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Michigan Insurance Agency, Schafer Agency, Offers Tips to Local Residents for National Wise Health Care Consumer Month

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Local insurance agency releases tips to help consumers become more educated about health care and medical products.

Carleton, MI (PRWEB) February 06, 2014

Schafer Agency, a local independent insurance agency in Michigan, is releasing important tips to help educate health care consumers in honor of National Wise Health Care Consumer Month. The agency believes that all individuals should be as educated as possible when it comes to medical products and health care.·     Individuals should completely understand their health insurance plans. This includes knowing exactly what they are and are not covered for, which doctors accept their plans, and other basic information. Consumers are encouraged to contact their insurance agent for answers to all of their health insurance questions, or to learn more about their coverage options.
·     Take care when choosing a health care provider. Try to find as much information as possible about the doctor and practice. Asking for recommendations from friends or searching online for reviews are both great ways health care consumers can make better decisions about their physicians.
·     Especially if individuals are seeing more than one doctor, it’s a good idea to keep lists of all medications being taken to prevent any complications caused by mixing different drugs.
·     Patients are encouraged to ask questions about any medications that they are prescribed by a medical professional. It’s important to understand why these medications have been chosen, as well as any necessary directions and precautions.
·     Be sure to schedule routine preventative medical exams and follow-up with any recommended tests or treatments. Postponing medical examinations can often lead to more serious health problems as well as larger medical costs.
·     When problems arise, it is important for individuals to act as an advocate for themselves. The best way to do this is to have questions prepared ahead of time. Don’t hesitate to ask for a second opinion and always be sure to tell the truth to doctors and other medical professionals.

Schafer Agency is dedicated to serving the individuals, families, and businesses across Michigan. The team hopes to spread awareness and empower health care consumers to be as educated as possible. For more information on health insurance, other insurance options, or answers to any related questions, call Schafer Agency at 888-590-0075.

About Schafer Agency:

Established in 1926, Schafer Agency strives to provide peace of mind to individuals, families, and businesses throughout Michigan. The agents believe in creating long term business relationships with their customers through excellent customer service and customized insurance packages. From the agency’s three office locations, the team is constantly focused on fulfilling the various needs of their clients across the state. Interested individuals and companies are encouraged to visit Schafer Agency’s website to learn more about their insurance options. Reported by PRWeb 3 days ago.

Obamacare Fact Check: Republicans Overlook Key Points In CBO Report

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By CALVIN WOODWARD, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — New estimates that President Barack Obama's health care law will encourage millions of Americans to leave the workforce or reduce their work hours have touched off an I-told-you-so chorus from Republicans, who've claimed all along that the law will kill jobs. But some aren't telling it straight.

The analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts the law will give several million people an opportunity to work less or not at all, because they won't be stuck in jobs just for the sake of keeping the health insurance they get from employers. To some Republicans, that amounts to "wreaking havoc on working families," ''dire consequences for workers" and a shower of pink slips across the land — conclusions unsupported by the report.

The study estimates that the workforce will be reduced by the equivalent of 2.3 million full-time workers by 2021 as people choose to leave it. More would take early retirement, work fewer hours or otherwise rearrange their work-home balance to take advantage of new subsidies for health insurance and new markets for individual policies that don't depend on having a job.

In a key point overlooked in the GOP response, the report says, "The estimated reduction stems almost entirely from a net decline in the amount of labor that workers choose to supply, rather than from a net drop in businesses' demand for labor."

In other words, workers aren't being laid off. They are taking themselves out of the workforce, in many cases opening job opportunities for others.

As if recognizing that fellow Republicans were getting a bit overheated, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, House Budget Committee chairman, introduced a reality check when questioning Douglas Elmendorf, budget office director, during a hearing Wednesday. "So just to understand this, it's not that employers are laying people off, it's that ... people aren't working in the workforce, aren't supplying labor," he posited.

"That is right," Elmendorf replied.

A look at some of the Republican claims and how they compare with the facts:

SEN. MARCO RUBIO of Florida: "Just yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office found that Obamacare will cost millions of Americans their jobs."

REP. JOHN KLINE of Minnesota: "The president's health care law is destroying full-time jobs. ... This fatally flawed health care scheme is wreaking havoc on working families nationwide."

REP. PHIL GINGREY of Georgia: Obamacare creates "unprecedented uncertainty for job creators that, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, will leave millions of people looking for work in the next few years."

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THE FACTS: No one knows whether the health care law will turn out to be good or bad for jobs and the economy. Everything is guesswork, however educated the guess.

The budget office, generally respected by both sides but not infallible, predicts some elements of the health care law will help job growth and other parts will hurt it.

On the plus side, for example, it expects lower-income people to have more money to spend because more of them will have their health insurance partially or fully paid for by government under the law. On the negative side, Elmendorf told Ryan's committee that in the short run, the law would increase employers' costs for their workers and reduce the number of people they hire. Over time, this could put downward pressure on wages, he said.

But those effects, good and bad, are expected to be modest. Of more consequence is the expectation that millions will take themselves voluntarily out of the labor force because they can afford to.

The budget office forecast that over the next several years, there will be plenty of unemployed people available to fill those jobs. But over the longer term as the economy improves, the supply will shrink, and because of that, total employment and the number of hours people work will be less than it would have been without the health care law.

A smaller workforce means fewer people producing goods and services, which translates into slower economic growth. The CBO report also forecasts that an aging population will cause more Americans to retire, further reducing the workforce. That's the main reason it expects growth to average roughly 2.5 percent over the next 10 years, below its long-run pace of about 3 percent.

Some Republicans picked their words more carefully than others in reacting to the report.

House Speaker John Boehner, for example, said the report backs up Republican arguments that Obamacare "hurts take-home pay," a plausible point as far as it goes. Ryan said the availability of health insurance subsidies will be a disincentive to find work, a claim supported by the study.

But the predicted withdrawal from the labor market is no more a killer of jobs than today's surge of retirements by baby boomers entering old age. If anything, it could open job opportunities for people who can't get in the workforce now.

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Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.

EDITOR'S NOTE _ An occasional look at political claims that take shortcuts with the facts or don't tell the full story Reported by Huffington Post 3 days ago.

Tiger-Consulting’s 175+ Enterprise Clients with 1,000+ Employees Across Asia to Benefit (and Save) from Simplified Employee Healthcare via Partnership with Pacific Prime

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Tiger-Consulting has partnered with Pacific Prime to simplify the process by which the consultancy coordinates health insurance coverage for Asia employees of its 175+ enterprise clients in Information Technology (IT), telecom, social networking, finance, pharmaceuticals, travel, recruitment and hospitality. The HR and Payroll Outsourcing firm, which also offers PEO (Professional Employer Organization) Services, currently supports 1,000+ employees on behalf of its customers with satellite operations across Asia Pacific.

(PRWEB) February 06, 2014

Asia-based Tiger-Consulting, which supports satellite operations for 175+ enterprises across Asia-Pacific with cost-effective HR and payroll outsourcing, has formed a strategic partnership with Pacific Prime, which offers locally compliant insurance solutions for individuals and families worldwide. The new alliance enables Tiger-Consulting to streamline the process by which it coordinates health insurance coverage for its customers’ employees in Asia.

“Our enterprise clients—most based in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia—stand to benefit from our partnership with Pacific Prime. Typically, we’ve worked with several insurance companies to provide enterprise staff in Asia with the best coverage possible on budget. Pacific Prime enables us to furnish quality policies across the entire region at a savings for our clients.”

With 14+ offices across Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, Tiger-Consulting serves as the “man on the street” providing enterprise HR, payroll and business support throughout Asia-Pac. The firm’s 175+ enterprise clients (many household names) span industries including IT, telecom, social networking, finance, pharmaceuticals, travel, recruitment and hospitality.

“At Pacific Prime, we specialize in providing businesses with locally compliant health insurance solutions worldwide. While Tiger-Consulting enables enterprises to more easily expand to new markets with support across Asia-Pac, we aim to further streamline their operations with quality coverage options throughout the region, which benefits the firm as well as their clients,” said Pacific Prime Business Development Director, Nathan Robertson.

About Tiger-Consulting
Founded by an American Expatriate with 40+ years of HR and payroll management expertise, Tiger-Consulting is committed to making expansion and management of satellite operations easier for international businesses. The HR, Payroll and Employment Outsource Firm supports operations for 175+ enterprise clients that have (or want to have) 1-100 employees in Asia-Pac. Tiger-Consulting has offices and experienced teams in 14+ countries across Asia including Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Through strategic partners, the firm also offers local client support across Europe, South America and other key markets.

About Pacific Prime
Pacific Prime specializes in providing it's clients with local coverage no matter where in the world they are located. Since 2000 Pacific Prime has partnered with over 80 insurers to provide over 100,000 individuals, families and businesses with insurance policies that provide coverage both at home and abroad. Pacific Prime works with the best insurers around to word to ensure coverage in over 190 countries globally. Customer service is a focus at Pacific Prime, and the advice, services and quotations offered by our experienced agents is free of charge. Find out more about the insurance that Pacific Prime provides at http://www.PacificPrime.com.

### Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

Continuity of Health Care: Going, Going... Almost Gone!

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We have heard the promises as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was being sold to the public, including -- you can keep your doctor and insurance if you like it. We now know those promises to be mostly false as the ACA enters its fifth year of implementation.

Under the guise of "competition" and "efficiency," the ACA has unleashed a new round of disruption throughout the health care system. We are seeing further fragmentation of care, with less continuity of care with patients' physicians. The physician-patient relationship itself is at risk in a "system" increasingly headed for strangers taking care of strangers.

More than one-half of U.S. physicians are no longer self-employed and now work for organizations, mostly growing hospital systems but also some insurers that are moving into the delivery side of health care. Two examples illustrate the new landscape:

• Several hundred patients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) recently received certified letters informing them that they could no longer see their physicians. The reason: their insurance, Community Blue, sold by Highmark, is now both a rival hospital system and an insurer. Patients were cut off from their UPMC physicians even in the middle of cancer therapy. (1)

• United Health Group Inc. is the biggest player in the Medicare Advantage market with almost three million members and 350,000 physicians in its networks. In recent months it has dropped thousands of these physicians from its networks in at least 10 states. At Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, for example, some 2,500 current cancer patients will have to switch plans or find other physicians. (2)

A previous Health Care Disconnects post has described how patients are losing choice of physician and hospital through narrowing networks. (3) People can be in or out of a network at a moment's notice, a dynamic that almost certainly seems to be driven by money -- how can the insurer make more money by ridding its network of higher-cost physicians and patients.

Continuity of care, especially with a primary care physician, has been and should be the foundation of the physician-patient relationship. It facilitates coordination of care by other physicians and providers. But that continuity is now being split apart by market forces from all sides -- mergers and consolidation of hospital systems, business decisions of insurers, instability created by evolving accountable care organizations, shortage of primary care physicians, and the lack of inter-operability of electronic medical records, for starters. The challenge of how to coordinate and integrate health care in such a chaotic system increases by the day.

As the supposed signature domestic success of the Obama administration, we have already found that keeping your own physician and insurance plan is difficult, if not impossible. We will soon also find that health care is not more affordable, less expensive, or better with the ACA.

It is ironic that much of this could have been fixed before this latest round of health care "reform" kicked in with the ACA in 2009. Under a single-payer financing system, as embodied in An Improved and Expanded Medicare for All (H.R. 676), we could have a simplified, more efficient, not-for-profit public financing system coupled with a private delivery system, assuring all Americans with a comprehensive set of benefits and full choice of physician and hospital. President Obama recognized this as early as 2003 in this speech to the Illinois AFL-CIO:
I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care program... (applause)... I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, spending 14 percent of its Gross National Product on health care [now 18 percent] cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody... A single payer health plan, a universal health care plan. And that's what I'd like to see. But as you all know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, and we have to take back the House.
So much for talk, as he and his Democratic administration failed to follow through and deal with the corporate power of the medical-industrial complex. As we know, president Obama rejected single payer as "too disruptive" before negotiations started for reform, abandoned the public option during negotiations, and gave corporate market stakeholders even more opportunities to profit at patients' and taxpayers' expense.

The quest for profits under a business "ethic" of maximizing profits to owners and shareholders reigns over the implementation of the ACA, with no letup in sight. Don't count on electronic medical records to solve the continuity and integration problem -- many of these systems are customized to each institution, so that they don't talk well to each other.

Meanwhile, the patient-physician relationship, the traditional foundation of medical practice where continuity of care over years enables the best communication of needs within the narrative of patients' lives, is endangered. It can be rebuilt, but the trends resulting from the ACA are not promising.

*Suggested Reading:*
1. Brown, T. Out of network, out of luck. New York Times, October 15, 2013.

2. Beck, M. United Health culls doctors from plan. Wall Street Journal, November 16, 2013: B1.

3. Gimlett, DM. Narrow networks: less choice, more cost shifting. Health Care Disconnects, posted September 12, 2013. Reported by Huffington Post 2 days ago.

Zane Benefits Publishes New Information on HRAs, HSAs and FSAs in 2014

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Health Reform Changes Rules and Regulations for Medical Reimbursement Programs

Park City, Utah (PRWEB) February 06, 2014

Today, Zane Benefits, the #1 Online Health Benefits Solution, published a new information on HRAs, HSAs and FSAs in 2014.

According to Zane Benefits’ website, the Affordable Care Act (known as ACA, ObamaCare, or health reform) was signed into law in 2010 and impacts many areas of health care and health insurance, including medical reimbursement programs such as Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).

According to Zane Benefits’ website, the changes started in 2011. Beginning January 1, 2011, over-the-counter (OTC) medications are no longer eligible for reimbursement from an FSA, HSA, or HRA, unless obtained with a prescription (except for insulin). Also as of 2011, the excise tax for non-qualified HSA withdrawals doubled from 10% to 20%. As of January 1, 2013, Health FSA employee salary reduction contributions limited to $2,500 per plan year.

As of January 1, 2014, health reform and the related regulations further impact different types of HRAs. Integrated HRAs, retiree HRAs, and one-person stand-alone HRAs are generally compliant, however stand-alone HRAs (with two or more participants) are generally not compliant in 2014.

According to Zane Benefits’ website, for employers using a stand-alone HRA, one solution is to adopt a limited Healthcare Reimbursement Plan (HRP). The HRP is a limited-purpose Section 105 medical reimbursement plan structured to only reimburse health insurance premiums and is designed to comply with health reform.

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.

Arkansas' Medicaid Expansion Plan At Risk As Midterm Elections Near

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' plan for expanding Medicaid by buying private insurance policies for the poor instead of adding them to the rolls was heralded as a model for convincing more Republican-leaning states to adopt a key part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

But now, as Republican lawmakers face election season and step up attacks on what they deride as Obamacare, the state that pioneered the private option is on the brink of abandoning it. The plan has lost two supporters in the Senate, leaving backers worried that they won't have enough votes to keep it alive after the Legislature convenes Monday. Rejecting the program could jeopardize the state's budget and reverberate through other states considering similar options for expanding Medicaid as the federal government wants. 

 "The ramifications are way beyond Medicaid and they're way beyond the people who would now go uncovered and they're way beyond the hospitals that would be severely impacted," Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, told reporters. "The ramifications are huge, and the Legislature will have to figure that out."

Narrowly approved by the Republican-led Legislature last year, Arkansas' plan uses federal money to purchase the private insurance for those newly eligible under the new health care law. Republicans believed private insurers would administer the benefits more efficiently than the Medicaid program, which they consider bloated. Republicans also saw it as a step toward finding more options around Medicaid. 

 "Prior to Arkansas you had two options: expand Medicaid or don't," said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. "With Arkansas going to the table, other states saw there's now a third option." 

More than 83,000 people signed up and now have coverage through Arkansas' plan. Thousands more are expected to enroll.

Other states have pursued similar compromises, with Iowa receiving federal approval for an expansion modeled in part on Arkansas and Pennsylvania exploring a similar plan. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, wants to expand Medicaid and is considering Arkansas' approach. Overall, 26 states have agreed to expand Medicaid while the rest, mostly Republican-dominated, have not.

In winning approval, Beebe compared the expansion to federal highway funding, saying that Arkansas taxpayers help pay for it so they should benefit.

But the takeover of a vacant state Senate seat by a Republican who vowed to kill the private option and a reversal by a former Republican supporter have threatened the thin margin of support.

Republican John Cooper, the new member, and others have said they don't believe the state can afford the 10 percent share it will eventually have to pay under the new federal law.

"I think it's going to be more detrimental to our state in the long term," Cooper said.

The Republican fire aimed at the health overhaul has also intensified as the 2014 elections approach.

"I now see it is leading us in the wrong direction," said Republican Sen. Missy Irvin, an earlier supporter who has changed her position.

Beebe, who has ramped up his speeches and private lobbying in an attempt to save the program, said that losing more than $915 million in federal funding for the expansion would be calamitous for the budget. He said the state is also counting on spending $89 million less to compensate hospitals for treating patients without insurance, and that the lost savings could mean serious cuts in other state priorities.

Human Services Director John Selig warned of damage to the state insurance market.

"If the private option goes away, I think you could see carriers leave Arkansas and you could see insurance rates rise for everyone," Selig said.

Republican opponents are skeptical of the consequences.

"That money wasn't there when we grew government, and I think we'd be ok if we cut it back," Sen. Bart Hester said earlier this month.

The suspense about the expansion's future has rattled some of those who have signed up for the coverage.

Lori Latch, 35, said she was looking forward to having health insurance for the first time since she was a teenager. She and her husband, who is self-employed, have racked up more than $5,000 in bills for emergency room visits.

"Financially, hopefully it's going to mean that we're not going to be in debt anymore," said Latch, 35. "I can't get a car or anything because of medical bills."

Health experts are watching to see whether Arkansas' decision affects other states weighing a similar expansion.

"I do think it would have national repercussions if it were defunded," said Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families. "I think a lot of it will come down to the perception why it happened and we'll just have to see how it plays out."

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Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo Reported by Huffington Post 2 days ago.

28 Signs That The Middle Class Is Heading Towards Extinction

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Submitted by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog,

The *death of the middle class in America has become so painfully obvious* that now even the New York Times is doing stories about it.  Millions of middle class jobs have disappeared, incomes are steadily decreasing, the rate of homeownership has declined for eight years in a row and U.S. consumers have accumulated record-setting levels of debt.  Being independent is at the heart of what it means to be "middle class", and unfortunately the percentage of Americans that are able to take care of themselves without government assistance continues to decline. * In fact, the percentage of Americans that are receiving government assistance is now at an all-time record high.  *This is not a good thing.  Sadly, the number of people on food stamps has increased by nearly 50 percent while Barack Obama has been in the White House, and at this point nearly half the entire country gets money from the government each month.  Anyone that tries to tell you that the middle class is going to be "okay" simply has no idea what they are talking about.  The following are 28 signs that the middle class is heading toward extinction...

*#1* You don't have to ask major U.S. corporations if the middle class is dying.  This fact is showing up plain as day in their sales numbers.  The following is from a recent New York Times article entitled "The Middle Class Is Steadily Eroding. Just Ask the Business World"...



In Manhattan, the upscale clothing retailer Barneys will replace the bankrupt discounter Loehmann’s, whose Chelsea store closes in a few weeks. Across the country, Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants are struggling, while fine-dining chains like Capital Grille are thriving. And at General Electric, the increase in demand for high-end dishwashers and refrigerators dwarfs sales growth of mass-market models.

 

As politicians and pundits in Washington continue to spar over whether economic inequality is in fact deepening, in corporate America there really is no debate at all. The post-recession reality is that the customer base for businesses that appeal to the middle class is shrinking as the top tier pulls even further away.



*#2* Some of the largest retailers in the United States that once thrived by serving the middle class are now steadily dying.  Sears and J.C. Penney are both on the verge of bankruptcy, and now we have learned that Radio Shack may be shutting down another 500 stores this year.

*#3* Real disposable income in the United States just experienced the largest year over year drop that we have seen since 1974.

*#4* Median household income in the United States has fallen for five years in a row.

*#5* The rate of homeownership in the United States has fallen for eight years in a row.

*#6* In 2008, 53 percent of all Americans considered themselves to be "middle class".  In 2014, only 44 percent of all Americans consider themselves to be "middle class".

*#7* In 2008, 25 percent of all Americans in the 18 to 29-year-old age bracket considered themselves to be "lower class".  In 2014, an astounding 49 percent of them do.

*#8* Incredibly, 56 percent of all Americans now have "subprime credit".

*#9* Total consumer credit has risen by a whopping 22 percent over the past three years.

*#10* The average credit card debt in the United States is $15,279.

*#11* The average student loan debt in the United States is $32,250.

*#12* The average mortgage debt in the United States is $149,925.

*#13* Overall, U.S. consumers are $11,360,000,000,000 in debt.

*#14* The U.S. national debt is currently sitting at $17,263,040,455,036.20, and it is being reported that is has grown by $6.666 trillion during the Obama years so far.  Most of the burden of servicing that debt is going to fall on the middle class (if the middle class is able to survive that long).

*#15* According to the Congressional Budget Office, interest payments on the national debt will nearly quadruple over the next ten years.

*#16* Back in 1999, 64.1 percent of all Americans were covered by employment-based health insurance.  Today, only 54.9 percent of all Americans are covered by employment-based health insurance.

*#17* More Americans than ever find themselves forced to turn to the government for help with health care.  At this point, 82.4 million Americans live in a home where at least one person is enrolled in the Medicaid program.

*#18* There are 46.5 million Americans that are living in poverty, and the poverty rate in America has been at 15 percent or above for 3 consecutive years.  That is the first time that has happened since 1965.

*#19* While Barack Obama has been in the White House, the number of Americans on food stamps has gone from 32 million to 47 million.

*#20* While Barack Obama has been in the White House, the percentage of working age Americans that are actually working has declined from 60.6 percent to 58.6 percent.

*#21* While Barack Obama has been in the White House, the average duration of unemployment in the United States has risen from 19.8 weeks to 37.1 weeks.

*#22* Middle-wage jobs accounted for 60 percent of the jobs lost during the last recession, but they have accounted for only 22 percent of the jobs created since then.

*#23* It is hard to believe, but an astounding 53 percent of all American workers make less than $30,000 a year in wages.

*#24* Approximately one out of every four part-time workers in America is living below the poverty line.

*#25* According to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, an all-time record 49.2 percent of all Americans are receiving benefits from at least one government program each month.

*#26* The U.S. government has spent an astounding 3.7 trillion dollars on welfare programs over the past five years.

*#27* Only 35 percent of all Americans say that they are better off financially than they were a year ago.

*#28* Only 19 percent of all Americans believe that the job market is better than it was a year ago.

As if the middle class didn't have enough to deal with, now here comes Obamacare.

As I have written about previously, Obamacare is going to mean higher taxes and much higher health insurance premiums for middle class Americans.

*Not only that, but millions of hard working Americans are going to end up losing their jobs or having their hours cut back thanks to Obamacare.*  For example, a fry cook named Darnell Summers recently told Barack Obama directly that he and his fellow workers "were broken down to part time to avoid paying health insurance"...

And the Congressional Budget Office now says that Obamacare could result in the loss of 2.3 million full-time jobs by 2021.



Several million people will reduce their hours on the job or leave the workforce entirely because of incentives built into President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday.

 

That would mean job losses equal to 2.3 million full-time jobs by 2021, in large part because people would opt to keep their income low to stay eligible for federal health care subsidies or Medicaid, the agency said. It had estimated previously that the law would lead to 800,000 fewer jobs by that year.



But even if we got rid of Obamacare tomorrow that would not solve the problems of the middle class.

The middle class has been shrinking for a very long time, and something dramatic desperately needs to be done.

*The numbers that I shared above simply cannot convey the level of suffering that is going on out there on the streets of America today. * That is why I also like to share personal stories when I can.  Below, I have posted an excerpt from an open letter to Barack Obama that a woman with a Master's degree and 30 years of work experience recently submitted to the Huffington Post.  What this formerly middle class lady is having to endure because of this horrible economy is absolutely tragic...



Dear Mr. President,

 

I write to you today because I have nowhere else to turn. I lost my full time job in September 2012. I have only been able to find part-time employment -- 16 hours each week at $12 per hour -- but I don't work that every week. For the month of December, my net pay was $365. My husband and I now live in an RV at a campground because of my job loss. Our monthly rent is $455 and that doesn't include utilities. We were given this 27-ft. 1983 RV when I lost my job.

 

This is America today. We have no running water; we use a hose to fill jugs. We have no shower but the campground does. We have a toilet but it only works when the sewer line doesn't freeze -- if it freezes, we use the campground's restrooms. At night, in my bed, when it's cold out, my blanket can freeze to the wall of the RV.

 

We don't have a stove or an oven, just a microwave, so regular-food cooking is out. Recently we found a small toaster oven on sale so we can bake a little now because eating only microwaved food just wasn't working for us. We don't have a refrigerator, just an icebox (a block of ice cost about $1.89). It keeps things relatively cold. If it's freezing outside, we just put things on the picnic table.



You can read the rest of her incredibly heartbreaking letter right here.

*This is not the America that I remember.*

*What in the world is happening to us?* Reported by Zero Hedge 2 days ago.

Friday Talking Points -- Freedom From Job Lock

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Americans across the land are banding together to solve one of the country's most pressing problems, it seems: demanding that Justin Bieber be deported!

Sadly, you just can't make this stuff up, folks. Senator Mark Warner has now chimed in on this important issue, and there's now a petition up on the White House website asking President Obama to give Bieber the boot back to Canada.

In other names-in-the-news, Clay Aiken has decided to run for a House seat in North Carolina. As I said, you just can't make this stuff up.

And, most amusing to us personally, the quiz show Jeopardy! just started a tournament of past champions, and we were bowled over by the fact that one of them was none other than the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Richard Cordray. Sadly, Cordray lost in the first round, but it was kind of cool to see him there. He did not accept any prize money and paid for his own airfare, to keep the whole thing well within government ethics laws. But still, how many high ranking government officials have ever been a Jeopardy! champion to begin with?

Lighter news aside, let's take a look at the week that was, shall we?

John Boehner either admitted that he lacks leadership skills, or perhaps just that his House party caucus is as unleadable as a bunch of kittens hopped up on catnip. The next big legislative fight (raising the debt ceiling) is just around the corner, and the Republicans can't seem to agree on what to hold as hostage (since "holding hostages" is just about the only thing they know how to do, at this point). They considered demanding that President Obama approve the Keystone XL pipeline, and then they considered demanding that risk corridors be abolished in the dreaded Obamacare. They couldn't agree on either one of them (that second one would actually have hiked the deficit by around eight billion dollars). So they then considered restoring the cuts to military pay they made in the last budget deal. But they couldn't even agree on that among themselves. This led a frustrated Boehner to announce that he "couldn't get 218 Republican votes" to agree to call Mother Teresa a saint right now. Which just shows how ineffectual a leader Boehner truly is, really.

Over in the Senate, Republicans are more cohesive, especially when it comes to filibustering the extension of unemployment benefits for 1.7 million Americans.

And out on the campaign trail, Republicans have set up fraudulent websites to try to get Democratic donors for House candidates to mistakenly give money to Republican opponents. Seriously, this is about as dirty a trick as we've seen in quite some time, and deserves some media attention.

Speaking of dirty tricks, you have to wonder how Republicans are answering poll questions these days, as evidenced by an excellent breakdown of the people who say they've been hurt by Obamacare. Overall, 13 percent of the people say they've been helped by the new law, 64 percent say it has had no effect on them, and 19 percent say they've been harmed by it in one way or another. But when you dig into that 19 percent, the partisanship of the answers becomes apparent. Something to keep in mind when judging the accuracy of that number, that's for sure.

In marijuana news (note: there has been so much news on marijuana this year that it seems this will become a regular weekly feature, here), one study now suggests that states that have legalized medicinal marijuana have decreased the suicide rate among young males considerably -- roughly a 10 percent drop. More science for the drug warriors to ignore! There will be much more on the general subject of drug warriors ignoring reality in a moment (in the awards), I should note.

The president of Uruguay, José "Pepe" Mujica, who earlier legalized (and created a government-run marketplace for) marijuana has been nominated once again for the Nobel Peace Prize. Last year, he made it into the top ten candidates, so he's got a definite shot at it.

The District of Columbia seems to be on the brink of decriminalizing marijuana and instituting a fine of $25 for simple possession (like getting a traffic ticket, in essence). But the truly significant thing about this development is the absolute lack of any pushback from Congress. Way back in 1998, D.C. put a medical marijuana initiative (Initiative 59) on their ballot. In one of the most stunningly anti-democratic moves to ever happen in my lifetime, when the exit polling showed that the measure would easily pass, Congress rammed through a bill (the "Bob Barr Amendment") which essentially prohibited the counting of the ballots. The initiative people took it to court, and won (since such a move is so blatantly and obviously unconstitutional). When the ballots were counted, the measure passed with over 60 percent of the vote. So Barr then passed another law, which not only invalidated the initiative but also tried to prohibit any future law from passing on the issue. Once again, not very constitutional. It took until 2009 to overturn this law and allow medicinal marijuana in the District.

How times have changed. Today, Bob Barr has seen the libertarian light and now fights for marijuana legal reform. And this week, the city council's move towards decriminalization has yet to elicit a peep from Republicans on Capitol Hill. The silence is both deafening, and welcome. As Dan Riffle of the Marijuana Policy Project put it, to the Huffington Post, "Most members of Congress are, like the president, bending over backwards to avoid taking a position on the issue. The few that you see talking publicly about marijuana publicly -- Blumenauer, Polis, Cohen, etc. -- are saying it should be legal, taxed and regulated, and criticizing those who support prohibition."

Which brings us right to our awards section, in fact.

 

Before we get to this week's main *Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week* awards, we have a few *Honorable Mentions* to hand out first.

In the "sorry to see you go" category, former Congressman Otis Pike has died. Pike led the first and most intensive committee hearing into the abuses of the American intelligence community of all time, back in the 1970s. The House counterpart to the better-known Church Committee, the Pike Committee dug much deeper and refused to limit their investigation in the way even the Senate's Church Committee did -- Pike (for instance) was the first one to ever examine what the N.S.A. was up to, while the Church Committee limited itself to mostly investigating the C.I.A. and the F.B.I. The whole story is fascinating (and little-known), so it is well worth reading in full, especially for supporters of Edward Snowden. For Otis Pike's efforts, we hereby award a posthumous *Honorable Mention*.

Alison Lundergan Grimes deserves one, as well, for the recent non-partisan poll which showed her up by four points (46 percent to 42 percent) over Mitch McConnell in the Senate race in Kentucky. Go, Alison, go!

And since Max Baucus is off to China, Montana's governor appointed the state's lieutenant governor, John Walsh, to take over the Senate seat Baucus is stepping down from. Walsh will have to run to retain the seat, later this year, but we'd like to welcome him to the Senate in the meantime.

OK, let's get on with the main awards.

The House committee on government oversight held the most extraordinary hearing this week, on the subject of how federal marijuana policy needs to change to adapt to the new realities in not just Colorado and Washington, but also in the 20 states where medical marijuana is now legal. Federal law hasn't budged an inch since the first state did so, back in the 1990s, so some enterprising House members decided to study the issue. They invited the head of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy to testify. He chickened out and sent his deputy, Michael Botticelli, instead.

A video of the whole hearing is available on the committee's official web page, split into two parts. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in the issue take the time to watch the full video, in fact. The first part is mostly opening statements by both the committee members and Botticelli. The fur doesn't really start to fly until the second part of the hearing. The whole thing is worth watching, if you've never seen a governmental official refuse to answer the simplest of questions, because he knows that politically it would be suicidal for him to do so. But three members of the committee stood out for their questioning.

Representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia was the first of these (he appears at 16:10 in Part 2 of the video). He was the most successful questioner, since he actually got Botticelli (in an offhand way) to admit that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol (which President Obama famously just admitted in a recent interview).

The last two questioners truly stood out, in both forcefulness and emotion. Representative Earl Blumenauer from Oregon (starting at 30:55 of Part 2 of the video) at first tried to get Botticelli to admit that marijuana was less dangerous and less addictive than cocaine and methamphetamine (two drugs that federal law categorizes as being less dangerous). Botticelli tried to filibuster his answer, refusing to address the question directly. Blumenauer then showed his frustration with such a weaselly answer:



Let me just say that your equivocation right there, being unable to answer something clearly and definitively when there is unquestioned evidence to the contrary, is why young people don't believe the propaganda -- why they think [marijuana is] benign. If a professional like you can't answer clearly that meth is more dangerous than marijuana -- which every kid on the street knows, which every parent knows -- if you can't answer that, maybe that's why we're failing to educate people about the dangers [of marijuana]. I don't want kids smoking marijuana; I agree with the chairman. But if the deputy director of the office of drug policy can't answer that question, how do you expect high school kids to take you seriously?



Botticelli tried to waffle on the answer once again, and Blumenauer shot back:



I asked what was more dangerous; you couldn't answer it. And I just want to say that you, sir, represent what's part of the problem. ... We've been able to drop tobacco use without being coercive, we've been using fact-based advertising and we focused our efforts on things that matter rather than things that don't work. I'd respectfully suggest that you and the department take a step back if you're concerned that somehow people think marijuana is benign, part of the reason is that drug professionals can't communicate in ways the rest of America does.



Finally, Representative Steve Cohen from Tennessee posed the final round of questions (starts at 37:25 of Part 2 of the video). He began by quoting A Few Good Men to Botticelli: "You can't handle the truth." That was just where he started, mind you. Later, Cohen got Botticelli to admit that he could not "name one person who's died from an overdose of marijuana." He asked "Do you know people, possibly, heard of people who smoke marijuana, who are corporate giants? Who run banks? Run major corporations?" which Botticelli tried to dodge. Cohen then pointed out that marijuana doesn't cause domestic violence in the same way alcohol does, and in the strongest terms possible ripped into Botticelli for his continuing refusal to admit that marijuana was less dangerous than heroin:



It is ludicrous, absurd, crazy to have marijuana in the same level as heroin. Ask the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, if you could. Nobody dies from marijuana. People die from heroin. Every second that we spend in this country trying to enforce marijuana laws is a second that we're not enforcing heroin laws. And heroin and meth are the two drugs that are ravaging our country. And every death, including Mr. Hoffman's, is partly the responsibility of the federal government's drug priorities for not putting total emphasis on the drugs that kill, that cause people to be addicted and have to steal to support their habit.



Cohen wasn't buying any of Botticelli's waffling, either. In an increasingly loud voice, Cohen publicly spanked Botticelli some more:



Heroin is getting into the arms of young people. When we put marijuana on the same level as heroin and crack and LSD and meth and crack and cocaine, we are telling young people not to listen to adults about the ravages and problems, and they don't listen because they know you're wrong.



Cohen ended just as forcefully as he began:



Isn't that a mistake when people die form heroin in great numbers, that the Vermont governor spends his entire State of the State on heroin use? And we don't distinguish and try to save people's lives? That's when you knock people over at the corner store. It's not to get money to buy a donut 'cause you're high, it's to buy heroin because you're hooked.



As already mentioned, it was an extraordinary hearing. We're not the only ones to think so, either. Afterwards, Dan Riffle of the Marijuana Policy Project emailed the following reaction:



It's refreshing to see members of Congress who aren't willing to accept the same old "reefer madness" anymore from government officials exaggerating the harms of marijuana. I was incredibly impressed with the substance and tone of the questions asked at the hearing, and particularly impressed by the way several members didn't let O.N.D.C.P.'s witness dodge those questions. That was the best congressional hearing on marijuana in my lifetime.

Marijuana is dramatically safer than alcohol, and our laws should treat it that way. It simply isn't rational to allow adults to consume a toxic, addictive, violence-inducing drug like alcohol, but punish them for making a responsible choice to use a less harmful alternative. It's time for Congress to end marijuana prohibition, and I look forward to seeing some of the congressmen we heard from Tuesday lead the way.



We fully agree. Which is why Gerry Connolly, Earl Blumenauer, and Steve Cohen are all winners of this week's *Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week*. We look forward to seeing them press this issue in future hearings, as well.

[Congratulate Representative Earl Blumenauer on his House contact page, Representative Steve Cohen on his House contact page, and Representative Gerry Connolly on his House contact page, to let them know you appreciate their efforts.]

 

Sandra Fluke disappointed many fans this week when she briefly considered running for the House, but then decided to start with running for a California state senate seat instead.

Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas deserves at least a *(Dis-)Honorable Mention* for coming out against hiking the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, since apparently Arkansas is one of four states that somehow has a minimum wage lower than the federal minimum. Currently, you can work in Arkansas and only get paid $6.25 an hour. Who knew?

But the *Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week* this week is Rob Andrews, House member from New Jersey. Andrews just resigned his seat, so that he could take a cushy job in the private sector and (more importantly) avoid a House Ethics Committee investigation into using campaign funds to travel to Scotland and Los Angeles, and (to boot) used his daughter's graduation party as a fundraiser.

We hope the Philadelphia law firm he just accepted a job with gets exactly what they're paying for. Ethics? We don't got to show you no steenkin' ethics!

[Representative Rob Andrews is now a private citizen, so no contact information will be provided, sorry.]

 

*Volume 290* (2/7/14)

The Congressional Budget Office released a report this week which was actually pretty positive when it comes to the effects Obamacare will have on the American economy. You wouldn't have known it from the howling over on the Republican side, or from the members of the media who just repeat whatever Republicans are currently saying as if it were the truth.

There have been so many others who have so adequately debunked the Republican "sky is falling" rhetoric that we don't even have to go into the details of how wrong it is to say that "Obamacare will kill 2.5 million jobs." Suffice it to say that the Pinocchios are already flying fast and thick. Instead, we'd like to offer up some rebuttals Democrats might find handy in the upcoming week, because you just know Republicans are going to be lying about this from now until the election.

And then, at the end, a little update on how Republicans are doing at the whole "let's be more friendly to minorities" idea, just because.

 *   Obama's lowest deficit*The C.B.O. report didn't just deal with Obamacare...

"You know what got lost in all the noise after the C.B.O. released its report this week? The federal deficit is now projected to come it at $514 billion this year. That is down from $680 billion from last year, and down enormously from the whopping $1.4 trillion deficit that President Obama inherited when he entered office. President Obama has successfully lowered the deficit by almost two-thirds now, and I'm still waiting for Republicans to give him the tiniest shred of credit for doing so."

 *   Republicans used to be against "job lock" (part 1)*But, obviously, everyone wanted to talk about another part of the report.

"I'm not sure why Republicans are now so dead-set against giving Americans the freedom to leave a job they may be staying in only because they get health insurance. What's even more strange is that Republicans used to be for giving workers this freedom from what used to be called 'job lock.' Here is John McCain, from the 2008 campaign trail, for instance, and I quote: One of the biggest limitations of our current health care system is that leaving a job often means leaving your health care plan... job lock reduces opportunities for American workers because they often pass up new jobs for fear of losing their health care coverage. Unquote. McCain then went on to say that his plans for reforming health care solved the job lock problem by allowing options -- precisely the options the C.B.O. report identified."

 *   Republicans used to be against "job lock" (part 2)*Continued...

"Don't believe me when I say that this entire concept was a Republican-supported idea? Here is none other than vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan addressing the issue, and I quote once again: We want to address job lock. So, the key question that ought to be addressed in any health care reform legislation, is are we going to continue job lock, or are we going to allow individuals more choice, and portability to fit the 21st century workforce? Unquote. Republicans were for choice and portability and freedom from job lock -- right up until it got included in Obamacare. Their hypocrisy now is simply astounding."

 *   Republicans used to be against "job lock" (part 3)*And finally...

"Don't believe McCain and Ryan? How about the Heritage Foundation? Are they conservative enough for you? Here's their take on things: 'Today, leaving a job or changing jobs means leaving behind the health insurance provided at the place of work. Individuals who wish to take a better job, change careers, or leave the workforce to raise a family or to retire early take substantial risks. They may find themselves going without coverage, purchasing non-group insurance with substantial tax penalties, or giving up a well-developed relationship with a physician or medical specialist. This health insurance obstacle to labor mobility is sometimes called job lock.' Heritage went on to praise McCain's plan for avoiding this, because 'individuals would no longer feel obligated to stay with their employers simply because they need to keep their employer-based health insurance.' Workers would have options, and subsidies to help with those options they chose: 'If the worker lost a job, changed jobs, or retired early, he or she could buy an insurance policy and offset its cost.' So can anyone tell me why this is now such a bad thing, when Republicans were gung-ho for solving job lock not so long ago?"

 *   Elmendorf sets the record straight*This is a two-for-one talking point. Below are two excerpts from the head of the Congressional Budget Office himself, Douglas Elmendorf, attempting to set the record straight on what the report actually says.

Elmendorf testifies, part 1:



There is a critical difference between people who would like to work and can't find a job, or have a job that is lost for reasons beyond their control, and people who choose not to work. If someone comes up to you and says, "Well, the boss said I'm being laid off because we don't have enough business to pay me," that person feels bad about that and we sympathize with them for having lost their job. If someone comes to you and says, "I've decided to retire," or "I've decided to stay home and spend more time with my family," or "I've decided to spend more time doing my hobby" -- they don't feel bad about it, they feel good about it. And we don't sympathize, we say "congratulations." And we don't say they've lost their job, we say they've chosen to leave their job.



Elmendorf testifies, part 2 (from an article in the Huffington Post):



President Obama's health care reform law isn't going to kill 2.5 million jobs, Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Elmendorf told the House Budget Committee on Wednesday.

One day after multiple media outlets misinterpreted a C.B.O. report on Obamacare, Elmendorf clarified the C.B.O.'s position during the hearing. The federal agency, Elmendorf said, had found Obamacare "spurs employment and would reduce unemployment over the next few years."

"When you boost demand for labor in this kind of economy, you actually reduce the unemployment rate, because those people who are looking for work can find more work?" Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) asked Elmendorf.

"Yes, that's right," Elmendorf responded.



 *   GOP minority outreach (part 1)*Every talking point this week seems to be a multi-part sort of issue, doesn't it?

"I see that Republicans are attempting some more minority outreach, as a state representative in Arizona just introduced legislation which would not only make it a crime for undocumented immigrant children to attend school, but would also make it illegal for any undocumented immigrant to -- get this -- use the public roads. Yes, you heard that right -- it would be a misdemeanor on the first offense and a felony on the second offense to 'drive while undocumented.' Oh, and if that weren't enough, the driver attempting such a nefarious crime would also have their vehicle forfeited as well. Way to go after the Latino vote, Republicans! Nothing like a little compassionate conservatism, eh?"

 *   GOP minority outreach (part 2): "Some of my best friends..."*And finally, a golden oldie, so to speak.

"Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas seems to have rather odd ideas of what minority outreach consists of as well. When addressing President Obama's nominee for Surgeon General, Roberts decided to extend an invitation to Dodge City in the only way it appears he knew how to. He said, and I quote: I'm going to invite you, because we have a lovely doctor from India. She's in her mid-30s, and she's highly respected by the community. And another doctor from India that did my carpal tunnel when I did a stupid thing. And so, I think you'd be right at home, and we would welcome you. Unquote. According to Pat Roberts, there's no reason for an Indian-American doctor to get out of Dodge, because some of his best friends are doctors from India. I mean, seriously, what decade is it? This is how Republicans speak to someone not of their own ethnicity in the year 2014? Really?"

*-- Chris Weigant*

 

Chris Weigant blogs at:Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Become a fan of Chris on Huffington Post
Full archives of FTP columns: FridayTalkingPoints.com
All-time award winners leaderboard, by rank

  Reported by Huffington Post 23 hours ago.

Democrats Face Tricky, High-Stakes Straddle On Obamacare

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Hit with a multimillion-dollar barrage of televised attacks, Democrats in tough re-election races want credit for trying to fix the problematic parts of the health care law at the same time they claim bragging rights for its popular provisions and allege Republicans will reverse the law's crackdown on insurance company abuses.

It's a tricky, high-stakes political straddle by lawmakers who voted to create the controversial law, which Republicans intend to place at the center of their campaign to win control of the Senate and hold their House majority. In one of the year's most closely watched races, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., recently aired a commercial that shows her in numerous public settings last fall sternly telling President Barack Obama to keep his promise to let people keep their current health plans if they want to — and then taking credit after he took steps to make that happen.

"I'm fixing it and that's what my bill does, and I've urged the president to fix it," Landrieu says of the health care law in the ad. It ends with a screen that reads: "The result: People now allowed to keep health care plans." The three-term lawmaker aired the ad after a televised attack by Americans for Prosperity, a group funded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch that has spent more than $25 million on similarly themed commercials in several races.

Hundreds of miles away, in Arizona, an outside group that backs Democrats stepped in after Americans for Prosperity targeted Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. Referring to HealthCare.gov, which had a wretched debut last fall, a House Majority PAC ad said the Democratic lawmaker "blew the whistle on the disastrous health care website, calling it stunning ineptitude, and worked to fix it."

At the same time, Kirkpatrick "fought to hold insurance companies accountable, so they can't deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or drop it when they get sick," said the commercial, referring to popular elements of the law already in place.

The response comes as Democratic Party leaders look eagerly to outside groups to keep pace with the Koch brothers' early campaign barrage, while acknowledging they have been neither fast nor aggressive enough inside the Capitol in countering Republican attacks and demands for repeal.

"We have to stop being so defensive," said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, recently tapped to lead an effort inside the Senate to respond publicly to GOP attacks.

Democrats also say public opinion points the way to a strong campaign rebuttal to Republicans. Geoff Garin, a pollster with ties to many lawmakers in the party, said that even in GOP-leaning districts, "there is a preference for a Democrat who wants to keep the good parts and fix the bad parts over a Republican who wants to repeal the whole thing."

It's a point Democrats emphasize.

In North Carolina, fast becoming ground zero of the "Obamacare" fight, a Senate Majority PAC ad says Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan "forced insurance companies to cover cancer and other pre-existing conditions." It adds that one of her Republican rivals, House Speaker Thom Tillis, "sides with insurance companies and would let insurance companies deny coverage."

Hagan has yet to air her own ads on the subject, although her campaign website makes the claims similar to the commercial by the Senate Majority PAC.

Americans for Prosperity has put more money into North Carolina than any other race, more than $5 million so far compared with about $1.5 million for the Democratic organization helping her. Both totals are certain to swell.

One recent anti-Hagan ad shows a woman saying she was shocked when she got a notice that her coverage was being canceled. "Kay Hagan told us if you like your insurance plan and your doctors, you could keep them. That just wasn't true."

Americans for Prosperity has also attacked in Arkansas, where Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor faces a tough race. The incumbent ran an ad late last year that did not mention the Affordable Care Act by name. It said he was working for "more doctor visits, free preventive care and lower prescription costs," references to elements of the legislation he voted for.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire has been attacked by a different group, Ending Spending, which mocked Obama's now-discredited statement that Americans could keep their health care if they liked it. "Next November, if you like your senator, you can keep her. If you don't, you know what to do," says the announcer.

Her official Senate website says she "voted in favor of the 2010 Affordable Care Act because she believes it is an important first step to making essential changes to our health care system."

"No longer can health insurance companies put lifetime dollar limits on health benefits or drop coverage if someone gets sick. Children under 19 can no longer be denied coverage if they have a pre-existing condition, and parents can keep their children on their insurance plans up to age 26," it says.

Republicans are trying to mitigate any damage from assertions along those lines.

More than three years after promising to "repeal and replace" Obamacare — and not once proposing an alternative — the House GOP leadership recently circulated a series of health care principles. Citing political reasons, party aides and strategists say they do not expect a bill to advance to the House floor this year. They note that would give Democrats a chance to turn the health care issue into a choice between two plans, rather than a referendum on an unpopular law with the president's name on it.

So far, at least, the deep-pocketed Americans for Prosperity is betting heavily that a straightforward message of repeal is a winning one, particularly when it is aimed at female voters.

Tim Phillips, president of organization, says that rather than targeting conservatives, who already oppose Obamacare, "we're trying to reach out to folks in the middle."

Republicans and Democrats alike say that means independent voters and loosely aligned Democrats. Many of the ads appear designed to appeal to women, whom Phillips said tend to be "the predominant health care decision makers" for their families and their aging parents as well as for themselves.

Democrats "know that this law is a huge problem for them," he said. Reported by Huffington Post 11 hours ago.

AIDS patients in Obamacare limbo as insurers reject checks

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AIDS patients in Obamacare limbo as insurers reject checks [caption id="attachment_359822" align="alignnone" width="614"]
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a visit to Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan.
Credit: Reuters[/caption] Hundreds of people with HIV/AIDS in Louisiana trying to obtain coverage under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform are in danger of being thrown out of the insurance plan they selected in a dispute over federal subsidies and the interpretation of federal rules about preventing Obamacare fraud. Some healthcare advocates see discrimination in the move, but Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana says it is not trying to keep people with HIV/AIDS from enrolling in one of its policies under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The state's largest carrier is rejecting checks from a federal program designed to help these patients pay for AIDS drugs and insurance premiums, and has begun notifying customers that their enrollment in its Obamacare plans will be discontinued. The carrier says it no longer will accept third-party payments, such as those under the 1990 Ryan White Act, which many people with HIV/AIDS use to pay their premiums. [related tag="international" limit=3] "In no event will coverage be provided to any subscribers, as of March 1, 2014, unless the premiums are paid by the subscriber (or a relative) unless otherwise required by law," Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana spokesman John Maginnis told Reuters. AIDS FUNDS EXEMPT FROM FRAUD CONCERNS The dispute goes back to a series of statements from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the lead Obamacare agency. In September, CMS informed insurers that Ryan White funds "may be used to cover the cost of private health insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-payments" for Obamacare plans. In November, however, it warned "hospitals, other healthcare providers, and other commercial entities" that it has "significant concerns" about their supporting premium payments and helping Obamacare consumers pay deductibles and other costs, citing the risk of fraud. The insurers told healthcare advocates that the November guidance requires them to reject payments from the Ryan White program in order to combat fraud, said Robert Greenwald, managing director of the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, a position Louisiana Blue still maintains. "As an anti-fraud measure, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has implemented a policy, across our individual health insurance market, of not accepting premium payments from any third parties who are not related" to the subscriber, Maginnis said. On Friday, CMS spokeswoman Tasha Bradley told Reuters that, to the contrary, Ryan White grantees "may use funds to pay for premiums on behalf of eligible enrollees in Marketplace plans, when it is cost-effective for the Ryan White program," meaning that having people with HIV/AIDS enroll in insurance under Obamacare could save the government money. "The third-party payer guidance CMS released (in November) does not apply to" Ryan White programs. Maginnis did not respond to further requests, sent after business hours, for comment on CMS's Friday statement. Hundreds of indigent HIV/AIDS patients are dependent on Ryan White payments for Obamacare because they fall into a gap. They are not eligible for Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for the poor, because Louisiana did not expand the low-income program, and Obamacare federal subsidies don't kick in until people are at 100 percent of the federal poverty level. Before Obamacare, the 1990 Ryan White Act offered people with HIV/AIDS federal financial help in paying for AIDS drugs and health insurance premiums, especially in state-run, high-risk pools. Obamacare, which bans insurers from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions, was designed to replace these high-risk pools. Starting on October 1, AIDS advocates and others in Louisiana "were enrolling anyone and everyone we could" through the Obamacare exchange, said Lucy Cordts of the New Orleans NO/AIDS Task Force. Last month, her clients and those of other AIDS groups began to hear from Louisiana Blue that their enrollments were in limbo because the company would not accept the Ryan White checks for premium payments. The only other carrier that is refusing to accept such payments is Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, according to a CMS official. North Dakota Blue "restricts premium payment from third parties including employers, providers, and state agencies," said spokeswoman Andrea Dinneen, but "is currently reviewing its eligibility policies with respect to recipients of Ryan White Program funding." 'SURE LOOKS LIKE DISCRIMINATION' Healthcare advocates are worried that the refusal to accept Ryan White payments is an effort by insurers to keep AIDS patients from enrolling in their plans and last month began pressing the issue, including with the office of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. In an email reviewed by Reuters, a healthcare expert on Landrieu's staff wrote, "BCBS LA told me their decision was not due to the CMS guidance or any confusion (as we thought before) but was in fact due to adverse selection concerns. I have also recently learned North Dakota's BCBS plan has implemented the same policy." Jessica Stone, the Landrieu staff member, declined to elaborate on the email further or to discuss her interactions with Louisiana Blue. Adverse selection refers to the situation where an insurer attracts patients with chronic conditions and expensive care. Louisiana Blue's action "sure looks to us like discrimination against sick people," said John Peller, vice president for policy at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Asked if it were engaging in efforts to avoid adverse selection by refusing to accept Ryan White payments for would-be customers with HIV/AIDS, Louisiana Blue said it was not trying to keep such customers out of its plans. "We welcome all Louisiana residents who chose Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana," said Maginnis. Reported by metronews 10 hours ago.

Cheaper Home Insurance Prices Now Quoted for Property Owners at Consumer News Website

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Cheaper home insurance prices are now being quoted for owners of properties online at the CherryNews.com website. These prices are 2014 specific for property owners at http://cherrynews.com/home-insurance.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) February 08, 2014

Buying an insurance policy can come with a level of frustration for some consumers when pricing is hard to research online. The Cherry News company is now helping property owners to find cheaper home insurance prices through its quotation tool at http://cherrynews.com/home-insurance.

Prices that are updated for 2014 are included inside the quotes tool to deliver immediate information to homeowners. The insurance policies that providers inside the system underwrite exclusively for homeowners are available for coverage in all states in the U.S.

"Quotes for insurance through some companies require a lot of personal information to receive and our system has eliminated data submission requirements," said one CherryNews.com company source.

The less expensive rates that property owners can find through the insurer finder system are based on the actual coverages that are required for each individual property. Owners of homes have the option to explore agencies offering different levels of home protection coverage in the system.

"The home insurance industry can be just as confusing as other insurance industries and our resource is now delivering a trusted source to find instant pricing for coverage plans," said the source.

The Cherry News company is now dedicated to allowing research through its platforms online. This company has arranged public access to all of its search tools this year to provide an immediate research solution to find insurer products.

The homeowners insurance plans are combined with the coverage types for health insurance that can also be extracted at http://cherrynews.com/health-insurance online. Each delivered price quote is based on zip codes that users of the system enter to receive the best localized pricing.

About CherryNews.com

The CherryNews.com company is one consumer resource online now active in the information distribution industry. This company is supplying helpful tools that consumers are accessing online to explore service providers in the U.S. The CherryNews.com company staff have helped to design insurance lookup tools that are available 365 days a year. The price quotations that the company website now provides offer faster methods of price discovery in the insurance industry. The company syndication of content is now helping more consumers to find retail and service provider information online. Reported by PRWeb 9 hours ago.

Who is Really Indentured Under Obamacare?

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Should we care if people decide to work less because they get more government benefits? Writing at Salon Brian Beutler says we should focus on the benefit to individuals who are no longer indentured at jobs they don't want because of health care costs.

Beutler's headline says conservatives have rediscovered their "love for indenture." If you look up "indenture" the definition will be something like "A contract binding one party into the service of another for a specified term." In this case, he's talking about people being bound to jobs because of insurance costs.

The whole debate is based on a new CBO report released this week which showed that the equivalent of 2.5 million people would choose not to work thanks to Obamacare. This estimate is based on working hours so the actual number who choose not to have a job at all will be much lower and the number who choose to simply work fewer hours will make up the rest. In any case, Beutler asks us to imagine two people and then judge which one is deserving of "government intervention."



Imagine someone who’s been employed consistently for 25 years. He doesn’t earn big wages, but he’s frugal and would have enough money saved for a modest retirement but for the fact that insurance on the individual market will cost him $1,500 a month — or simply won’t be made available at all.

Now imagine someone else who’s been employed consistently for 10 years and thinks it’s time for a change. She wants to join a new start-up, which is offering her a decent salary bump, but won’t provide health insurance, or the insurance they will provide will place her pediatrician out of network, and her child has a preexisting condition.



Of course Beutler's answer is that they both deserve a hand from the government. That means the guy who worked for 25 years and wants to retire at, say, 53 will be able to do so. Obamacare subsidies will cover the majority of his insurance costs until Medicare and Social Security kick in at age 65. That's great news for him. He can focus on his stamp collection, or whatever, instead of schlepping to work every day.

The second person is an example of someone who wants to stay in the work force but move jobs. Since she's getting a big salary bump it's a safe bet she's not going to be working fewer hours. So she's not really one of the people CBO was discussing in its report. She's not pulling back, she's leaning in.

Let's imagine a bit more about her. She's 34 years old with a college degree. Been working 10 years as Beutler suggested. And let's assume she'll be making $43,000 a year at her new, higher paying gig. That means she's not going to get any help in the form of a subsidy. She'll pay around $2,700 a year in premiums. She won't use nearly that amount in services which is good because money saved on her policy (and people just like her) is needed to subsidize Mr. Early Retirement's decision to redirect his energy into philately.

Is this really a good thing? Even Beutler admits there is a danger lurking here. He writes "If Congress gave me $100,000 a year for nothing, I’d probably never hold down a job again." But that insight is hard to square with the left's response to the CBO report.

Obamacare isn't killing jobs, the left argues, it's only decreasing the hours people choose to work. How can that be a bad thing? And of course it's not a bad thing for the people working less (excluding, for simplicity, any moral argument about work). It's all good for them. They get to knock off early or retire early. Few of them, if any, will complain.

The real question is this: Do we want a system where some millions of working age people choose to work less because other working age people are forced to subsidize them doing so? Is this fair to the people who pay the bills? Even the example Beutler offered suggests it's not. Why should a 34 year old woman working her way up be asked to subsidize the early retirement of a 53 year old stranger?

And here's where I think there is a broader question that goes beyond one CBO report or even beyond Obamacare to "government intervention" in general. The welfare system in many parts of the country is fairly generous. The CATO institute examined this issue last year and found that the "In 11 states, welfare pays more than the average pre-tax first year wage for a teacher." The report adds "In 39 states it pays more than the starting wage for a secretary."

Granted, $35,287 (the amount one can "earn" on welfare in California) isn't $100,000 a year but not everyone has Beutler's high expectations. For some people, $35k is enough to discourage them from taking a job where they would work a lot more for very little change in their standard of living. Why bother?

Generally speaking, the decision to work less at others people's expense does not seem like something we ought to be defending, much less celebrating. And, getting back to Obamacare, it's pretty silly to label the working age people who cut their hours "indentured" when you are asking other working age people to take home less money in order to cover their subsidies. Who is really being locked into a contract of service to someone else, Mr. Early Retirement or Ms. Young Worker?

 
 
 
  Reported by Breitbart 2 days ago.

Florida set to launch its own limited insurance marketplace

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Florida’s own health insurance marketplace, long touted by Republican lawmakers as a free-market solution to providing affordable health coverage, is expected to launch as early as next week. Six years in the making, Florida Health Choices will open for business with an inventory of products that cannot legally be marketed using the words insurance, coverage, benefits or premiums, according to Chief Executive Officer Rose Naff. The brainchild of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio while he was […] Reported by Raw Story 2 days ago.

Health Insurers Rejecting Checks From AIDS Patients Under Obamacare

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Health Insurers Rejecting Checks From AIDS Patients Under Obamacare Health Insurers Rejecting Checks From AIDS Patients Under Obamacare
Health

AIDS and HIV patients in Louisiana who have insurance under Obamacare are in danger of losing their coverage as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana begins rejecting checks over fraud concerns.

BCBS of Louisiana says it can’t accept checks from a federal program designed to help HIV/AIDS patients pay for medical care, called the Ryan White CARE Act, Reuters reported.

As BCBS interprets their responsibility for preventing fraud under the Affordable Care Act, the insurance provider says they’re not allowed to accept third party checks from anyone not related to the patient.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said in September that Ryan White funds could be used to pay Obamacare premiums, but in November it warned that “hospitals, other healthcare providers, and other commercial entities” have “significant concerns” accepting Ryan White payments because of the risk of fraud.

"As an anti-fraud measure, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has implemented a policy, across our individual health insurance market, of not accepting premium payments from any third parties who are not related" to the subscriber, BCBS of Louisiana spokesman John Maginnis told Reuters.

"In no event will coverage be provided to any subscribers, as of March 1, 2014, unless the premiums are paid by the subscriber (or a relative) unless otherwise required by law,” he said.

A CMS spokeswoman, Tasha Bradley, told Reuters Friday that BCBS is mistaken.

"The third-party payer guidance CMS released (in November) does not apply to" Ryan White programs, Bradley said.

White grantees, "may use funds to pay for premiums on behalf of eligible enrollees in Marketplace plans, when it is cost-effective for the Ryan White program," meaning it could save the government money.

Hundreds of patients are enrolled in the Ryan White program and are not eligible for Medicaid in Louisiana because the state refused to expand the low-income program.

Healthcare advocates worry that the refusal to take Ryan White checks is an effort to keep AIDS patients from enrolling with BCBS.

The insurer says this is untrue.

"We welcome all Louisiana residents who chose Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana," said Maginnis.

"BCBS LA told me their decision was not due to the CMS guidance or any confusion (as we thought before) but was in fact due to adverse selection concerns," a healthcare expert from Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu’s staff told Reuters in an email. "I have also recently learned North Dakota's BCBS plan has implemented the same policy."

Sources: Reuters, New York Times

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2 Reported by Opposing Views 1 day ago.

Houston Home Insurance Companies Quotes Displayed in Real Time at U.S. Consumer Website

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Houston home insurance companies quotes are now part of the rates data that is automatically displayed to users of the Cherry News quotation system online at http://cherrynews.com/home-insurance.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) February 09, 2014

Property owners who have started searching for insurance agencies that specialize in homeowner insurance can now use the real time system setup at the Cherry News company website. This system is displaying provider rates by state and is now presenting Houston home insurance companies quotes at http://cherrynews.com/home-insurance.

Any resident in the state of Texas can use their mailing address zip code to be matched instantly online with Houston area companies. The private nature of the research now granted to property owners online is giving back more anonymity when exploring homeowner insurance policy prices online.

"The Texas agencies that are underwriting the insurance plans are all licensed within the U.S.," said one source at the CherryNews.com company.

Some providers in the insurance industry do not currently publicize rates for some types of policies due partly to competition from different agencies. Most quotes that homeowners find online require a long list of personal information before these are generated for review.

"Our system is now one of the fastest to use online due to the zip code validations that are provided to connect property owners first with local agents and then with nationwide providers," said the source.

The homeowner insurance plans that are added to the Cherry News consumer news portal online are one part of the research that can be completed on the homepage. A system that locates health insurance plans from some health exchange companies is available at http://cherrynews.com/health-insurance.

Homeowners who are currently without a form of U.S. medical insurance coverage can use their zip code to find health insurance rates in their city. Immediate matches are now performed inside this new location system.

About CherryNews.com

The CherryNews.com company is one of the consumer resources online now publicizing easy research tools that the the general public can use to find instant pricing information for North American services. The CherryNews.com company helps to support the public by offering quotations for different insurance plans that national agencies underwrite. The automated research that is conducted using the open systems for consumers online is helping to present discount rates and other information direct to the public. The content that is listed on the company website continues to remain in syndication through select media outlets in the U.S. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.

Republicans debate mini-bailouts for hospitals

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ATLANTA (AP) — Republican governors scored easy political points by rejecting President Barack Obama's plan to enroll more poor people in government health insurance. South Carolina's leaders increased payments to some hospitals in a push to improve rural health, though the extra money likely placated hospital officials who might otherwise have pressured Republicans to adopt the Democratic plan. Like his counterparts in other Southern states, Deal has rejected Obama's plan to expand eligibility rules so people who cannot afford to buy subsidized health insurance plans on government exchanges can enroll in Medicaid, a public program that funds health care for the needy, aged, disabled and poor families with children. Georgia state Rep. Terry England, a senior Republican lawmaker tasked with drafting the budget, said he has discussed packages that could include payments to hospitals and run in the tens of millions of dollars. The state government raised the Medicaid reimbursements it pays rural, often financially struggling hospitals — from 60 percent of an uninsured patient's bill to 100 percent. In Georgia, Deal's budget officials estimate that expanding Georgia's Medicaid system over a decade would cost the state government $2.8 billion. "What makes the Medicaid expansion so hard to compete with from an alternative standpoint is that it's so much money," said Tim Sweeney, the institute's director of health policy. Reported by SeattlePI.com 9 hours ago.

Democrats Reject GOP Spin On CBO Obamacare Report

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By David Morgan
WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Democrats sought to turn the latest controversy over Obamacare and the economy into a positive political message on Sunday by casting an expected decline in American work hours as a boon to worker freedom and family values.
In a new partisan tussle over election messaging that is likely to color this year's congressional mid-term campaign, Democratic lawmakers said a predicted drop in work hours brought about by Obamacare would mean more family time for mothers, more study opportunities for college students and less job stress for older workers.
"The single mom, who's raising three kids (and) has to keep a job because of healthcare, can now spend some time raising those kids. That's a family value," Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said on NBC's Sunday program, "Meet the Press."
He was responding to a fiscal report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Tuesday that said President Barack Obama's healthcare law would bring about a drop in work hours equal to the loss of 2.5 million full-time workers over the next decade.
The change would occur because some workers, particularly those with lower wages, would limit their hours to avoid losing federal subsidies that Obamacare provides to help pay for health insurance and other healthcare costs, according to CBO.
Republicans have seized on the CBO report to help support their own messaging campaign for middle-class voters, calling its contents evidence that Obama's signature domestic policy achievement will reduce full-time employment and hurt the economy unless it is repealed.
Both parties are working to craft messages on a range of issues that can turn out the vote of loyal constituencies in November's off-year election, which will determine who controls the Senate and House of Representatives in the final two years of the Obama presidency.
A chief aim of Republicans is to gain control of the Senate by using Obamacare's unpopularity with voters to discourage support for vulnerable Democrats in states with large conservative populations.
Democrats have emphasized the law's benefits for people who are sick, nearing retirement, starting a career or trying to finish up college. Obama has also challenged Republicans to come up with their own reforms.
Republicans, who have voted more than 40 times in the House to repeal or defund Obamacare, have also decided to seek their own cure. But a single plan for an alternative healthcare policy has proved elusive so far.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires most Americans to be enrolled in health coverage by March 31 or pay a penalty. It has already extended health coverage to millions of Americans by offering subsidized private plans and expanding the Medicaid program for the poor in participating states.
The CBO said the subsidies, which help people pay health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs, would "reduce incentives to work" and impose an "implicit tax on working" for those returning to a job with health insurance.
"Any law you pass that discourages people from working can't be a good idea. Why would we want to do that? Why would we think that was a good thing? How does that allow people to prepare for the time when they don't work?" Senator Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, said on "Fox News Sunday."
But Democrats refused to say the report put them on the defensive politically. Schumer likened the prospect of fewer work hours to the adoption of the 40-hour work week in the 20th century, which he described as a benefit that also reduced work hours.
"This is a good thing," said Representative Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
"We need a better work-life balance. Ask a working mother if she could use a few more hours in a day to take care of her family," he told ABC's "This Week".
Republican Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, who appeared alongside Ellison on ABC, dismissed the argument out of hand.
"It's great spin. I don't think it's going to work," he said. (Editing by Jim Loney; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli) Reported by Huffington Post 6 hours ago.

Beat the System; Find Affordable Insurance Quotes In 3 Easy Steps to Save Hundreds

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QuoteHelper.com has relaunched their popular insurance comparison website to allow consumers increased opportunity for cheap insurance quotes in just minutes of their time.

(PRWEB) February 10, 2014

Last year, an increasing amount of consumers turned to the web to voice concerns over rising costs, utilizing social media and other online venues to pressure corporations into introducing new ways to get better results when trying to save.

Compare Insurance Quotes In Minutes, click here.

As a result, many have opted into programs that allow consumers new sources for comparing rates and services with the competition as a way of showing confidence and increased transparency into their operations. Not to anyone's surprise however, these companies still primarily push their traditional forms of marketing and advertising over the new system that puts them side by side with their competition.

Lower insurance rates, save today. Click here.

Thankfully with Quote Helper's newly launched website, consumers across America can now compare the top insurance companies in their area in as little as 3 steps. In addition, no personal information is required to compare the results. With just a zip code, anyone can view the best results in their area and simply click through to each company to get a free no-obligation quote.

With the new update, Quote Helper has expanded it's insurance discount offerings from car insurance to home insurance, life insurance and even health insurance as well.

How does it work?

Visitors can get multiple no-obligation quotes in 3 easy steps:

1. Visit the new site at QuoteHelper.com
2. Choose their desired insurance type and enter their zip code.
3. Click & compare insurance quotes with top providers in their area.

About QuoteHelper.com

Quote Helper connects consumers to local and national insurance companies that provide discounts through their listings to help them save on insurance. Continually revising their offers and discounts as well as adding new providers to keep their results, they are determined to become one of the leading websites across the US for insurance quotes.

To try out their new service today, visit QuoteHelper.com, click here. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.

Fact Checker: Durbin’s claim that 10 million now have health insurance because of Obamacare

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“Bob, let’s look at the bottom line. The bottom line is this: 10 million Americans have health insurance today who would not have had it without the Affordable Care Act. Ten million.”

*-- Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), interview on CBS’s “Meet the Press,” Feb. 9, 2014* Reported by Washington Post 15 hours ago.

Europe Medical Device Market: Baltic, North, South & Central Regions Analyzed in New Reports at ReportsnReports.com

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Medical Device Market Reports for Europe - North, South, Central and Baltic State covers political risk, the business environment, and macro-economic and industry prospects set against assumptions for the global economy.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) February 10, 2014

The Central Europe and Baltic States Medical Device Market Reports provide the latest available data, expert analysis and our independent 5-year forecasts for key Central Europe and Baltic States markets. Each country report covers political risk, the business environment, and macro-economic and industry prospects set against assumptions for the global economy.

Key uses of Medical Devices Reports http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/248837-central-europe-and-baltic-states-medical-device-market-reports.html·     Forecast the pace and stability of each Central Europe and Baltic States country's economic and industry growth
·     Identify and evaluate adverse political and economic trends in key markets, to facilitate risk mitigation strategies
·     Assess critical shortcomings of each Central Europe and Baltic States country's business environment that pose hidden barriers and costs to corporate profitability
·     Contextualise individual Central Europe and Baltic States country risks against their regional peers using BMI's country-comparative risk ratings system
·     Target business opportunities in the key-growth industry sectors
·     Evaluate external threats to doing business in each Central Europe and Baltic States country, including currency volatility, the commodity price boom and protectionist policies

7 Key Markets Covered
Highly detailed analysis, providing comprehensive, regularly updated reports for leading markets in the region.

Purchase Report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/Purchase.aspx?name=248837.

Central Europe and the Baltic States Medical Device Market Reports·     Czech Republic
·     Estonia
·     Hungary
·     Latvia
·     Lithuania
·     Poland
·     Slovakia

Northern Europe Medical Device Reports provide the latest available data, expert analysis and our independent 5-year forecasts for key the Northern Europe Medical Device markets (http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/53539-the-outlook-for-medical-devices-in-northern-europe.html). Each country report covers political risk, the business environment, and macro-economic and industry prospects set against assumptions for the global economy.

Why These Reports Are Important
Despite on-going economic pressures, the medical device and equipment industry is one of the most successful in terms of its operation. Many leading companies continue to dominate key markets through product innovation, acquisition and mergers, and the sector supports thousands of SME’s developing and sharing novel medical technologies.

With this emphasis on globalisation, one could be forgiven for thinking that national markets are becoming less important. However, it is the national marketplace in which companies have to work. Domestic priorities set the agenda that affects a company's operations. It is the prevailing political outlook, economic performance, health economy, social and demographic trends and cultural views that need to be understood and planned for to ensure optimum return on investment.

Purchase Report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/Purchase.aspx?name=53539.

4 Key Markets Covered·     Denmark
·     Finland
·     Norway
·     Sweden

The South East Europe Medical Device Market Reports (http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/248842-south-east-europe-medical-device-market-reports.html) provide the latest available data, expert analysis and our independent 5-year forecasts for key South East Europe markets. Each country report covers political risk, the business environment, and macro-economic and industry prospects set against assumptions for the global economy.

Key uses of Medical Devices Reports·     Forecast the pace and stability of each South East Europe country's economic and industry growth
·     Identify and evaluate adverse political and economic trends in key markets, to facilitate risk mitigation strategies
·     Assess critical shortcomings of each South East Europe country's business environment that pose hidden barriers and costs to corporate profitability
·     Contextualise individual South East Europe country risks against their regional peers using BMI's country-comparative risk ratings system
·     Target business opportunities in the key-growth industry sectors

Highlights from the Region
Bulgaria
Funding for healthcare in Bulgaria is principally through compulsory health insurance, operated by the National Health Insurance Fund. The role of the NHIF is to provide a basic package of health services for the whole population. The government is divided on whether to allow private companies to operate in the insurance sector. Private spending is currently almost entirely on an out-of-pocket basis.

Romania
Improvements to the health system continue to be supported by World Bank-sponsored projects. The ‘Health Sector Reform Project APL II’, was approved in December 2004 and will run until December 2012. It aims to improve maternity and newborn care, emergency medical care and rural primary healthcare. The total project cost is estimated at US$206.5 million. A further World Bank health project, with an estimated total cost of US$336.8 million, is currently awaiting approval.

Slovenia
The country remains the richest of the central and eastern European states, and in many ways more closely resembles Italy or Austria than its neighbours to the east. Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2007. The economy has suffered a downturn due to the economic recession, albeit less severe than in many of its neighbours. According to Business Monitor International (BMI), GDP is expected to contract by 1.0% in 2012.

Purchase Report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/Purchase.aspx?name=248842.

6 separate reports·     Bulgaria
·     Croatia
·     Romania
·     Serbia
·     Slovenia
·     Turkey

About Us
ReportsnReports.com is an online market research reports library of 200,000+ reports and in-depth studies of 5000+ micro markets. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.
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