering a competitive marketplace where individuals and small businesses are able to purchase affordable private health insurance coverage.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 20, 2014

The Horton Group announced today that UnitedHealthcare of Illinois will join Horton’s private exchange. In October 2013, The Horton Group was one of the first brokers nation-wide to launch their private health insurance exchange, offering a competitive marketplace where individuals and small businesses are able to purchase affordable private health insurance coverage.

“As brokers, we are conscious that businesses need health insurance solutions that provide employees with: choice, ease of use and a high-quality buying experience in a model that is cost effective for the employer,” said Kenneth R. Olson, President of Horton Benefit Solutions. “We are excited to have UnitedHealthcare, a premier carrier, as an option within our private health insurance exchange suite. UnitedHealthcare offers a wide array of health plans and ancillary options that benefit the mid-size employers with more than 100 employees. This fits perfectly in our model.”

The Horton Group’s private exchange emphasizes simple solutions for both employers and employees. Employers have the option to extend benefits with third party health services and ancillary product providers. Employees have access to a 24/7 self-service web portal and live guidance from licensed health care specialists.

“Our single platform incorporates a cost control mechanism that gives our customers more control when determining total benefits spending,” said Olson. “Employers can shift employees to a fixed cost, defined contribution strategy to reduce annual renewal increases. They can also use decision support services to prevent penalties while delivering essential minimum benefits.”

The Horton Group’s exchange is designed to reduce employers’ workload through simplified policy management, billing, cross-functional chargebacks and reconciliation. It will improve efficiency by integrating data from carriers, HRIS, payroll and other vendors.

“Essentially, our private exchange is a win-win solution for the employer and employee,” said Olson.

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About The Horton Group

Founded in 1971, The Horton Group is one of the largest privately held insurance brokers in the country, ranking fifth in the metro Chicago market. Horton employs a model that focuses on driving down cost and workload for its clients. Horton’s unique combination of service capabilities and business excellence gives their clients real solutions to complex issues. Horton’s tools, techniques and talent come together to form their aggressive, growth-oriented culture of quality. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
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ISED Ventures Announces "Operation Outreach" to Educate Thousands on Affordable Care Act Programs

January 20, 2014, 8:08 am
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In partnership with the Iowa Insurance Commission, Iowa non-profit ISED Ventures hopes to educate Iowans on the new health plans available through the federally sponsored healthcare.gov insurance exchange.Operation Outreach will harness the power of word of mouth in a "Boots on the Ground" campaign to reach people who need health coverage. In partnership with the Iowa Insurance Commission, Iowa non-profit ISED Ventures hopes to educate Iowans on the new health plans available through the federally sponsored healthcare.gov insurance exchange.

"Having health insurance is one of the building blocks of financial independence. Families without health insurance can be just one health crisis away from financial ruin. "For Iowans, this issue is critical", says ISED President, Mike Tramontina.

The goal is to ensure that Iowans without health coverage enroll before the open enrollment deadline of March 31, 2014. Through a combination of targeted advertising, personal contacts, and social media, Operation Outreach, is expected to reach an estimated 55,000 Polk County residents, many of those being uninsured.

Des Moines Residents will soon be seeing Operation Outreach messages in every DART bus and at selected bus shelters. Community Conversations will be held at public, accessible locations throughout the metro. Trained assisters will be encouraging people to tell at least one more person about ACA (i.e. influencing the influencers)

Iowans have a history of helping their friends, neighbors and communities. Members of the press and the community are invited to attend an informational kick-off meeting on January 22, 2014, at 7pm at Faith Missionary Baptist Church. Assisters will be on hand to answer questions about ACA programs, and supporters of Operation Outreach will be available for interview.
Contact:
Ini Augustine
SocialWise Media Group
ini@getsocialwise.com
1-800-343-4864

Company Contact Information
SocialWise Media Group
2829 Westown Parkway Ste 220
50265
8003434864

News and Press Release Distribution From I-Newswire.com Reported by i-Newswire.com 10 hours ago.
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The Shriver Report and Access to Breast Cancer Care

January 20, 2014, 10:02 am
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Maria Shriver's report this past week on the economic crisis plaguing American women reinforces what those of us who work with vulnerable women see every day. By "vulnerable," I mean women without insurance, without enough insurance, or without financial resources to access the health care system. Their plight is even more desperate when they are trying to access care because of a lump they've just discovered in their breast.Shriver's report is crucial to understanding a wide range of issues of vital importance to the women, families and future of this nation. To me, two lines in this report sum up key messages: "Access to affordable health care is essential to women's economic security and well-being;" and "Leave out the women, and you don't have a full and robust economy. Lead with the women, and you do."At Susan G. Komen, we work with low-income and uninsured women in thousands of communities across the country. Getting them the services they need has been a priority for our organization for all of our 32 years. And so it is enormously disheartening, in this day and age, to see women in our country at one of our free mammogram clinics with breast tumors that are likely to be advanced cancer -- even some with tumors breaking through their skin. Had their cancers been detected earlier, they might have had more options or perhaps a better prognosis.We don't know all of the reasons why women delay seeking care, but we have good anecdotal insights. Fear and denial certainly play a role -- some think that ignoring the problem may make it go away. As a practicing physician, I unfortunately saw that all too often.But economics, especially among women, is likely the overriding issue. As Shriver's report notes, a third of American women are living at or near poverty levels. Many are single working mothers. And women hold 62 percent of minimum-wage jobs, where taking a sick day could mean the end of the job. Those who don't qualify for Medicaid, and who don't have insurance, are told to bring the money for their procedures to the clinic ahead of time. The $200 that a mammogram might cost could pay for food for the family, forcing these moms to make tough choices. As a result, too many women delay seeking help.Unfortunately, with cancer, the longer the wait, the fewer the options.The economic impact of this unequal access to breast cancer care is considerable: the C-Change organization estimates we can save at least $674 million annually in direct medical costs alone by reducing the disparities in breast cancer access and treatment. This is money spent on the expensive, prolonged therapies that late-stage disease often requires. C-Change estimates at least another $116 million in indirect costs of these disparities in terms of lost wages and productivity.Members of our Scientific Advisory Board estimate that we could reduce breast cancer death rates by a third if everyone had access to and utilized high-quality cancer care. That translates to roughly 12,000 women and men who might otherwise survive.I'm hopeful that some of these roadblocks will be reduced through the Affordable Care Act, which will make health insurance available to more women living on the brink, offer mammograms without a copayment, and may result in women accessing health care early enough to make a difference in their outcomes.As the Shriver report points out, expanding access to Medicaid services would also help substantially, although only about half of the states have expanded their programs. This is why we at Komen have included expanded Medicaid access as one of our advocacy priorities for 2014. We also will continue efforts to preserve the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program that provides screenings for low-income and uninsured women, and we'll advocate for other measures, such as oral chemotherapy legislation that can make cancer treatment more affordable and convenient for all women.President Obama will be using findings from the Shriver report to inform a summit on working families this spring. We hope that women's access to quality health care is high on the summit agenda. In the meantime, we're grateful to Maria Shriver for spurring the national conversation on the economic challenges of women in our nation.If you need breast health services and can't afford them, please contact Komen's national helpline at 1-877-GO-KOMEN (1-877-465-6636) or contact a local Komen Affiliate. You can find a Komen Affiliate in your area at this link. Reported by Huffington Post 8 hours ago.
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Estimate: 10-20% of Obamacare 'Enrollees' Will Be Dropped for Non-Payment

January 20, 2014, 1:13 pm
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Health insurance industry expert Bob Laszewski says between 70-85 percent of Obamacare "enrollees" have paid their first month's premium. When insurers finally close their books he anticipates 10-20 percent will have their policies voided for failure to pay.

We've known for weeks that the enrollment figures offered by the Obama administration weren't really enrollment figures. HHS counts anyone who placed a plan in their online shopping cart as enrolled even though insurance companies don't count someone as enrolled until they pay their first premium. We also learned that those who don't pay will have their applications voided and need to start the process over again. What we haven't know is how many people would follow through and how many would be back to square one.

In a post published Sunday on his blog, insurance expert Bob Laszewski writes "The carriers I talked to at the end of last week report that anywhere from a low of 70% to a high of 85% of new enrollees have paid so far." We have already passed the deadline for payment but Laszewski says some insurers are giving people additional time to make payments. That leads him to estimate "there will be an overall 10% to 20% final attrition rate due to non-payment of premium."

HHS reported that 2.2 million people had enrolled for private plans as of December 28th. Using Laszewski's estimate, that means between 220,000 and 440,000 people will be dropped for non-payment. Either way the actual enrollment through the end of December would be under 2 million.

The remainder of Laszewski's post is about a related issue. How many of the 2.2 million "enrollees" were previously insured versus newly insured. Laszewski points to a Wall Street Journal report over the weekend which found that just 11 percent were newly insured. This leads to a big question which Laszewski believes has the Obama administration "sweating bullets" about election day, "While we needed to do health insurance reform, why did we have to do it in a way that so disrupted the existing individual and small group market if the people it was supposed to benefit, the uninsured, weren't going to buying it?"

 
 
 
  Reported by Breitbart 5 hours ago.
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Zane Benefits Publishes New Tips on Reducing Small Business Health Insurance Premiums

January 20, 2014, 1:12 pm
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Small Businesses Facing Sticker Shock with ObamaCare Premium Rates in 2014

Park City, Utah (PRWEB) January 20, 2014

Today, Zane Benefits, the #1 Online Health Benefits Solution, published tips on reducing health insurance premiums for small businesses.

According to Zane Benefits’ website, many small businesses are facing sticker shock with 2014 small group health insurance premium rates and ObamaCare.

Zane Benefits offers six tips for small business owners and HR professionals to reduce health insurance premiums in 2014.

1. Educate employees to get the most value out of the health benefits

2. Encourage preventive care and wellness

3. Focus on the benefits employees care most about

4. Transition to a Consumer-Directed Health Plan (CDHP)

5. Increase cost-sharing

6. Transition to a Pure Defined Contribution Plan

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 5 hours ago.
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Scheme That Obamacare Critics Call An Insurer Bailout Is Really A Deliberate Subsidy Of Them. Why The Distinction Matters

January 20, 2014, 2:35 pm
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Government policies designed to offset the financial losses that the health insurance companies will incur in Obamacare are being labeled a bailout. But these schemes are really a planned subsidy. The cost anomalies that they're designed to mitigate weren’t a consequence of a bumpy rollout but a deliberate feature of the law. Reported by Forbes.com 3 hours ago.
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New White Paper from Media Logic Debunks Myth of Empowered Health Care Consumer, Details Opportunities for Health Care Marketers

January 21, 2014, 7:36 am
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Instead of feeling empowered, consumers are anxious and hungry for guidance. Payers and providers willing to take the lead have opportunities to set a new standard for health care marketing... and attract new business.

Albany, NY (PRWEB) January 21, 2014

As Affordable Care Act (ACA) changes roll out, many consumers are confronting health care options that are profoundly different from what they have been used to. Although it is very common to hear mention of “the empowered health care consumer,” most are not in the health care marketplace by choice and lack the resources they need to be effective shoppers and buyers. In fact, they may not yet have enough knowledge to understand what kinds of information and access would be most helpful.

As a result, instead of feeling empowered, they are anxious and hungry for guidance. Payers and providers willing to be disrupters have opportunities to set a new standard for health care marketing. And while becoming leaders in their regions and in the industry, they position themselves to attract new business and achieve customer loyalty.

David Schultz, president of Media Logic, has authored a white paper on these health care industry trends – and the marketing opportunities they present. The free paper – “Meet the New Health Care Consumer: Reluctant. Anxious. Looking for help!” – is available here. It offers perspective on how the industry arrived at this new marketplace and explains how payers and providers can take the lead, including specific steps they can take across the consumer/customer experience.

Key insights include:

-- health care trends that are shifting costs to consumers, including dramatic increases to deductibles and employers beginning to get out of the health insurance business;

-- what payers and providers can do to earn consumer trust and create brand affinity in the new marketplace, including embracing price and quality transparency; and

-- how to optimize the customer experience throughout the entire process of researching, finding, securing and using both care and coverage.

It is only a matter of time before the new health care consumers, who are presently anxious and ill-equipped to make retail-like decisions about their health, actually become empowered shoppers and buyers. For the “new health care marketers” – those payers and providers willing to disrupt themselves – there are significant gains to be made leading the way.

The complimentary paper includes:

-- anecdotes from large employers (Wendy’s, UPS, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens and Home Depot, for example) about changes to the health care coverage they’re providing;

-- a brief history of the origins of employer-sponsored insurance;

-- examples of pricing information consumers may access for the first time;

-- perspectives on and examples of price transparency and quality transparency (what’s required, what’s actually happening); and

-- steps for the “new health care marketer” to take, including evaluating and enhancing the consumer/customer experience across the continuum.

About David Schultz: David Schultz, founder and president of Media Logic, has been working with payers and providers for more than 20 years and, with the help of colleagues, has consistently launched innovative and award-winning marketing strategies. David has studied PPACA extensively and uses his expertise to frame the law’s marketing implications for Media Logic’s clients.

About Media Logic: With more than 20 years of health care experience, Media Logic is a proven leader in health care marketing. The firm has helped leading hospitals and health plans stay on top of the Affordable Care Act’s impact on the health care landscape and its implications to payer/provider marketing. Reported by PRWeb 19 hours ago.
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How Quickly We Forget What Health Care Was Like

January 21, 2014, 7:46 am
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In this day and age of 24-hour news cycles and Twitter and cell phones, we seem to be living in a fast paced version of NOW. Stories and events change so quickly that we sometimes forget the past, and therefore are prone to repeat it.

Case in point: health care. I have heard politicians from the right like Speaker John Boehner make statements about how Obamacare is destroying the "greatest health care system in the world." Really? I remember in the not too distant past, HMOs and other health insurance companies were not too popular with the public. Our TV and movie culture reflected that.

I was binge watching The Sopranos last week, and came across a 2007 episode where Tony Soprano was in the hospital after getting shot. A pretty woman walks into his room and asks how he is, and in his usual flirty way he says: "Good, now." He asks who she is and she says that she represents his health insurance company. She says: "We are trying to get you home." He says: "I just had surgery for a gunshot wound, and you want to discharge me?" She says he is lucky to have insurance after they did a "wallet biopsy" and found his card. If not, he would have been sent to County Hospital down the street. Needless to say, Tony kicks her out of his room.

Lest we forget, this is how HMOs worked in the past. In and out to save money with more regard for the almighty dollar than the patient. And God help you if you didn't have insurance. You were destined to get inferior treatment.

Another cultural example I witnessed of the disdain for HMOs was expressed in the 1997 movie, As Good As It Gets. Helen Hunt has a son with asthma and she gets a notice from her insurance company that it won't cover all of his medication. She cries out "F***ing HMO," which elicited a cheer, obviously touching a nerve of sympathetic recognition from the movie audience in the theater.

Visionary Michael Moore's 2007 documentary film, Sicko chronicles many of the ills of the Health Insurance world at that time. What struck me the most was hearing a woman physician executive who worked for an HMO testify to Congress how horrible she felt about having to deny potential customers coverage:

[Linda Peeno speaking before Congress]
My name is Linda Peeno. I am here primarily today to make a public confession: In the Spring of 1987, as a physician, I denied a man a necessary operation that would've saved his life, and thus caused his death. No person, and no group has held me accountable for this, because in fact, what I did was I saved a company a half a million dollars for this. And for the more, this particular act secured my reputation as a good medical director, and it insured my continued advancement in the health care field. I went from making a few hundred dollars a week as a medical reviewer, to an escalating six-figure income as a physician executive. In all my work, I had one primary duty, and that was to use my medical expertise for the financial benefit for the organization which I worked. And I was told repeatedly that I was not denying care, I was simply denying payment. I know how managed care maims and kills patients. So I am here to tell you about the dirty work of managed care. And I'm haunted by the thousands of pieces of paper in which I have written that deadly word -- "denied."
Another part of the film shows a woman in a hospital gown wandering around outside the hospital after being denied coverage.

It is obvious from these examples that something needed to be done to reform health care in this country. Is it such a bad thing for the government to step in and regulate companies to prohibit such unfair practices? Who else is going to do it?

Because of the Affordable Care Act, an HMO can no longer deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition, can no longer impose time limits on plans and can no longer cause customers to lose their insurance if they are fired or get sick. Youths can stay on their parent's plan until they are 26.

Sure there are bugs to be worked out, like the website and getting young people enrolled, and folks getting their insurance dropped because they are on "junk plans" that don't really serve their members. But, I believe these problems will be corrected.

Already close to six million more people are getting insured that weren't able to before because of subsidies and Medicaid. This is not an easy process. But we have to remember how far we have come and we must never go back to those bleak days of profit over human life. Maybe someday we can become "the greatest health care system in the world," but we must all work together to achieve that goal. Reported by Huffington Post 19 hours ago.
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Law affects those with insurance thru work too

January 21, 2014, 8:43 am
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[...] recent government figures show job gains, not losses. The idea is that patients who have to satisfy a $1,000 deductible before insurance coverage starts will shop around for the best deal on the MRI their doctor ordered. Overall, the federal law could raise the total cost of an employer-sponsored health plan from 1 percent to 5 percent, said Tracy Watts, a senior partner with the human resources consultant Mercer. [...] costs could rise if your coverage has to be adjusted to meet a minimum value set by the law or if your employer winds up covering more people. The overhaul also requires coverage of a list of benefits considered essential, including things like mental health treatments and pediatric dental and vision care. The law may prompt some companies to drop coverage for their part-time workers and send them to public health insurance exchanges. The 2018 tax that is motivating companies to adjust their health insurance plans also is prompting them to narrow the list of drugs they cover, said Dr. Steve Miller, chief medical officer for Express Scripts Holding Co., the nation's largest pharmacy benefits manager. [...] most people can now get flu shots or fill birth control prescriptions with no out-of-pocket costs because of an overhaul provision that makes it easier for people to get preventive care. For years, employers have tried to control medical costs by offering voluntary wellness programs that reward workers for participation. T-shirts and gym memberships progressed to discounts on employees' share of insurance premiums if workers kept their cholesterol levels low or their weight down. Reported by SeattlePI.com 18 hours ago.
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5 things to know about health law and job benefits

January 21, 2014, 8:43 am
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Five things to know about how the health care overhaul affects people who get their insurance coverage through work. The law requires companies with 50 or more workers to offer their full-time staff — defined as 30 hours a week or more — health insurance. A tax on high-cost health plans begins in 2018, but many companies already are starting to trim benefits to ahead of the tax. Most health plans are required to cover several forms of preventive care without charging patients an upfront cost like a co-payment. The law may prompt some companies to drop coverage for their part-time workers and send them to public health insurance exchanges. Reported by SeattlePI.com 18 hours ago.
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The Fate of Obamcare Is Not in the Hands of Millenials

January 21, 2014, 9:26 am
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Very serious people are very worried. They are very worried that millennials won't sign up for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), causing the whole bill to crumble in a "death spiral." This "death spiral" theory has caused a "war of the inane ad" to win over the Millennial generation, a war that has been widely lampooned for its absurdity (because most ads are so sane and reasonable). And the recent Obamacare enrollment numbers caused more very serious concerns.

But the entire problem, like many of the problems very serious people identify, is entirely mythical.

The idea behind the "death spiral" is deceivingly simple. Health insurance at its most basic involves paying into a pool of money and then taking out when you need care. People who are young are less likely to need care than people who are old. That is, they are less likely to draw from the pool than older people. Normally this would be fixed by the fact that people pay different premiums based on their likeliness of falling ill. However, the ACA regulates how much insurance can discriminate when setting premiums, creating an adverse selection problem. Those who are most likely to need insurance are more likely to get insurance than those who aren't as likely to need it. If large numbers of young invincibles decide to opt-out of the system, then the "goes ins" will be less than the "goes outs," causing the pool to collapse.

The theory sounds simple and intuitive. But it suffers from some flaws. First, young people may feel invincible, but they are still courting bankruptcy if they choose to go without insurance. Humans are risk averse (which is why insurance exists in the first place) and thus weigh the small chance of a very frightful possibility (bankruptcy) and are likely to err on the side of caution. Second, not getting insurance entails a penalty, a small one certainly, but a penalty for which the young person receives nothing. Third, most young people aren't super-rich, and they are therefore eligible for subsidies.

But the real problem is that while the ACA regulates premiums, it isn't so onerous that insurers cannot adjust their rates to reflect the fact that young people tend to be healthier. The Kaiser Family Foundation found, "Enrollment of young adults is important, but not as important as conventional wisdom suggests since premiums are still permitted to vary substantially by age." Instead, it is healthy people of all ages that need to sign up. The ACA prevents insurance companies from using gender or health condition to set rates. It also limits the ratio that companies can vary rates based on age, meaning that young adults will pay slightly more than their fair share.

How do they know? They ran a simulation estimating the effect on the market if young people (between the age of 18 and 34) made up 25% of the enrollees. This is essentially what's happening right now, young people make up 24% of enrollees. That's low, 50% below their share of the potential market, but according to the analyisis, not catastrophic. They cite two reasons. First, young people tend to sign up late, and 58% express a desire to covered in 2014. Second, even if this scenario holds, "overall costs in individual market plans would be about 2.4% higher than premium revenues." Insurers would have to raise premiums, but "a one to two percent premium increase would be well below the level that would trigger a 'death spiral.'"

The real question, the authors argue, is, "From the perspective of keeping insurance premiums stable, how enrollment is distributed by health within each age group is, in fact, more important, since premiums cannot vary at all by health status under the ACA. In other words, the goal is to enroll healthy as well as sick young adults, and also healthy older adults." The reason is that insurance companies can still charge you a higher premium if you are young than if you are old. Since they can't ask about your pre-existing conditions, it won't be as easy to adjust premiums based on an individual's healthiness.

There are also built-in mechanisms to prevent "death spiral," like "risk corridors" and "risk adjustment" and "reinsurance." Long-story short: if not enough young, healthy people sign up, the government will pick up part of the tab, preventing a spiral. Do insurers think they'll get enough premiums to cover their costs? Yes, and they have what Nassim Taleb calls, "skin in the game."

So, we millennials have to get over ourselves. We don't hold the fate of the ACA in our palms. The ACA will depend on healthy people of all ages signing up, which makes the "death spiral" theory harder to swallow. A young person may go without health insurance knowing that if worst comes to worst, they can fall back on their parents. A middle-aged person, even a healthy one, has to worry about her family. So the ACA isn't entirely out of the woods yet, but the Obama administration can certainly relax knowing that the success of his signature program doesn't depend on a fantastically bad advertising campaign. Reported by Huffington Post 17 hours ago.
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Rep. Louie Gohmert Would Rather Pay Obamacare Fine Than Have Health Coverage

January 21, 2014, 9:46 am
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Rep. Louie Gohmert Would Rather Pay Obamacare Fine Than Have Health Coverage Rep. Louie Gohmert Would Rather Pay Obamacare Fine Than Have Health Coverage
Politics

Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, says his health insurance was canceled when Obamacare was rolled out and his options in the state marketplace are so expensive he’s better off not buying coverage.

“Other people are going to see what I did when I looked into health insurance for my wife and me: that the deductible rate, it doubled, about $3,000 to $6,000, and our policy was going to go from about $300 to about $1,500 a month,” Gohmert said during a local radio interview Sunday. “I actually don’t have insurance right now, so thank you very much, Obamacare.”

For months, Gohmert has said that he wouldn’t accept special government subsidies available to lawmakers. If he did, he would have a monthly premium of about $600.

“I lost my health care. I liked it OK, but I didn’t get to keep it,” Gohmert said. “I couldn’t afford to go up four or five times what I was paying and double my deductible, and so I’m better off with just setting money aside for health care and paying the penalty.”

Without coverage, the 60-year-old Congressman and his 59-year-old wife, Kathy Gohmert, could be taking a huge risk.

His aides did not disclose whether he receives free outpatient care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center or other Washington-area military facilities, which is free to all members of Congress. His wife would not be eligible.

“By not obtaining insurance, you are just rolling the dice, gambling that you are not going to get sick or going to get hit by a car,” Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute, told the Dallas Morning News. “Most financial advisers and most independent experts would say it’s a wise move to obtain insurance and basically a no-brainer if you have an employer who is willing to kick in about 70 percent of the cost of your premium.”

Sources: NBC News, TheBlaze, Dallas Morning News

1 Reported by Opposing Views 17 hours ago.
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