The Miami Herald recently wrote an interesting article that compared the two different versions of the health care bill. As most of you know, the Senate and House have both created their own version of the health care bill. The House of Representatives approved their version of the bill on November 7^th and the Senate approved their version on December 24^th. Now, the two parties are working together to create a compromised version of the health care bill – one that will hopefully satisfy both the House and the Senate. Currently, many of the items included in the health care bill are the same in both versions. However, there are some significant differences.

Individual Health Insurance Mandates

• The House requires most Americans to have health insurance coverage by 2013; anyone who does not obtain coverage will pay a penalty based on their income.
• The Senate requires most people to have coverage by 2014. The penalty will be about $750 per year, with a maximum penalty of $2,250 or 2 percent of household income.

Employer Health Insurance Mandates

• The house requires most large employers to offer coverage by 2013 or pay a penalty.
• The Senate will require employers with more than 200 employees to offer a health plan. However, employees can opt out if desired. Also, starting in 2014, any employer with more than 50 employees will be fined of any employees receive a federal subsidy.

Small Business Insurance Mandates

• The Senate offers tax credits for employers with less than 25 employees and average wages less than $40,000.
• The House offers tax credits for employers with less than 25 employees and average wages less than $50,000. The credits will be tied to employer contributions towards employee’s health insurance premiums.

Dependents

• The House allows dependent children to be included on their parent’s health insurance plans until the age of 27 – effective immediately.
• The Senate allows dependent children to remain on their parent’s plans until age 26 – effective six months after bill is passed.

Lifetime Limits

• The House requires plans to have no lifetime limits on health insurance coverage – effective within 6 months. After 2013, there will be no annual limit on coverage.
• The Senate also has no lifetime limits on coverage, effective within 6 months. Starting in 2014, there will be no annual limits.

Public Health Plans

• The House plans to create a government-run health insurance program.
• The Senate wants to create privately-run, multi-state plans, which will be supervised by the government.

Financial Help With Premium Payments

• The House will offer financial help for anyone with an income up to 400 percent of the poverty level – effective 2013. The amount of financial help will be based on the average cost of the tree lowest cost health care plans in the area.
• The Senate will offer help for anyone with incomes up to 400 percent of the poverty level – effective 2014. However,  the aid is based on a sliding scale and the financial aid can only be used for the health care plan with the second-lowest cost in the area.

Medicaid

• The House increases Medicaid to anyone under age 65 with incomes up to 150 percent of the poverty level.
• The Senate expands Medicaid for anyone under 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level.

Health Insurance Exchange

• The House will create a national health insurance exchange, which will allow consumers to shop for health insurance plans in all 50 states – effective 2013.
• The Senate will crate a state-wide health insurance exchange in all 50 states, which will allow consumers to easily shop for health insurance plans in their state – effective 2014.

Temporary Health Insurance Coverage

• The House will offer a temporary high-risk pool for individuals having a difficult time obtaining health insurance coverage. It will be effective immediately, and end when the health insurance exchange is established.
• The Senate will also offer a temporary health insurance pool, which would be established within 90 days. It will end in 2014, when insurers are no longer allowed to reject consumers for pre-existing conditions.

Abortion Coverage

• The House allows federal coverage for abortions where the woman was raped, a victim of incest or if the woman’s life is endangered.
• The Senate requires that states that want to allow abortion coverage not use any federal funds for the coverage.

Angela Braly, the CEO of Wellpoint, has recently spoke to the Economic Club, sharing her views on health care reform. And, as Forbes Magazine’s eighth most powerful woman in the world, people are taking notice. Although Braly admits that she fully supports health care reform, she disagrees with the current health care reform proposal. In fact, she’s most concerned about the shift in focus, noting that:

It has gone from a debate about health care reform to health insurance reform.

Braly acknowledges that changes need to be made to our health care system, and she fully supports reform that will provide reliable insurance coverage to every American, while keeping health care costs low. She pointed out the inconsistencies of the current system, noting that the current system promotes quantity over quality. Not only that, but it has put a huge burden on insured Americans. Braly goes on to explain that the discrepancies between Medicare and Medicaid payments and actual medical costs are passed on to private insurance holders. Additionally, the cost of medical care for the uninsured is passed on to private insurance holders as well – It’s not fair, and it certainly won’t work in the long run. In fact, Braly even went so far as to compare it to a current and well-known disaster:

Sounds a lot like the Fannie Mae for health care and I think we all know how that experiment is going.

Braly stands strong in her support for health insurance providers, although she does acknowledge that certain changes need to be made. With Braly’s strategy, health insurance providers need to move beyond processing claims and managing risk. Instead, they need to start encouraging healthy behaviors, providing incentives for health customers, and educating consumers about a healthy lifestyle. Private insurance providers need to work with the government to ensure that all Americans can get health insurance coverage, regardless of their income or pre-existing conditions. Health insurance plans need to be more customizable to customer’s unique needs. Braly wants insurers to offer a range of health insurance choices to customers, instead of putting everyone in a “one size fits all plan.”

However, Brady does acknowledge that drastically lowering health insurance costs is not a smart move. According to Braly, only 3 cents of every dollar spent on health insurance premiums goes towards company profits, while 87 cents go towards medical are. Braly maintains that 87 cents of every dollar is a truly significant amount to be spent directly on health care, and it would be nearly impossible to change that number much more. Braly firms her point by saying:

If you completely eliminated insurance industry profits, which is clearly the aim for some, you will pay for two days of health care in America.

But, most of all, Braly is most worried about the public health insurance option. And, in fact, Wellpoint has released a statement acknowledging their concerns about the public health plan:

WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) is deeply disappointed with the legislation progressing in Congress. Both the bill proposed by the House of Representatives and the bill passed by the Senate HELP Committee miss the opportunity to address the underlying cost drivers in our health care system. These bills rely on price controls and government expansion rather than measures to improve the quality of health care received and access to care by the uninsured. This only serves to make health care more expensive and less accessible, threatening the stability of the coverage most Americans have today.

Braly maintains that the key to health care reform is “to fix what is broken, without breaking what still works.”

Although that statement was enough to put a huge smile on our faces, she made us even happier with her next statement:

It won’t be easy and it should not be quick.

We couldn’t agree more. Just like Angela Braly, we fully acknowledge that some form of health care reform is necessary. However, it’s going to be a huge and drastic change to our country, affecting everyone. We need to take our time, consider every option, and make sure that we know it will work. We can’t just rush something through, hoping for the best. Because what if it doesn’t work? That’s what scares us the most.

Source: Wellpoint CEO Braly Argues For Health Care Reform

The H1N1 virus has grabbed the attention of the media and just about every person in the country. However, many people do not realize that the H1N1 virus is very similar to the regular seasonal flu virus. As always, there are certain precautions you should take to avoid the spread of germs. However, we urge you not to panic about this H1N1 flu – or the Swine flu as it is commonly called. Read on to learn more about the H1N1 virus, how it is spread, and how you can prevent yourself from getting sick.

What is it?

H1N1 is a strain of the influenza virus that is causing illness in people. This new strain of virus was first detected in people in the United States in April of 2009. The virus is commonly called the “swine flu” because this virus is very similar to an influenza virus that occurs in pigs. However, new studies have shown that this H1N1 virus is actually quite different from the pig virus.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of the H1N1 virus include fever, runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills, headache and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting may also occur. If the following symptoms occur, it is extremely important to seek medical care immediately: difficulty breathing, bluish color to the skin, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden unexplained dizziness, and severe or persistent vomiting.

How does it spread?

The H1N1 virus is contagious and it spreads from person to person in the same what that the seasonal flu spreads. These viruses are mainly spread through coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread by touching an object that has the flu virus on it and then touching your mouth or nose. The H1N1 virus is contagious from 1 day before getting sick until 5-7 days after.

How can I prevent myself from getting sick?

Simple, everyday actions can play a huge role in preventing the spread of germs and viruses.

• Wash your hands with soap and warm water often! Hand washing is the most important way of preventing the spread of germs! Wash your hands for at least 15 to 20 seconds each time!
• If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It is also a good idea to carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer around with you to use while you are out!
• Be sure to always cover your mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If a tissue is unavailable, cough or sneeze into your inner elbow, rather than into your hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth or nose – these are the places where germs enter the body!
• Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.
• If you are sick, please stay home from work, school or extracurricular activities! Try to only go out if you absolutely need to or to seek medical care. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has diminished.
• The H1N1 flu vaccine is also available. For more information about this vaccine, speak with your doctor or visit the H1N1 Flu Vaccination Resources.

The H1N1 virus has grabbed the attention of the media and just about every person in the country. However, many people do not realize that the H1N1 virus is very similar to the regular seasonal flu virus. As always, there are certain precautions you should take to avoid the spread of germs. However, we urge you not to panic about this H1N1 flu - or the Swine flu as it is commonly called. Read on to learn more about the H1N1 virus, how it is spread, and how you can prevent yourself from getting sick.

What is it?

H1N1 is a strain of the influenza virus that is causing illness in people. This new strain of virus was first detected in people in the United States in April of 2009. The virus is commonly called the “swine flu” because this virus is very similar to an influenza virus that occurs in pigs. However, new studies have shown that this H1N1 virus is actually quite different from the pig virus.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of the H1N1 virus include fever, runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills, headache and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting may also occur. If the following symptoms occur, it is extremely important to seek medical care immediately: difficulty breathing, bluish color to the skin, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden unexplained dizziness, and severe or persistent vomiting.

How does it spread?

The H1N1 virus is contagious and it spreads from person to person in the same what that the seasonal flu spreads. These viruses are mainly spread through coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread by touching an object that has the flu virus on it and then touching your mouth or nose. The H1N1 virus is contagious from 1 day before getting sick until 5-7 days after.

How can I prevent myself from getting sick?

Simple, everyday actions can play a huge role in preventing the spread of germs and viruses.

• Wash your hands with soap and warm water often! Hand washing is the most important way of preventing the spread of germs! Wash your hands for at least 15 to 20 seconds each time!
• If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It is also a good idea to carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer around with you to use while you are out!
• Be sure to always cover your mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If a tissue is unavailable, cough or sneeze into your inner elbow, rather than into your hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth or nose - these are the places where germs enter the body!
• Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.
• If you are sick, please stay home from work, school or extracurricular activities! Try to only go out if you absolutely need to or to seek medical care. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has diminished.
• The H1N1 flu vaccine is also available. For more information about this vaccine, speak with your doctor or visit the H1N1 Flu Vaccination Resources.

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The health care industry wastes $1.2 trillion on unnecessary health care treatments each year, according to a recent study done by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute. That amounts to half of the $2.2 trillion the United States spends on health care each year. According to the study, there are 16 different areas where health care funds are wasted. Of those, 6 of the areas stood out as the biggest problems.

1. Too Many Medical Tests

Too many doctors are ordering unnecessary medical tests for patients. Why? Two main reasons stand out. The first reason: concern over medical liability lawsuits. To be honest, we can’t really fault the doctors for this. Medical malpractice lawsuits have become so widespread and devastating these days, that doctors are undoubtedly scared. By requesting more tests, they’re simply hoping to “cover all their bases.” There has been a lot of discussion over how to avoid this problem, and hopefully a solution will be reached. But the second reason isn’t as understandable: attempting to increase their income. I know we’re all looking to make more money these days, but doctors really shouldn’t be ordering unnecessary tests just to increase their income. This is causing unnecessary financial stress on way too many people.

• Unnecessary Medical Testing costs us $210 billion every year.

2. Inefficiency With Insurance Claims

Because every insurance company has their own forms and procedures, it’s very difficult for hospitals and medical offices to automate this work. According to the study, some practices spend nearly 40% of their revenue filling out paperwork that has nothing to do with direct patient care. Medical offices also spend a lot of time getting “pre-certifications” from health insurance companies for high-priced procedures, like MRIs. The solution is quite simple: standardize the procedures. If doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies exchanged the same information in the same format - using advanced technology - much time and money would be saved.

• Inefficient Insurance Claims Processing wastes $210 billion every year.

3. Abusing The Emergency Room

We’ve been talking about this one for a long time: people are relying on the Emergency Room for their primary health care, instead of for emergencies only. The ER is legally required to treat all patients, regardless of ability to pay. Many uninsured Americans simply can’t afford to visit their primary care physician when something is wrong. So, they visit the ER when they need medical attention - even if it’s not an emergency. For example, Emergency Rooms across the country are noticing a huge rise in people visiting the ER for Strep Throat. But, look at this statistic: Going to the doctor for strep throat costs around $65-$70. Going to the ER for strep throat costs $600-$800. Yikes.

• Using the ER as a clinic is a waste of $14 billion every year.

4. Medical Errors

We’ve also talked about this issue quite a bit, since it’s becoming increasingly more problematic. The potential for medical errors is huge: prescribing the wrong medication, not adequately monitoring patients, amputating the wrong limb, etc… That said, there are a wide variety of ways to avoid these mistakes, such as computerized prescription processing and electronic health records.

• Medical mistakes cost us $17 billion every year in wasted expenses.

5. Patients Returning To The Hospital

Surprisingly, this happens quite a bit because patients are often discharged too soon - either because of insurance problems, cost problems, or the unavailability of beds. Many times, patients will not follow their discharge instructions at home. When complications arise, they are readmitted to the hospital - usually after only about a week, and usually for a much longer period of time! If the patient had been allowed to stay in the hospital in the first place, they could have completely recovered before being sent home. In most cases, complications would not have arisen at home, and there would have been no reason to re-admit the patients.

• Re-admitting patients because we discharged them too soon costs our nation $25 billion annually.

6. Hospital-Acquired Infections

This one’s actually quite shocking: Billions of dollars are wasted every year on the treatment of infections that are acquired while in the hospital. So, really, billions of dollars are wasted every year simply because of carelessness. There are so many things that hospitals and medical staff can do to prevent these infections. Most importantly: hand washing. If the medical staff was just a bit more proactive about these precautions, the number of infections would drop drastically.

• Sadly, infections acquired in the hospital wastes $3 billion of our nation’s money every year.

Source: CNN Money, Health Care’s Big Money Wasters

Although we’ve written about health care reform on several occasions, we’ve tried to remain as neutral as possible. And although we absolutely encourage you to do your research and form your own opinion on the matter, we finally feel that it’s time to explain our position on the House Health Care bill. To put it quite frankly: we dislike it - immensely. We do believe that health care reform is necessary. Our health care system is certainly flawed, and our country needs to find a way to provide affordable health care options to everyone. The health insurance industry also needs to be reformed, making health insurance more accessible and affordable for Americans. But this House Health Care Bill that President Obama and Congress are trying to push through goes way beyond necessary reform and takes the ideas of government-run health care a little too far.

If you’re interested, we urge you to look through the House Health Care Bill. We know that it’s 1,018 pages, but you can at least skim through and read parts of it. You’ll probably be surprised by some of the stuff you read. Certainly there are good parts of the bill - but that’s not what we’re concerned about right now. Instead, we’re concerned with the more radical portions of the bill. Here are just a few excerpts that caught our eye:

Pg 29 - Essentially, your health care will be rationed based on an “annual limitation” and “applicable level.” -Now, it seems to us that the idea of “rationed” health care is a bit crazy. Isn’t the whole idea of health care reform to provide all necessary health care to Americans, not just some of it?

Pg 30 - A health benefits advisory committee will be established to determine which benefits and health care services should be offered.

Pg 42 - The “Health Choices Commissioner” will choose your health care benefits for you.

PG 50 - HealthCare will be provided to ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise. –This is still a huge debate in our country

Pg 58 - They want to have real-time access to all individual’s finances, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility. A national identification card will be issued to all individuals, in order to help the Government monitor everyone’s finances.

Pg 59 - They allude to having direct access to your bank accounts for electronic fund transfers of health care payments. This isn’t the worst thing we found, we just don’t really like the idea of the government having their hands in our pockets any more than they already do.

Pg 72 - A Health Insurance Exchange will be established, bringing all private health insurance plans under the Government’s control. –Doesn’t this defeat the purpose of having “private” health insurance plans?

PG 95 - The Government plans on using special groups to help get people signed up for the Government Health Care plan - these groups could include ACORN & Americorps –Seems like a conflict of interest, doesn’t it?

PG 110 - Employers not offering government health care will have additional taxes imposed on them –What a great way to help our small businesses! sheesh…

Pg 127 - Doctors will be organized into 2 classes: “Preferred Physicians” for those physicians who agree to the Government-established salary and “Participating Non-Preferred Physicians” for those physicians who do not accept the established salary. However, even for those Non-Preferred Physicians, the Government still limits how much they can charge. So, either way, the government is deciding how much physicians can make.  –But the most important point: The government will control how much money doctors make!

Pg 203 - Just read this: “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax imposed by this chapter for purposes of determining the amount of any credit under this chapter or for purposes of section 55.”  –Yea, it sounds confusing, but aren’t they saying that this “tax” won’t actually be considered as “tax.” Sound curious to you?

Pg 241 - Doctors will all receive the same salary, regardless of their specialty.  –We’ve also heard this will be true for Nurses and other health care professionals.

Pg 253 - Doctors will no longer be able to place a value on their own time. Instead, the government will determine how valuable the doctor’s time is, along with the value of their: mental effort, professional judgment, technical skill, physical effort, and stress due to risk.  –I bet that will really motivate doctors…

Pg 425 - Individuals on Social Security will be required to attend “Advanced Care Planning” consultations every 5 years. These consultations will include end of life planning resources, a thorough explanation of end-of-life services available, such as palliative care and hospice, and and explanation of orders regarding life sustaining treatments.  –We have a sneaking suspicion that our Government is trying to discourage people from using life-sustaining treatments when they reach old age.

Pg 429 - You will be required to attend Advanced Care Planning Consultations more often if there is a significant change in your health condition or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long term care facility, or Hospice. Again, you will be reminded of your end of life options.

Pg 429 - These consultations may include government orders regarding life-sustaining treatment.  –Again, the government may control how much care you receive!

Pg 430 - “The level of treatment indicated . . . may range from an indication for full treatment to an indication to limit some or all or specified interventions.”   –More government control

Pg 489 - The government will also control Marriage & Family therapy.  –I don’t know about you, but that’s just what our marriage was missing - government control!

That’s not the end of our story, but we must rest our eyes a bit before we tackle the rest of the House Health Care Bill. We urge you to take a look through it yourself and let us know if you come across anything that sounds strange. And even if you choose not to look at the actual bill, we urge you to do at least ONE thing:

Let your voice be heard!! Do the research, look into the health care reform proposal, and speak up! This proposed Health Care Bill would be a travesty to our nation. Program your elected representatives’ phone numbers into your phone and call often. Send e-mails & ask them to vote “NO” to this health care reform bill. Or send snail mail, if that’s more your style. Either way, SPEAK UP! Find all the contact information you need here: House.gov and Senate.gov.

Undoubtedly, our health care system has many faults. There is no single person or entity we can blame for all these faults - instead, it’s been a series of unfortunate decisions and events that have led us to where we are now. Health care costs have skyrocketed, health insurance premiums are often unaffordable, our medical and health records are unattainable, and Americans in general are unhealthy. And whether or not you agree with President Obama’s health care proposal, you must agree that we need some form of health care reform.

Naturally, there are a hundred different ways to approach health care reform. We can change little things, big things, a bunch of miscellaneous things - hoping to come out better in the end. You’ve probably heard several different proposals on health care reform - some good, some bad, some seemingly inconsequential. As part of the health care industry, we enjoy looking at these different ideas and envisioning how they might change our health care system - Which is how we ran across this insightful article by Don Kemper at The Health Care Blog.

Don’s strategy is simple: If you want a better system, support a smarter patient.

Don briefly mentions the significant cost comparison between McAllen and El Paso, Texas - something we’ve previously discussed. And while he acknowledges the importance of this example, Don feels that the more significant comparison is the one between American families. To prove his point, Don poses an example of two identical families - the Smiths and the Joneses - who have the same medical conditions, yet very different approaches to medical care.

The Smith family is a “doctor knows best” family that relies on the excellent physicians and hospitals in their community to keep them healthy or return them to health when they aren’t, but do little to participate in the decisions or the care. The Smiths accept whatever treatments their physicians recommend.

The Jones family also relies on the physicians and hospitals in their community. But they use health care decision tools and self-management information in combination with their doctors’ advice to make sure they’re getting the best treatment for them.

When Sam Smith’s back pain flared at age 45, he was quick to accept his doctor’s recommendation for an MRI and a visit to an orthopedic specialist to make sure it wasn’t serious. The MRI showed a possible cause of the pain and just to be sure Sam had surgery the following week, marveling at the efficiency of the system. The cost: about $40,000 for surgery, hospital, physician care and rehab.

When Jay Jones, also age 45, had an identical bout of back pain he reviewed a back surgery decision aid on the Web-even before his first visit. He learned that back surgery is not usually needed or always successful. For him the case for surgery was not very strong.

When his doctor recommended an MRI, Jay pointed out that a decision aid helped him learn that 50 percent of back pain cases go away in four weeks, 90 percent in six months, and only 10 percent of back pain cases need surgery. Jay also learned that MRI reports often find things that can lead to surgery even though they were not the cause of the pain. With that information he asked if he might put off the MRI and the surgery while he determined if his back would get better on its own-it did. The cost: $150 for the office call and $12 for the over-the-counter medications. Back surgery is among the most overprescribed treatments.

When Sam’s wife Susan, felt some chest pain after an argument with him, she went right to the ER. While the pain went away quickly, Susan accepted the recommended EKG just to be sure. And although she had no family history of heart disease, just to be sure she was also given a stress test, an echocardiogram, a mobile Holter monitor and a cardiac catheterization. She was happy to agree to anything that the doctors thought might show something. The cost was staggering-but the insurance paid most of it.

When Jay’s wife, Janice, felt similar chest pain she made a quick check with an on-line symptom guide. She self-assessed that she was not sweating, had no shortness of breath, she wasn’t vomiting or nauseous, the pain was fairly stationary and her heartbeat was steady at her normal 64 beats per minute. She also surmised that the pain could have been caused by a session yesterday on a new exercise machine at the gym. After confirming by phone with her doctor she decided to do watchful waiting to see if the pain went away-it did. The cost: $25 for the phone call to her doctor. As a bonus, her alertness to the possibility of heart pain caused Janice to renew her commitment to exercise and healthy eating.

When Grandfather Smith Sam’s dad and Granddad Jones Jay’s dad each progressed into advanced frailty with dementia, the pattern continued with the Smiths opting for a full medical response in their “at-all-costs” battle against death and the Jones opting for an approach which maximized family support and caring over treatment. The Smith to Jones cost difference was astounding.

via The Health Care Blog: Patient, Heal Thyself.

Interesting, isn’t it? You’ve probably never considered this point of view before - we’re so concerned about medical privacy that we often don’t consider how our friends, neighbors, and family members may be approaching their health care. Yet, this argument makes sense. If the Smiths are able to take a more active role in their health care decisions, it would greatly offset their health care costs. And this is why Don Kemper proposes his two-part solution: “Supporting the Joneses” and “Motivating the Smiths.”

Supporting the Joneses

• Help people do as much for themselves as possible. We’ve been given the tools to become our own travel agents, bankers, web site developers, and video producers - the same theory should be applied to medical care. Provide easy-to-use decision aids and self-management guides to help people determine whether they should seek medical care, or monitor their own progress for a short period of time.

• Help people ask for care when they do need it. Kemper proposes we given patients easy-to-read versions of the medical guidelines that doctors use. With this resource, patients can ensure they are getting the care they need, and only the care that is medically necessary.

• Empower patients to say “No” to recommended care that is not likely to improve their health condition. With the right resources, patients should be able to decline duplicative or overly expensive testing and unnecessary drugs or surgeries that are not likely to make a positive difference in their lives.

Motivating the Smiths

• Reduce medical co-pays for services that prevent future health complications.

• Reduce medical co-pays or health insurance premiums for people who take an active role in their health care. For example, people who use online resources and patient decision aids to monitor their own health.

• Provide incentives when patients obtain and maintain certain health and wellness goals. Not only will this encourage people to maintain a healthier lifestyle, but it will drastically improve the health of our nation.

Surely this won’t be the golden rule for health care reform. There will undoubtedly be many more changes that need to be made before out health care system is beneficial to everyone involved. However, this approach would certainly benefit the system. We’re interested in your thoughts - do you think this strategy would help the system, or is it too risky to ask patients to manage their own health?

You’ve probably heard that California is struggling economically, and there has been a bit of speculation that the state will soon be bankrupt. And unfortunately, the children’s health insurance program was one of the first programs to get cut. Healthy Families is California’s low cost insurance program for children and teens. The program provides health, dental, and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance and do not qualify for the free Medi-Cal program. Members of the Healthy Families program pay an insurance premium each month. The premium averages about $4 to $17 for each child, or no more than $51 for a family. Members also pay a co-payment (usually $5) when they go to the doctor or get other services, but some health care services are free of charge.

Sadly, Healthy Families was just notified that there is a drastic shortfall in the Healthy Families funding for the year, resulting in insufficient funds to operate the program. To ensure that expenditures to not exceed available funding, Healthy Families was forced to implement a waiting list on new enrollment, effective July 17, 2009. At this time, no new enrollees are allowed into the children’s health insurance program. California is the first state to take such drastic measures.

In happier news, the state of New Hampshire is the first state in the nation to expand their children’s health insurance program to young adults. The state’s Healthy Kids plan allows low-income families to purchase affordable health insurance for their children. Last week, Governor John Lynch signed a bill that would expand the program to young adults. The new expansion is designed to offer health insurance options to adults younger than 26 who earn less than $43,000 per year, and who cannot purchase health insurance through their families or employers. The adults will be required to pay the full cost of their premiums, so the plan should not be costly for the state or federal government.

The plan will include comprehensive coverage, including medical, dental care, and prescription drugs. Although the details of the plan aren’t worked out exactly, they have estimated the premiums to be around $200 per month. Healthy Kids is considering separating the children’s insurance pool from the new adult one. They want to ensure that this new expansion will not jeopardize benefits for children. An effective date for Young Adult enrollment has not yet been determined.

While most people understand the concept of life insurance, all the details are a bit fuzzy. But no matter which way you look at it, life insurance is a great idea. It provides protection for your family at the time of your death, and allows you to set aside money to be used towards your final expenses.  We’re always impressed by Forethought Life Insurance  and the they continually prove to be an excellent resource for anyone looking for information on life insurance. As explained on their website, Forethought Life Insurance offers both Preneed and Final Expense insurance plans.

Preneed : The term “preneed” refers to the act of pre-planning for your funeral. This plan is for anyone who would like to choose merchandise and services to be used in their funeral, and set aside funds to be used towards those funeral costs. Although most people find the idea of pre-planning their funeral to be quite unsettling, it actually relieves much of the stress placed on your loved ones at the time of death. By setting aside funds for the funeral, your loved ones will not be confronted with unexpected funeral expenses during an already difficult time. Pre-planning also ensures that your funeral will be exactly as you wish: you will choose the merchandise and services yourself.

Pre-planning steps:

• The individual will need to select a funeral home.

• Once a funeral home is chosen, the individual will need to discuss the merchandise and services available. Final choices will be documented on a “Preneed Statement of Funeral Goods and Services.”

• The individual will then want to start setting aside funds to be used towards the funeral expenses.

Funded funeral plans - or Preneed plans - are funded with a specialized life insurance policy or certificate of trust. These plans are designed to provide both security and protection from rising funeral costs. If you’re interested in setting aside funds for a Preneed life insurance plan, you’ll want to discuss your options with Forethought Life Insurance and a funeral home representative. At the time of death, the funeral home will provide all of your designated services and merchandise, and proceeds from your Forethought Life Insurance policy or certificate will be paid directly to the funeral home.

Final Expense : Final Expense insurance is whole life insurance coverage. In addition to your funeral expenses, this life insurance policy will also cover costs such as settling debts on credit card balances, car loans, mortgage loans, legal, and other expenses. If you’re interested in a Final Expense insurance plan, you’ll want to meet with a financial planning professional.

There are a wide variety of life insurance policies and final expense plans, so be sure to do your research and find the life insurance plan that best meets your needs. As with Preneed, you’ll also have the opportunity with a Final Expense plan to select funeral merchandise and services ahead of time, which relieves the burden on your loved ones. Final Expense Insurance plans are an excellent option for individuals who don’t want to pass on debts to their family at the time of their death.

We offer free quotes on life insurance, so feel free to do some research now. Simply enter your zipcode in the box at the top of the page to get started!