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Some Straight Talk For Younger People On Social Security (And Medicare Too) – OpEd

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Let me start out with full disclosure: I’m 69 and next April I will start collecting $30,000 a year in Social Security benefits — the amount I qualify for on the basis of both my highest 35 years of earnings as an employed and later self-employed journalist, and because I’ve waited until I hit 70, the maximum age for starting to collect benefits, before starting to receive my checks.

So it particularly galls me to read news articles about that program (and Medicare) saying things like:
New warnings about cuts to Social Security and Medicare are a reason to worry

Social Security is Running Out and Nobody Will Like the Solution

and Ryan’s Retirement Won’t End the Social Security Debate
Such ill-informed and often deliberately scare-mongering pieces make my blood boil, particularly because I know they are targeted at younger readers, where the goal is to make them believe that Social Security is not going to be there for them, and so they should stop supporting the whole program. Take, for example, the dire stories warning that the Social Security program this year has begun drawing funds from the Social Security Trust Fund. Actually, as I explain later, that was what the Trust Fund was created for! It was advanced funding for when it was predictable that more funding would be needed.

For years, the defense against a concerted drive by the right to whittle away and kill Social Security has been a solid lobby of the elderly who know how important the program is. They for years made it a “Third Rail” that politicians challenged at their risk. But now the strategy appears to be to say, “We won’t take Social Security away from current retirees or people about to retire, but younger people will have to expect something less.”

This article is addressed to those younger Americans — people just starting to work, on up to those in their 40s and early ’50s, because it’s really you who are being conned and who need to start fighting to keep what was created for all of us some 83 years ago.

Forget all the propaganda! The reality is that Social Security is not an actuarial problem of too many people living too long. It’s a socio-political problem: Do we as a people want to adequately fund the retirement of our elderly parents and of those suffering from disabilities or do we want to go back to an era where they ended up starving on the streets, or as a burden to their children? If we want a decent, secure old age, the money is there to fund it. What’s needed is the political will and power to demand it.

The same can be said of Medicare and of health care in general. Do we as a society want health care to be good for those with money, and shitty or nonexistent for those without it? It’s not that solutions don’t exist. In most of the countries of Europe, and even many in Asia, retirement is generously funded by government programs like Social Security that are not going bankrupt even though benefit amounts paid are much higher and populations are even skewed older than here in the US. Likewise, healthcare is in most modern countries seen as a right and is fully funded by some kind of state-run program, while we have a jerry-rigged system that relies primarily on for-profit systems and private insurance which, taken as a whole, costs more than double as a percentage of GDP and on a per-capita basis what it costs to deliver in other countries. And state-run systems cover everyone while ours leaves tens of millions unable to see a doctor or to get timely care in a hospital.

To those who might say we as a nation cannot afford the hundreds of billions it would cost to adequately fund these vital programs, my reply is: America is currently spending two-thirds of all federal discretionary funds each year — about $1.3 trillion a year — on the military. That’s more than the next 10 countries including China and Russia spend on their militaries. $5.5 trillion has been spent just on the so-called “War on Terror” since 2001 (during which time the amount of terrorism around the globe and the number of people committing acts of mayhem have soared which shows what a waste the whole thing has been). And then recall that President Obama ordered, and President Trump has backed a $1-trillion 10-year program to “upgrade and modernize” America’s nuclear weapons. It’s a staggeringly expensive program which serves no defensive purpose and only increases the pressure on other countries to do the same and raises the chance that we — and they — will eventually use them.

None of this spending has made the US more secure. Meanwhile, if we cut that spending in half and applied even a fraction of that vast sum, Social Security could be vastly improved and funded into the indefinite future without raising taxes. A superior national healthcare system free to all Americans could also be established, freeing us of insurance premiums, health care co-pays, and of indentured servitude to our employers for underwriting at least part of our health insurance bill. Those are things that would really provide security to Americans.

Looking back, Social Security, established in 1935, was a central element of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal attack on the Great Depression and the widespread poverty it had caused. It remains one of the most successful social programs in the history of the United States, massively reducing poverty not just among the elderly, but among the children of the elderly who no longer had to bear the dual burden of supporting a young family as well as aging parents and grandparents.

It remained that way until the late 1970s, when it became increasingly apparent that a greatly improved standard of living, thanks to social programs like Social Security, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, supplemental food programs like WIC and Food Stamps, and especially better medical care with the 1960s establishment of Medicare, Medicaid and federal health clinics, as well as advances in medical science, had combined with the advancing age of a huge population bulge known as the “Baby Boom” generation born to parents who started families after the end of World War II, to create a huge strain on the retirement system — a strain that would show up as he Boomer generation began retiring in 2007, the year that the first post-WWII babies would start turning 62.

This is because contrary to the myth perpetrated by critics of Social Security, and widely believed today by most Americans, Social Security is not a government “annuity” where you put money into the system, it grows with interest, and then you get it back in monthly payments at retirement age. Rather, while benefit amounts are calculated by a complicated calculation based upon a person’s top 35 years of work, the actual funds to pay those benefits from day one of the program have been paid by the FICA taxes forked over that year by current workers and their employers.

Once it was clear that there would simply not be enough FICA tax revenue coming in from a relatively smaller workforce to fund the benefits due to Baby Boomer generation Social Security beneficiaries (like me next April!) a plan was hatched between President Reagan and Democratic House Speaker Rep. Tip O’Neill to solve the shortfall by a combination of higher FICA taxes beginning in 1983, gradually raised from a then 5.4% for both employees and employers to the current 6.2% rate.(The Reagen-O’Neill plan raised it substantially more for the self-employed, who in the past had paid only part of what would be the employer share, but since ’83 have had to pay double what employees were paying in FICA taxes on their income.) The so-called “full retirement age” was also gradually raised from a then 65 to an eventual 67 in 2024. That’s the age at which a person who retires no longer gets penalized for continuing to work by having some share of wages deducted and paid as taxes to the IRS.

The idea was that by making those changes, Social Security would be fully funded right through the retirement years of the Baby Boomers, the last of whom will retire in 2034 (after which the Baby Boom bulge or retirees will fall rapidly as its members die off and the problem os a shortfall goes away. Meanwhile, a Trust Fund composed of the added funds paid into the system by the higher FICA tax was supposed to cover the shortfall in current workers’ FICA tax receipts.

But a combination of continually rising life-expectancy and of lower-than anticipated-birth rates brought a new challenge. The 1983 fix was not enough. The Trust Fund is now slated to run out in 2034 or 2035, but the Baby Boomer retirees will endure into the mid-2050s.

That has led to dire warnings from politicians eager to convince younger workers to give up on hopes of collecting Social Security, and incorporate media which have that same agenda plus a penchant for publishing ill-supported scare stories claiming that Social Security is going “bankrupt” or is a “ponzi scheme,” or at best that “if nothing is done” Social Security benefits will have to be cut by 23% for retirees beginning in 2034.

To that I say nonsense! Social Security was at death’s door in the early 1980s, about to run out of funds in five years, when Congress and President Reagan (who before becoming president had been an outspoken opponent of the program) passed a reform rescuing it through higher taxes. The program can be rescued again the same way, and even improved to pay benefits more like what people receive in Europe.

What could be done to better fund Social Security now? Well, as I noted above, the best solution would be to end the US policy, since the end of World War II, of endless wars and massive unprecedentedly huge military budgets and after slashing personal taxes, apply some of the rest of the tax take to better funding Social Security, and financing a conversion of Medicare into a Health Care for All insurance program that would eliminate the need for Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Health Care, Charity Care, Private Insurance Premiums, Employer health plans, etc. The savings in doing that would be extraordinary. For good measure and to help raise Social Security benefits so people wouldn’t have to bet on stock markets with IRA and 401(k) plans, we could also eliminate the cap on income subject to FICA taxation and tax all income — including investment income and a tax on short-term stock trading.

What this means is that young people — those in their 20s, 30s and 40s — need to recognize how important these programs are to their lives. Right now you young folks are seeing 6.2% taken out of each paycheck (and your employer is paying that too into the system), and you’re being warned you may get nothing for it. That’s bull! If you only vote for candidates who promise to do what is necessary (see above!) to fully fund the program, it will be there not just for your parents and grandparents, but for you and your children too. It’s a choice you have to make. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to hoodwink you into letting this system die. That’s because the Wall Street banks and investment houses that make their money handling people’s investment want it to die so they can get your hard-earned money to invest for you — for a fee. It’s a giant scam, and the contributions they make to politicians to help them pull it off are to make that scam happen.

When they and the corporate media shills try and tell you that the Baby Boom generation is living high on the FICA taxes you are paying, and you’ll be getting nothing, you know better. You know how your retired parents or grandparents live, and that’s on Social Security. Ask them. It doesn’t even get adequately adjusted for inflation, so they struggle harder each year to get by. Their benefits should be higher, not lower! And it can happen, if you team up with them and demand improved Social Security, and a secure Social Security that will be there when you need it. And by the way, if god forbid, something happened to you and you became disabled, from an accident or a disease like MS, Social Security is there for you then too. If you’re still a teenager, and a parent dies, you also get Social Security benefits. If your family has only one working parent and one stay-at-home caregiver, and the employed parent dies, that caregiver gets Social Security. Likewise, it the higher earning grandparent of yours dies, that person’s higher social security benefit check becomes the widowed spouse’s benefit. All these things are already there for you and your elders. They are all worth saving, if only because if they go away, guess who’ll have to take over support for those elders? You!

We’re in a battle that is all of us against Wall Street and the greedy politicians that Wall Street companies support with their legal bribes. It’s up to all of us to recognize the game they’re playing and to defeat them. And if there’s a political battle that we can win, this one is it, because Social Security is critical to everyone of every age, of every race, both genders, citizen and legal immigrant with working papers — anyone who works and pays FICA taxes or is married to someone who works, and to everyone already retired. It’s all of us, and all of us together can make anything happen!

As for health care, just ask yourself why it is that every modern country in the world with the exception of the US has publicly funded health care that covers everyone, yet the US has the highest priced medical care in the world, and it leaves between a fourth and a fifth of us with no coverage, and many more with inadequate coverage, and yet for all that we spend on health, the US ranks down with Third World nations in terms of our life-expectancy, infant mortality, incidence of fully treatable diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, etc. It’s also the only modern country where the major cause of bankruptcy is a family medical crisis. All this is because we have a system of health care based on private profit. We need to replace that outrage with a public program like they have in the UK, in France, in Italy, in Germany, and in all the countries of Scandinavia. If those countries can do it, as well as countries like Taiwan, Japan, and even Costa Rica and Cuba, so can we. But again we need to join together to make it happen. As with Social Security, this is a battle we can win, because it’s all of us against the big health insurers, drug companies, hospital companies and the rest of the medical establishment, and the politicians they buy. If we’re together in this battle, we’ll win national health care too.

Think about it. America could be a different place. Reported by Eurasia Review 2 hours ago.

AbbVie and Eisai Announce the Launch of HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 20 mg Syringe 0.2 mL

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A New Pediatric Formulation of HUMIRA

TOKYO, Jun 21, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - AbbVie GK and Eisai Co., Ltd. announced that HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 20 mg Syringe 0.2 mL, a new pediatric formulation of HUMIRA (generic name: adalimumab [recombinant]), a fully human anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody formulation, has been launched today after being listed in the National Health Insurance reimbursement price list on June 15.

HUMIRA has an indication of "treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)" that develops in pediatric patients.

HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 20 mg Syringe 0.2 mL is a higher-concentration formulation, which is produced by removing some excipients, and has the same active ingredient as that of, HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 20 mg Syringe 0.4 mL that has been commercially available since September 2011. It has also the same formulation and concentration as those of HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 40 mg Syringe 0.4 mL and HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 80 mg Syringe 0.8 mL that were launched in November 2016. Outside of Japan, two phase 2, randomized, single- blind, two-period crossover studies were conducted with HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 40 mg Syringe 0.4 mL, to compare injected site-related pain between this higher- concentration formulation and the former formulation, using a visual analog scale (VAS). Patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed a significantly lower VAS pain score after injection of the higher- concentration formulation, as compared with the former formulation.

JIA is an autoimmune disease that generally affects children under 16 years of age and is an umbrella term used to define a group of conditions occurring among children that include some form of chronic arthritis. In Japan, JIA affects 10-15 persons per 100,000 children, and is designated as an incurable disease by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Polyarticular JIA is a type of JIA which involves five or more joints. Symptoms include painful and swollen joints, limping, morning stiffness, decreased activity and the reluctance to use an arm or leg.
AbbVie and Eisai will continue to promote and provide information on the proper use of HUMIRA while making further contributions to improve the quality of life of patients including children.

About HUMIRA

HUMIRA is a fully human anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody formulation. In Japan, it is approved for the indications of "the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (including inhibition of the progression of structural damage), the treatment of plaque psoriasis, arthritic psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis*, intestinal Behcet's disease, and non-infectious uveitis, posterior uveitis or panuveitis, induction and maintenance therapy for moderate to severely active Crohn's disease (limited to patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy), and treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (limited to patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy ).

*HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 80 mg Syringe 0.8 mL and HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 80 mg Pen 0.8 mL are yet to be approved for this indication.

About AbbVie

AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com.

About Eisai

Eisai Co., Ltd. (TSE:4523; ADR:ESALY) is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three therapeutic areas: integrative neuroscience, including neurology and psychiatric medicines; integrative oncology, which encompasses oncotherapy and supportive-care treatments; and vascular/immunological reaction. Through a global network of research facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide healthcare system. For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.com.
Contact:
Public Affairs Division
AbbVie GK Public Relations Department
+81-(0)3-4577-1112

Eisai Co., Ltd.
+81-(0)3-3817-5120Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com Reported by ACN Newswire 1 hour ago.

Jennifer Caruso of Manchester Financial Earns Investment Adviser Representative License

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Manchester Financial advisor Jennifer Caruso recently earned her Investment Adviser Representative license.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (PRWEB) June 21, 2018

Manchester Financial is proud to announce that Jennifer Caruso is now a licensed Investment Adviser Representative.

The distinction requires passing FINRA’s Series 65 exam. In addition to providing investment advice, investment advisers typically manage investment portfolios and offer financial planning services.

“This licensure allows us to better serve clients and meet their unique needs,” said Robert Katch, president of Manchester Financial.

“We are thrilled to have Jennifer at Manchester Financial,” said Alan Hopkins, Chief Economic Strategist of Manchester Financial. “Her unique expertise really complements our current team.”

Caruso received her Bachelor’s in Finance with an emphasis in Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management from Kennesaw State University. Previously, Caruso worked for Genworth Financial. She holds a California Life & Health insurance license and a California real estate license. She joined Manchester Financial in 2015.

About Manchester Financial:
Founded in 1990, Manchester Financial provides savvy financial planning and astute portfolio management. Focused on protecting and growing their client’s lifestyles, they seek to always do what is right by meeting the unique needs of each client and consistently delivering superior results through their knowledge, experience and wisdom. Their goal is simple: to make sure that their clients’ decisions are Powered by Planning®. Learn more at http://www.manchesterfinancial.com. Reported by PRWeb 17 hours ago.

Obamacare: Outreach groups nervous as Trump remains silent on funding

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A year after steep cuts to a key Affordable Care Act outreach program, the Trump administration has remained quiet on how much it will fund nonprofit and grassroots groups that help people sign up for health insurance.

 
 
 
 
 
 
  Reported by USATODAY.com 12 hours ago.

Local Insurance Tech Company Expands Reach With More Upgrades and New Location

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Empower Brokerage, an established Insurance brokerage specializing in Health Insurance, Life Insurance, and Financial Products has expanded to a newly constructed home office in Southlake, Texas. The new office includes many upgrades such as three new conference rooms, a full kitchen, outdoor space, and a 50+ seat training room for seminars.

SOUTHLAKE, Texas (PRWEB) June 22, 2018

Empower Brokerage, an established Insurance brokerage specializing in Health Insurance, Life Insurance, and Financial Products has continued expansion over the past months. Its latest upgrades are encompassed in a newly constructed home office in Southlake, Texas. The office includes many upgrades such as three new conference rooms, a full kitchen, extended agent space, and a brand-new training room that fits 50+ people. When asked about the upgrades, The CEO of Empower Brokerage, Rodney Culp, stated these improvements would allow Empower to offer a better quality educational experience for consumers and agents.

With the new training room facility, Empower Brokerage plans to host an array of seminars. These conferences have been used in the past to help clients/agents become more knowledgeable about available insurance products and solutions. These seminars can cover anything from transitioning into Medicare & saving money on benefits, getting out of debt while building a healthy retirement fund, topics important to business owners, and agent sales training to help them reach more consumers. Empower also stated that their agents will be able to use the training room to host their own seminars and meet with prospective clients in one of the smaller conference rooms, depending on meeting size.

Empower Brokerage is known for its national agent opportunity to offer a vast selection of carriers & products. With four new offices in Texas alone, Empower Brokerage continues to expand its support across the United States. When asked how the new upgrades affect everyday life, John Shinn, Empower's Medicare Supplement Product Specialist, stated "the new building is located in a central area of DFW, which is very easy for agents to access. It is just a few miles from DFW Airport and a few blocks from Hwy. 114 in the Southlake / Grapevine area. The area also boasts a large selection of restaurants, shopping, and entertainment for visitors to enjoy." Shinn also stated that the technological advances of the company has made it easier to connect with agents and consumers regardless of their physical location. Since developing its own leads distribution system, called LeadServ, Empower continues to develop better ways to communicate with agents and to help agents better communicate with their clients. For example, Empower University was developed to offer training and education from anywhere in the world, available 24/7 for registered users. The Empower Brokerage ecosystem involves agents with their clients and then provides the education to help them both.

As Empower Brokerage grows, so does their book of business. In 2017 alone, Empower released a new mobile app system, four consumer websites, and a brand new quoting system, hoping to provide the best support possible to its agents and consumers. Currently, Empower Brokerage has over 7,000 agents connected and are planning to do an abundance of recruiting throughout the rest of the summer.  With over 18 carrier awards, Empower hopes to only improve as the 2019 Annual Enrollment Period begins to kick off on October 15th. Since insurance is oftentimes overwhelmingly confusing, Empower Brokerage offers the tools and resources to help educate agents and consumers. The new Southlake facility will host several seminars and workshops each month, to further this objective. For more information on Empower Brokerage visit their website at https://www.empowerbrokerage.com/ or give them a call at (888)-539-1633. Reported by PRWeb 22 hours ago.

Aetna launches new health insurance option in Michigan for small businesses

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Reported by SeekingAlpha 17 hours ago.

Aetna opens New Albany customer service center to take the hassle out of dealing with health insurance

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Aetna Inc. has launched a national customer service initiative that acknowledges that dealing with health insurance can be awful, and tries to fix it. The Connecticut insurer has opened a second office in New Albany for a specialized call center helping members get faster answers to questions about coverage and claims. It's serving large employers around the country, and is a prototype for future centers. Between that and market share gains in the region, Aetna has raised its projection to 650… Reported by bizjournals 10 hours ago.

Amazon to open a fulfillment center in Alabama, bringing 1,500 full-time jobs to the area

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Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced that it will be opening a fulfillment center in Alabama, the first in the state. The retail giant will employ 1,500 works in its 855,000 square foot fulfillment center. The company operates a sortation facility about 4 hours away in Mobile. “Alabama has a talented workforce and we look forward to making a positive economic impact in a state where we are committed to providing great job opportunities and an exceptional customer experience,” said Mark Stewart, Amazon’s vice president of North America customer fulfillment, in a press statement. State officials expressed excitement about Amazon.coming to Alabama. “Amazon’s investment in our community is a big win for the Birmingham region,” said Lee Smith, chairman of the Birmingham Business Alliance in a press release. READ: Amazon to open an 850,000 square foot fulfillment center in Michigan The company recently opened an 850,000 square foot fulfillment center in Michigan, its fourth in the state. Full-time Amazon employees receive a benefits package which includes health insurance, a 401(k) and company stock. Employees also receive up to 20 weeks of maternal and parental paid leave. The Career Choice program covers up to 95% of tuition costs and has been utilized by more than 16,000 employees. Shares of the Seattle-based company were down slightly to US$1,723.61 in Friday afternoon trading. Reported by Proactive Investors 9 hours ago.

South Africa Announces Drastic Healthcare Shakeup

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South Africa on Thursday unveiled details of a new universal health insurance plan aimed at improving healthcare for the poor in one of the world's most unequal nations. A new National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme will use compulsory contributions from employers and... Reported by Newsmax 1 day ago.

Oscar to Expand Individual Health Insurance to More States

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Oscar Health, which began selling individual health insurance in New York for the 2014 launch of the Obamacare exchanges, on Thursday announced plans to expand into Florida, Michigan and Arizona next year, even as the Trump administration seeks to undercut that marketplace... Reported by Newsmax 1 day ago.

United States: Breaking News: New Association Health Plans Rules Expand Health Care Options - Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP

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Today, the US Department of Labor (DOL) released new association health plans (AHPs) rules that allow small employers and self-employed individuals to join together to purchase health insurance coverage. Reported by Mondaq 14 hours ago.

United States: Association Health Plans Reinvigorated-New Options For Many Employers - Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP

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Association Health Plans have been reinvigorated by the new regulations released yesterday by the US Department of Labor (DOL). As I mentioned in my blog entry yesterday, these regulations are the result of President Trump's executive order last year instructing the DOL to allow for more flexibility related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and health insurance. Reported by Mondaq 13 hours ago.

MyMedicalShopper and Alegeus Partner to Lower Healthcare Costs for Millions of Americans

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Industry leaders partner to bring price transparency to more than 30 million U.S. consumers

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (PRWEB) June 25, 2018

MyMedicalShopper today announced a partnership with Alegeus, the market leader in consumer-directed healthcare (CDH) solutions. More than 300 health insurance plan and third-party administrator clients leverage the Alegeus platform to deliver benefit accounts (HSAs, FSAs, HRAs) for more than 30 million consumers.

As the cost of healthcare continues to rise, employers are left to pay an average of 82% of their employees’ healthcare plan premiums(1), and are seeking value-based solutions that help keep costs down. Third-party administrators that want to help employers cut costs can now look to MyMedicalShopper and Alegeus to empower consumers to take control of their healthcare spending with innovative medical price transparency tools integrated into their healthcare benefit account experience. This gives consumers the ability to compare prices across multiple providers within their geographic region and to shop using their tax-advantaged accounts.

“Consumer directed healthcare accounts are the foundation for how consumers will get more value from their healthcare dollars,” said Steven Auerbach, Alegeus CEO. “Integrating tools, such as the MyMedicalShopper cost comparison tool, expand the value of the accounts by helping consumers spend and save their healthcare dollars more wisely.”

Rates for healthcare services vary by provider, insurance coverage, and the actual service provided—among other factors. Keeping these prices inaccessible up-front hurts consumers and employers. Due to the diverse and unpredictable mix of healthcare rates, U.S. employers can expect their healthcare costs to increase by as much as 5.5% in 20182.

Mark Galvin, CEO of MyMedicalShopper, says, “Our partnership with Alegeus allows employers and their employees to compare prices for medical services while also managing their payment and spending options. It’s a solution that allows normal market forces to operate within the U.S. healthcare system. Tools like this are instrumental in initiating positive changes to reduce healthcare spending and could help save as much as $1 trillion annually. As more Americans realize the value of consumer price transparency and financial management, this type of technology will help drive cost savings.”

About MYMEDICALSHOPPER:

MMS Analytics, Inc. dba MyMedicalShopperTM is a big data company with big dreams for healthcare. Co-founder and CEO Mark Galvin gave rise to the company out of the need to provide consumers and companies who provide healthcare benefits to their employees with transparency—the leverage needed to make solid decisions on their healthcare and improve their quality of life. Consumers previously unaware of price variations in procedures and testing utilize real-time health insurance plan pricing information that makes it possible to choose care based on price, quality, and convenience. Experts document that as much as $1 trillion could be slashed annually from the cost of healthcare in the U.S. Their goal is to transform the healthcare industry into a fair market for consumers. For more information visit http://www.MyMedicalShopper.com.

1.    “What Percentage of Health Insurance Do Employers Pay?” Accounting Tips, Training, and News, 18 Oct. 2017, http://www.patriotsoftware.com/payroll/training/blog/what-percentage-health-insurance-employers-pay-how-much/.
2.    Miller, Stephen. “Health Premiums Expected to Rise 5.5% in 2018, Driving Cost Management Steps.” SHRM, SHRM, 11 Apr. 2018, http://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/employers-benefits-costs-rise.aspx. Reported by PRWeb 17 hours ago.

Novus Partners with Enlighten Interactive TV to Bring its Cannabis MedPlan to the Masses

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*Interactive Television Ads at Point of Sale Will Gather the Attention of Cannabis Consumers at The Right Time*

*MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2018 /* Novus Acquisition and Development Corp. (OTC PINK: NDEV), through its wholly owned subsidiary WCIG Insurance Services, Inc., is a diversified insurance entity in health, liability, annuity and accident, and the nation's first carrier/aggregator offering a cannabis health plan, today announced its business collaboration recently announced is with Enlighten, a multifaceted cannabis technology company.

Novus will utilize Enlighten's interactive television technologies in a revenue sharing deal. Enlighten will place Novus' message at the point of sales in 650 dispensaries across the country with advertising to engage and educate consumers on the Novus Cannabis MedPlan. When consumers are engaged Novus will get analytics of verified impressions from the consumer mobile devices for retargeting.

Enlighten's technology solutions include interactive signage to inform and educate customers or employees, a retail analytics portal, integrated technology solutions to aggregate and systemize product offerings and internal operations, and tailored marketing solutions for product brands.

The company's engagement focused approach helps its location partners match the look and feel of modern technology-driven facilities, while maintaining a unique identity, to educate its target audience and increase revenue. Enlighten offers brands across the country with the unique ability to reach a targeted demographic with engaging advertisement right at the point of sale.

Novus' Chief Executive Officer, Frank Labrozzi, commented, ''We are thrilled to be working with the team at Enlighten as they have built out the first full scale interactive enterprise solution in the cannabis space. Enlighten is already working with over 650 cannabis businesses, including dispensaries, cultivators, cannabis lounges and medical facilities. We believe our revolutionary medical cannabis health plan will greatly benefit in becoming part of Enlighten's network. We continue to seek additional ways to increase our consumer visibility and awareness in bringing reliable and affordable meds to consumers around the nation.''

*About Enlighten*

Enlighten, a full spectrum enterprise solution managed by a team with a collective 20 years of experience serving Fortune 500 companies, first-class retailers and top-end brands all over the world, brings cutting edge retail technology to the cannabis industry. With an education forward approach, Enlighten helps its partners grow their brand and build relationships with their customers through a variety of solutions. Its technology solutions are intended to increase revenue and awareness and keep customers engaged. As an aggregation of several notable companies from both inside and outside of cannabis, Enlighten is one of the most well-funded, wide reaching and longest tenured companies in cannabis. For more information about Enlighten please visit getenlightened.io.

*We invite you to do your due diligence on Novus: *

· *2018 1Q Filing:* Click Here
· *2017 Year End:* Click Here
· *Exec Summary:* Click Here
· *Quote:* Click Here
· *Website:* Click Here
· *Investor's Page*: Click Here
· *How Insurance Companies are Evaluated*: Click Here

*About Novus*

Novus Acquisition & Development Corp. (NDEV), through its subsidiary WCIG Insurance, provides health insurance and related insurance solutions within the wellness and medical marijuana industries in states where legal programs exist. Novus has developed its infrastructure within many lines of the insurance business such as, health, property & casualty, life, accident and fixed annuities.

Novus medical cannabis benefits package will work as outside developers and will not cultivate, handle, transport grow, extract, dispense, put up for sale, put on the market, vend, deliver, supply, circulate, or trade cannabis or any substances that violate the United States law or the Controlled Substances Act, nor does it intend to do so in the future and will continue to follow state and federal laws. The statements made about specific products have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided on these press releases or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Once a push notification is competed the transaction is solely between the state-licensed dispensary and the registered patient.

The state laws are in conflict with the federal Controlled Substances Act. The current administration has effectively stated that it is not an efficient use of resources to direct federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute those lawfully abiding by state designated laws, allowing the use and distribution of medical marijuana. However, there is no guarantee that the current administration, nor any future administration, will not change this policy and decide to enforce the federal laws strongly. Any such change in the federal government's enforcement of current federal laws could cause significant financial changes to Novus Medical Group. While we do not intend to harvest, distribute or sell cannabis or cannabis related products, we may be harmed by a change in enforcement by federal or state governments.

*Forward-Looking Statements*

This release includes forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and reflects management's current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Some of these factors include: general global economic conditions; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; increasing competition; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of services; changes in the economy; changes in laws and regulations, includes codes and standards, intellectual property rights, and tax matters; or other matters not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. Novus Medical Group disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

*Contact Information*

Corporate:
Chairman and CEO
Frank Labrozzi
frank@ndev.biz
855-228-7355

Investors:
Hayden IR
hart@haydenir.com
917-658-7878

*SOURCE:* Novus Acquisition and Development Corp. Reported by Accesswire 16 hours ago.

easyMedicare.com Releases Informative New Video on Medicare Supplement Plans

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easyMedicare.com debuts new explainer video to help educate consumers on Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans

CLEARWATER, Fla. (PRWEB) June 25, 2018

easyMedicare.com (https://www.easyMedicare.com), an affiliate of e-TeleQuote Insurance, Inc., has released a new video to educate consumers on the importance of Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans. This video explains how Medicare Supplement plans work, eligibility information, the application process, and why you should consider choosing a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan.

A Medicare Supplement Plan (also known as Medigap), provides supplemental health insurance for health care costs not covered by Medicare Part A (inpatient/hospital coverage) and Part B (outpatient/medical coverage), such as co-payments and deductibles. The coverage generally extends to covering health care costs if you travel outside of the United States. Medicare Supplement plans are sold by private insurance companies and you must pay a monthly premium for the plan in addition to continued contributions for Medicare Part A and Part B.

“Medicare can be very difficult to understand, especially when it comes to Medicare Supplement plans” says Anthony P. Solazzo, CEO of e-TeleQuote. “This informative video will be extremely beneficial for consumers who may not be familiar with Medicare or with what their options may be. The video highlights the importance of enrollment, eligibility, and all of the other great benefits Medicare Supplement insurance plans have to offer. Our goal is to continue to be an advocate for consumers when it comes to understanding and ultimately finding the right Medicare options. We hope that families and individuals alike, will find this video to be of use when the time comes for choosing a Medicare option that is right for them.”

The Medicare Supplement Plan video can be found on easyMedicare.com’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Topics such as Medicare eligibility, Annual Open Enrollment, Special Enrollment and Extra Help will be released in the upcoming months. easyMedicare.com highly encourages people to continue to share the videos with family and friends who currently have, or are in need of a Medicare plan. This is the fourth video released from easyMedicare.com’s “Medicare Made Easy” eight-part explainer video series. To watch easyMedicare.com’s previous explainer videos, visit: http://www.easyMedicare.com/medicare-videos

About e-TeleQuote and easyMedicare.com
e-TeleQuote Insurance, Inc. the owner and operator of easyMedicare.com, is an independent digital insurance agency providing consumers the ability to purchase Medicare insurance from the comfort of their homes. The company diligently researches available plan options from multiple insurance carriers, helping consumers choose a plan that best suits their needs. e-TeleQuote provides consumers personal consultation through experienced licensed insurance agents who suggest plan coverage options based on a customer’s particular needs. The company has proudly served tens of thousands of consumers across the United States. Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.

Chubb announces enhanced Cyber incident response capabilities globally

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SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - June 26, 2018 -* *Chubb today announced that it has enhanced its cyber incident response management capabilities and launched two new ways of accessing the service: a mobile application and a dedicated website.

As the threat of cyber risks facing commercial enterprises increases, Chubb has expanded its network of incident response management firms to include services in more than 50 countries across Europe, North and South America, Asia Pacific and Africa. Using the newly-expanded incident response network, managers are assigned based on the location of the incident, meaning Chubb cyber policyholders have access to local expertise around the world, 24 hours a day.

The expanded network also means faster response times. Response managers contact Chubb cyber policyholders directly after an incident is reported. With a dedicated local response manager, communication between IT security, risk management, incident response and Chubb is also enhanced.

To access this cyber solution, Chubb has also launched a mobile application and a dedicated website to help policyholders report an incident.

The Chubb Cyber Alert^SM mobile application provides customers with a simple, efficient and immediate means of obtaining assistance when an event occurs. The application also provides policyholders with access to a live cyber response specialist.

The Cyber Alert^SM mobile application can be used by an individual or integrated into larger corporate incident response plans and is offered with a new dedicated website that clients can also use for reporting incidents.

The new service is available in multiple languages, including English; Spanish; French; Mandarin; Cantonese; Italian; German; Flemish; Portuguese; Polish; Czech; Turkish; Korean and Japanese.

All of these enhancements are supported by Chubb's call centre and technology partner - Spill Center, Inc.

Tim Stapleton, Cyber Insurance Product Manager and Technology Industry Practice Leader, Chubb Overseas General Insurance, said:

"The ability to respond rapidly to a cyber incident is critical to minimise any potential impact to a business which has suffered a breach. Delays can exacerbate damage and create further issues in terms of business continuity and also cause problems from a reputational perspective. The combination of Chubb's new incident reporting capabilities and the partnership with Spill allows us to provide expert assistance even faster than before to customers affected by a cyber breach, meaning we can process claims quicker and help limit any further problems."

* *

*Note for Editors*

For more information about Chubb's Cyber Alert^SM app, available on iOS and Android devices to commercial cyber customers, please refer to: https://www.chubbcyberalert.com/

Key features of the Chubb Cyber Alert Solution include:

· 24/7 incident reporting via phone, web or mobile device;
· Ability to provide photographs via mobile phone camera;
· Ability to register and build a user profile prior to an incident to improve efficiencies when reporting;
· Easier access to Chubb's incident response management partners to help manage an incident from start to finish;
· Single point of entry to response management and Chubb's cyber policy response.

*About Chubb*

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide.

Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com ** Reported by Media OutReach 3 hours ago.

AXA to boost health insurance products in Hong Kong, launch digital insurance platform

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French insurer AXA plans to invest HK$200 million (US$25.48 million) on fintech development in Hong Kong this year to promote sales and reach younger consumers, according to its senior executive. Koh Yi Mien, managing director of health and employee benefits of AXA Hong Kong, said the company invested HK$65 million in fintech in 2017 and plans to dramatically increase the investment this year. The HK$200 million earmarked investment would go towards the launch of a digital platform this autumn... Reported by S.China Morning Post 18 minutes ago.

BlueCross BlueShield remains Buffalo's top health insurer

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BCBS covers more than a half-million members locally through all of its health insurance options. Reported by bizjournals 19 hours ago.

US Signal Delivers Advanced Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service for Baystate Health Systems

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Benefits include significant cost savings, protected patient data, trusted managed recovery and compliance with US healthcare legislation

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (PRWEB) June 26, 2018

US Signal, a leading end-to-end IT solutions provider, today announced that it has installed a managed Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) solution for Baystate Health Service (BHS) a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare system serving more than 1 million people each year throughout western New England. US Signal’s DRaaS solution is powered by the Zerto IT Resilience Platform and provides BHS with reserve compute on demand, near synchronous replication and instant managed recovery to protect and quickly recover critical patient data.

The DRaaS solution spans BHS’ local site and US Signal’s Grand Rapids, Michigan data center, delivering second-by-second geo-diverse data replication for each of BHS’ virtual machines without the CAPEX investment associated with creating a bespoke remote DR center. US Signal’s DRaaS solution provides protection for critical BHS applications including PeopleSoft, PACS, OnBase, Vocera, MetaVision, MedStation and Kronos and dramatically exceeds Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. In fact, during testing, US Signal was able to bring BHS systems back online within minutes, far exceeding the two hours required for HIPAA compliance.

In addition, US Signal’s DRaaS solution includes monthly IT system health checks to keep on top of recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO) SLAs. It also features two documented DR tests each year and a fully managed DR playbook. This delivers an additional layer of trust and protection, giving BHS the peace of mind to focus on its core patient care business instead of worrying about business continuity or disaster recovery.

“We re-evaluated our approach to disaster recovery and data availability based on advice given by our trusted IT consulting partner, VertitechIT. They introduced us to US Signal and got us thinking about DRaaS for the first time,” explained David Miller, senior IT director and CTO, Baystate Health. “US Signal’s Zerto-powered DRaaS package delivers an economical solution that replicates and protects our data, while also keeping our applications running, even when they need more compute than our on-premises resources can support."

The DRaaS approach enabled BHS to find a high availability and data protection solution in line with its budget. With US Signal, customers are not paying for hardware. They are paying a management fee for storage and DR services, making it extremely affordable. In BHS’ case, the company got the speedy recovery and geo-diversity it needed from a second DR site, without having to make additional server purchases.”

"With the risks of unplanned IT outages from natural disasters, cyberattacks and human error always on the rise, having effective disaster recovery plans and technology in place is more important than ever—especially in the healthcare space where sensitive data is everywhere and lives are on the line,” said US Signal’s Director of Cloud Sales Development Jerry Clark. “Our DRaaS solution provides organizations like BHS with near continuous block-level replication of critical workloads, and virtual machines are protected from their production data center to a US Signal cloud data center, so they are always covered and always on. We are proud to be BHS’ partner in achieving IT resilience.”

About US Signal
US Signal is a leading IT solutions provider, offering connectivity, cloud hosting, colocation, data protection, and disaster recovery services – all powered by its wholly owned and operated, robust, fiber network. US Signal also helps customers optimize their IT resources through the provision of managed and professional services.

About Zerto
Zerto helps customers accelerate IT transformation by eliminating the risk and complexity of modernization and cloud adoption. By replacing multiple legacy solutions with a single IT Resilience Platform, Zerto is changing the way disaster recovery, data protection and cloud are managed. With enterprise scale, Zerto’s software platform delivers continuous availability for an always-on customer experience while simplifying workload mobility to protect, recover and move applications freely across hybrid and multi-clouds. Zerto is trusted by over 6,000 customers globally and is powering resiliency offerings for Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, AWS, Sungard AS and more than 350 cloud services providers. Learn more at Zerto.com.

About VertitechIT
VertitechIT is a national healthcare-centric consulting firm focused on transforming IT departments from an internally focused technical resource into a strategic asset serving all components of a hospital’s eco-system. Part management consultant, part IT problem solver, and part digital transformation partner, the company is recognized as an industry pioneer in hyperconvergence and hybrid cloud technologies, implementing its unique TransformITTM process at institutions nationwide. http://www.vertitechit.com Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.

Employers reconsidering high-deductible health plans

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Some employers that sponsor high-deductible health insurance plans for employees are reconsidering as more employees struggle -More-  Reported by SmartBrief 13 hours ago.
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